Sew Inspiring Rooms {Bitty Bits and Pieces}

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Welcome to

I'm so excited to have my friend Kim Walus here today
(from the blog, Bitty Bits and Pieces). 

bitty bits & pieces

Gosh, I can't even remember how we first met.  It may have been through a local quilt guild???  She is a fellow Moda Bakeshop chef, pattern designer and has even been published in the book, Fresh Fabric Treats.  She is an amazing person and a great mentor of mine.  Kim gives 110% to whatever she does and her recent sewing studio makeover reflects that!  Thank you for sharing your Sew Inspiring Room.  Now, over to you Kim!

♥ ♥ ♥

SEWING ROOMS like QUILTS are always a work in PROGRESS.
I still have lots of things that got pushed to the storage room to go through later, things that need organizing, things I need to get rid of or donate. I still have curtains to make and my sewing chair needs to be recovered. I also need to paint my clock RED and find a rug for my floor. But for now, I am very very happy and pleased with the results as you will see from the pictures I've taken.

I want to thank Amber for letting me share the sewing room spotlight this week on her wonder blog, A Little Bit Biased. She is a wonderful person and very accomplished. You will have to check out her patterns if you haven't already done so. Her quilts are as adorable as she is!

Before pictures were taken in June of 2009
Here's a glimpse of what things looked like before new flooring and new paint.  It was a process getting it to this point and I liked it a lot, but there was a lot of clutter and stuff everywhere. The old pinkie taupe carpet had to go. It was 13 years old and ugly!!!


The curtains are nice but they don't match my room anymore.
I have yet to make new ones.


My portable design wall backed in plastic and held up with push pins.


The MESS began after a flood in our basement which resulted in all new carpet and with new flooring comes new paint. It's kind of like the book "If you give a mouse a cookie. . . he's going to want a glass of milk to go with it."
So, if you give a quilter a brand new wood floor. . . she's going to need a new paint color to go with it.  And that's how it all happened.
Lucky me!
Here's a look at the mess that I had to pull out of my room and store in various places like my daughter's room. Luckily she's away at college. lol.


Thanks to my dear sweet husband, Mr. Bitty Bits, for painting and helping me move my crap around from room to room to room as we prepared for the new carpet in the basement and the wood laminate flooring for my sewing room. He was a good sport but by the end we were exhausted. This all happened in October and it took us until just before Christmas to get it all back in order for our company.


After pictures were taken in February 2012
Here it is. . .
THE BIG REVEAL!


The flooring is a beautiful charcoal grey wood laminate.
The paint is by Sherwin Williams and the color is "Knitting Needles"

Did you notice my DESIGN WALL with the SWOON block and four other little blocks on it?

Well, it's actually a Design Wall QUILT!! Yes, I created a Design Wall Quilt. The binding and the fabric I used matches the other quilt I made for my sewing room. I had my friend Kaylene quilt an overall sewing motif on the quilt.
I didn't want to just put up my old design wall which was basically a piece of plastic with flannel on it. I thought it would look tacky. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. The quilt is hung with clips that are attached to a rail system from IKEA.


I loved Amber's use of curtain rods for her wrapping paper and freezer paper so much that I decided to use them in my room. I used the second curtain rod for my grosgrain ribbons, ric rac, and organza ribbons. I really love having my favorite red polka dot wrapping paper and ribbons at my finger tips. Thanks Amber for that great tip! Here's the LINK to her post.

The two canvas prints are both from the moda girls of Sweetwater. Their blog is Sweetwater MAKE LIFE SWEET. I picked up one at Spring Market last year and the second one I bought recently at their online store. I matted them both in red cardstock and put them in a floating glass frame that I picked up at Target for $19.99.

The grey clock I also picked up at Target and plan on spray painting it a cherry red.


Here's a view of my cutting table which has remained in the same spot as in the before pictures. It's been a good place for it and I can access my things from both sides of the table. There are drawers on the front side and open storage boxes on the opposite side where I keep all of my plastic project boxes.

You can also see the smaller version of my Merry-Go-Round Quilt (Cover Quilt on the Feb 2012 American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine) hanging on the wall by the lamp.


Here's the backside of my cutting table where you can kind of see the open storage boxes. I also love the thimble pottery that I found at JoAnn's over a year ago. I think my friend and I bought every single one they had left. I have 3 different sizes and use them to store my tools, pens, pencils, markers, scissors, zippers and selvage scraps. They are one of my favorite finds. . . EVER!


Oh. . . Yes. . . here's another favorite find.
I found these containers at Target last year and I just knew I had to have them. I started out with about 4 of containers and it grew to 8 and now I have 16 of them. They were a little pricey and that's why I picked them up a few at a time. I don't regret buying them at all. They are a great way to store the things that you use all of the time not to mention how cute they make things look. Besides I just couldn't resist the RED lids.


Buttons!!!
I just adore buttons. . . and love seeing them in their cute containers!!!


Here is a view of my ironing board and more storage boxes. The picture was taken from the other side of my cutting table looking toward the door where you come into the room. The banner was made using my Hugs & Kisses Tutorial from the Moda Bake Shop. I thought it would be fun to use the letters in my blog name to hang in my sewing room. The big scissors are plastic and I happened to find them at the Dollar Store for just a $1. I've been looking for more of them and haven't found any since. I felt really lucky to find the only pair of RED scissors they had!


Here's a close up view of my wire shelf that I got years and years ago from Longaberger. I use it to hold my bottles, aprons, my favorite pincushion bunny from my friend Thimbleanna, my small Longaberger basket and my PEZZY fat quarters that I recently bought. If you need a bunny pincushion she sometimes has them to sell but if not she does have the pattern for sale in her store. Go HERE to buy the pattern.


I have one window in my sewing room and it provides a bit of light in the afternoon. That's the one down fall to my sewing room. It has very poor lighting. I hope to resolve that problem at some point with track light of some sort. Anyway, sometimes I can get a good picture in my room when the light is coming in the window in the afternoon. Here's a few pictures of my red chair and my favorite tall dresser that I keep fabric in along with other crafty things. It's a great piece of furniture. I LOVE my RED chair too!!!


My cute bear is from Gap and I bought him 12 years ago when my daughter was a baby. He's just so cute sitting there on two of my favorite quilts.

 
This quilt is a baby quilt that I made and taught a few years ago. It's a replica of an antique quilt that I bought at a local antique store call "Star Flower Mill" The squares are appliqued in the center of each white square.
My friend Kaylene quilted an amazingly intricate design on this small quilt.


I hope you enjoyed this inside look at my creative space. It's the very best part of my day when I can spend time in my sewing room. I don't get to sew as much as I'd like too, but come summer when I have time off from school, you will definitely find me down there almost every day of every week.
A little piece of advice. . .
Big or Small. . . Find a SPOT and MAKE it YOUR OWN!

♥ ♥ ♥

Oh people, aren't you just in love???
I am so jealous of the thimble containers.  I really need those...
And the rocking chair.  And the quilts.
And well, all of it is sew inspiring!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Kim for sharing your space with us!
Please leave Kim some comment love below.

Happy Quilting.
Amber

36 comments:

  1. I had such a great time on the sewing room tour! I can't get over the design wall quilt, amazing!! I love the flooring, it would be so much easier to find lost pins than on carpet. All the little bins are so cute, I wish I had found those deals! I can tell how comfortable you are there, with all of your favorite things ♥

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  2. Wonderful space! I love what you did for a design wall. I might have to copy that because my sewing room doubles as a guest room and that design wall could stay up all the time.

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  3. Wow! Thanks for sharing! I also love the thimble containers and the button boxes. Yowsa!

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  4. Kim is so amazing. I'm so glad to be her friend. There is so much there to admire and copy! Love this room

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  5. Wow1 What an amazing sewing room. Mine is about a tenth of yours and nowhere that beautiful.

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  6. This looks great! I envy the floor and the non slanted walls (I am in an attic)- curious where you got the storage cubes/drawers and such that are under your work table? I have a big gateleg and would like to put the top across some units like this for more storage, but all I have found thus far are too tall.

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  7. I ADORE Miss Kim and am lucky to know her too :) I have been so excited to see her new and improved space! WOW- my dream space now- it was my dream space before the redo even :) hehe! Now it really, really is :) Thanks for sharing :)!

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  8. WOW! How beautiful and co-ordinated. I'm going to make a note of the paint colour, it would be great for my bedroom!

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  9. WOW -- Kim's sewing room is GORGEOUS! I LOVE that her design wall is actually a quilt -- what a brilliant idea. (Kim -- is it a flannel quilt?) I must admit...mamma bunny pincushion got just a little teary eyed when she spied her baby sitting there on the shelf. (Thanks for the shout out!) And those Thimble Pots -- Hello??? I NEED some of those too!!! Congratulations Kim -- it's gorgeous!!! (Thanks for hosting Amber!)

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  10. Wow, that's not a room. That's a lifestyle! I would never come out if that were my sewing room :-) Thanks for sharing another inspiring space.

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  11. *Jaw drops!* I actually liked the before version, but the after OMG!!! I sooooooo wan't that sewing room! All the accessories are amazing. Love those thimble containers! =D

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  12. Awesome sewing room, I want it. I wish I could find those thimble containers, sew cute! Great inspiring ideas, loved seeing these photos.

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  13. Fabulous sewing room! Like Regina,above, I would also be interested in where you got the cubbies and drawers unter your cutting table. Love it all!!!

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  14. A dream sewing room! How great! Would be so much fun to have a room like this one. Just makes you happy peeking in!

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  15. Really inspiring room! I love how organized (but in a fun way) it is!

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  16. What a wonderful room. So beautiful and so organized. I am jealous. I especially love those thimble containers. So Cute!

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  17. Love this room! Especially the grey, clean flooring. It adds such dimension. Love the design wall too! What a fantastic idea! I also wish the thimble containers were still available and the button boxes are awesome! Thanks for sharing!

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  18. Love it!! Where did you find the cutting table, and cubicles with the drawers.. : )

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  19. Love it!! Where did you get the cutting table and cubicles with drawers?? : )

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  20. Thanks for this sewing room tour! Lots of great inspiration.

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  21. I am so inspired. I like my room, but could use some of your ideas to organize better. A ironing table is one I would like to copy and the design wall quilt! INSPIRED!!!!!

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  22. Love your new space! Could you please tell me which Ikea track system and clips that you purchased, would like to do something like it in my quilt studio. Also does the system allow your "Design Wall Quilt" to hang flush to the wall? Thanks-

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  23. love your sewing room . mine is the dining room table

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  24. Kim, I love it!!! What fun! What did you do for a window treatment? I think I remember you buying fabric for it.
    Eva

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  25. What a GREAT room!!! I'm loving all your storage ideas! And Kim, your quilts are simply BEAUTIFUL!!! Thanks for letting us come visit you for a while! And thanks, Amber, for inviting us! :)

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  26. Amazing sewing room! And I want those freakin thimble containers!!

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  27. Thanks Amber for hosting me this past week. Here are the answers to a few questions about my sewing room.

    The Single Track Rail from Ikea is called KVARTAL and it sits as flush to the wall as you want to hang it. I hung it about an inch from the wall.

    Here is the Single Track RAIL link: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00079362/

    The cutting table is one I've had for 10+ years and it was a portable folding cutting table. I took the legs off of it and put it on top of the boxes. I bought the table at a local family owned sewing store.

    The Modular Storage Boxes I bought from a local craft store which has now closed it's doors. I would pick up a few at a time using my 40% off coupon to reduce the cost. It took me nearly a year to buy what a needed for my room. I did some searching and found them online although they are out of stock. It's been a few years since I bought them and they may be hard to find. I read in a few places that others bought them at Michaels Craft Store.

    Here's the link for the All-In-One Store in Style Organizing Storage Cubes so you can at least look at them and read about them:
    http://www.orientaltrading.com/ui/browse/processRequest.do?sku=65/85054&requestURI=processProductsCatalog

    Thanks again everyone for the great comments and I'm so happy that all of you enjoyed what I did to my sewing and craft room. I've really enjoyed my space.

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  28. I love,love your sewing room!! Makes my room look humble. You gave me a lot of great ideals to get started on. Thanks for sharing.

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  29. Hi there,

    I gave your comments and your blog a browse and I hope I am not asking a question that you have already answered. I feel I must make the quilt you have folded on that red chair... Does that pattern exist? It so inspires me...

    Thank you

    Susan

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  30. Beautiful sewing room, I just have one question, lol , how tall is your ironing board? I am also making my room the exact colors.
    Thanks
    Sarita

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  31. Can you make the design wall exactly like yours for sale?
    Thanx
    SB

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  32. It was so fun to see my friend Kim's Sewing Room today! It brought back a lot of California memories and inspired me to put my sewing room together a bit better. Thanks.

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I ♥ to hear from you so please feel free to leave a comment. I read each one and try to respond as often as I can. Thanks so much for stopping by! ~Amber