In progress....part 1

So after my last post, I thought I'd try and document this quilt making caper a bit better, so I can show people what it is, and  how I do it! Warts and all I'm afraid, as in "the stylist was on their day off" I doubt I'll teach anyone what to do, but it's fun to document the process! And this is all the 'self taught' stuff I've found that works for me.

So I'm making another one of this, as I said at the bottom of the post, it's not for me, but another custom order (yippee!) My Layer cake and Jelly Roll of this arrived, and I got stuck in yesterday morning.

So the 'den' is semi prepared for the big event. Vacuumed, at least! The desk is in THE best spot for a lovely spring day, I even had the windows open- and the heating OFF! That is such a hard habit to break at the end of winter, right? Machine moved off the table so I have optimum space!

 I have some table protectors on top of the desk, both from IKEA, but the cutting mat fits OK as well. I got cutting- this pattern makes lots of blocks, and lots of cutting! So as I'm cutting (and I sit and rotary cut, which I didn't think was unusual until I went to a few classes. No table is ever high enough for me not to have an aching back after 5mins!) I'm using the old hot pink Post-It notes to keeps track of the sizes and piles....

Oh, a sneak peak of the 'extra' space- music is very important to me while I work, I can't stand the tv on in the day, plus there's never anything that important I need to watch. So the laptop and Cd's it is! night time is different though, trashy TV and Twitter chat keeps me going! My next big purchase will be a 'wheely' chair and chair mat so I can 'scoot' from machine to iron without having to stand and shift the chair!

So the reason behind all my labelling- I know exactly what bits to join to what! This cutting took about 4-5 hrs all up.

But the piecing together is a lot quicker when everything's marked! Today called for A + B + C.

I had a very unhelpful 'cat stop' that insisted on sitting at the back of the machine, where the fabric usually falls down . Unhelpful that I got attacked when I tried to move her!

And the simplest way I've found to sew ALL those seams? Chain piecing, So one continuous strip of sewing, then snip it all and move on to the next line. I used to try and join it all together without the snipping after each line- tangled mess, I'm afraid.

So there's a little start to the quilt. I pressed these ones, and got the D + E block done as well today, then had the rest of the afternoon off!

The finished room

I only realised as I was tidying the other day that I hadn't done my finished room reveal! This was started back in November when i bought myself the bookshelves and desk for my birthday.

I eventually got the cupboards for the shelves, so everything is nicely hidden away! (Thanks to sister Jess and her drill fro helping with that job. Think I know what I need next birthday!)

This is DEFINITELY after a tidy up!

The 'vintage kids collection' stash; overlocker storage and 3 channel tv!

Laptop handy for movies, tweeting etc.

The messier corner. a box of patterns, UFO's on top of that, and things that don't seem to fit anywhere else.

A peek at the stash...

It was actually worth tidying it all up, as I got stuck into some overdue projects that night.

Blue....

Wow, where has this week gone?

Everything's blue around here lately- partly hanging on since Xmas, topped with reduced work available for a casual worker, therefore less money. Stress gets you so down you can hardly talk. Well, for me anyway. 

I had a break from Twitter, so I didn't drag everyone else down in my blue. No one noticed I was gone, which was both good and bad I guess! It did make me feel better, forgot about my own predicament for a while I guess!

Anyway, have been busy sewing to keep me busy, calm me down and not stress about things.

Some cutting....

piecing and sewing....

I helped a pal de-stash got a lovely little extra....if you haven't seen Leslie's amazing fabric, go now!!

The Little Miss got lucky too- Jodie had spoilt her, and given us her next sewing project! (And both parcels arrived on the same day, lucky coincidence!) (PS Jodie- she loved the Monty and Pearl card the most I think, I have one on the fridge and she was soooo happy to have her own. Simple pleasures, huh?)

I 'Libertied' my letters Santa bought me....

and have finalised my 'oilcloth swimming tote' pattern. 

These will be for sale soon!

 so, yep, lots of blue, but still some good things to carry me through. Always a work in progress.....

Makeover part 2

I was going to split this post up, but have been pretty busy lately (and a poor blogger), so decided getting it all out of the way at once is better! I have a few more tips I learnt along the way, will save them for later.

So I decided that I HAD to put the furniture up my own- hey, I've lived on my own for 6 yrs, I hate admitting I need help for anything! So this is how I moved the bookcases....

pulled them into the room and stood them up (or something like that).

The desk was the longest to put together, about 2 hrs, I did that first so the bookshelves took about an hr each.

I found a clever idea for the huge drawers (kitchen drawer divider);

  

and moved a few of my older features around.

Getting an opinion from a friend (who I think should start charging for her great ideas) I decided to purchase a smaller ironing board from the oppy (found this just after my decision)

I bought a think new cover from Big W (the retro one was paper thin and no padding!)

 Here it is in action- can I just mention THE LIGHT~dark furniture begone, I 'have seen the light'!

I still want cupboards down the bottom to hide all the ugly crap.

This space will be used for a custom made cutting table for my height

 as long as it all fits up here!

No fabric was harmed in this makeover.

When it's all about me...

which lately, it has been. 

But first, before I get to the birthday, here's a sneak peak of the sewing room. It's coming along...

Sunday afternoon saw me  saving sanity filling boredom by getting my helper in. Off came the old Dymo labels ( that were sticky taped on as they didn't stick well to this kind of plastic)

and on with the new. I had most of these boxes anyway, originally paying $2.98 a box from Big W, they hold 3 patterns each. I went back for a few more, reduced to $1.98 each. Now THAT'S what I call a bargain...

And they completely fit in with my obsessive compulsive side!

And then on Monday it was my birthday. Filled with extra lovely tweets and texts and Facebook messages from all my bloggy and some real life friends; guys, without you I would be in the corner rocking in the fetal position, my big bloggy family are the bomb!

Dinner was with a girlfriend and the kiddies;  they made me feel spesh with drawings and cards, and lots of hugs from my main man Jai.

yummy cakes which I chopped up and shared;

and some awesome shopping skills from the Little Miss. Thanks to 2 awesome friends that picked her up and took her shopping, she then wrapped by herself, wrote on the card etc. I've trained her too well!

(ok, I may have shown her which books I wanted, she ain't that good yet!)

So, another older, lots of stuff undone (I really wanted to clean the fridge out last year, hmm, maybe this one) and a sense of who my family is and getting on with life without the old stuff around my neck. Still hate birthdays though!!

Makeover Part 1

Have had plenty of things to blog lately; just lost the blog-jo for a while. But am back with my latest project.

I decided for my birthday this week to give the sewing room a makeover, a bit more professional and sparkly, with great ideas from MsCurlypops. (Thanks for letting me be a 'copycat from Ballarat', Cam).

so here's the before (very tidy, too)

there's lots of stuff done on the floor in here, which isn't the most comfortable all the time!

When I saw Ikea had free delivery this week, I thought I was meant to shop! Unfortunately, 2hours in a queue and missing the delivery due to a 'not my fault' error means I may pay the $35 next time....

but they finally arrived!

the room was cleaned out;

helpers enlisted;

instructions carefully read (what sort of idiot would do this anyway?)

Of course, this instruction was completely ignored- I NEEDED to prove I could 'do it myself'

stay tuned for part 2....(don't hold your breath or anything though)

Look away if messy rooms disturb you.....

I don't know what came over me today, I had had enough!

 

This is what I was looking at today! She needs a desk, as she is sitting on the floor colouring ( And now I've seen the blue texta on the carpet to prove it!) , and having looked and looked at desks, I couldn't find one small enough to still give her some play space.

So the bright spark that she is said "why can't I have a bigger room, like your sewing room?"

Gasp. Shock. Horror. Give up MY room?

Yeah, it needed a good clean up anyway!

 So tonight she is snoozing in her new bedroom,

 while my bedroom suffers the most! Oh well, another week to get back under control

PS and for those of you who have seen the fabric stash- no, I didn't attempt that today, need a bit more sustenance to tackle THAT one! (A 3 door built in wardrobe of fabric to be swapped with a 2 door wardrobe of clothes- hmmm, should be interesting!)