My Work/Play Space!

My Play Space

By way of an introduction, here are some before and after photos of my sewing/design room.  I like to call it my 'Play Space'.  This room has been our spare bedroom since we moved to this house 10 years ago and it has taken that long to get around to decorating the space!  As you can see from the 'before' photos, when we moved in, it was super retro with grey plastic panelling and unique blue trim woodwork.  Suffice to say that compared to the other rooms in the house, this room as it was, was livable.  The folks we bought the house from had lived here for 40 years and whole house was definitely 70's Chic---think lots of orange shag carpet, panelling and ceiling tiles.  Basically, they simply covered over all the 1920's charm; which was good news for us because it was easy to restore that charm with our limited handy-person skills! 

Attic doorway--'before'

Last summer I gave the whole room a fresh coat of neutral paint.  It definitely brightened up the space and although it is a small room, it is perfect for my use.  The room is also the route to the attic which is why it is better used for activities than for sleeping.

Attic doorway--'after'

The paneling 'before'

After

My husband helped me hang my design wall which I made using insulation board and this  tutorial from Elizabeth Hartman's website.  In the past, I have also used a piece of white flannel pinned to the wall as well as a flannel-backed table cloth.  Both worked well but this new wall is more permanent and more stable to work on.

My storage arrangement is still a work in progress.  I am dreaming about a set up like Anne's at Play Crafts, but for now I have current projects on this little bookshelf that I re-purposed from our attic.  The rest of my fabric and supplies are stored elsewhere for now.

The project on the design wall is a slab quilt that I am making to use up scraps.  I got the idea from Sunday Morning Quilts by Cheryl Arkison at Dining Room Empire and Amanda Jean Nyberg at Crazy Mom Quilts.  I have gained a lot of inspiration from this book as well as both of Elizabeth Hartman's books and highly recommend them.

Having this past week off for school vacation gave me an opportunity to organize and take these photos.  Tomorrow it's back to work but only a few weeks till summer vacation! 

Wishing you lots of creative inspiration.

allison

Works in Progress

Since I started my new job last Fall, I have not had as much time for sewing as I would like to have had.  Between the coming up to speed with my new responsibilities and my graduate studies, my quilts have taken a back seat.  I have to keep reminding myself that whatever time I have to play with fabrics is a great way to recharge and de-stress; to build the resiliency that I need in order to balance all of the other demands on my time.  So no big projects right now, just fun little explorations that keep me feeling connected to my creative self.

The picture above is a block I made to add to the blocks I received from my 'Nubees' buddies on Flickr.  I love these colors but right now I don't have anywhere in my home that they really fit in.  I may have to redecorate a room just to give the quilt a home!  The block is suitably named Modern Sliced Scrappy Block and it is from a tutorial at dontcallmebetsy.

Another fun little project I started is a Wonky Cross mini quilt.  It was inspired by Elizabeth Hartman's tutorial at Sew Mama Sew.  I am in love with the pink and black color combination.  It reminds me of my trip to Paris some years ago when every outfit I packed fit into a black and pink theme.

Looking forward, I have been talking with my son about a comforter cover that I want to make for him.  He doesn't want a traditional quilt because he likes to use a down comforter in the winter.  He likes the block called 'Thinking Outside the Block'--a Log Cabin variation.  I also have a stash of Amanda Murphy's 'Veranda' fabric that I am itching to cut into.  Once school is out for the summer I can begin to think about getting started on those projects.

Wishing you lots of creative inspiration!

alli