Sewing Room Updates

Well, we are steadily continuing our progress in the sewing room.  On Sunday, I managed to complete the week long task of folding, sorting, and organizing all of the fabric that my mother and I have accumulated over the years. 

Boxes of fabric sorted by type.

After accomplishing this enormous feat (there's an entire cabinet of fabric, in addition to what you see in the picture to the left), we were finally ready for the next step. 

Across from my desk (where I've been using my lovely new machine-but more on the new sewing machine later), we set up two tables in an L-shape, and we put out our cutting mats and the serger. 

Of course, now I get to enjoy the monumental task of trying to make the serger work.  It's a lovely babylock that my mother picked it up second hand about 15 years ago, but she never had time to sit down and use it, since she was busy trying to raise four kids.  The babylock was stored under a dust cover, but even with that, it's coated in a thick layer of dust.  Looking back, storing it in the basement, right under a room that was re-floored last winter was probably not our best choice. 

So anyway, my next task is to give this machine some TLC with a dustrag and tuneup with machine oil, then see if I can decipher the manual and manage threading it.  Wish me luck, and hopefully I will be reporting back soon, detailing my successful mission. 

'Till then!

It's here!  The new sewing machine is heeeere!  I took it out of the box and set it up on my desk today, but I wanted to look through the manual a bit before I start any actual work on it.  I've never used a computerized machine before, so this will certainly be a learning process.

Tomorrow, I have no plans at all, so I'm looking forward to spending the entire day getting to know my new machine.  Hooray!

Well, my new sewing machine is on its way here.  It's a Brother combination embroidery/sewing machine.  I'm very, very excited for this.  My birthday is in eleven days, and with any luck, we will have the new sewing room set up and ready to use by then.  We were working at a steady clip last week.  We emptied and cleaned the aquariums, moved them across the room, and then refilled them and put the fish back in them.  Then, we started sorting fabric into bins and trying to establish some sort of organization. 

Then, progress halted, as my mother was asked to alter a friend's wedding dress (a task that she hates--it always makes her really nervous), and I had to go out of town for a few days, to see a friend who was visiting our alma mater for the weekend. 

Anyway, now that the busy weekend has ended, and we're back into the routine of the work week, hopefully we will be able to continue work on our sewing room.  I'm incredibly excited and can't wait to be able to use our new space. 

Lots of good news!

Rejoice! My phone rang this afternoon, and it turned out to be the H.R. person with one of the big companies in my area.  The position is industrial chemistry, which is not my absolute ideal job, but it's science, so all is well. 

Also, I somehow managed to convince my mother that we should, in fact, turn my brother's old bedroom into a sewing room.  So, no more trying to make myself a sewing corner.  Now, we'll have a whole room to work in.  And we're going to go up to Joann to look at sewing machines tonight.

Surprise! Not only a new sewing room, but a new sewing machine!

This morning, I went to the mall with my mum and my sister.  A couple of stores were having big sales, so we wanted to pick up a few wardrobe staples. 

Immediately before we left, my dad handed me a ratchet wrench and informed me that I was to take it to Sears and get a replacement.  So, thanks to my father's 40 year old Craftsman wrench finally kicking the bucket, I was able to sneak into the sewing machine section, while my sister got the replacement for the wrench.  My mother followed me into this section and drooled over machines with me, and then surprised me by suggesting that I pick the machine that I want (within a certain price limit of course), and that my parents would get it for me for my birthday.

So, by the time my brother moves out, and I get my new sewing corner set up, I will have a new machine!  Hooray!

Now, for the hard part--deciding what kind of machine I want to ask for.  Any suggestions?  Favorite brands or styles?

New Project: Choir Bag

Last night, I received an email from my church's choir director, informing us that our first rehearsal for the year is the Thursday following labor day.  This is a bit early than the usual mid to late September start, as we apparently have 15 or so new members joining us this year.  Since music ministry is one of my absolute favorite things to do, I am very excited about starting next week.

However,  I had big plans for making myself (and maybe my mother, if she decides to join the choir) an appliqued tote bag for my music.  So, as if I don't have enough works in progress right now (only about a dozen or so), this project that I haven't even started has now been moved up on my priority list.

My plan is to make the bags themselves out of canvas and use suede to applique musical notes onto the bag.  I also want to (if time permits) embroider a verse from one of the psalms about singing onto the bag, but that may or may not happen right away.

Anyway, I will post updates as this new project progresses. 

Updates and Changes

Well, things have certainly been changing around here.  I am (finally!) back home after spending a lengthy field season in a cabin out in the middle of nowhere.  I've been moved back home for four days now, and it feels great.  I'm settling back in and trying to unpack/reorganize, since I haven't been here for an extended period of time in quite a while. 

So while I'm enjoying having my first real break since January, everyone here at home (mum, dad, and brother) are getting ready to start the new school year tomorrow.  We're also getting ready for my brother to move out this coming weekend.  He found an apartment less than a mile from the school where he teaches, so that will be convenient for him.

I'll definitely miss my brother.  He is the sibling closest in age to me, and we've always been close.  However, I know that he's quite ready to live on his own, having lived at home for the three years since his college graduation.

And while I'm not allowed to take over all of his space in the basement, I've negotiated the use of an area outside of his bedroom, where he had his work desk and brewing supplies.  So, now I will have my own craft corner!

I'm really excited about this project, and I'm busily planning how to arrange and organize my new space, as well as creating some new fixtures for it, like this (not quite finished yet) memo board, out of an old bulletin board from my childhood bedroom, some leftover fabric from a dress, and a spool of black ribbon.  I plan on covering the matching chalkboard with black cotton and sewing on pockets out of the purpley paisley fabric, to match this board. 

I have lots of other plans in my mind, including storage shelves, possibly repainting the trim of the window above the desk, and making some new fabric storage bins.  We'll see how much of these plans I manage to put into action.  I have to wait until after my brother moves out before I can start anything other than planning and making these boards, but I am really excited about having my own crafting space.