Questions & Answers

I had a number of questions on my last post, but unfortunately, they didn’t leave e-mail addresses so I could respond, so I’ll do it here.

Liz asked: 

“I am about to get a new quilt room almost from scratch. Did you find a good resource with advice regarding design? I would love to find something like that. “

There are a number of books out there on designing your space, but I find that most of them I couldn’t relate to my room because it’s so small.  I really think you have to find what works for you and how you like your room set up.  I love having my threads in easy reach, especially when I’m embroidering.  I also like my ironing board right beside my table for easy access.

Peggi asked:

“Aww, too bad you already ordered the flannel sheet. I would have suggested getting a couple of yards of el cheapo batting. I find my blocks stick to it MUCH better than the flannel! “

Actually, Peggi I did try batting on it but a certain little Molly cat found it before we were able to mount it on the wall and thought it would make a great scratching post.  When we woke up in the morning it was in shreds. 

Peggi also said:

Thanks for the info on the Dyson, I'd been thinking about getting one.

I know lots of people own Dyson’s and they love them but my experience has not been a good one.  As a follow-up, after my phone call on Monday, Dyson said I would receive a box on Tuesday to send it back to them for repair.  It’s Thursday and I’m still waiting for it to arrive.

I’m not too upset though, as when Leo came home on Monday night he went out and bought a new central vac unit.  I’m hoping Dyson will replace my vacuum and I’ll try and sell it.

Earlene wrote:

“Irene, One of your scraps boxes should be labeled red-violet. “

Yes, Earlene, it should be red-violet and not the P word, purple.  Earlene, or as she’s better known – Lee  - and I took a class a couple of years ago from a so-called colour expert and she said you should never use the word purple as it isn’t on the colour wheel – you should call it red-violet.

This same teacher spoke at our Guild last week and reminded us of this statement.  I won’t mention her name, but I was less than impressed with her both times I have heard her speak.  I just don’t buy what she says – i.e. – you should use a minimum of 50 fabrics and hues in a quilt in order to make it appealing.  What about 2 colour quilts – I’ve seen lots of those that I love!

Mary said:

“The room looks great but you're a much braver person than I am to claim there will never be piles again!! “

As I said to Mary, I was hoping that by putting it in writing it would keep me accountable – we’ll see!

And finally Joan said:

“Love your room! Promise me you'll take a picture a month or so after you get back to sewing. I want to see if it's still so neat and tidy! “

Joan, I promise I will take a picture in a couple of months but I can tell you right now, I’m sure it won’t be so neat and tidy.

I hate posting with no pictures, so here’s your cute fix for the day.

See that horrible carpet in the background – well it’s gone – all gone!!!!

Molly loves her door toy.

Half Way There

We’re getting there – not fast enough for my liking, but I can see progress.

My sewing room is ‘almost’ finished.  Here’s a look at it empty after the floor was installed and it was painted.

Now it looks like this:

I still have to put up window coverings and my design wall isn’t up yet either.  I had to order a flannel sheet from the Sears catalogue as I looked everywhere for a white flannel sheet and couldn’t find one.

Darren made me shelves in my closet and this has really increased my storage space. 

I PROMISE I am never, ever going to put piles in my room again.  This is going to be a pile free room from now on!

The rest of our house is still hopping though.  The upstairs bathrooms have been painted, and the wallpaper has been taken off all the hallway walls, but next we need to get the new hardwood installed, then the painters will come back and finish painting our bedroom and the upper and main floor hallways. 

Leo just called me and said the going rate to install hardwood is $2.00 a foot, which we expected, but what we didn’t expect was they want $2,000 to do 4 stairs – that’s right $2,000!!!!!  Why is nothing ever easy (or cheap, for that matter).  I’ve called Darren to see if he can help with the stairs, as he did the floor installation in my sewing room for me.

I still haven’t sewn a stitch, but I have been doing more knitting.

I really like the 2 pair on the left, but I’m not crazy about the striped ones. 

I’ve also knit a couple of these:

It’s actually a lot more attractive in person than in this picture.

Now comes my rant – my Dyson vacuum cleaner.  First, some background.  We have had central vac for years, but last year while Leo was away, it died – the motor burned out and I was desperate so I went out and bought a Dyson Animal.  Leo has hated this vacuum since day one, but I kept defending it – not because I really liked it, but because I didn’t want to admit he was right!  It’s heavy, the ball on the base makes it too large to go under anything (like a coffee table) using it as a portable needs a degree in rocket science in order to put it back together.

Naturally, when I need it most in the midst of this mess, the suction isn’t working.  I did everything recommended on the Dyson website but to no avail, so today I called them.  After almost an hour on the phone when they had me take this sucker (NOT) apart piece by piece, they determined that whatever is wrong with it is not something that can be fixed over the phone.  They are sending me a box to send it back for repair.

My poor cleaning ladies are going to earn their money this week!

I’m Overwhelmed

For the past several years, we have wanted to get rid of the broadloom in our upstairs hallway, our bedroom and my sewing room.  We’ve put it off and put it off as I knew it wasn’t going to be a fun project.  The whole place needs painted and we are putting in new hardwood on top of the existing hardwood which is underneath the broadloom.

We decided to do my sewing room first, so everything could be put back in place, then the bedroom could be done without having to move all the stuff in my sewing room onto new flooring.

This is what my sewing room looks like right now after we tore out the broadloom and emptied most of it out.

I’ve been playing with different layouts for my sewing table but it isn’t easy as what you can’t see in the picture is my sewing cabinet has a large flap on the back that comes up which I use ALL the time for cutting. 

What you also can’t see in these pictures is what I’ve already taken out of the room.

This is now sitting in our bedroom and what a time we had getting it out as it was taller than the door so we had to try and flip it which also wasn’t easy as it hit the ceiling every time we tried to flip it.  We decided to just leave it on its side for the time being.

Then we have this downstairs in my longarm room:

and this:

and this:

and let’s not forget this!

I’ve already bemoaned the fact that I have the smallest room in the house with the most stuff.  If I’d discovered my quilting passion just a couple of years earlier, before we redid our guest bedroom, I would have knocked the wall down between the guest room and my sewing room giving me a beautiful big space and it would have still left 3 bedrooms on one level just in case we kick the bucket and the kids want to sell the house.

That’s all history though and I have to try and figure out how to make what I have work.  I’m looking at paint chips and trying to decide what colour to paint and I’m also open to any and all suggestions you might have – and if you know the number for a 12 step program, that might come in handy too!