Studio New: Thrifted Basket!

I spent all day yesterday at my studio rearranging the work side of my space and I finally unpacked everything in the second room. You guys, I have way too much stuff! I shared the display side of my new studio earlier this month and later this week I plan to blog about the work side. It's so wonderful having so much space to work in now, but organization is the key to keeping it all looking nice and I'm so excited to share my recent thrift store find with you all today!



As part of my contract, Art Gallery Fabrics sends me a roll with fifteen yards of each print that I design -- that's all twenty quilting cottons plus a roll of each of the knits, rayon and canvas. When these boxes of fabric arrive it's better than Christmas, I can't even describe it! The last thing I want to do is put them in a closet, hidden somewhere. I've always had them out where I can enjoy them and easily cut from the rolls what I need for my daily sewing. But just like dominos, several times now either a studio visitor or I have bumped into one of them and down they all go! So, when on a recent trip to our local thrift store I spotted this giant hamper style basket for just $20, I had to have it! It's the best thing I've found in a long time and completely worthy a blog post!



I was hoping it would keep contained a collection or two, so you can imaged how thrilled I was when it fit nearly sixty rolls of my fabrics!!



When I share photos of the rest of my work side later this week, you'll see how the rest of my prints are scattered in smaller round baskets throughout the studio. It's a great solution since I reach for these rolls pretty much daily!

Along with new studio pictures & our first Community Sampler sew-along block pattern, this week I have a new set of zipper pouch bags to share. Here's a pretty, little peek! These are right up there with some of my most favorite makes EVER!



For my next set I'm using AGF's brand new, adorable camping themed collection, Campsite! Have you seen this new line of Capsules? With designs that include deer, fox, fireflies in jars, feathers and marshmallows on sticks, just to name a few, it's perfect for both boys & girls and is so fun for fussy cutting. I love these prints and I can't wait to finish these bags up to share soon!



I wish you all a happy Monday & a wonderful new week of sewing! xo Maureen

My Fabric Stash Cabinet : :

Each time I go to begin a new quilt using my fabrics, I find myself tearing another half yard or so from the rolls of my prints that I receive from Art Gallery Fabrics.  My main fabric stash cabinet has become such a cluttered mess, that rather than sort through the piles searching for the prints I need to begin a new project, pulling from the rolls is the fastest way to begin.  The other day I noticed just how quickly these precious rolls of mine were thinning out, so I decided that this time I would take the time to search my big cabinet for all of my prints floating amongst the messy bundles. This became quite the project! I thought maybe you'd like to see, so I took some photos throughout the day to share!

The before...   Hopefully this looks much different, in a bad way, to you all compared to the photo above!



Where to being? Well, because I'm such a fan of so many fellow fabric designers and get just as excited today about new lines coming out as I did when I discovered this wonderful world of sewing, designer fabrics, and blogging - and since I've already tried out organizing by color and by manufacturer and by simply separating collections. Now that it's been several years that I've been "collecting" fabrics, I decided it was time to sort the big cabinet by designer.



Above you might recognize two of my favorite -- Pat Bravo and April Rhodes!

The only exception made was my voile stash, these beauties have to stay together!  I've always dreamed of making an ultra luxurious herringbone quilt using nothing but voiles for the top and something equally dreaming for the backing, a super soft plush perhaps. How heavenly would that be? 



I even set the voiles in my cabinet in a way that they're peeking out just a bit further than the other stacks so I don't forget that these are high on my to-make list!



I really enjoyed seeing all of my Sharon Holland prints together! I noticed that I'm missing her Gossamer collection and that I've used quite a few prints from Tapestry, but seeing these together has me so excited about her next line due out in March, Bountiful!



Below, at the center, is my Bonnie Christine collection and a look at my newly stashed bundle of her beautiful Wonderful Things line. I'm making plans for these and will be sure to share more next week!



So what do you think, better? I think it's so much better, definitely worth the time it took, and I found almost everything print I needed to begin my next quilt amongst the mess!



I shared a peek of it yesterday on my Instagram, did you see? I'm so excited about where this "collection quilt" is headed!



I'll be back soon with more to share! ♡ Maureen

A Pillow Form Solution : :

When my favorite brand, Soft N Crafty Premier pillow forms go on sale at Jo~Ann I always stock up! At any given time I typically have at least a dozen, in a variety of sizes, piled in one corner of my sewing room since I lack the space in any of my cabinets and shelves to accommodate that many pillow forms. It always looks a little messy since they never seem to want to stay neatly stacked together. Well, last month I finally discovered a solution, and because it's been such a good, multifunctional fix for me, I thought I'd share with those of you who might also be looking for a way to store these necessary pillow forms, quilt batting, Poly-Fil, etc...



While shopping for a new hammock on Amazon a few weeks ago this Boho Ottoman Patchwork Cover popped up in the "frequently bought together" area on the page, and right away I thought of filling it with my pillow form stash!

The colorful, scrappy patchwork fabrics go so well with my style and I love the little tassel details!



It ended up being the perfect, extra-large size cover to fill with ALL the pillow forms I currently have unused, at least a dozen ranging in sizes from twelve to twenty inches!



The kids love sitting on the pouf when they join me in the sewing room and I love not having to see those plastic covered pillow inserts! I'm even considering ordering a second to house my prepackaged batting, to have one in front of each the matching chairs I have it my sewing room.



I hope you find this solution idea helpful!

How about you, do you have any tips/tricks for keeping your sewing space organized that you'd like to share?

♡ Maureen

Welcome, to my Sewing Room : :

Today I'm ready to share a little tour of my new space, well our space actually -- we decided to fit as much of the kids craft supplies in here, as well. And, we're all loving that so far! I can't say that it's 'finished', just that it's all unpacked and we're using it!

Come on in!



This room is attached to the dining room, which I LOVE! Having the large table for big projects, craft days, and even just to dream of hosting a "sewing club," is a beautiful thing! I thought I would really want some doors to close it off from the other rooms, but so far I don't and the kids have already decided this is their favorite room in the house. Yes!

Going around the room, I have lots of pieces of furniture! Most of which I stole from other rooms in our last house, with just a few pieces you'll find familiar. It's an eclectic mix of things, that's for sure, which I love! Old furniture just suits us better, it feels more warm and homey to me than anything I could ever buy new. The first piece to my left, and most favorite, is our first, old bedroom dresser -- used now for felt and fabric scrap storage (until I can finish the rest of my color totes). We bought this from a local antique dealer, I love the color and style of it, and am excited I found a reason to use it in here!



On top of the dresser sits my packaging supplies, boxes of floss, and some of the kids craft supplies.



My flower hooks (from here or here) hold all my hoops. And, these wool felt boxes keep my business cards and stickers nicely organized.



Next up is a little desk, the one I made my Innocent Crush/linen desk mat for, that's in major need of knobs!





Then we have my Monster Fabric Shelf -- overflowing with fabric LOVE and handmade goodness!







For the kids, company, afternoon naps for Lily, and a place to put all my pillow makings -- we decided to put our extra sofa in here. In front of that is the kids very used and loved craft/activity table, and a place to hold my cutting mats.



The other side of the room holds a little less -- a shelf for my wips and the kids projects, my sewing table, and one last shelf of fabric and more supplies.





After Martha's suggestion the other day (thank you!), I decided the perfect thing for this empty space would be an inspiration board. It's on my wishlist!!

I'm so excited and so very grateful to have a permanent room like this! I have MANY more pictures here! Even though there is still so much I want & need to do, it feels really good already. I know that this work & play space of ours IS going to get cluttered with all the making that's certain to happen, but I'm up for the challenge of making it work.

And now after a very busy long weekend of orders, I do believe it's time for me to get to work in here!! ♥,  Maureen

Organizing & Planning : :

I have just a few more photos that I wanted to share today of my shelf organizing! The hours are flying by faster than ever and I can't seem to remember to stop and take any pictures until after dark each day, which happens way too early this time of year for us blogger's doesn't it?! So... all my photos have that not-so-lovely, blurry, orange-y glow, but I'm still going to share them anyways!!











This morning, I feel like by next Monday I will be ready and excited to give a little tour of the rooms I have unpacked. I can't believe I still have to plan Thanksgiving today, ahhh!!!

What I really, really would love, is to share a little series right here of what I make for each of the rooms. Maybe a weekly or bi-weekly sewing project or craft, specifically for decorating a home? I have lots and lots of ideas and plans!! All I can think of right now is to call it, "Handmade Home," but that's already a book on my shelf! lol "Making a Handmade Home".... "Creating a Handmade Home"??? Got any ideas???

Thanks in advance for the help!! And, for all the sweet comments yesterday and always! This is truly an amazing time for us right now! All the well wishes and support from you all, our community, and family has been so, so wonderful!! Thank you!

Simple Color Totes : :

Since sharing my Sewing Room Before post, I have been thinking a lot about simple storage solutions.
In my current space, I have a pretty large closet for how small my room is, which holds all my fabric and felt scraps, my large stack of felt sheets, and boxes of vintage notions. The truth is, it's usually a complete mess! I also have a hallway that continues past my room that leads only to the attic, where you can almost always find a pile of new pillow forms and batting. With my new room being so open, with no closets or hidden hallways, having a plan for the items that I'm used to tucking away is something I really want to figure out now.

First on my list -- fabric scrap storage!



After playing around with a few prints from my Simply Color Layer Cake for my Quilted Fox Pillow, I was inspired to use one of the prints, in the eight different colorways included in the Layer Cake, to help me sort my scraps by color.



I've used this method of fabric scrap separating in the past with mason jars, but now that I sew everyday... Well, I'm sure you can imagine how many scraps I acquire throughout my days. It's a little crazy! And the fabric hoarder, pinner, & scrap-happy project enthusiast in me, has a really hard time letting go of even the littlest fabric bit.



In case you're wondering, I did not use a specific pattern or tutorial for making these totes. I just used what I know from making my lined tote bags, adapting them to be boxier with little side handles. I actually forgot to write down what I was doing when I made my first one. I did remember with my second, and now I think they will come together much easier and faster. I really do want them to all be the same. These first two are a little off in size, but you can see that they make a pretty generous landing spot for fabric scraps.



I just have six more to go, in these great Simply Color - colors... And, then I'll have to take a look at what other fabric scrap tote colors I'll need, and at what prints in my stash will work best for finishing the job. I have to say, these 10" layer cake squares worked perfectly for this project!



My plan is to have them lined up along the bottom of a shelf, possibly my new shelf if they'll fit? I probably should have measured that first, hmn? It's a good thing I also like the idea of having them hanging around?! What do you think??



I'm so excited to be able to share all these little projects while we wait to move. The feedback you all left me on my last post, and all the sweet comments congratulating us, has been so helpful and has meant so much! THANK YOU!!

Alright, time to make some scraps!! ♥,  Maureen 

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Zakka Style Sew-Along {and GIVEAWAY!} : :

Here we are at week 23 of the Zakka Style Sew-Along and it's finally my turn to share!!



This sew along is being led by Lindsey and Amy. They have invited 24 bloggers to sew the projects found in Rashida Coleman-Hale's book, Zakka Style, and what a wonderful book it is! I was lucky enough to be gifted a signed copy when I met Rashida at a sewing retreat in Atlanta -- I love my book!!



And, I LOVE my Happy Garland Message Board! This project was designed by Katrien Van Deuren of A bit of Pilli Pilli. I adore her style!



Made with Robert Kaufman's Essex Yarn Dyed Linen and colorful fabric scraps, with a sweet stitched bow detail, a little twine, and mini clothes pins -- It's the perfect place to hang a note and was such a fun project! As for my BIG news....I'll be sharing that soon!



If you join in and are making the Happy Garland Message Board this week, don't forget to post a photo of your finished project in the Flickr pool and link it up to Lindsey's blog, LR Stitched, for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Fabricworm. WOW!! Good luck!



Today, I get to giveaway FIVE sample packs of amazing Aurifil Thread! I've been using nothing but Aurifil for several months now and I love it! I'm so excited that five of you will get a chance to win some. A Big thanks to Aurifil for sponsoring this Sew-Along!!

Enter to Win!

 
Here's how,
 
Simply leave a comment here in this post!  Enter now through Thursday morning, September 6th. Mr. Random will pick the winner and I will announce their name at the bottom of this post, here on the blog!
 
* Note * This giveaway is open to EVERYONE! If you're a "no reply" or anonymous commenter, please remember to include your email address in your comment so that I can contact you should you win!

Good luck everyone!!
* * * * *  UPDATE  * * * * *

Thank you to all who entered this past weekend's Giveaway!! 

 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *   

  From 430 entries, Mr. Random says the lucky FIVE winners are... comments #

 75 --  Colleen
124 -- linda
203 -- Kristi
34 -- Jackie Dudek
11 -- pennydog

Congratulations, friends!!! I will be in touch shortly!

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