"Before" Pictures

This is the view to the left as you walk into the studio from the livingroom.  I plan to put my fabric, UFOs and some computer supplies in the closet.  There are shelves in it.  I'm going to hang my temporary design space over the closet doors.  I want the top part of the Hoosier cabinet to be a little decorative... haven't figured out what I'm going to do with it yet.  The bottom will hold batting and miscellaneous fabric.  In the photo, far right, is a set of TV trays.  They've been moved to the other closet in the studio.  For the space that you see under the counter, I'm buying a rolling cart to hold sewing supplies.  I'll probably add a little TV and CD player on the Hoosier.

This is my sewing and computer space.  I'm reconfiguring the computer layout (hoping to get a flat screen monitor soon!) and adding a cart or stackable shelves below the counter on the far right to hold computer paper.  Also not shown in this picture is a small cutting/ironing station I set up that will be accessible from my sewing machine--which is sitting all covered up in its blue Bernina cloth cover.  :o)  I put away my machine right before the first of the year (2006) and haven't sewn since.  I'm really going through creative withdrawal...  I have a thimble collection I'll be using to accessorize the room with, and I'll be adding valances over the windows, too!  I also want to put up 2 small quilt racks on the end walls over the sewing machines for wall quilts.  To the very far right (not in the picture) is the French door leading to the back patio.

Just on the other side of the French door is a second counter top.  It was suppose to hold the kids' computer and leave room for one of the girls to set up their sewing machine.  The computer ended up in the boys' room.  In the very front of the picture is my Grace Z44 hand quilting frame all folded up.  (I don't know if I'll ever get my mother to let me leave this set up for as long as it would take me to hand quilt something, so there it sits for now...)  It's going to be moved into my bedroom against a blank wall.  Behind the quilting frame is a turkey cage that my mom used as a coffee table in her living room.  It's topped by a piece of glass and holds stuffed bears.  It's *not* what I want to use as a coffee table--I don't even *like* coffee (LOL)--but I don't have a choice in the matter at this point *if* I want it out of my quilting studio...  *I'm* going to fill it with folded quilts though!  Behind the "coffee table" is a large bin with my fabric that needs to be sorted by color and moved into the closet.  The counter is going to be our cutting area and sewing space for my 2 DDs.

Continuing on to the right is the doorway into my parents' family room.  Next to that, in the corner, is my mom's antique treadle sewing machine.  It's a Singer.  I'm not sure it works, but it adds ambiance to the room.  LOL  On top of it sits a music player that my mom listened to when she was a girl.  It plays "records" that are cylindrical.  Her Wade collection is in the printer's tray on the wall above the machine.  I think most of them were sent to her by her sisters in Canada.  It's the most decorated (and finished!) corner of the room.  Naturally, because it's all my *mom's* stuff!  The closet is just your average coat closet.  It houses the ironing board and iron.  I'll set it up right in front of the closet when I need to do some serious ironing on my quilting projects.  Oh, I almost forgot to mention my mom's quilt rack and "Mom/Grandma Saying" quilt sitting in the doorway...  And that concludes the "before" tour of the quilting studio!  

"After" Pictures

New view of the closet and Hoosier cabinet on the left when you walk into the room.

Here is the curtain rod over the closet that will hold my piece of batting or felt as my temporary design space.  The rings with clips are great for hanging quilted tops to photograph.  This is DD-R's Double Pinwheel after it was quilted but before the binding was on.

Picture of the top shelf of the closet.  It has 7 small bins that hold WIPs.  They're even labeled.  :o)  The next shelf down holds some quilting hoops, a sewing basket and some miscellaneous computer and office items.  The shelf below my fabric stash is temporary housing for some books I'm planning on selling.  The bottom of the closet holds larger tubs with the girls' fabric and projects.  I still need to add the temporary design wall over the closet door.

My (meager) fabric stash, sorted by color.  I'm a reformed fabriholic.  :o)  I try to only buy fabric with a specific project in mind.  (Read "Paralyzed by the Stash" by Bonnie of Quiltville.com.)  Even this amount is more than I'd like to have on hand, but some of this fabric was given to me.  The rest I purchased for projects that I've lost interest in doing because I didn't get started on them right away--another habit I'm trying to nip in the bud.  I guess I need to be more productive when the mood hits, however I know from experience that this leads to many UFOs.  LOL  Hopefully, a neatly organized quilt studio will keep me inspired.

The rest of the fabric stash shelf.  After cutting up my fabric for a project, I cut up the extra into 2" squares and larger pieces.  I have a sheet of paper in a page protector under each cutting mat with the sizes of squares, rectangles and strips that can easily be used for various "leader/ender" projects and other scrappy-looking patterns.  (See "Scrap User's System" at Quiltville.com.)  I'll be getting more bins or rolling carts for under the large cutting area to hold my cut up scraps.

The Hoosier cabinet, fully loaded.  Large fabric pieces, novelty prints and scraps of batting are on the bottom.  The drawers hold miscellaneous items (pounce pad, hand quilting items and the like).  The top cupboards hold my quilting books (temporarily, until I get new bookshelves in the living room) and patterns.    The very top isn't quite done yet...  I have a few more items to add.  The pullout countertop on the hoosier holds the small ironing board and iron. 

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Small TV/DVD player for watching old movies while pieceing.  :o)

My sewing area set up.  I need to make a cover for the chair!  My quilt journal notebook and a notebook that holds instructions and handouts from quilting classes ended up on the lefthand side of the countertop.

Picture of the rolling cart under the counter near my sewing area that holds my "leader/ender" scraps for my current "leader/ender" project and other miscellaneous sewing items.  It's a nice fit!

Drawer with leader and ender squares for current project -- a scrappy Double Irish Chain quilt top.

Pictures of the 2 portable design walls that I made.  Instructions can be found here.

Picture of the small cutting and ironing area that will be to the left of my sewing machine.  The bottom of the 2 tables are old Singer sewing machine bases.  My dad topped them with a piece of wood.  We used to use one as a TV stand and the other as an end table in our living room.  I need to purchase the small tabletop ironing board I saw at Wal-Mart.

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Computer area reconfigured.

The valance over the window.

View out the French door while I'm sitting at the computer.

A new view of the other countertop.

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The main cutting area set up.  I bought a wooden ruler rack at my LQS.  I'll need another if we buy any more rulers.  :o)

The round white caddy is a Pampered Chef item.  (*Love* Pampered Chef!)  It holds scissors, cutters and a few odds and ends.  Wait!  The scissors are missing...  So what's new??  LOL

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The girls' sewing area.  I'm making them covers for their machines with inexpensive quilted fabric I found at Wal-Mart.  They need a rolling cart near their machines still.  The second portable design wall is over here for their use.

This is where the regular ironing board is set up when needed.  Sometime in the future I'll have to get one of my DSs to make a "big board" to fit over the regular ironing board.  I think that would make ironing quilt tops a lot easier!  Notice the requisite cat.  He *begged* to be in the picture...  :o)

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Picture of my printer's tray with some of my thimble collection.  Okay, I finally found the printer's tray, but now can't find a space large enough to hang it. . .  I may have to talk my Mom into moving her's.

 What Still Needs To Be Done

1)  Find the items I want to put on top of the Hoosier to finish decorating it.  The items I have in mind are still packed away.

2)  Sewing cover for chair.

3)  I have about 1/2 of the things I plan to hang on the walls.  I'm still looking for a quilt rack to hang on the wall near my sewing area and some new thimble racks for my thimble collection.

4)  Need to get some plastic bins for my "computer paper" stash.  :o)

5)  Need to purchase 3-4 large carts to put under large cutting area for scraps and next to girls' sewing area.

6)  Sew machine covers for the girls' machines.

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