Got a project? Need fat quarters?

Here's some savings that I thought I would pass on: Fat Quarter Bundles Sale at Keepsake Quilting - Save 20% with coupon code KQFQ20

Quilting Bee Tomorrow Night!

Tomorrow night's the quilting bee!  I can hardly wait!  Basically a quilting bee is a great big quilting party.  Here's a fun video for you: The Waltons - Aunt Dinah's Quilting Party

In the sky the bright stars glittered

On the bank the pale moon shone
And 'twas from aunt Dinah's quilting party
I was seeing Nellie home

   I was seeing Nellie home
   I was seeing Nellie home
   And 'twas from aunt Dinah's quilting party
   I was seeing Nellie home

On my arm a soft hand rested
Rested like as ocean foam
And 'twas from aunt Dinah's quilting party
I was seeing Nellie home

On my lips a whisper trembled
Trembled till it dared to come
And 'twas from aunt Dinah's quilting party
I was seeing Nellie home

On my life new hopes were dawning
And those hopes have lived and grown
And 'twas from aunt Dinah's quilting party
I was seeing Nellie home

FINISH IT!

Today in North Canaan...

Where do you do your quilting?

Here's where I do mine.  

The studio at Graham Hill.

It all starts out with a comfortable chair.  I bought this chair at an estate sale in Hanover about 15 years ago with my friend Kirsten.  I added a sheepskin from IKEA to make it more comfortable on my derriere. 

This is one of my sewing machines.  It's a Necchi EX30 (my other machine is a Janome).  Necchi sewing machines are made by Janome.  It rests on a Janome muffling mat.  There are two reasons I use this mat.  One, it makes the machine a little less noisy.  Two, it has a gripper on the back so when you're zooming along with the pedal to the metal, the machine stays in place.  I bought my machine and muffling mat at Bittersweet Fabric Shop in Boscawen, New Hampshire.  If you stop in, tell Dave I said, "Hello!"    

When my machine is not in use, I cover it with a sewing machine cover.  This one is an original design.  It's fun to make and easy!  Keeping a cover on your machine keeps dust out.  You should always cover your sewing machine.  

Keeping thread and bobbins neat and tidy has always been a little problematic for me. Recently, I found Bobbin Buddies.  See that pink loop above the bobbin?  That's part of the Bobbin Buddy.  The clip slips down through the center of the bobbin and the spool of thread to keep your bobbin and spool of thread together.  I'm working on the best way to keep sets of Bobbin Buddies together.  I'm thinking of hanging the sets from some sort of hook.  What do you think?

My friend Emily H. turned me on to Comic Book Boards for storing fabrics.  While listening to the two national party conventions, I sifted through bins of fabrics and made mini bolts of fabrics.  Here's what my fabric bins look like now:

These bins were from Walmart.   The bins are stored in IKEA KALLAX shelves with 8 squares. These units are turned on their sides and are on two KALLAX rails.  This allows me to be flexible in changing the room around and cleaning (because all of you who know me, know that I like to vacuum).  If you don't have an IKEA near you, or you don't want to make the pilgrimage, Home Depot and Walmart carry something similar.

Here's the fabric in the bins wrapped on the comic book board.  To wrap your fabric, check out this site: Five Star Fonts.  I also pin a note card of paper on the mini bolt with the size piece of the fabric (1/4 yard, 1/2 yard, etc.). 

Smaller bits of fabric (such as fat quarters are stored in a shoe box container  (without a lid) and then in a container on the KALLAX shelf.  Any fabrics that are less than a yard, but more than a fat quarter are folded in a particular way and taped with artist tape with the size of the piece written on the tape in permanent marker.  I'll be purchasing white tape the next time around....

Above is my ironing station.  This is another KALLAX shelf with four squares and two KALLAX rails. The board is a Dream Board by Barnyard Quilting.  This board fits perfectly over the top of the KALLAX shelf.  When I purchased my dream board, it had a grey covering on the top.  Well, that didn't go, so I re-wrapped the top with white duck cloth. I chose white because it is easy to see what you are ironing.  However, as you can see, it does get dirty!  Beneath the board are four wooden boxes that came with lids from IKEA.  I keep a lint roller, spray starch, small bottles of water, and needle felting supplies in these boxes.   IKEA doesn't seem to be selling that exact thing now, but you can get something similar.  I painted the fronts of these boxes (not the sides, because who's going to see that?) and added a stenciled design.  The lids, as you see below, are also handy as trays: 

I painted the edges of the lids/trays and added wallpaper from the discontinued wallpaper bin at Lebanon Paint and Decorating and stuck it down with spray adhesive.  These trays hold anything from quilting projects to small jars with odds and ends or pretty pictures from Prince Edward Island.  In addition, they keep things from falling off the KALLAX shelves.

This is where I store my rulers.  My husband made me this ruler holder from a piece of our leftover butcher block countertops.  He used a table saw and sander to to the job.  The underside has four felt circles to keep the ruler holder from scratching surfaces.  You can buy something similar here.  As you can see, I need a second holder...that's on the, "honey-do" list. 

I store odds and ends in these old pickle jars.  The jars came from my friend Pam who works at the Canaan library.  I sprayed the lids with white spray paint.  You can purchase similar jars from Specialty Bottle.  I keep buttons, ribbons, bias tape, embroidery floss, etc. in these jars.  Hey, maybe I should keep my Bobbin Buddy sets in on of these jars as well!

Right next to my sewing machine, I have an iLive sound bar.  I'm an NPR junkie.  I love The Exchange with Laura Knoy.  What's your favorite show?

 This player also has an iPod dock.  I often listen to audio books downloaded from NH Downloadable books.  

On the other side of the sewing machine, I have a notebook.  I jot down things I think of while I'm sewing, good books to read that are mentioned on NPR, and class ideas. 

This is one of my project baskets. I bought this basket at TJMAXX.  I use bean bags (with real beans) to hold down my projects when the windows are open.  I'll try to post a tutorial about making bean bags sometime in the near future.  

This is my bookshelf.  It's another KALLAX unit with four cubbies - wheels are on the list...  I hold books in this shelf, patterns, and magazines.  The wooded magazine holders don't seem to exist on IKEA's site, here's something similar: FJALLA.  If you have books and patterns to read, you also need a comfy chair to sit in.  The chair I have is also from IKEA (see right)

In this picture you can see the tables that I have to do my work.  I have two farmhouse tables - one for my cutting and one for my sewing machine.  Beneath the table, I have a large basket for scraps and a galvanized waste paper basket for trash.    I use OLFA cutting mats and Olfa rotary cutters.  I keep my cutters, scissors, pens and pencils in galvanized containers .  I use metal paint pails for really little scraps of fabric that I eventually empty in the trash can.  The whole studio is about 10' x 18' with some funny little nooks and crannies under the eaves. 

Just like Rome wasn't built in a day, nor was this!

 We've been building our house since 2004.  In 2008, when the attic was finally finished, I set up a studio with a table built by my grandfather and my Kenmore sewing machine.  I've been adding to this room little by little with many trips to IKEA.  I hope you find this post inspiring.  Where do you do your quilting?