The Big Tidy Up - Spring Clean Your Studio Blog Hop

Happy Mother's Day

and

Welcome to 

The Big Tidy Up 2019

at

Creatin' in the Sticks!

It's my day in the Spring Clean Your Studio Blog Hop 2019

hosted for the 5th year by Cheryl Sleboda.

When I was little, my mom often read this book to me and it really was my absolute favorite.

It's about a little girl who has a very messy room.  

It's ironic that my day in the hop is on mother's day and I still need this kind of motivation to clean up my room.  Hopefully, my amazingly neat and spotless mom won't happen upon this post and be embarrassed that her grown daughter still can't keep her space clean.

So thank you Cheryl for the motivation to clean up my act before I leave for quilt market this week. 

 It will be so nice to come home to a neat and tidy studio after all the craziness of market preparation.

No judgment here, please.  Remember, I have had some pretty ugly deadlines

and

I joined this blog hop knowing I would need the motivation to clean up after the crazy.

First, the ugly.

Yes, this crazy is real. 

 My studio is above our detached garage and is large enough to have a 19' workbench with shelving along one wall and another 12' workbench with shelves on another wall.

The other end of the room has a sink and sitting area, but you can't see either one.

The sitting area is buried with quilts that are either waiting for work or finished and need labels.  The sink is covered with stuff at the end of the workbench.

So, let's go around the room and I'll show my improvements.

Because there are few straight walls in my studio, I put a design wall at the bottom of the stairs as you enter my space.  I just pinned a flannel backed table cloth to the wall and works in progress are the perfect welcome as I come up the stairs or as I leave.

Let's head upstairs to the studio.

This is where I hang minis or pillow tops not in use.

I purchased this sink cabinet at a school auction for 10 dollars and my hubby installed it for me.  It's so handy because there was no water in the studio before and I had to go to the house every time I needed to wash my hands or brushes or even fill my water mister.

I use plastic boxes for storage on the shelves of the benches.

Most of the boxes are labeled and large ones on the bottom shelves hold patterns, batting, interfacing, and other misc. items where the top shelves hold smaller shoe size boxes.

As a designer for Thermoweb, storing rolls of HeatNBond by my lightbox with tall terracotta pots I picked up at Hobby Lobby for 1 dollar a piece is perfect.

The smaller workbench is the perfect place for my new AccuQuilt. It's also where I keep some books and magazines.  I use old animal cracker bears for button storage.

The shelves underneath hold plastic boxes with smaller pieces of fabric sorted by color.

Larger fabric pieces and current projects are stored in this cabinet that is actually just pieces of closet organization units.  The middle hanging part is perfect for quilt tops ready to be quilted and clothes waiting to be mended.

Next to the fabric storage cabinet is my ironing surface and then instead of a sitting area that I never used, I have my grandmother's sewing machine and a few of the quilts I have left to finish.

To finish up The Big Tidy Up, I gave the biggest essential a little attention.

I like to clean the lint from my sewing machine between professional service times. 

Where does all that lint come from?

 I clean around the bobbin case weekly, but for occasions like spring cleaning, the bottom of the machine comes off and with a soft brush, the lint comes out. 

Visit the other Spring Cleaning Bloggers and get some great tips for organization:

1. April 29 – Linda Bratten – http://lindabcreative.blogspot.com
2. April 30 – Sandra Johnson – http://www.sandrajohnsondesigns.com
3. May 1 – Jennifer Schifano Thomas – http://www.Curlicuecreations.com
4. May 2 – Becca Fenstermaker – http://www.prettypiney.com
5. May 3 – Sue Griffiths – http://www.duckcreekmountainquilting.com
6. May 4 – Kate Starcher – http://katiemaequilts.com/blog
7. May 5 – Jo Westfoot – http://www.thecraftynomad.co.uk/blog
8. May 6 – Sam Hunter – https://www.huntersdesignstudio.com
9. May 7 – Simone Fisher – http://simonequilts.com/blogs/news
10. May 8 – Elisabeth DeMoo https://www.brownbirddesignsquilts.com
11. May 9 – Sarah Myers –  http://www.quilted-diary.com/blog
12. May 10 – Amy Bradley – http://www.purplepineapplestudio.com
13. May 11 – Kathy Nutley – http://www.QuiltingsByKathy.com
14. May 12 – Carla Henton – http://createinthesticks.blogspot.co
15. May 13 – Sherry Shish – http://www.poweredbyquilting.com
16. May 14 – Kate Colleran – http://www.seamslikeadream.com/blog
17. May 15 – Pamela Boatright – https://www.pamelaquilts.com
18. May 16 – Cathy McKillip – http://wishuponaquilt.com/blog
19. May 17 – Cheryl Sleboda – http://blog.muppin.com

Full disclosure here, I couldn't have pulled off 

The Big Tidy Up 

without a little help.

Because my hubby gave me a few hours of his time

I was able to spend my Mother's Day Saturday playing with my daughter and  

granddaughter.

We played hard and wore her out. 

There's nothing better than holding a napping baby.

Happy Mother's Day!

Sewing Room

I've been a little busy lately and have not been on the blog scene.  The reason....MY NEW SEWING ROOM!! 

My mom made this Raggedy Ann wood plaque for my room when I was little

Here is a little tour of my new project room.  I have more to do to make it the room of my dreams, but I have already enjoyed sewing and chillaxin' in my very own diva attic!

We started with wood studded walls above the garage and an old work bench (which is wonderful storage).  My husband worked on heating and cooling and sheet rock.  He installed a wood floor which was obtained from some very nice people down the road that were installing new...FREE!

Heat and cooling unit.  Love climate control.

Sheet rock in progress.  This is the north wall before.

More sheet rock in progress.  This is the south wall and work bench.

Recycled wood floor installed, but what a mess.  Check out the plug ins going in above the bench..oh yeah.

After the floor and sheet rock were finished, a very nice fireman/part-time construction contractor came in and put texture on the walls.  Finally, it was my turn to get to work...  I decided to paint the room white until I can make up my mind what color I want.  Actually, I may just go crazy with accessories and leave it white.  Work in progress...always.

Here is a tour of the after:

South wall finished. 

 This is the only picture I have of the light fixtures.  The ceiling isn't high enough for the chandelier I wanted, so flush mount it was. ha  The hardware store had two fixtures on clearance.  BARGAIN!

Work benches.

 I decided to paint the inside of the benches.  I may eventually put a curtain up to hide the clutter, but for now it's good.

Lots of storage!!

Curtain.  The first sewing project in the diva attic..

I made valences for the windows using fabric by Moda - Half Moon Modern - Aqua Scissors.  Perfect fabric for a sewing room :) .

Glass front for fabric storage.  Small hanger area for work in progress.

 These cabinets are actually closet organizers.  I wanted a glass front cabinet and have been searching for something VERY affordable.  I found these at Menard's and just love them.  The hubby cut the hanging bar down a little to make it fit just right.

My new sewing table.

 My new sewing table was the splurge.  It is a Horn #5580.  It is elevated and has an air lift. (I opted out of electric lift..)  I love that it is the perfect height for me and is a great cutting table.  I found the drafting chair at Hobby Lobby and was able to use that trusty little 40 percent off coupon.  It was a steal of a deal.

Drafting chair and storage in sewing table.

I did get an insert to fit around my machine after I took this picture.  My machine now sits flush with the table.  I love that feature.  Quilting is so much easier.

Sewing table as cutting table.  Love it!

My Grandma's sewing cabinet.  My old Kenmore on top.

 I am lucky to have my Grandma Haskin's sewing machine and cabinet.  I've never tried the machine inside the cabinet, but she used it all the time and I'm sure it's a good back up.  My poor Kenmore sits on top.  I know the Kenmore works and comes in handy for those industrial strength jobs.  The thread holder on the wall came from my Grandma Wycoff.  There are  big spools on the holder that show prices of 18 cents.  You sure can't buy thread for that anymore.....

My sewing center.

North wall finished.

Quilts I made for the kids.

My husband's Grandpa made this shelf out of old thread spools. 

 This shelf is so cool for the sewing room.  It holds a little thread right now until I get my spool holders put up.  My husband does metal art.  Check out Duck Creek Designs to see some of his creations.   My name 'cut out' was one of his first practice projects.

Future home of the sink.

I planned to have a sink here by now, but I can't make up my mind what kind of cabinet I want.  I want a deep sink and not a vanity sink.  The hole in the floor is where the drain goes.  My husband is a plumber so that comes with perks...  LOL

The DIVA ATTIC.

So now you know what I've been up to.  I have some projects and stories to put on here also.

Lots more to come,

I'm linking up with:






















 

 
 


  Pinning on Pinterest Party

Cookie Cutters Storage

This is a fun and easy way to store cookie cutters.  You can see through it which makes it easy to find the one you are looking for and it makes for an interesting conversation piece. 

Cookie Cutter Storage

I've had so many visitors ask me about what is in the jar.  They are surprised to find out that it is full of cookie cutters. 

I don't use cookie cutters too often, so storing them above the counter works well to keep them out of the way and it's kinda cool to look at...

I would like to take  complete credit for the idea, but it was one of the girls I work with that suggested that I find a jar to keep them in.  I don't think she had any idea how many I have, but Hobby Lobby had this huge jar on clearance...

Maybe I need to go bake some cookies,