So [drumroll, please] - the grand reveal (look away now if you can't stand clutter).
There is more in this photo than sewing things. The top shelf holds Mom's stamp collection, Grandpa's bank box, my collection of 'what not/to wear, fashion history books', then shoe boxes of specific fabrics: sheer, velvet, bits to dye, lace and doilies, etc. The second shelf is unfinished projects (I've completed several already). In what used to be hanging space is a chest of drawers (only partially painted so far and, actually, I quite like it that way), boxes of fabrics, stacks of fabrics, and my collection of thread in neutral colours. There is a small set of shelves on which my (most worn) jewellery collection resides. The big boxes on the floor hold yarn, the one on the right belongs to me; the one on the left is Age UK yarn. It all looks a mess, but I know where things are.
Bless his heart, Bill hadn't expected to have to take down the shelves and paint the wall behind (it was still the dirty white it had been 20+ years ago), but a) I wasn't going to put in new carpet and have it stop at the shelves and b) unless I was able to put up a curtain, which seemed iffy, there would be wall showing between boxes. So, take it all down, paint, and put it all back up he did.
I only kept a very small amount of hanging space at the far left. This made me cull a few more un-worn items, which is a good thing. Without the sliding doors and the overhang from the ceiling, Bill was able to add yet another shelf on the very top. I can only reach this with a ladder. The one you see there is one of two parts of a wooden ladder that belonged to Bill's dad/grandfather (I forget). It is green with lots of paint splashes. I asked Bill how he would feel about my painting it white. At first he thought it would be OK, but then he had twinges of uncertainty, which I totally understand. I had the idea of wrapping it with fabric, but actually, I like the green and splattered look just fine; it has history.
The fact is that most of what we own has history. I remarked to a friend the other day that I've discovered you don't have to put any effort into 'shabby chic', the shabby part just happens by itself. I'm not personally very fussed about 'chic', I love history. You may not be able to afford 'grandeur' but 'faded grandeur' is in reach of a lot of folks.
I've pulled the second filing cabinet (bought second hand) out of Bill's office/the box room and so now it is all his space. I traded it for the metal frames that we put together for the air mattress set up that is our guest bed. I thought was fair given it's all his family who visit, so he can store the frames for a change. I hope eventually to use the filing cabinet to hang folded lengths of fabric, but I'm not there yet.
The ironing board stays up all the time, which is one of the luxuries of having a sewing room, but I planned a space behind the filing cabinet to tuck it away when company comes. My work table folds up flat and slides under the guest bed. The desk is closed up, sewing projects put away and I clear whatever happens to be hanging on the hooks on the back of the door. I turn the chairs around to face the room, making a place for suitcases and there is plenty of room to walk around the double bed. Nightstands that are normally underneath the folding table are placed either side of the bed and lamps re-positioned for reading in bed.
I'd envisioned making curtains to hide the clutter on these shelves, but how to hang them is a puzzle. Also, this is a guest room in which a small child occasionally sleeps and I could see her finding long curtains irresistible and so they would have to be very stable and not easily pulled down. Well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. I still hope to make the containers more attractive, but frankly, I can live with this for now.
In addition to 'vanity' books, I pulled all the dressmaking and crafting books off the bookcases in the landing and put them on the top shelf along the north wall. The two units below I bought from Papercuts in Whitley Bay when they were closing down. I felt bad about her closing and bought as many fabric related things as I could find - and miles of ribbons - along with these shelving units. I never could decide if I was helping a friend clear her shop or taking advantage of her misfortune.
When I sorted the books into knitting/crochet, general sewing crafts, beading and other crafts, gift making, home decorating and dressmaking, well, I could open a book shop as well as a fabric and haberdashery shop. One shelf holds all the ribbons, another jars full of buttons. There is a shoe box crammed full of zippers and another with just bindings, braids, pom pom edging. I never ran into the word 'haberdashery' in the US much; I think we use the boring term 'notions'. However, if you want to find the dressmaking, knitting and crafting section of large department stores in Britain, look for haberdashery.
More jewellery hangs on the back of the door (and on the second ladder). I could open a jewellery shop, too, I think.
I've been collecting bits of cardboard from Amazon purchases to experiment with making notebooks. They are in the purple shopping bag. Another two wine bags hold other bits for future projects and a small gift bag at the back just holds 'bits'.
I particularly enjoyed sorting the thread I have into colours for the shoe holder Simon gave me for Christmas (off my wish list). I had yarn in it, but that didn't work very well, not nearly as well as for threads. I was working on a rainbow themed bag for a friend and so had the ROYGBIV scheme in front of me. I've not bought much of my thread but am working through collections of my Mom, my mother-in-law, my Aunt Rita and a bunch of thread ladies from various sewing and crafting groups have given me, much like my fabric collection.
Either side of the windows I've placed my sewing machine table and my (Grandpa and Grandma's) desk. That is one piece of furniture that will never be painted. My folding work table runs adjacent to the window, between the desk and sewing machine. The dark alcove has the second filing cabinet and the hanging space as well as the south end of the wall of shelves.
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| When did that computer screen get such a mess? Both my laptop and the printer have died since this picture...so nice new clean ones in place. |
There is a long to-do list, of course:
- Sort the fabrics into crafting vs dressmaking
- Make a looseleaf notebook for dressmaking fabrics - swatch and measurements
- Paint dresser drawers to highlight gorgeous handles
- Re-organise Mom's stamp collection into single album
- Finish or dismantle unfinished projects
- Cover shoe boxes with scrap fabric or make new containers with scraps, ie make a red box for red fabric scraps
- Do scrap buster projects I find on internet (or from many books!)
- New ironing board cover (try using scraps from under carpet foam for padding)
- Paint Papercuts shelving units
- Hang pictures / needlework
- Alter / mend / refashion clothes in hanging space and drawers
- Find a dressing table style desk to replace cheap sewing table
And I haven't even mentioned my newest challenge - sewing shirts!
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