Organization

Last weekend I was working with my scraps to work on a new project.

Since it was a bit of pain to dig through the scraps to find the next color I wanted to use, I decided to organize my scraps.

Thankfully I don't have too many scraps.  I like to use them for bee blocks or small projects so I can manage to keep the pile under control.  Mostly recently I worked on a mini ticker tape quilt that I made last weekend when I was trying to catch up on quilting my quilt tops (that will be a later post).

Now that the scraps are so well organized I couldn't let the fabric cabinet continue on it's downward spiral.  It was a never ending black hole.  I knew I had certain fabrics, like plain white, but could never seem to find them.

Looking around the Internet I saw some great ideas on fabric storage by making mini fabric bolts using comic book backing boards.  I spent Saturday afternoon organizing the fabric.  It didn't take long, I watched two movies while I did it.

Tropical Storm Quilting

Tropical Storm Isaac is moving by the Keys today bringing lots of heavy rain and winds to us here on Florida's southeast coast.  I'm not complaining about being stuck inside all day, at least we didn't lose electric so I've been quilting!

I pulled out the batik scraps leftover from my last bag and set about making a miniature paper pieced quilt (I'll look up the name of the book later).

Since I've rearranged the room, I can't wait to start making and displaying more little quilts.

Craft Room Re-Do

Today my DH helped me with reorganizing my craft room.  My current sewing machine table set up didn't work for machine quilting.  It had a number of problems, the machine is too high, no room to support a large quilt, etc.  I did however like the u-shape of the table and that I had a workspace to my right.

I've decided to rearrange a few things in the room and get a new sewing table set up.  I saw a great idea on youtube using an adjustable height table with foam insulation to bring the bed of the sewing machine level to the table.  I ordered two 2'x4' adjustable height tables on the Internet and found the insulation on Lowes.com that measure 2'x4' so I don't have to buy a big sheet and cut it down.  Today we tore the room apart, rearranged some furniture and hung a quilt.

I'll post pictures of the new setup as soon as it's finished.

The room is almost done

I spent yesterday sorting and organizing my yarn in my new craft, yarn, sewing, quilting room.  It was so much fun to have an excuse to go through all the yarn at once.  The room is now almost complete.  I just have some items to sew for it, quilts to finish and hang and to install a flat screen TV but I'd like to share it with you.

First though, I'd like to say thanks to my DH who arranged to have the floors done and who has been so supportive and encouraging in finishing the room.

Just a reminder, here's the before shot:

And here is the almost finished room:

1st stash moved...

I spent today moving my fabric stash into my new room.  It was a good time to purge some fabrics and organize it all.  All the fabric that didn't make it into the new room will be offered to my knit group to see if anyone wants anything before I donate it.  My DH doesn't like my old brown cabinet because it doesn't "match" the room.  Maybe I'll start looking for a new one.

I came across three small quilts that I need to finish.  I think I'll hang these on the walls when they are finished.

Right now, I'm off to try and get some knitting done.  Next weekend, the yarn move begins.....

Moving right along...

Tonight my DH moved my sewing table into the room.  It will work great. It's an old computer table, but I like using it because I can put my sewing machine on one side, my cutting mat on the other and a mini iron in the middle.  I will be making a skirt to hide the legs.

We did realize though that my idea to use an old dresser as a TV stand won't work too great because it'll crowd the room (I didn't really want to use it anyway, but I'm trying to re-purpose furniture).  My DH, darling that he is, said we could get a small flat screen TV to hang from the wall (SCORE!).  Also, instead of the old dresser, I'm going to get a Closetmaid cube organizer instead.  This will give me more storage that I want (and it will be white!)

 

 It was a productive week.  I did find a rug for the room and have my eye on a lamp that I think will work nicely.  I stopped by the fabric store today and bought the fabric for my curtains.  I'm looking forward to spending time in my room this weekend, organizing my fabric and yarn.  My DH has already put in a request for curtains for his garage (he wants to hide the mistress - his Chevelle - from prying eyes).

We have bookcases!!

We built the bookcases today.  They are Billy bookcases from IKEA.  My recommendation if you are going to add doors is to install as much of the hardware for the doors as possible while the bookcase is still in pieces on the floor - it was much easier.

Couch arrived today

My couch arrived nice and early this morning.  I was so happy that they came early so I was able to join the ladies at knitting this morning.  The couch fits perfectly in the room.  I'm glad that I decided to go a neutral color instead of the red that I originally wanted.  I don't like the pillows that came with it, but I was planning on making ones anyway.

After knitting, K-Ro and I went to Calico Corners and Boca Bargoons to look at decorator fabric.  She wanted fabric to make a curtain and I wanted to look at fabrics for curtains also for my new room.  I saw one that I really liked.  It was available in a floral and stripe, but I think the color would end up being to bright and busy for the room. 





Then, I saw this fabric that I thought would work great.  It brings in the red accent that I want, but still stays a bit neutral.  I just might have to go back and get it.



Now, maybe I can entice DH to build the bookcases this weekend!!! Fingers crossed!!!

Paint is done, floors are in...

...just waiting for the new couch and bookcases.

Love the room!!! I can't wait to get it finished.  I just want to spend hours going through my yarn and fabric, getting everything organized and put away so I can keep creating.

Day 1 of the floor install

Today the install started on my floor!!!  We would have had at least all of the floor installed today, but we had a mid-day interruption as Jay, my floor guy, had to go rescue his wife off the highway.

I'm very happy with how the floors are turning out so far.

Jay will be back tomorrow to finish up.  The last of the floor will be installed as well as my new baseboards.  I went out tonight and bought new closet doors to be installed tomorrow.  When everything is done I'll be back in the room doing the last bit of painting on the trim and doors.

I was able to get quite a bit of knitting done today on my Trinity Shawlette.  I'm making it as part of a KAL with a group on Ravelry.  I'm using Malabrigo Lace in the color Jewel Blue - it's very pretty.  I'm getting close to the end and am starting to sweat it that I may run out of yarn.  Last time I weighed it I had four rows of the repeat left and the ten row border and only 11 grams of yarn.  Fingers crossed.

One step closer...

I spent the past weekend painting my room.  Friday evening I painted the ceiling and the only thing I have to say about that is "Never again!".  The ceiling has a popcorn finish to it and while that wasn't the hard part, barely any popcorn came off.  The hard part was looking up while trying to roll, not drip paint on your face and use muscles that have never been touched.  Thank goodness the paint rolls on pink (but dries white) so I could tell where I already painted or I would never have survived it.  On Saturday I was able to get the primer on the walls and the joy of painting started Sunday.

When I first started cutting in around the ceiling I was getting a little worried that the color was going to dry too dark but I had faith that it would be alright.  I really do enjoy painting, as long as it's not white.  I like to watch the wall transform with the new color.  It's liked of like my love of hand-dyed yarns.  I love watching the different colors appear as I start to knit (at least knitting is easier on the body).  I am very happy with how the color dried.

Depending on the light it can look a little darker.

My wonderful DH told me today that the flooring is all arranged.  I picked out a beautiful Maple flooring that I thought would look great with the paint and help to keep the room light and airy.  The flooring will be similar to this picture:

Decisions, decisions....

DH's friend Jay was here today to repair my drywall.  He did a FABULOUS job!!!!  Right now the mud is still drying on the walls, so Jay is supposed to be back on Monday to finish the sanding and take out the baseboards since we'll be putting in new ones when we do the floor.  He did such a great job that once it's dry you'll never know I had a hole in the wall.  Jay even installed all the new outlets for me (insert happy dance).  I will be able to start painting next weekend!!

Jay is a contractor by trade and does lots of custom work.  He left me a bucket, yes a bucket, of floor samples to choose the new flooring for my room.  This may be harder then choosing the paint color. 
Here are the choices in laminate flooring:

Here are the choices in engineered flooring:

And here are the choices in hardwood (in my dreams!):

Decisions, decisions.....

FINALLY....

....all the wallpaper is DOWN!!!!  Amazing how much brighter the room looks with no wallpaper.

Our friend Jerry is here today doing some work on the front and back doors and he took out the closet doors for me so I could get to all of the wallpaper.  I think I'll be throwing out these metal closet doors.

(pardon the laundry)   The extra door shown is replacing our side garage door which Jerry will do next weekend for us.  It's going to be a busy day around here next weekend - garage door being replaced, drywall fixed and carpet taken out.  Then I need to make a final decision on my wall color so I can get the painting done before the floor is installed.  I am still waiting for DH to bring home floor samples so I can choose the color.  Right now I'm kind of partial to 'Sparkling Lake'.  I'm planning on white Billy bookcases from IKEA and maybe splashes of red in the room.  But I could always change my mind.

Two down, almost there

Today I was able to get the wallpaper off another wall.  I think I'm getting better at this because it's going so much faster.  While I was at it today I also cleaned the window screen and did some window washing.

This week I'm going to slowly start moving my yarn totes out of their protected sanctuary and move them to our back Florida room so I can get to the rest of the walls and get the paper down.  I was also thinking about getting some space saver bags to store the extra linens in.  Has anyone tried them? Do you like them?  DH has a buddy who will be coming over to do the drywall repair, take out the carpet and put in the new flooring - SCORE!!!

On a different note, I saved a life today.  Yes, little ole me saved just one little life today.  On our patio we have lizards, lots of lizards (it's just part of life in Florida).  Two little guys caught my eye today because a) they were some pre-historic looking suckers and b) it looked like they were gonna have a tift over territory.

I watched these two guys posture and chase each other around the patio.  Then fight club started.  One poor guy was getting his little lizard butt handed to him and it was just breaking my heart.  So, I just had to go out and break up the fight - ya'll can fight, but I just don't want to know about it.  Live to fight another day little guys.