Studio Makeover

Yesterday evening I spent about an hour working on the mess that is currently the family room and will be a Studio. I am in the process of recycling some things and shredding others. Tiresome, but it is progress.

Have a great day.

No progress on the Studio Makeover

I came home so tired and in such a low mood that all I did was eat supper and go to bed.

Today I am full of energy and ready to take the world on. I have a to do list for this evening and have prioritized it. I will follow it to the best of my ability.

Friday Night Sew In

Today I joined a ring of quilters / sewers that sew together one Friday night each month. I saw it mentioned on another blog that I follow and signed up for it. It doesn't matter where you live you can still enjoy the FNSI by joining.

Studio accomplishments

I have cleared the one bookcase and moved it and a display case back to back between the office area and the hallway from the studio to the sliding glass door. I have started putting quilting magazines into the bookcase. It looks so empty, but when I bring all the magazines from my upstairs office down it will start to take shape.

I move my quilt design table into the official studio area last night. Currently it is being used as a laundry folding table and a sorting table for magazines. I will also start to sew blocks from my BOM club as well as my Breakfast Club.

I still have quite a large area of the family room to turn into the studio. But with the warmer weather it will be easier to work down stairs. I hope to have it all completed and the quilting frame erected in the studio by Mother's Day. What a present for myself and my quilting.

When I get it all finished I will take some pictures and post them here. I am just getting used to posting pictures and cannot wait until everything is set and I can show it off.

Have a great day

Million Pillowcase Challenge

I know that this is not quilting, however my LQS is involved in the challenge and Tuesday I took a vacation day and learned how to make a fantastic pillowcase. In fact I made six. The first three took three hours. The second three too two hours. They tell me they will become even quicker.

Pictures to follow.

I have a quilting frame in my house

Friday the Hinterberg Original Machine Quilting Frame arrived in two separate boxes. I opened the small one and it contained the aprons for attaching the quilt to the frame.

I am debating on whether to finish the wood parts of the frame. There are three possibilities: leave it unfinished, use polyurethane to seal it or paste wax to protect it. I cannot decide. I think I will google it and see what other quilters have done.

During the weekend one of the bookcases was almost emptied. As soon as it is ready to move I will put it out of the way in the downstairs bathroom (temporarily). The area behind this bookcase needs in depth cleaning as it hasn't been moved for almost three years. After this is completed I will empty the other bookcase and put it at the foot of the stairs. I am not sure what I will store in it. Currently it is a combination of quilting stuff and books by some of my favorite authors. The authors can go upstairs in the bookcase with my other favorites and then I can decide what to put in it. I purchased two Sauder bookcases and a desk along with lamps when I first decided to turn the family room into a studio. I wonder if now is the time to pull out the bookcases and start using them? I think I need more work done in the room before I add any more furniture...including the quilt frame.

Have a great day

Family room to a Studio

My husband even complemented me on the progress in changing the family room into a sewing room. I have one large box of things to go through and then I can start to use the TV again. I have a goal of switching out two bookcases and then moving the couch to the north side of the room facing the front windows of the room and facing the TV.

I think I have decided where to put my quilting frame. It will be located on the east side of the sewing room so that I can see the fireplace and TV and look out the sliding glass door on the north side of the house.

One step at a time. I still have to change the east side of the family room before I can put the quilting frame together. I had planned on ordering it Saturday, but with one thing and another I had to put it off. I moved the money I had saved for the frame to my VISA so I can purchase it at any time. I am really excited about getting it.

Yesterday DH and I were talking about the studio and I mentioned that the next thing I want to purchase is the Weekender Mid-arm from Hinterberg. When he found out it was $1,699.00 he hit the roof. I think I will have saved enough to pay cash for it by November or December. It will be my Christmas present to myself.

Have a nice day.

I'll be a blue nosed gopher

When I went to guild it seemed that so many of my former buddy's were so nice to me. Recently I had left a comment on one of these ladies blog congratulating her on her successes in knitting and suggesting a book to help her with the problem all sock knitters have (the second one rarely looks like the first one). This lady has set up her blog to review all comments before publishing them. She graciously published my comment.

Maybe I am mellowing or maybe these ladies are mellowing. I do know that life will be more pleasant than it has been.

Have a great day

March OVQG Guild Meeting

I met such an interesting lady yesterday evening at Guild. I didn't catch her last name but her first name is Ellen. We had a lovely conversation about knitting and quilting and sewing in general. It was so nice to connect with another member of Guild. I would love to connect with her again.

One of our moving forces in guild Carrie is moving to Alaska. What a loss to our guild. She has been a motivating force in the 5 years of membership. I am going to miss her both as a guild member and a mentor.

Several people approached me and said hello. I was pleasant, but I don't want to get involved with that group again. They may think I have changed, but I haven't changed. I have evolved through two crisis with DH and almost lost him both times. The first time they dropped me like a hot potato because I was not pleasant to be around. Anger is my first reaction when I am handling a very difficult situation. In the fall of 2008 it was very stressful and I was very angry.

I can be pleasant to them. I can interact with them. However, I hesitate to ever trust them again. It is sad to have lost people who you thought you could count on through think and thin.

Back to guild. We had a wonderful speaker this month. Although her style of quilting does not compare to mine I took away some very sound advice. ACCURATE 1/4 INCH SEAM ALLOWANCE! I also like her new line of patterns. They are of women of different cultures. I hope to pick up one or two and make them from my stash. Yes, you heard me right. I am willing to cut into my stash to make some small wall hangings.

Have a blessed day.