Monday, December 30, 2013

Design Floor Monday

My design wall is occupied with a project for the book, so here's  a photo of my grandma's flower garden quilt on the floor. I picked it up a week ago and declared that I was anxious to get it done and my hubby couldn't understand why. I'm hoping you understand and I won't have to explain.  Considering I don't plan to add any more flowers, I'm getting pretty close. I do plan to arrange in hexagon layout like I am showing, that way it will fit as a tabletop in the living room. I have it on two different pieces of green  fabric. Looks like too much green to me, so I will have to consider my options again once the blocks are all joined. It should be good for spring - some year.

 Work is going well on the book, but it will still be a while before it is in hand.  Perhaps an explanation is due. Earlier I said that I hope to be close to done with it about now. And I am. But next it needs to be laid out in some desktop publishing program and then sent to the printer. Still have a few quilts to tweak and two samples to finish before photography, too. This could easily take a few months. But I am right on schedule and pleased with how it's going. Hopefully soon my time will be free to work on something I can show here.

 It's been a year now since Mark has retired. I guess were about as adjusted as we will ever be. Lately, all he's had to do is clear snow. And except for running errands,  I like knowing he is home, safe and sound. I've really enjoyed all the snow this month. With no place much to go but the sewing room, I couldn't be happier cause from here, it's just pretty.

It's Monday, that mean's it's time to check out the pretties linked up to Judy's.


Sunday, December 22, 2013

Real Studio Tour

So I've been too busy to do any sewing, but I thought I could participate in the linky party  that Vicki Welsh is hosting of  real studio tours. 

This is the room that I can spend 10 hours a day in. I hardly ever sit in the living room. I watch little tv though I have one in here. This is where I sit to write  the books and blog posts, pay bills and of course make quilts. Note this is is the sewing studio. The quilting studio is in the basement where the long arm is. I sure could spend more time down there.
 


Looking to the left as you enter the room. The doorway is to my bedroom. I like books, but I don't collect a ton of them. I will move 'em out to make room for new. I have them categorized by publisher on one shelf. The end of the top left shelf has  quilt history books. On the right on the bottom shelf is books that are just saddle-stitched (stapled). That works for me. The shelf has two small quilts covering messy piles of tops and such. I just straightend them looking for a Christmas present or two I may have stuck up there last July. No, didn't find it.
Next to the book case is the office area. Not only do I take care of family finances, and all my quilt related stuff but I also take care of finances for two people on disability. Their stuff fills one file drawer.
In front of the bookcase is one of four quilt racks that I use to drape stuff over. Up in the quilt warehouse I have two next to each other and I flip quilts back and forth like pages in a book. Easy access and no folds in the small quilts I use them for. 


 I'm sitting at the desk as I take this picture.  The ironing board is in  a bit of a tight squeeze. Good thing I don't have to get into storage on the back side of the cutting table too often.  I use the drawers on the other side for my main stash.  The table is so clean cause 1. I have been working on the book at the computer. and 2. this is Christmas present wrapping station.


Here I am standing at the cutting table looking across to the flannel wall. The room is 13' x 17".
Behind the flannel wall  is a 5' x 10' closet. My usual sewing machine is out of view to the left. The table moves around the room a bunch.

This is  to my right as I enter the room. I sew in front of the windows. The sewing machine to the right is an extra my friends use.  When they come to sew it gets moved to the table.

When I see all my stuff like this it sure makes me feel blessed. There is little I want.
This also makes me think I need to clean things up a bit, but really things are pretty organized already. It's really a matter of too much stuff. Maybe next time I will show the quilting studio.

To see other studios in the tour, stop by Vicki's.


 


Sunday, December 15, 2013

Time Taker

Boy! this new computer is really taking up my time. I spose I can afford it and I am enjoying it. But that means I haven't been sewing sew much. Friday quilting here I made another block for my Civil War sampler from orphans. and some more Bow Ties for that ongoing project.  I wasn't very prepared for when the girls showed up and the unexpected visitor threw me off. The people in my life were having issues too that required my time. Can you tell it's the holday season?

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Done Diddly

Well, I've done diddly since Thanksgiving. Unless work on a book counts. All I've done re: quilting is one of the bindings on my list. Glad to check it off.

What I have been busy with, is a new computer and some Christmas shopping. Mark sure makes the shopping enjoyable for me and when the shopping is for me that's all the more enjoyable. Most gifts are bought now. That's a bit early for us. The computer I surprised myself with. I didn't really plan the purchase and it will take a while to get it up and running. I had to order an upgrade my phone service and internet connection. I've meant to for a while but it falls under the category of shopping and I really don't like that. My nephew, the walking computer will come by to finish setting it up then.  It's snowing today so I put out my 
4small treeees that I keep decorated. That's the most Christmas spirit I've seen around here since I got this.  I think my sister sent it because she heard me grumble "Bah- humbug" a few too many times in recent years. I'm on the right track now.
Thanks, Carol. And now the Packers won. Gotta celebrate.