Got a New Chair for My Sewing Area for Free!

I have been working on organizing my sewing area. Sweetie and I switched corners a few months ago. It made more sense for him to sit beside our toy collection. I, on the other hand, needed better lighting for my sewing/quilting projects.

I identified my needs and realized it would be better to have an L-shaped desk. After moving around some stuff I managed to fit in another table. Now I have additional space for ironing and measuring fabric. It also doubles as space for a printer when I scan photos.

What would make the "expanded" space better is a chair with wheels. I noticed quilters across the world use office chairs with wheels. I had one, but it broke. I had the leg changed, but it broke again! Gaaaaah! I've been using a nice monoblock chair for over a year now and was thinking whether I should buy a replacement.

Well, I didn't need to buy one because I got it for free from a purchase the boys did. They didn't want a chair, so I said I'll use it. It's all black, but I will jazz it up so it won't look like an office chair. What do you think?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Planning My Sewing Room Triangle

New flooring for my craft/sewing (a.k.a. maker) room has been installed. It made the room look more cozy and it removed the "bland" feel to it. It previously had off-white tiles which gave the feeling you're in a commercial space. I had the door with glass changed last year since it made me feel I was at a doctor's office. 

Since I removed everything in the room I now have a chance to re-organize my fabric stash and other materials. The room is quite small, so I have to be smart about the space. I joined a quilting/sewing room group to see how others with small rooms organize their rooms. 

Kitchens normally have a work triangle. I learned this from an architect. The kitchen workspace should have the refrigerator, sink and stove in a triangle. I did some research and found out that sewing rooms also have a triangle. In this case, it's your sewing table, cutting table and ironing station you need to consider.

I've been using my sewing table to do everything. It's annoying since I can't multitask. I have to do everything by step, so proper planning is key. I'm going to take advantage and plan first before I return all my things. I also found a couple of unsorted boxes and will re-categorize everything before placing them back. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Eagerly Awaiting my Updated Craft Room

There was one last thing that needed to be done in our basement, the flooring. We should have had it done last year before the cabinets were installed, but our contractor said it was still okay. The tile issue spread already, so we decided to have it replaced as a precaution.

My craft (a.k.a. maker room/sewing room) has changed a lot in the past 30 months. Here's how it's changed -

The work will probably be done in the next few days. I have to figure out how best to re-arrange my stuff. I probably need to sort and categorize everything before I put them back in the shelves and drawers. Lots to do! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Sewing Room is Back to Zero

It took me a week to empty my sewing room. We had to clear our basement for some renovations. We delayed it for a year. Looking back, we should have done that work before the cabinets were installed. It would have saved us from packing up our stuff. I had mentioned it to the contractor, but my request was ignored and they went ahead with the cabinet installation.

Well, on the brighter side, this gives me the chance to redo my sewing room. I actually call it my maker room since I don't just sew in it. I also work on my other hobbies in it, so it's more appropriately called the maker room. 

My plan is to re-arrange my materials. I started to wrap my fabric in comic book boards. I like it since it looks more organized. I have to sort some boxes where I stored some notions. I need to put it all together and store it properly so they are easier to find. 

I'm trying to figure out how best to use my Mama Lola's sewing machine. It's an electric old Singer sewing machine which probably doesn't work anymore. It came with the traditional Singer black iron bottom. I've been looking for a company that can help turn it into a proper table to make it useful. I still want to keep it since it's been passed on to me (plus my grandma's sewing kit). 

We will hopefully finish all the work in a few weeks. My sewing stuff is all over the place, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to work on any projects in the meantime. We'll see :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Design Wall is Up!

It's been a couple of months since the board in my craft room was installed. I originally planned to use a flannel blanket to cover the board. It would be easier to set up fabric on it according to other quilters. I bought the blanket and was supposed to cut and sew it to fit the board. Months dragged on, but I ended up procrastinating since it's a huge job. 

I saw a felt board in National Bookstore a few weeks ago and thought it would be perfect. I didn't realize that fabric could stick on felt too. I would have needed six of the felt board. It's expensive though, plus I wanted my design wall to be white. I looked around Lazada and found felt board grids normally used the same way as corkboards. I thought it would be a good alternative since it's much cheaper than the felt board in NBS.

I got a few last week and tried to stick fabric on it. It worked. I also have the option to use the grid side or the flat side. Since the felt grids came with velcro stickers it was also easier to install on the board. I would have needed a carpenter if I used the felt board from National Bookstore. 

Finished installing the second set of felt grids today and I'm happy how it turned out. I could also use the blanket I bought if I need my design wall to be "stickier" for fabric. Well, I'm going to use this for now. It's going to be useful since it's hard to see if pieces match and if they're the right size. 

The design wall will also be useful when I take photos of my projects. Here's the very first baby quilt blanket I made almost 30 years ago when Miggy was born. I could appreciate it better from the design wall. I'm surprised the embroidery I made 30 years ago is still intact! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Creative Happy Tuesdays: Time to Unveil My Craft Room Again

Ahh, it's been two months since I last got to stay in my craft room. I indulged myself and had the bathroom turned into a powder room. It was going to be very dusty so I had to pack up everything and vacate my haven. The renovation coincided with all the electrical work so we left for a few weeks. 

The craft cabinet is currently covered and I hope to remove the tarp this week. It's going to require a lot of work to clean it up and restore it. I'll probably get to use it by next week (hopefully). 

Here's the evolution so far -

Version 1 minus the Ikea shelves flanking the display cabinet.

Just before round 1 of renovations.

Version 2 just before I messed it up again.

Active craft room just before round 2 of renovations.

I can't wait to ease back in my craft room again! Only thing missing is the design board and I think I need to buy a new chair. My cute pink swivel chair broke. I think it could still be fixed. I have to check if we could DIY to fix it. I'm also still think whether I should get help to organize the room better or if I could just wing it. 

Creative Happy Tuesdays: Moving Back In the Maker Room

We've actually been calling my craft room, "The Maker Room". I've been using the room for sewing and other hobbies, so I thought it would be more appropriate to call it a maker room. After removing the two huge cabinets, we were able to have the new cabinets installed.  

Over the last few days, I started moving back in the maker room. The boys brought in my sewing table and the fabric I boxed two weeks ago. I previously had 2 huge glass cabinets and an Ikea cabinet. It housed all my fabric, but not the other sewing materials. 

I looked at a lot of craft rooms of other quilters. The plan was to have floor to ceiling cabinets, but I realized I needed desk space. We changed the cabinet design two weeks before the scheduled renovation. Included a desk area and replaced the bottom part with drawers. 

Still a bit messy now, but I've been able to resume sewing.

Unboxed the fabric and managed to fit them in the two end cabinets. I put my favorite rainbow colored fabric in the middle cabinet. After that I worked on removing the other sewing materials from the boxes I shipped them on. Almost everything surprisingly fit! The only thing that I'll have to store somewhere else are the wadding and a bag handles box since they are bulky. 

I've decided to get some native boxes from Magayon Handmade for the items I'm storing on top of the cabinet. I'm still thinking about what kind of lighting to use for the cabinet cove. I also probably need a floor lamp so I could see what I'm doing better. One thing we'll install also is a design wall. It will make it easier for me to organize my quilt projects. 

I'm aiming to finish organizing the room by month end or whenever they finish renovating the bathroom. I'm turning it to a powder room since I don't use it anyway to shower. :)

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Creative Happy Tuesdays: Mademoiselle vs. La Fleur? Craft Room Accent Wall

Aside from proper cabinets for my craft room, I was given the option to have an accent wall. Since it's my "cave" I thought a pink wall would be cute. I had my room painted pink way back and kinda miss it. Early last week I was asked to choose the shade of pink I wanted from a color palette. It was hard! I didn't want it to be too bright or too light. It's hard to choose because I need to make sure I don't get tired or annoyed by the color. 

From the many shades of pink I chose mademoiselle and la fleur. Mademoiselle was more vibrant and youthful. I have a shirt in the same shade. It also reminded me of my old room. La Fleur was a different shade of pink. It looks a bit peach depending on the lighting. It reminds me a bit of my 2022 planner and happy flowers. 

Mademoiselle vs. La Fleur

On Saturday, Sweetie informed me that the team had painted the two shades of pink on the wall. I had to make my choice. When I saw the wall I was immediately attracted to mademoiselle. It is a comforting shade of pink and reminded me of happy days. La fleur though was what I originally wanted. I thought it's more age appropriate and would signify a new chapter in my life. It also felt like a very stable shade of pink. 

I went out of the room after looking at it and pinged some friends for advise. Posted the options on my stream, but the result was 50-50. Everyone was torn about the choices too, haha. A friend took it a step further and explained to me what kind of accessories would match the room. Mademoiselle would match with silver colored accessories. La fleur would match with gold colored accessories. My pink bench though matches better with mademoiselle, but I could always make a cover for it. 

First coating

After thinking more about it, I finally decided on a shade. I chose la fleur since it looked more fresh, it's I think more appropriate for my age, if ever I add accessories, I'd prefer gold, and it won't make me crave for strawberry ice cream. 

Shiny new craft room
(the painter said he loves the color)

Over the next few days, the cabinets and paint job were finished. I just went down and the room is ready for me to move in. We'll have it cleaned first before I organize my sewing materials again.

Thank you Lord for the beautiful gift :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Creative Happy Tuesdays: Craft Room New Look Coming Soon!

Cabinet installation has finally started! I've been dreaming of having a proper craft (maker) room for many years now. I've been working on my projects where there is available space. The past few months my craft room has seen many changes. I got two cabinets to hold my stuff, but clutter easily piles up. I want a space that where I could properly organize my stuff. It's also my safe room whenever air quality goes bad, so it has to be secure. 

Just before we emptied the room.

The space for my craft room is small. I originally wanted floor to ceiling cabinets, but realized that it would make the room feel stuffy. So I asked if the middle part can be made into a desk since I do other stuff too. I want my art materials and stickers accessible. 

Original plan was to keep it open, then I wanted it closed.

The architect suggested to have drawers at the bottom instead of plain cabinets. I agreed since it would be easier to organize knick-knacks in drawers. Originally also thought I'd keep the cabinets open or use glass, but after using glass steel cabinets for many months I grew tired of the busy background. I sold the steel cabinets to a friend. 

The final cabinet that will hold my craft stuff.

Aside from the cabinet I'm having a design wall installed. We're just going to DIY it with flannel and foam board. The design wall will help me look at the design while I'm piecing the quilt. I'm also considering putting a rod on top of the design wall to make it easier to take photos of my projects. 

I decided not to make a new sewing table since the one I got from Spotlight is still useful. I'll probably have one made in the future when the existing one becomes unusable. I'm so excited to have proper cabinets for my craft room! Yay!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Craft Tuesdays: Craft Room Wish List

I'm back in my craft room today. I was staying at the dining table so I could be nearer to the boys, but it's warmer today so I had to go downstairs. I haven't done any sewing in the past few weeks. The t-shirt memory quilt blanket is not done yet. I suspended working on it when we went to Bohol. I'll wait for the boys to get well first before I work on it again. 

The good news is we'll start working on getting our house properly fixed. That includes fixing the craft room. I actually call it the "maker room" since I don't just work on crafts. I use it to blog, edit videos and many other things. It's essentially my "cave" haha. It's really a tiny space. It's approximately 3.5 meters by 3.5 meters. Architect Wansi said we'll need to re-layout the space to maximize it. 

Thought I'd write out what I need to make the space perfect. 

Sewing Space

The sewing space doubles as my "desk" right now. I cut fabric, iron, use the sewing machine and even eat on it (especially on hot days). Ideally though the table for sewing should be different from where you iron and cut fabric (and definitely don't eat on it!). Well, space has been an issue so I'm thinking about the following options:

Have a central sewing table (still use the table I bought from Spotlight)

Install a fold-down table from the cabinet that can be used for ironing/cutting fabric

Or install a pull out table from the cabinet

Or have a table that can be folded when not used

Fabric and Knick-knacks Cabinet

I bought two steel cabinets to hold my fabric. It looked really good since I could see my stash. The truth is I now regret getting steel cabinets with glass doors. I organized the fabric but it still looks cluttered and with a small room it's better to keep things behind opaque cabinets. Architect Wansi suggested to build a proper cabinet that will have desk space. 

Here's what I need to store: fabric, sewing tools and equipment, cameras and equipment, quilting books, wadding and I need a nook for my meds (I keep them downstairs since it's cooler there). 

Quilt Design Wall

I see this often on quilting videos from other countries. Quilters have a wall which they use while working on piecing their projects. I just whatever free space I have (usually a bed) and it's tricky because you can never fully appreciate the design and colors. I wished I had a wall when I sandwiched the memory quilt. I tried hanging it on the curtain rod, but it did not work. So I'm hoping to have a quilt wall in the maker room. 

Also just discovered some nice channels on YouTube that provide ideas and suggestions when developing your craft/sewing/maker room. Ohhh, so excited!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Craft Room Update

We've now lived in our new home for six months now. Slowly working on fixing our home. There's a lot of things that need to be repaired and we still have a lot of unopened boxes! We decided to get help already from an architect to get things going. Maybe we'll finally be able to have visitors by Christmas! 

I've been spending most of my time in the craft room. I wanted to customize cabinets for it, but it's going to take time so I just got steel cabinets. We've moved it around a few times and it gave me a chance to re-arrange my fabric. I'm not satisfied with it yet, so I might re-arrange it one more time. I also need to organize the sewing accessories better. I'm thinking of getting a thread organizer, but I'm holding off buying anything since I'm waiting for a proper room design. 

I also got a bench for the room. It's a cute dark pink bench which I use whenever I feel like resting. Miggy sits on it whenever we eat at the craft room. The bench also doubles as storage, so that's been useful for me. I'll make a quilt cover for it when I'm done with the memory quilt blanket I'm working on. I had the bench customized by a shop in Tarlac. 

The craft room has it's own toilet and bath. That's one reason why it's the perfect tambayan for us. We used to hang out in the dining room, but I had to move downstairs at the beginning of summer. Last week I had a brilliant idea to spruce up the bathroom. Thought it would be cute to upgrade it with Hello Kitty items. I found a rug set and a cute box on Shopee. I was looking for a towel holder, but so far have not found any I like. I just got the rug and box first and will do further improvements later on. 

The craft room is functional for now, but it needs to be improved. The space will be more useful with proper cabinets and hopefully by then I don't have to keep my sewing machine on the floor when I'm not using it. The sewing table I got from Spotlight was a good investment, but I don't think it's going to last long and it's too fragile to move around. Maybe I can have a portable one made so I can sew anywhere hehe. Slowly but surely.

Happy Sunday everyone!