New Year New Furniture!

I have gotten so behind on things, I have no idea where to begin. Last time I wrote, the leaves were just starting to turn and now there's snow on the ground! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and now that we are into a new year, I resolve to try to keep you more up to date on things.

My sewing/craft room has changed so much since I last wrote. I have lots more storage, thanks to some brand new furniture pieces. I was finally able to purchase some new things and they have made all the difference in the world.

Being true to my frugal nature and to my budget, I purchased items that I had to assemble myself. It was time consuming, but saved me money. I also shopped at a bargain chain; Big Lots, so that saved even more. I purchased two bookcases and two storage units that each had 9 cubbies. I had wanted white furniture, but the storage units didn't come in that color.  I could have got them in white, if I was willing to go with less cubbies. To me, storage capacity was more important than color. Even at that, I couldn't get all the pieces I bought in the same color, but they were close enough.

Above are the cubby units. I stacked them on top of each other to save floor space and also approximately match the height of the bookcases. Originally I was going to make fabric boxes to fill each space, especially after I saw the price of the ready-made ones. When I thought about how long it would take to make boxes for 18 spaces, I came up with another option. I decided to use plastic baskets and boxes from the Dollar Tree. Additionally, I added a fabric covered box (self made) and a few tins to the mix. If needed, I can actually fit a plastic shoe box under each of the baskets, adding even more space.

To keep everything neat and easy to find, I labeled everything with these great labels that I found on Pinterest.

They came in aqua, which was the perfect color for my room. The labels also downloaded as an editable PDF, so the font on each label is uniform and I didn't have to look at my lousy handwriting. LOL!

Next to the cubby units, I put two bookcases with adjustable shelving. This came me room for more storage, plus display space for my dolls.

This just about completely filled the wall, opposite my machines, up to the door. You can see my small ironing board is tucked in there on the floor for now.

I also reorganized my white plastic drawer units and relabel them in a uniform manner as well.

For the larger drawers I used the same labels as on the baskets in the cubbies. For the smaller ones, I used another aqua label from Pinterest. For those, I used my label maker to "write" on them. My handwriting really is terrible.

You can see that label on the container above. Does the shape of that container look familiar? It came with French's Onions in it originally. I used spray adhesive and covered it in fabric and lace. My great friend, Josetta brought it to me on Thanksgiving, along with the delicious green bean casserole she put the onions in. Not only do I save "trash", but  I have my friends bringing it to me too. I love it!

For another trash to treasure idea, here's another item I made.

I wrapped aqua (it looks blue in the pic) rope, leftover from another project, around a tin can.

I use it to keep my Tacky Glue in. Because of the thickness of that particular glue, I always store mine upside down. That way, when I need it, it is right at the tip, ready to use. Just in case it leaks, I don't like to keep it in with anything else, so this can is perfect.

Another quick trash to treasure project, also courtesy of Josetta, is this little container, that mints had come in. I just added some felt flowers, cut with my Sizzix dies, and labeled it.

Isn't it just too cute! I love that it already came in a color that worked in the room.

There is still so much more to be done, but I am thrilled with the recent progress. The room is really starting to coming together and is becoming more functional and beautiful every step of the way.

Happy 2014!

I got to move it, move it

I am not one to constantly rearrange furniture, but....  If it isn't right, I keep moving it until it is. If you have been following along, you know my sewing/craft room is a work in process. It has been since I moved here on New Year's Eve and it will continue, probably past the dawning of 2014. I have yet to find the perfect location for things in the room, particularly where my machines are placed.

I had my machines on the longest wall of the room when I first moved in. That was all well and good, but it wasn't the best use of space. Next, I moved them to a shorter wall with a window on it, but that wasn't quite right either, so it was time to move them again. This is how it looked:

Basically, the layout worked ok, but I knew I could make it better, more efficient and effective. I realized that my threads were not near the machines that they belonged with. That meant I was constantly going back and forth and up and down to get what I needed. I had to figure out how to put the different types of thread near each machine they belonged with.

I started by moving the small table with the serger on it back to the long wall that it was originally on.  I put the set of rolling drawers, that holds all my serger thread, right next to the machine.

The booklet on the wall to the left of my machine is the threading manual and the briefcase type thing on the floor is all of the feet that go with the serger. I was lucky enough to find a desk lamp at Target, in aqua, that is perfect in the room. The item that is on top of the rolling drawers is a sewing room diorama for one of my dolls. Since it is sewing related, I thought I would share a picture.

Back to the matter at hand. I have a tower of baskets, that I use to store various things and I put that in the corner. I left the long table, with the sewing and embroidery machines, in approximately the same place it was.

My sewing machine is at the far right end of the table. I hung the two racks of sewing thread above it and sorted the thread by color, making it much easier to find the color I needed. It also made it so I won't buy duplicates of colors any more. I discovered that I had four spools of exactly the same color tan thread.

I also hung my sewing scissors and pinking shear on the empty pegs at the bottom of the thread rack. It keeps them handy.

I wanted to keep the wire cubes stacked next to the table, mainly because I had no other place to put them. That left me with the problem of where to put the three racks of embroidery thread. I also cones of embroidery thread, which posed their own storage issue. I got creative and found a way to hang the racks on the wire cubes. I simply used pretty ribbon and tied the racks to the side of the cubes.

I also sorted the embroidery thread by color and devoted one rack to variegated thread. That made it simpler to sort it from the regular thread.

While moving things, I decide that the wire cubes were in desperate need of being sorted. I decided to make one tall tower rather than having a tall one with a shorter one attached. This freed up some floor space. I have two cubes of solid fabrics, a cube of prints, a cube of prints to make doll clothes and the top has home decor fabrics. I still have fabrics in the closet in laundry baskets and just stacked on the floor, but that will have to wait until I have the funds for more shelving.

When I put the doll related fabrics in the cube, it didn't take up much room in the cube. I got creative again with the ribbon. I tied one the the wire grids in to form a shelf in the cube. I was able to put the cones of embroidery thread in the cube with the doll fabrics above it it. I had to use the grid that would have been on the top of the tower. I just left that cube ope and I was able to stack more fabrics in.

To the left of the wire cubes, there is a basket hung on the wall.

I used it to store my pressing ham. Before I used the basket, the ham was moved here there and everywhere. It is a very odd item to try and store.

On the corner of the table, I put a small tiered shelf that holds a jar of safety pins, a fabric basket with packages of hand sewing needles, a box of tissues and a mug with tweezers and small screwdrivers. The shelf gave me a space for quite a few things, in a small footprint.

As you can see. I try to utilize space as efficiently as possible. Under the table and on the floor next to it, are plastic drawer units, decorative boxes and a big glass jar of buttons. When you have a lot of supplies, you have to find creative ways to store everything and be creative about finding places to put them. .

Normally, I put my full length mirror in front of the wire cubes.It keeps it out of the way and there is plenty of room in front of it to make it useable.

I have been using the machines in this configuration for several day s no and so far, so good. I will see as time goes by if this will become the permanent place for my machines. Only time and use will tell.

Do you remember the wine box I had and didn't know what to do with it?

I finally figured out a fun way to use it. If you would like to see what I did, please check out my other blog:
Blythe - The Big Eyed Girl

Time Flies!

I can not believe it has been over a month since I have updated this blog. I knew I was a bit behind, but a month? Where did the time go?

I have been doing more work IN my sewing room rather than ON my sewing room, which is a good thing, but then again, it doesn't leave much time to write.

Although I had plenty of work space for my 3 machines, I didn't have much space to work on anything else. There are so many other crafts that I do besides sewing and machine embroidery and I need to have room for those too. I had been looking for a folding card table that I could set up as needed. Well, that plan changed when we were out and about one day and came across a sweet little desk with a FREE sign on it.

My fiance, Pat and I loaded into the back of the van and I was a very happy girl. Although the work surface is a bit smaller than a card table, it has storage that a table doesn't. I am happy to report that the surface has been in use ever since.

Another thing I pick up was this cute little tray in the shape of a piggy! I adore pigs and have a collection of them. When I saw this tray, in the perfect color for my sewing room, on clearance, I had to have it.

I use it as a catch all for various things when I am working. I love to have cute and colorful things around me when I am creating.

While I was creating some doll clothes, I had to stop and finally organize my ribbon and lace before it drove me crazy. The ribbon that is still on the original spool lives in a large drawer of a 3 drawer plastic organizer.

The problem comes from the small pieces that are loose. Because I make doll clothes, those tiny pieces are usable and worth saving, but not in the way I had been.

The ribbons were all just thrown in a drawer. It was a tangled mess and I could never find anything. The lace pieces were the same way.

In order to make things neater and easier to find, I cut rectangles from a box and wrapped and pinned the small pieces onto them. Now I can see what I have and get to it easily.

Pieces that were too small to wrap were placed into a zip lock bag. When you make clothing for dolls that are only 4" tall, even tiny pieces of ribbon are usable.

Hopefully it will not be as long between posts in the future. There is still lots of work to be done to get my sewing/craft room organized and decorated the way I want to.

I Love Listia

Have you heard of a web site called Listia? It is an auction type site that uses points instead of money. You sell your item and get points for it to use to buy things on the site. I love the concept, because I don't have much in the way of money lately. I have been out of work for health reasons since September. I used Listia to get Christmas gifts without having to spend a dime. If you want to check it out, here's a link to the site. https://www.listia.com/signup/182943. If you have any questions, just drop me a line and I will see if I can help.

So what does this have to do with my craft/sewing room make-over? Lots!! I have been getting supplies and tools on Listia, which has been great. Here's a link to show you just one of the things I have been able to get. Sizzix die. Now that I have more supplies and such, I had to figure better ways to store things. For my dies, I found this rack in my garage that was collecting dust. It is perfect for storing my dies and has room for more in the future.

 

Another thing I was able to get on Listia was more shelving. This was a fabulous deal. The seller paid for the shipping and I got this great set of adjustable shelving for just some points

I was able to use it to get more of my doll collection out, store buttons and other items and I have 1 more shelf for a project I am working on. 

Here is a composite pic of two different views of the filled shelves.

 

See what I love about Listia!

The other thing I did this week was do some rearranging. I moved my sewing and other machines from a long wall to one of the end walls.  The wire shelves that I use to hold fabrics also fit there perfectly.  The machines are still under a a window, so I get natural light to work with. 

Although the machines are still in the same configuration, the layout of the room is better. I still have a lot of work to do. More rearranging, finding better ways to organize, more creating and decorating, but slowly, but surely, the room will come together.

Don't forget to check out some items that I have made for my room that I also have available for sale on my web site: Colleen's Cottage Shops

More of the 3 R's

I have been doing a few more Reuse, Re-purpose, and Recycle projects that I wanted to share with you. You will find that I do a lot of these because I love that they save money and the environment. Plus, it really sparks my creativity to take trash and turn it into a treasure.

I recently acquired a large lot of vintage buttons. I have my present stash in a big glass jar and there is no room for more, so I had to figure out something. Fortunately, we were just finishing off a big plastic jar of nuts. I knew that would be the solution to my problem.

I didn't want to fuss with trying to get off the label that went all the way around the jar, so I decided to cover it instead. I cut some scrapbook paper the width of the recess where the label is. The scrapbook paper is 12" x 12", so that was my length. I also traced the lid onto the paper and cut out the circle. I glued it to the top of the lid. I used ribbon to cover the sides of the lid.

The scrapbook paper didn't go all the way around the jar. I killed 2 birds with 1 stone by machine embroidering a label that would let me know the content and also cover the gap in the paper. Here's the finished jar.

I have to admit, I still darn socks. To me, if there is just a small hole or two, they should be mended and not thrown away. Well, I no longer had a darning egg, which makes it so much easier, so I created one. I had an empty plastic egg from M & M's at Easter. I decoupaged it using Mod Podge and pages from old books. After that I dabbed on aqua and brown paint and then quickly wiped it off. After that dried, I gave the egg 2 more coats of Mod Podge. Now I have a pretty darning egg.

I am very glad my fiance eats things that I don't, because he provided part of the materials for another project; the Spam Spread can.

After a thorough washing,  decided to cover the can with a ribbon. I found one the right width, but the wrong color. I was able to flip it over to use it because the back was plain - double usage for this ribbon!

After applying the ribbon, I felt the can was a bit bland, so I added yo yo's like the ones I put on the little jam jars.

I put the finished can to use as a holder for my darning egg, so it would stop rolling around on my sewing table. I think it looks adorable in the little can.

 

My last project for this week involves a recycled Altoids tin. I have an embroidery pattern for my machine that made a cover the perfect size for these tins. After stitching it out, I glued a layer of batten to it and then glue that to the tin. I trimmed it with mini ball fringe. It now holds my machine needles.

 Please don't forget to check out my web site: Colleen's Cottage Crafts

The 3 R's - Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle

I have always been one to try to at least reuse and repurpose things.  I have always been a "trash to treasure" type of crafter, even as a child. Unfortunately, I didn't become aware of recycling until I was an adult, but better late than never, as they say.

Besides making the world a greener, better place to live, Reusing, Repurposing and Recycling also save money. With my budget, or lack thereof, that's very important.

I often shop second hand stores, yard sale and such in order to find great deals on things I can reuse or repurpose. One of the tings I bought at a local Salvation Army store is a plastic shoe hanger. I use it to store my stabilizers, interfacing, cross stitch fabric, etc.

I labeled each section so that I can easily find things. I only paid a few dollars for it and it offers me lots of storage in a small amount of space.

Another reused and repurposed item that I did for my sewing room uses these little jams jars that often come in those holiday food sets.

I added fabric yo yos to the tops to make them cute and I use them to store small things like buttons. If you would like to use fabric scraps to make yo yos, there is a great tutorial here: http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/photos/how_to_make_a_yoyo/hbyoyotutorial1.html

I also repurposed a glass candle jar. The lid had the company name embossed in it, so to cover it, I traced the lid on some vinyl, cut it out and glued it to the lid and added a 3D sticker that I had bought on clearance.

My embroidery machine uses USB flash drives. I did a "trash to treasure" project to keep those on my sewing table. I took the cardboard core from a roll of shipping tape and traced the outline on to a piece of cardboard. I cut out the circle and glued it to the end of the core. I covered the whole thing in fabric and glued ribbon to the top and bottom. Instant storage from trash and a few scraps.

I recycle plastic grocery bags to line the small trash cans in our home and also to put patterns, fabric and such for projects in. I made a fabric holder for the bags and embroidered a sewing motif on it. I have one in different fabric and with different embroidery in my kitchen. 

If you are interested in purchasing a holder for your plastic bags, they are available on my web site: Colleen's Cottage Crafts. I can make them in just about any color or theme you'd like.

For my last idea of the day, don't overlook the simple things. I use the cover to a jar of spaghetti sauce to catch any glue dripping from my hot glue gun. I have also used jar lids as a mini paint pallet when working on craft projects.

 

 Future blog post will contain more ideas using the 3 R's. Feel free to comment and share any of your ideas to go green and save some green too. Happy Crafting!