Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Spring Cleaning

Finishing the t-shirt quilt had me drooling to just sew on some regular quilt fabric.
Yet with the coming Summer season I NEEDED to rotate my sewing area 45 degrees to the north. This way the sun doesn't bounce off cars in the driveway and hit me in the eyes. Or bounce off the wood floor at the doorway and hit my eyes. This sensitivity to light really has me wondering what is going on. I even have issues with the white screen from the computer monitor! What it seems to trigger in my eyes are weird black and white splashes of images that block me from reading or even focusing on anything small. They go away after 5 minutes or so. And I have not had an event since I went totally off Lyrica. (a med for Fybromyalsia) I still have the sensitivity but thankfully those flashing images have not reappeared.

Anyway, today I cleaned and moved my sewing area. And since DH was home I was able to try a different configuration. I was not strong enough to move this one desk that I wanted to try to the right of my sewing machine cabinet.
                                                    IT WORKS GREAT!


 Here is the new layout North view. You may see some large, heavy ashtrays. I use them to hold thread snips and sliver trimmings. The cats cannot knock them around. I have had these heavy ashtrays since the 70's. I seem to remember some type of home party like Tupperware or Pampered Chef.
I now have cutting areas on both sides of my sewing chair. WHOOHOO!

 West view: I am now quite close to a window and can feel the breezes. And that is a Pampered Chef utensil holder that I have sitting on a Brooklyn round spinning cutting mat. It holds all the tools I need at an arm's reach. I have another one of those in the cutting room too!
You know me by now. If I like something I buy lots of that something.
Well...I have only one large pink velvet pincushion...

 South view: I need to tackle that mess on top of the cabinet. Those notebooks are full of Our Bonnie's patterns and tips. And a few I have printed out from the internet. So just don't look there until I tell you it is clean.

 My little cheap iron took a dump died a dignified death. I went out to my storage area in the garage and opened a new box to another cheap iron. These work so nice and there are not shut off's to deal with. I am going to try Our Bonnie's system of not putting any water in this one. I do have a great spray bottle for water. So my little basket has spray starch and a bottle of water handy to me.
After all that cleaning I simply had to clean my sewing machine too. All lint free and a fresh sharp needle 80/12 Organ Titanium needle.

 One of my Leaders & Enders baskets was getting near the bottom so I finished it up and have a bevy of little 3 1/2" Bow-tie blocks made from a charm set of Moda Gatherings that I have had for eons. But even though that basket was full there are not very many blocks to show for the work. Not to fear I have the entire collection of Fat Quarters of this line of fabric. And I know right where that plastic container is too! HA! No searching will be needed. (Just some pressing and cutting)

 See??? Not too much here. So I put them away with labels and all the scraps that they generated. Their little basket is now waiting in the cutting room for another Leaders & Enders project. I still have my Cheddar Bow-tie's to sew on.

 OK...the day is still young so I started on one of those Saturday purchases. All Civil War fabrics...1 1/2" squares...right up my mini alley! So I got my brown fix today too. It felt so good to sew and cut on fine quilting cotton!!!!

Just 13 blocks made but I am so satisfied...
XOXOXOOXOXOXO Subee

7 comments:

regan said...

You are amazing! Moving furniture AND getting all that sewing done! Wow! I hope you don't get the sun in your eyes now.....that must be awful when you are trying to sew!

Janet O. said...

Always fascinating to see how you operate. You are so organized and systematic. Wish more of that would rub off on me.
Soooo, what are you saying about that pink velvet pincushion? : )

Beverly said...

Love your sewing table! Is that a brand name or did someone make it for you?

Beverly said...

Love your sewing table! Is that a brand name or did someone make that for you?

Karen said...

My sewing area is in a "U" shape too. I have the cutting board on one side and an iron and ironing pad on the other. I sit on a swivel office chair and can swing around to do whatever I need to.

Teri said...

Love your arrangement with the bow ties. I am getting the spring urge to reorganize also.

Kimme said...

You are an inspiration :-) love your sewing/cutting u shape area and your leader ender project.