Cleaning!

Since reading all the blogs, I've started to take more of an interest in my own sewing space. I finally started cleaning it, so it will be even more inviting to work in there. It's about 5 years in the making..... That's when we added a garage with living space on top to the house. One of those rooms is my sewing room. Big, bright, open and inviting (in the beginning). Soon it was also used as storage room, and people who knew that I sewed gave me boxes upon boxes of material. Guess where it all ended up? Yes, my sewing room!

Started out with good intentions 5 years ago in the walk in closet.........

  

More material......And most of that is on the ground.....

Combined with  my lack of being able to throw anything out, it had over the last couple of years become a mess.  I started organizing it on and off during the last couple of years, but never really finished it, and ran out of energy.  This year, though, it seems as if I'm getting my energy back, finally.  I keep working in there, finishing up any alterations that I've had for a few years already, and even straightening, and cleaning out my sewing space.  It's become clear to me that I will be spending many more hours in that room before I finally will have it all the way I like it.  But that's ok.  I think I am ready for the next step in my life, and that involves more furniture in my sewing room so I can start teaching children and adults to sew.
I have all sorts of plans, and maybe soon they will be coming to frutition!  It all depends on how clean I can get my sewing room, and how quickly furniture can be added.  I do more sewing and alterations than quilting, but am enjoying it at this stage of my life.  Quilting for now is being kept as a hobby, something I can loose myself in, without having to share that part to people wanting to learn quilting.  I will do the occasional quilting pattern in something when I am teaching sewing, but more as a sidepart than on purpose.  When students come to learn, one of the first things I have them make is a pin cushion, but usually I have them put a quilt block on the one side.  This way they learn by trying little things, and it teaches them to often sew straight lines. 
Sewing is such an integral part of quilting, being able to sew, being able to sew straight lines (mostly), being able to cut things out for a pattern, that I really want to start at this end of the spectrum. And it has become such a lost art, that now people are starting to look for seamstresses willing to teach them the basics! And that is a niche I hope to fill in the near future.
To that end I will continue to clean, re-organize, and work away at making my sewing space look inviting. Hopefully I can show you more cleaned up space soon!

The patterns and lace cupboard fairly organized!  

I started with the book case area.  I clean that one fairly often.  It's the easiest to keep clean, and organized.  I have also been going thru some of the boxes that have been given me.  But since I like to wash everything before I store it, it makes it quite interesting.  Sometimes there is a lot of scraps, other times quite a lot of good material.  I just finished washing all the new things I received earlier this spring, and am using some of that already for a bag swap that I am taking part in.  If I really have to pin myself down, I think I prefer sewing anything over quilting at this time.  Also because I am petrified of free motion quilting.....   I know I shouldn't be, but right now it's not one of my strong points. 

Books and more books.....

Anyway, this post is long enough! Happy reading, sewing and quilting!



Maria K