Thursday, September 30, 2010

My Happy Haven Sewing Studio



I love my sewing room, um...studio!  (that sounds so much more professional!)  It's painted white, so I have a lot of colorful quilts hanging on the walls, and a bookshelf full of bins of fabric and cones of thread arranged by color, baskets of projects, containers of pincushions, and quilt show ribbons pinned above the windows.  A $5 army desk spray-painted black with a re-formica'd top serves as my cutting station and holds a collection of old canning jars filled with buttons, bobbins, and antique wooden spools of thread.  One jar is full of chocolate -- bribery for my daughters to come and visit me. A fish & tackle box (a thoughtful gift from my husband) full of thread and notions sits below the desk, along with two or three old sewing machines, in case I ever need more than the two already set up for use.  A serger sits in the corner.  My daughters' sewing kits, and large bins of projects (including 20 quilt tops waiting to be quilted) nestle under the 12-foot table that is home to my Gammill Optimum Plus longarm quilting machine, loaded with a client's beautiful quilt.  A desk for the big screen computer makes it convenient to design patterns and quilts, or catch up on my favorite shows via Hulu.com.  The cat sits on the window-seat cushion, guarding the precious store of a couple dozen UFOs (unfinished projects) stashed below.  My room may never be totally tidy, but it is a happy haven, always inviting, with sunshine and color everywhere.  And chocolate in a jar on the desk...  Now to get sewing....

Here is some sage Sewing Advice from a 1949 Singer Sewing Manual
"Prepare yourself mentally for sewing.
Think about what you are going to do.
Never approach sewing with a sigh or lackadaisically.
Good results are difficult when indifference predominates.
Never try to sew with a sink full of dirty dishes or beds unmade.
When there are urgent housekeeping chores, do these first so your mind is free to enjoy your sewing.
Put on a clean dress.

When you sew, make yourself as attractive as possible.
Keep a little bag full of French chalk near your sewing machine to dust your fingers at intervals.
Have your hair in order, powder and lipstick put on. If you are constantly fearful that a visitor will drop in or your husband will come home and you will not look neatly put together, you will not enjoy your sewing as you should."

Ha, ha, ha!  Yeah, right!!  Maybe later today I'll get out of my jammies and take a shower.  Right now, it's time to find last Monday's episode of "Castle" on Hulu.com that I can watch while I quilt.  Now where's the chocolate...

3 comments:

  1. I'm going to sew today and will probably break at least 60% of the rules. Too funny!

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  2. I wanna see your 'studio'. In our new house I'm so excited to finally have a craft room - only right now it looks more like a crap room.

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  3. OK, Eunice, drop by any time you're in the neighborhood... and good luck with the new crapft room - so funny!

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So happy you stopped by for a visit! Thank you!