A New Year, A New Start, A New Space...
/Alright, so I started by showing you my 'before' (check it out HERE).... still mildly embarrassed, but I appreciate all the support!!! I'll admit that I had the confidence to post those pictures because I had already made huge changes that I am super happy about. But I want to encourage everyone who finds themselves in a similar situation, no matter what - LOVE your space, USE your space, and NEVER FEEL JUDGED about your space!!!!
Ok......so I know what you have been waiting for, but first I'll give you a few process pictures:
So the first key for me in making my first step towards functionality was to switch up the use of the two tables in my room. By switching them, the larger table now fits the cutting board with space to spare - WOHOOOOO!!!!!! I also moved my small plastic storage bin and mannequin over next to my bookcase.
See how great this fits!!! I took this picture while cutting 5 pairs of Christmas PJs, it was so nice to finally have SPACE ;o)
Ok, and now for the grand reveal - the one comment I will make before I show you is that I spent no money - 0 dollars - nada - to complete this makeover. This was simply about cleaning, reorganizing, and using things that were either unearthed in the cleaning or sitting around unused in our house. And I am so happy with the finished product.
I realize that I never shared this view in the 'before' pictures, but this is the small entry way that goes into my space. Where I am standing there is a baby gate - although since all three can circumvent it, I am currently wondering 'what's the point'!?!?!? On the left, you can see my ironing board (yes, yes I iron on a travel size ironing board, why I can't seem to purchase a full sized one I have no idea!). Then our dehumidifier - necessity of north eastern basements, and next our elliptical....now that this baby is cleaned off, it might actually get used in 2015!
Oh my new set up..... it just works soooooooo much better! For starters, I got the Thread holder up on the wall - I need to buy a second one to hang below it now. My machines fit perfectly on the smaller table. And my cutting table is just divine since it can actually HOLD my cutting board - what an amazing idea. Someday I would like to rise it up on casters since it is really too low for me, but at least for now this works.
Here are my babies.... they look a little lonely don't they.... well I scheduled this post for today because their new sister was supposed to arrive YESTERDAY. A slight mix up on shipping had it sent to FL rather than PA, but hopefully I will get it soon.....sigh. I has already named my new Viking Topaz 'Spaz', and now she has already earned her name.
Above the tables are my cork boards - I inherited these from my mom when she moved and just haven't put them to use yet. But they are perfect for holding patterns that I am often or currently using, my cutting utensils, and other fun items. Above the boards runs a shelf where I can now store all my small things like buttons and pins way out of reach of little hands. And did you catch a glimpse of my Christmas Present on the cutting table.....hubs bought me a laptop for my sewing space!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a complete shock, but I am so excited and so thankful.
I now consider this the pretty part of my sewing area - all organized by color. All of my woven yardage is on the tall book case, and all of my knit yardage is on the lower one. The top of the bookcase is all of my flannel. It is so nice to be able to quickly scan and see what I want for a project. I can also quickly asses my stash and see what color areas I am running low on or what isn't being used over time. Then there are my 3 wall art pieces. These frames used to hold wedding pictures, but were taken down when we redecorated for the kids and were never rehung - since I have wedding photos in my upstairs office and in my bedroom, I decided that these frames could be re-allocated for something else.
The three quotes are:
- 'This isn't a mess, it's creative freedom.'
- 'Happiness is a full bobbin.'
- 'Stand back, I've been known to get AWESOME all over the place.'
The first and last are particularly perfect for me considering where this room has come from - they just make me smile.
This is the guest bedroom side of the space - and guess what, there was a bed under there after all! The small chair my mom made for me when I was in college, using perhaps the most expensive piece of fabric I've ever had in my presence - I love it, and I love that it can be seen again. Then there is the large black cabinet. This was a a cast off from our church, and hubs and I grabbed the pair as quick as we could (the second one is in our garage). I would like to gussy it up at some point, but for now, I am thankful for it's functionality. If anyone has Ideas of what I can do with it, I'm all ears!!!!
Inside the cabinet, I have some good organization, and some organization that I am sure will change over time. The top shelf contains my fabric scraps and threads. The next three shelves are girls' patterns, then women's patterns, then boys' patterns. I've kept only what is the correct size and what I know I will use again so it is easy for me to find the pattern I need to make a project, and easy for me to put away that pattern when I am done.
The last area is under my cutting table and to the side of it. The first thing under the table is my tote bag, this contains current projects that I am working on. I cut out the paper pattern, roll it up and store it with the fabric for the project. That way I have everything ready to go when I am ready to sew. Next, there are three totes. These contain all of my upcycle materials that I decided to keep. In the middle is a trash can, so important, I have another trash can over by my sewing machines. To the side are my interfacings, polyfill, and batting - I want to get these in another area, but for now this works.
So that is my new space - not perfect, but all mine, and way more usable than it was before!!!! I hope you are inspired to love your space and use it well in 2015!!!!!!
