Wednesday, November 30, 2011

I Have No Original Thoughts

Here I go again doing a blog post because of something one of you fantastic, creative, intelligent (shall I go on?) bloggers suggested.

A couple of days ago, Erin over at Garden Now - Think Later, suggested we all do a post showing and talking about our sewing/craft/quilting/knitting/crocheting areas whether that be a dedicated room in the house or a set-up on the kitchen table. Click on the above link and be sure to go see Erin's use of a small space with fantastic results.

Being basically lazy (and not having any time lately to even go into my quilting studio let alone take new pictures), I'm posting this link of my own which will take you to a blog post I did just about two years ago giving a tour of my special room.

I am indeed a lucky, lucky ducky to have a specific room of my own for my quilting and sewing. But just so all of you know (and for those of you who may be frustrated and still only dreaming of having your own space), I worked on our small (30" x 48") kitchen table for many (MANY) years while storing my supplies in the bottom of a kitchen cabinet. Don't lose hope; you might have to wait for that larger house or until a bedroom is vacated by a child leaving home, but you will get that little haven of your own someday.

The room that is now my quilt studio was originally a 12' x 16' detached storage shed when we bought the property. We used it as a workshop while we tore the existing house structure down to the studs and started reconstruction from there. Eventually, we added a 16' x 16' addition on to the end of our house and moved the 12' x 16' shed to attach to that new addition. In that position, it was used for a few more years for storage while we worked on other projects.

Then I designed the interior of my (to be) quilt studio. We managed to clear out all the "stuff" stored in there, and Papa Pea and I dove in to redo the ceiling, floor and walls. We built the storage units, cutting table, and design walls to my specifications. It didn't happen overnight, I'll tell ya, but once it was finished it turned out to be just about perfect.

I love it (it is my sanctuary) and cannot wait until we're done with this current remodeling of our house (is there no end?!) so I can get back in there. And maybe not emerge again for a month!

12 comments:

judy said...

I don't know how you magically put that whole room on your house because I never saw it before ,it is absolutely beautiful and you must be so talented but as someone once told me and I think you belong in this category" I WORKED VERY HARD FOR WHAT I HAVE" and I believe you did

dr momi said...

I can see why your quilt room is a sanctuary! Lots of room for creativity...and so organized. From what I could see of your work....wow!

Sparkless said...

I love your quilt room too! I should post my craft spot, my kitchen table and the couch in the living room. LOL!

Sue said...

So organized....I love it. Everything so nicely displayed and easy to get to. What a great space to get away from the world. Do you ever listen to music while you work? I rarely do---sometimes it's distracting. But, sometimes not. Depends on the mood.

Erin said...

dare I ask... was that storage shed even heated??? I picturing you having to knit all summer so you can keep warm while you quilted in the winter! I love your space, and just hope that I can hold off giving the boys the boot until they are legal age so I can have their room LOL!!!

Karen L. said...

Love you "studio"! After the second of three children moved out (actually we moved away from him), I finally got my own room. I wish every woman could have their own room to do whatever that wanted to do there. However, I think after my husband retired, I appreciated it even more. Nice that we can each "got to our room" and be left alone for a bit. Really like your closet rods for storing quilts. Brilliant! Hey, I see where you won the Edwardian apron pattern. Guess you will have to make one and model it for all of us in blog land to see. Oh all right, you can wait until after the living room is finished. But hurry up, will you?

Mama Pea said...

Well, as I said in my post, it was a long time before the room turned into my quilt studio. We weren't up to the task nor did we have the money for a long time, and I didn't think it was EVER gonna happen but as you can see, it did. And you know what? I'm gonna go spend an hour or so in there tonight! Wa-HOO!

dr momi - Thank you! I do love quilting.

Sparkless - Now don't go being a smarty-pants. We'd all LIKE to see your craft spot!

Sue - More than listening to music, I like to listen to books on tape. Between a good book and creating with fabric, I can get really lost.

Erin - The storage shed wasn't heated when it was a detached shed or workshop nor was it heated for a couple of years after we moved it and added it on to the house. But I never had any kind of a set-up in there during those times. It wasn't until we remodeled it as my quilt studio (AND put heat in there) that I could really use it.

Karen L. - Don't tell anyone but as soon as I get that gorgeous apron pattern from Susan, I'm gonna have a hard time not forgetting about everything else and making one!

Judy T said...

Oh, now I have sewing room envy! I have always wanted a design wall!! I've finally got a semi-dedicated room (it's also the guest bedroom) but it is small and cramped compared to yours. I've got a second machine that I'm going to have to see if I can find room for. I can cut quilt blocks on the table I've got but for clothing, I've still got to use the dining room table.
Judy

Mama Pea said...

Judy - I enjoyed seeing the pictures you posted of your sewing room. No matter what, it seems we can always use more room for what we want to do. But at least you have a room to start with . . . and I know you'll turn out lots of fantastic creations in there!

Leigh said...

"Is there no end?" That's what I want to know! Great post, I can so relate. I would post about my craft spot, but right now it's another big storage spot in the house.

Jenyfer Matthews said...

We finally have a house where I claimed a room - I even have a workable table - but right now that room is the catch-all for everything else. As if I have time for any quilting - I haven't done any quilting in nearly A YEAR!!! I did some hand mending the other day and it made me ridiculously happy.

Maybe next year... (which is actually closer than we think!)

Mama Pea said...

Leigh - If you did post a picture of what your "spot" looks like right now, it would probably give some of us a chuckle and some of us hope that maybe our situation isn't so bad after all! I know they say all good things come to those that wait . . . but what if we croak first??! ;o}

Jen - The way you're working at getting the house just the way you want it, you'll be arranging your quilt room before you know it! THEN we'll see the quilting start to happen!