Out of 'Iso'

My 4th December Post finished with "And at This Point We walk out on it all... "

The Idea was that we would come back from our Trip - enlist some help, put everything back into the Newly re-furbished Rooms and then Do Christmas.

Well, That didn't happen.

Nor did it happen After Christmas.

We pottered around with some light stuff we could move Ourselves

And managed to get The Sitting Room all but established.

(Not a bad result for Our 'old' bedroom)

We needed some new Bookcases before we could put everything back.

So when we were Officially Out of Isolation We headed for … IKEA

I loved the banner outside one of the Other Stores - However you read it - It just summed up 2022

Help finally arrived and My New - Hopefully the Last - Sewing Room started to take shape.

And the rest of the house finally stopped feeling like "Someone had Picked it up by the Front Windows and Shook, until everything we owned was a jumble in the bottom."

COVID Meltdown

The Moment when you discover that your Carpet is NOT Wool!

It was a hard lesson learnt in keeping your workspace clear and tidy...

New Chair - Old Chair

Have you ever had that sinking feeling when you sit on your Office/Sewing Chair and it sighs into the carpet?
No - you haven't had too many TimTams with your Cuppa!

Chances are the Gas-lift on your chair has failed.

A trip to Officeworks to replace your chair ends in frustration and confusion or great expense.

$279 for a new chair and the dilemma as to how to recycle/dispose of the old one ... OR





Fix It!

After all it is JUST one bit that is not working - everything else is FINE!

$15.00 for a new Gas Lift

5 mins watching a "How To" video

a Rubber Mallet (of course we ALL have one of those - I do...)

and some WD40

basically once DH admitted to needing the WD40 (lubrication)

the Job was done!

I now have a "New" Chair
and I can eat as many Tim Tams as I like without feeling guilty   :D

Yet another Sewing Room makeover

It all started with a simple text message from DS#1...
"Hey Mum.  Did you have a use for my old table I made in High School?

I don't want to see it go but have no use for it."

Oh bother! I didn't want to "see it go" either - So many memories Good and Bad are tied up in that beautiful Timber and Metal table.

Considering He'd also recently returned 'Nemesis' - my Desktop Computer - and DS#2 has once again, updated for me.

(I am not sure how much of the original build is still left!)

It seemed fitting that I put the two together and at last give myself a computer area.

The only problem with that was - it didn't fit in the Sewing Room.

Or rather - it didn't fit the way things were!

Time to get rid of the "Make Do"
I have had for the past 5 years or more and make something permanent!

First Stop - Officeworks, to get a table.

Hmmm, the Top was perfect but the (optional - choose your own) legs made the whole table so unstable they had to go back!

Then to Ikea.
Which is nowhere near where I live!

Their Desk tops were Hollow-core so no good for what I wanted to do - which was, of course....

Cut a whopping big hole in the top of it!

Which wasn't as easy as it looks.
But we got there.

Then it was some more aerobics to fit a shelf underneath the hole (with the aid of some curtain track brackets form Ikea).

The table top is now secure, sitting on 2 Ikea drawer units (which are way more useful than wobbly legs any day) and fixed to my Cutting/Work table with a set of these nifty "attach table to bookcase" brackets.

So here it is ... the latest incarnation in the quest to find the perfect spot to sew.

It is NOT going anywhere any time soon and I defy it to wobble!


Now, Where did I leave my Quilt binding?

Somewhere to call my own - - - "in fast forward"

Those of you who have followed my blog have watched my many attempts at making a sewing space that I could be comfortable in.
These attempts have been "make do" compromises and far from Perfect.

Today I am happily sitting in my 

"On Purpose - Renovated just for me - Nope - Not sharing with anyone else" - Sewing Room!

* * * * * *

It has been a lot of work - and mess.  Emptying the room has meant that everything in it including my sewing stash and paraphernalia has flowed out into the rest of the house.
(So what else is new?)

The decision to remove the old unsafe glass sliding doors - of course led to more mess.

At last after 30 years - they are finally gone.

And just a little bit of alteration needed to the doorway.

 - In 20mm Up 20 mm - 

Why do they make 'standard size' doors when no one's house has standard size doorways?

Removing the architraves resulted in the old paint stripping off the wall as well.
Following the "Right thing to do" code meant getting the paint scraper involved, and cleaning off all this old paint until it reached a natural stopping point.

(There is more to come off but we will leave that joy

 to the next owner of this house!)

I then filled cracks that had been hidden by the pelmet and skim coated everything else.

Sanding down the filling created even MORE dust.
Which has settled on just about everything!

Washing down the walls is never any fun, and a part of painting a room I rarely observe - but seeing there is a wood burning fire in this room - It was necessary.

(Urgh! Never realised it was THAT dirty!)

Now the Fun part...
Painting
I hope the colour choice works.

Oh dear ... It looked REALLY good on the paint chip.
(It doesn't look it here but it was WAY too bright!)

This time try a sample pot -
Still blue but with a TEAL base -
Much better - much more "ME".

And of course -
going shopping for cupboards
to keep my stash in.

(Where else but Ikea?)

And putting them together.

Along the way we worked out a bit of a sewing station - extending my machine table.
We made this from some cupboard doors that were left behind from another room renovation a few years ago.

New Bi-fold doors, so I can close off my mess from visitors.
More glass - only this time it is safety glass!

- Just one more thing to do is Paint them
and replace the architraves

But that can wait until after Christmas!

Moving in.

Everything has to be found and brought back into it's new place.

At last - a space of my own.
Our rarely used front Lounge Room, with it's large North facing windows - is now my sewing studio.

And the Wood fire? 

It is still there - behind the ironing station - All cleaned out and ready to fire up. Just incase we want to revert it back to a sitting room.

So there you have it - the last 3 months in 'fast forward'.

Now all I need is a really nice Clock

and TIME to play in here!

Credits:

Thanks to my wonderful DH who recommended that I use the room.
Who is REALLY good at wrecking stuff (not so good at the fixing bit).
Who plied me with cups of tea and dinner out - so I could work.


PS: The one behind the camera & the paintbrush - that's me!

Getting Organised Pt 2...

Like so many other crafty folk - storing your treasures is one thing....
Being able to get at them easily is quite a different story!

Most of us find that everything gets shoved in boxes - and sometimes those boxes are neat and small and clear - easy to see inside and not too heavy to lift.



But - in the case of all good stories (get that? store - ies...  Oh never mind....)
- the thing you want is ALWAYS in the bottom box!
And that bottom box was ALWAYS inaccessible.

Solution No. 2 to the problem I had was found in the shape of .....

DRAWERS..

These ones are by
(Aussie Company) Oats

and the good thing about this storage solution is that if the thing you want is on the bottom....


Just pull out the drawer....

or

better still.....

Take it out completely and go sort through your stash for those colours you need..

With an internal measurement of 12" x 16" it is very easy to fit those treasured fabric lengths.


I also have one of these in the top cupboard with all our First Aid stuff in it - so when a band-aid is needed urgently - we just pull the drawer out and are good to go where ever it is needed.

AND they make a VERY neat solution to the mess that was underneath my work table.