Another of my resolutions was to keep my craft room tidy and inspiring. Not doing too good since this is what it's looked like for the past several weeks:



But after some spring cleaning (and house cleaning procrastination) it now looks better!



I've also added some new storage... I picked up these drawers and glass jars for my scraps at Ikea:





And my mother-in-law saved these awesome skinny drawers from the dentist's office where she works - they had to get all new furniture/equipment after the hurricane and were getting rid of these! They're a perfect fit for 12x12 paper and I also think I'll use them to sort my huge box of zippers (under the desk in those pictures above).



Now I'll feel better sitting at my sewing machine without the mess around me...



I've been in a little bit of a craft funk and just "wow the year is going quickly" funk the past while so this post at Toni's recently was a nice boost. I thought I'd share it here for those that might enjoy it too.

1. I am a one of a kind creation. There is no one else just like me nor will there ever be.

2. I stand tall because I am at peace with who I am, I like myself.

3. I take joy in my strengths, talents and skills. I have many.

4. I am aware of my faults but do not let them become a millstone around my neck.

5. I love and accept others freely because I am loved and accepted unconditionally.

6. I am free to praise others because I am not inferior.

7. I can laugh at myself because sometimes I am clueless, awkward, and say the wrong thing. I won't beat myself up for it.

8. I will take my mistakes as opportunities to grow and then move on.

8. I do not look for faults in others to make myself feel better. All of us are in process.

9. I am beautiful because I focus on the inside of who I am, and that overflows to the outside.

10. I will remember this list when my confidence feels shaky, because that certainly happens.

Labels: craft room, me

I spent a few hours over the weekend tidying up my craft room to get the new year started out right. I fixed my sewing organizer that had started to sag and finally hung up a little shelf with drawers to keep things off my cutting table.



I also put away a lot of fabric that had come in the mail or been used for various projects - I'm running out of space so I definitely need to get in some sewing! To help with that I kicked off a couple more projects that should use up some of the stash



I'm even cutting into my "good" fabric! Results posted soon, hopefully...

Labels: craft room, wip

I always appreciate having a few quiet minutes to spend in my sewing room. This is especially nice on the weekends, when we are usually going at top speed! Recently I was busy sewing, and glanced up to see my entire zoo hanging out with me.



Can you spot everyone? Click if you need help!

Labels: craft room, family

Happy Leap Day everyone! My sister sent me a link a while back to this craft room/office, with the awesome ribbon wall. I thought it was a great way to display ribbon scraps, so I made a small version:





The little clothespins will be decorated some day, and the pushpins are my new obsession:



I am in love with these fabric buttons! What an awesome way to display little scraps I love. Since I can't think of a project for the buttons right now, I pulled of the hooks on the back and glued on a thumbtack for my bulletin board.



These are addicting!

Labels: craft room, sewing

Inspired by posts here and here , I dug through my (embarassingly large) patterned paper piles and made this today:



I am a little embarassed by how shamelessy I copied mks's collage, but I also love how the different papers and colors make it look totally different.



I had a 12x12 frame I've been meaning to fill forever so in went this collage and I got it up on the wall.



My sister will be happy to see that I also finally got some pictures in the frames on my shelves! Including one of my favorite pictures of all time, me and my sister and my dad on a camping trip years ago.



How satisfying to go from inspiration to completion in a lazy weekend afternoon!

Labels: craft room, paper craft, quick fix

I really love to be organized. A place for everything, everything in its place, and all that. I know I've talked about that before! Luckily I don't get too compulsive about it, but when things are in disarray it always nags at me. Alternately, little organized bits can make me very happy.



Previously I had all my DMC floss shoved in drawers of a little plastic organizer, still with the little paper sleeves they come with. It was hard to tell which colors I already had and definitely hard to find a specific color.



Each evening for a week or so (this took a while!) I wrapped floss onto bobbins... It is so pretty now! I had it ordered by DMC number but since I don't do many projects lately that call things out by number I rearranged it to spectrum order since I think it makes it look so yummy.



And to put it on record somewhere... I am declaring February "No New Supplies Month". I have so many projects on my list, ideas in my head I want to tackle. When I buy fabric, notions, beads, etc, it's always with some *new* project in mind, so my list is always growing! Here's to making my list shorter instead of longer...

Labels: craft room, needlework

Amazing what a little organization and some red spray paint can do.

I posted about the messiness in here before, but I *love* before and after pictures, so here's a reminder:







And here it is now! I took out the table that was useless other than collecting piles, and hung up my bulletin board, revamped thanks to some red spray paint.



I painted and hung up some Ikea cloth baskets I've had forever where I can actually use them. Can you believe the brown and teal box was part of the Target Christmas sale? I just wish I'd gotten two.



Finally, I rearranged my shelves a little and made better use of baskets. My mom gave me the sweet "create" sign.





I thought I loved this room before, but it is *so* nice to be in here now! I know it will get messy again when I'm in the middle of a big project, but it's so much easier to pick up when everything has a nice place to go. Looking at the first picture, there is hardly any color, so don't be surprised to see some more changes...

P.S. - If you're good at wishing luck, I could use it!

Labels: craft room

Before the holidays, while I was chatting on the phone with my sister-in-law, I randomly decided I needed to refold all my fabric. Voila, perfect Sewing Room Friday post!

I had my fabric folded small two layers deep and was tired of not being able to see the back stacks. Besides, I'm way too... neat... (to put it nicely) to have it so messy.

Before



The project went quickly thanks to my helper keeping me company:



Now I can see it all and it's in pretty color groups, making me very happy.

After



I'm still keeping all my "designer" fabric separate, since I think it looks so nice together and I don't want it to get lost in all my other "plain" quilting fabric.



That's it for another Sewing Room Friday! Stay tuned because I went a little crazy tonight getting things straightened up! Hopefully it will be finished and pretty for next week's post...

Labels: craft room

So without actually signing up for it, I had been thinking I would try to do NaBloPoMo. Seeing there is a big empty space where a post from yesterday should be, obviously I am off to a great start!

I read over at Beki's about sewing room Friday and decided that is a good kick in the butt to get me posting! Once I had the new furniture and paint, I got too excited and went right to work, totally breaking my promise to my husband to keep the room neat since it's at the front of the house. What follows is the current state of my craft room, in all its messy glory!



My jewelry/scrapping table.


Piles, piles everywhere!


Sewing table with in progress blankie.


Gorgeous shelves, hidden by, you guessed it, more piles!

My hope is to participate every Friday and gradually see things get a little neater... Gorgeous Alicia-esque studio, here I come!!

Labels: craft room, wip

It is a lot easier for me to keep things straightened up if everything has a place to go. My craft room was such a mess because I'd just haphazardly moved everything in without paying much attention to organization. I spent a little time this past weekend cleaning up my shelves, and I'm already feeling a lot better!

I organized all my fat quarters:


This box makes me so happy - mostly Amy Butler and Denise Schmidt with a few others thrown in. Now if I could just make myself sew something with this...



I also organized my box of ribbon and trim:


I left what was on spools as is, but I took the loose pieces and wrapped them around pieces of foam board, secured at the end with a little pin.



Now I can see it all and it's not just a jumbled mess in the bottom of the box. And see how nice these shelves look now?



The red basket is all my zippers, purse magnets, handles, etc. Just seeing these pictures makes me want to go get to work!

Labels: craft room, sewing

Now that my sewing board is on the wall, I'm going to try to keep my sewing space neat. Here is how it looks right now:



Do you think I can keep it that nice once I get to work on a project? Not likely! At least it will be easier to pick up as I get things in my room sorted out.

I also hung a few things up that have been sitting in a pile waiting for frames. They still don't have frames, but I think having them up at all is better than wasting away in a pile!



A couple bright flower cards, a painting by little dear that really needs a frame soon, and four of my favorite cards by port2port.

At least looking from this angle my room is looking better!

Labels: craft room, misc, sewing

I don't know if it was just doing something to get myself started, or what, but I had an amazingly productive weekend! In addition to some big projects, I got a couple things done that are just little things I've been avoiding.

Probably I am most excited about Friday's WIP no longer being a WIP:



I was greatly inspired by all of Sally's beautiful wall pockets. I wanted to get all the things I use a lot up off my sewing table, and have a place to hang ideas or current project patterns.



This is currently just covering a foam board, so pushpins work quite well in it. If it wears out too fast, I left it open at the top so I can switch to cork or a fresh peice of foam board.

A little color for my room and some much needed organization, all in one!

Labels: craft room, sewing

Sometimes the days just go by so slowly. I thought this week would never end! I'm so glad to have made it to the weekend. I hope my quick fix crafting last night gives me some momentum to complete some things over the next couple days! One project on my table (literally!) involves a little patchwork...



When finished, this WIP will provide a little color, and some much needed organization, to my half-done craft room. Speaking of which, the room itself is another one of my works-in-progress. I was in there last night and I am still quite dissatisfied with its setup... So I rearranged a little furniture, and dreamed up some grand plans for getting it in order. Now, I can't believe I'm going to post this picture, but I'm using it as motivation to get my rear in gear and make this a place I can really relax and get my creative juices flowing. This is the current state of my craft room:



I have let it get to be a mess before it's even finished. I haven't done anything to liven it up, make it pretty. I'm going to refresh myself with a little much needed inspiration and get to work.

As for Gratitude Friday, again this week it will be easy! I'm grateful for the medicine they gave my dad so he can eat again, the doctors at MDAnderson who accepted him as a patient, the clinical trial that is giving us all so much hope, my aunt who sent me a wonderful lucky charm, and all my friends, who totally are putting up with my one track mind these days!

Labels: craft room, gratitude friday, wip

I have one shelf in my craft room that's sort of become a place for owls. I'm not sure why I started liking owls, but regardless of how it started, I've found myself collecting them. I only have a few, but they make me quite happy!



1. Card from boygirlparty.
2. Tiny pins from Laurie.
3. Fortune cookie from one of my first swaps - with Jenn.
4. Newest addition, a cute owl from Urban Outfitters.
5. Owl softie from Little Dear.
6. Adorable Noah's Ark tins from my in-laws for storage - no owls, but monkeys and giraffes which are just about as good!

Labels: craft room

My craft room is now complete enough to work in, and I have been really enjoying it!! At night, if I want to work on a little project before bed, it is so easy, because everything is right there at my fingertips and I don't have to make a big mess in the living area of my house. I am in heaven!

I still have a lot of sprucing up to do, and the walls are quite plain right now, but I can't wait to share my after pictures. Remember, before pictures are here and here.









I still want to hang a lot of things on the walls, get a colorful rug, hang curtains, and organize everything a little better with more labels. But I know where everything is, and I already love being in the room, which is a big step up from when it was our study. I am one lucky lady!!

Labels: craft room