around the workshop

starting new projects, using new materials, pushing creativity...

Here's a sneak peek, more details to come.

craft room redo: organizing fabric

I will be the first to admit that I have a lot of craft junk stuff.  I try to buy supplies only for specific projects, but somehow other junk stuff jumps right off the clearance rack or the remnant bin or even the regular price shelf and right into my cart.

As I move my junk stuff from the basement to my new craft room I am finding more and more items that I forgot I have.  And here is the dilemma...in general I am not a pack rat, except when it comes to crafting supplies.  With crafting supplies, I am not just a pack rat...I hoard.  I agonize over what to throw away and what to keep.  Every little thing seems to have value.  Each scrap of paper or fabric or ribbon seems like it has a use...some day.

Even though I hoard craft supplies, I never thought of myself as a person who has a lot of fabric.  I think this is because I don't sew with a lot of prints.  I might buy muslin or linen by the bolt (with a nice juicy coupon), but I don't see myself as a fabric hoarder.

For the new craft room I bought four pretty milk crate baskets at Target to store fabric.  I thought that should do...

and it did...

just barely...

That might not look like a lot of fabric to some.  It's certainly less fabric than my grandmother has, but I was surprised at how much fabric I have.  I also learned that I haven't met a red or red striped fabric that I don't like.

These milk crates will be stored on a shelf in my closet that is transforming into a desk area.  Here's a progress shot.

I think I will like this storage better for my fabric.  I can see what I have, which will hopefully lead to using more of the fabric I already own rather than buying new.  

My bolts of muslin and linen will most likely be stored under my sewing table.  The bin that I bought for scrap fabric is already filled to overflowing so I need to get to work on making some things out of scraps also.

What is the best thing to do with fabric you know you won't use?  Will goodwill take it?

craft room redo: workstation

This is my favorite craft room update to date because I love how it turned out!  I wanted to have a counter height workstation for cutting fabric and working on little projects without bending over a table.  I searched far and wide (on the Internet) for a kitchen island that didn't look too kitcheny and was small enough to work in my room.

I found a bar height dining table that I thought might work, but then I saw this island at West Elm.  It was perfect, although a little pricey...but I went for it.  I couldn't be happier with the results!

Here's a view from the other side.  You can see my spray painted curtains in the background.

Doesn't it look at pretty as a picture?  Maybe as pretty as this picture?

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I wanted to replicate the letters in this picture.  I found my letters at Hobby Lobby ($5 a piece on sale), but they were ugly aged gold and needed paint badly.  

I spray painted the AKE in black and the M in red.  I love that the M is a different color because it is also my first initial!

To hang the letters I traced and cut them from newsprint, and marked where the hangers were.  Then I taped the newsprint letters to the wall and adjusted as needed before pounding my nails.  It was definitely worth the extra effort because the nails were in exactly the right place.

Slowly I have been moving things from the basement to the new upstairs craft room so I am to the point where I am really working out of two rooms now...not ideal, but I am making progress.

craft room redo: curtains

After a slow start at my new craft room I feel like I'm cruising right along now.  The curtains are done!  I kept envisioning grey and white striped curtains, so I created some with muslin and spray paint.

I bought some white muslin and cut it to size.  I hemmed the top and bottom.  I knew I wanted to use curtain clips, so I didn't have to create a pocket.  Since I had a selvage on each side I did not hem the sides...this was mostly due to laziness (hey, at least I'm honest).

Then I measured and created stripes with masking tape.  The stripes are four inches high so I doubled up some two inch wide masking tape.

Then I sprayed away.  I used a surprising amount of spray paint.  Perhaps I used too much, but it took more than two cans.  

Pulling off the tape revealed perfect stripes.

Here they are hung in my room.  I only did one panel for each window because I don't want to block too much light (light is a major reason for moving my craft room).  

I thought the grey and white could use a punch of color so I added a big red grosgrain ribbon.

The spray paint did make the curtains a bit stiff, but they still fold nicely.

I still have a lot to do before the big move.  The next big "to-dos" are fun...shopping, shopping, shopping!

craft room redo: new floor

I debated about flooring for my new craft room.  I was trying to decide between leaving it as is or tearing up the carpet and stenciling the sub floor to look something like this:

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Since we are getting new carpet upstairs in the next year or two I figured I could cover my stencils then if I absolutely hated it.  My only hesitation was that I wasn't sure what I would find when I tore up the carpet (although I was pretty sure I wouldn't find hidden beautiful hardwood floors).  

My husband suggested that I put down a laminate floor.  Imagining myself wheeling my chair around my new room sealed the deal...laminate it is.  And to save a few bucks, I decided to install it myself.

So that's what I did this weekend.  I started on Saturday, promptly got very frustrated and decided that the installation charges didn't sound so expensive after all.  I started again this morning and finished the job.  I like my new floor, but I love that I did it myself.

I'll let hubby finish up with the trim while I move on to the curtains!

october in review

Only three tutorials this month? tsk. tsk. I updated the tutorial library with this poor showing for October or you can click on the pictures above if you missed one of the October tutes.

I've been really engaged in a project at work lately, which is great because I haven't felt that way at work for a long time.  However, it leaves little time for crafting which is a bummer.  I guess that's how life goes, things ebb and flow at different times.

I finally got my new craft room painted a nice "blank canvas" color of white.  I used spray paint for the first time this weekend for a craft room related project.  Tony wants to change the flooring in the room, so I am kinda stalled again until we figure that out.  But all is OK because it gives me more time to dream about the furniture I want to buy.  I am a little obsessed with having some sort of counter height table or island so that I can stand and create. My current obsession is this island from West Elm.

Ironically, I had some money fall into my lap today (OK...so it was really a reimbursement of money I paid previously, but totally unexpected).  The money would just about cover the cost of this island.  So what do you think?  Is this big enough to cut fabric on if I put some sort of self healing mat on top?  Will I regret the metal top?

Here are the other things on my craft room re-do "to do" list:

Figure out flooring and install

Create a sewing nook out of the closet

Find the perfect bulletin board

Plan a weekend trip to Ikea to purchase a desk

Put together Ikea furniture

Source curtain fabric and make curtains

Buy and install a new light fixture

Transfer shelves and supplies from old room to new room

Whew...still a lot to do.  I have to admit that I am least looking forward to moving all my crap supplies from the basement to my new second floor craft room!!!

craft room redo: inspiration rooms

I love holidays.  I love the day off work and I love the shortened work week that follows.

Today I...

...took the dogs for a hike.

...worked on a project that has been half done since March!

...took a nap.

...started working on my new craft room by clearing out the space and searching for more inspiration online.

Here are some truly inspiring rooms with links to posts with more craft room/organization to drool over.

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craft room redo: color scheme

The new craft room is currently painted a beigey pink (not by me).  A repainting is definately in order.  I've always been a little color challenged so I few years ago I bought this book:

 
I spent today flipping through the pages and picking out some different color combination possibilities for room accents.

I'll still be using my three black bookcases for supplies storage and one wall will pretty much be dominated by black.  I think I will paint the walls an off-white to maximize the light in the room.

I may paint the room "nook" or the inside of the closet a different color.

Color Combination No. 1:  Light blue and red is one of my favorite color combinations.  However, I am already using this combination in my guest bedroom.  I do really like this robin's egg blue color.

Color Combination No. 2:  Here's the same blue with orange.  This color combination feels a little more hip to me (or is orange already "over"?)  It also reminds me of my sister's college alma mater colors.

Color Combination No. 3:  Pink!  I never use pink in my house, but I am loving this pink and gold combination.

Color Combination No. 4:  More orange, but it feels more subdued and earthy when paired with the green.

Color Combination No. 5:  Red is my favorite color, so I almost have to include it in my craft room.  I like it with this lime green, but is it too Christmasy?

How do you choose colors?

craft room redo: the blank slate

I've been researching and planning and dreaming about my new craft room.  Before I start making changes I'll show the new room as it exists right now.

Here's a sketch of the room.  Each long wall is about twelve foot long.  I created the same type of scale sketch for my old crafting area and then made cut outs for the shelves and tables so that I could move them around on paper.

Here's a picture of the room from the door.  As you can see, I wasn't lying.  This room is not currently being used for anything.  I think we had a single bed in here once.



My favorite part of this room is "the nook".  I've always thought that this would be the perfect spot for a desk or a hidden easy chair.  Right now it's home to my husband's old stereo equipment from college.  I shudder to think where this stuff will land.  I will never understand men and their stereos...

This long wall will most likely be the new home for some shelves.

Since this room is kind of small I need to use every available space.  Right now I'm thinking that I will remove these closet doors and make a sewing area out of the closet.

That's the before tour.  Over the next few months I hope to be able to show this room transformed!