March 30, 2014

Sewing Cabinets---Not

Due to a "snafu" or shall I say "a customer service rep. not paying attention to business" the sewing cabinets did not arrive as planned last Wednesday.  :o(

Sassy and I were disappointed.

This however did arrive as planned.  My eBay find. A Bernina 1090 (rare) in pristine condition! With all the accessories! I've been looking for a machine for classes/take to retreat/mini group that  has a knee lift, 5.5 narrow feed dogs ---and is not too heavy. Found! It also has the wonderful Bernina extended sewing table.  (all at a bargain price!) It sews beautifully and was just recently completely serviced at the Bernina factory! It's a beauty with not nick or scratch to be seen. :o)




I sold my little Janome portable to a new quilter! She was thrilled with it, and I'm thrilled to have found this lovely Bernina 1090. Two happy quilters! 



March 24, 2014

Part ?-Reclaiming Space and Sorting

Here we are on Monday---I feel like I'm moving in slow motion or in circles in this phase of the remodel.  Last Friday the flooring went in, and I have some of the cubbies in place.

Bill commented that the remodel was finished---LOL! I said, we'll maybe it's half finished! LOL! I guess he does not know this is the difficult part---putting everything back and finding a space for it.

The new cabinets are arriving on Wednesday which will be so helpful as I'm finding it difficult to sort and organize threads, rulers, cutters and notions with out the cabinets here---so now I'm just dealing with fabric.  Too much fabric!

Here are a few photos of what the room looks like now. Flooring in place. Waiting on blinds, waiting of cabinets.  Yes, I guess the grunge work is done. Even the windows and screens are clean! :o) Reorganizing is fun, and then not fun! Depending on how much time I debate keeping something, and if I do, where shall it go.

 Cubbies in one of the old closet spaces. Waiting for cloth containers to arrive to store scraps.
 I decided to keep the lateral file. Oh, thank goodness! I need it for patterns and embroidery disks. I hope to keep the space under the ironing table to store my Featherweight.  Smaller expandable cutting table will be near the other window.  I'm not sure about the design wall yet as I'm considering putting up smaller design walls behind the machine cabinets and on the wall behind the ironing table and move the ironing table closer to the windows. 
 This corner and down the wall to the right await the new sewing machine cabinets. Wednesday.
 Some of the give away stuff. Primer I didn't need to be returned.  The pile will be much larger tonight.
The fabric cubbies in the old closet space. I ordered a few more cubbies for up top to hold more fabric. The embroidery stabilizer holder is on the floor for now until Bill gets it hung on the back of the door. Lots of things to be rehung.

Progress is slow----but, we are getting there. I love the new paint color and the floor is so nice! It's laminate, but much quieter than expected. The installer told me they have a newer foam under pad now that really helps with the noise factor and warmth.


March 17, 2014

New LED Florescent Light

A few weeks ago I went shopping for a second florescent light for the sewing room.  I found that regular florescent fixtures are not the only choice. LED "fluorescents" are now available.  I was a bit skeptical about a tube less light fixture the claims to be florescent, but  this Lithonia wrap around fixture is sure nice!


The inside LED light strips. 4' foot fixture.



If you are looking for new fluorescents for hobby rooms or the garage, take a gander at no-bulb fixtures.

The sewing room is progressing. The room is painted with the exception of the window and door trim which I will start on tomorrow.





This "Water Drops" is an interesting color. In different lighting it seems to change from a light turquoise to an almost white to a minty green.  I think once I get the blinds up it will settle down to the light turquoise. I know I mentioned how much I love-love this Benjamin Moore Regal paint---but, I'll say it again! If painting is not your thing, this paint could make you actually like painting!

March 14, 2014

Sewing Space Remodel Progress

I'm at that half way point in the remodeling of the sewing room where I just want it to be done! done! done!  Even though we seldom use our living room having everything stacked in there is starting to be tiring. I've given up on dusting anything in the house. Layers of dust are everywhere now. The even more interesting part is I don't care!  I've decided once the remodeling is finished, then I will deep clean the rest of the house. No point in taking a swipe at any of the clutter or dust for now---

The clutter:

The tearing down of the wall and enlarging the sewing room space is finished! Ron, the contractor was wonderful to work with.  His crew arrived on Thursday, and finished up on Friday.  This past Monday the plaster and texture was completed.

The room today:

I painted primer this a.m. and started painting the Benjamin Moore "Water Drops" color after lunch.  Thankfully we are having a lovely Spring day and everything is drying quickly.

The room today: The window and door frame trim will be "White Opulance".  Roller work tomorrow.

The flooring arrived and is stacked in the hallway. It will be another week before it is installed.

The flooring:

The flooring: A peek at what one of the new planks will look like!

I am also in love with this Benjamin Moore paint! It glides on like whipped butter!  Painting is not my favorite thing---but, I could be persuaded to paint the whole interior of the house with this lovely stuff! Amazing paint! Regal Select 
The new light fixture and some of the cubbies I plan to install in the closet areas are stacked in the living room.  I found this new type of florescent fixture at Home Depot that is not really florescent to replace the awful adjustable "spotlight" type fixture we already have in the one room.  The new fixture has no bulbs. The light is produced with small squares of LED's. When we open the box I'll take a picture. Isn't new technology wonderful!



Some of the new Cubbie storage cubes that are going in the alcove created by removing the old closet framing that you can just barely see in this photo. There will be more of them---and stacked up the walls.



Well, we are progressing along……Dates are in place for the flooring. Next Friday.  Sewing room furniture arrives the first week of April. Delayed by one week due to a change I needed to make for one   door.

Here is a rough drawing of furniture placement.



Stay tuned---



March 02, 2014

Moving Out of a Sewing Space

Some of you may wonder what is happening with the remodel. I am in the midst of removing every shred of sewing stuff from my two small sewing rooms. On Thursday the contractor will arrive to remove the wall between the rooms. Tear out the closets---create a new doorway from the hall into the new sewing space.
If you ever really want to know how much fabric, thread, rulers, patterns, tools for cutting, sewing machines (yes, I found this one on a shelf in the closest) ----you have. This is my reality time!


I think I bought this green Hello Kitty machine thinking one of my grandchildren would be interested in sewing----never happened.

Moving the mind boggling reserve of stuff out of the room is not so much the problem. You just keep loading up and walking down the hallway until you find a spare square foot of space to plop it down!

I found one corner of the bedroom on the fireplace hearth was just wide enough to rest one of  the sewing machines and lots of embroidery thread and cutting mats----


Everything is sort of perched and balanced here and it makes a great excuse for not riding the exercycle!

The major, and I do mean major portion of fabric, batting, books, quilts, stabilizers and plastic project containers are surrounding, and under and over the long arm machine frame in the living room.



---and I still have more to move out of the rooms today.



The really scary part is that all this stuff exists in my life!