Book, fabric, sewing patterns give away pile
The first closet that I tackled was the one that was going to make a big difference in my everyday life. It was the closet that I stored my sewing machine, fabric, notions and craft items. Anytime I needed to machine mend or machine sew meant that I had to get out the sewing machine and lug it over to a table, find the notions and so on in order to do some simple project. It was no wonder that my mending pile would grow bigger and bigger til the clothes were either out of style or my kids grew out of the clothes.
For a long time I have wanted a permanent area just for sewing. Getting my sewing machine out of a closet when I needed to mend was such a hassle but I really couldn't figure out where to set up a permanent spot. If I am going to be sewing more and making more of my clothes, I wanted a special place that made me feel happy.
Our house is a very old house. The downstairs is the main living space with two bedrooms (now 1 bedroom is a den), 1 bathroom, kitchen and diningroom. The upstairs was originally an attic. The former owners made it into living space with 1 large master bedroom, a bathroom, a smaller bedroom, loft office and a sitting area off the master bedroom.
Our house has many gabels and you notice them in the upstairs floor plan. In one area near the top of the stairs, there is 1 gabel that is about 4 1/2 feet in height from the floor to the peak. The main part of the upstairs is easily 20 feet from the floor to the peak. I will post pictures of these areas (after I am done cleaning and organizing). The upstairs needs work but since it is mainly my DH's and my area, we are leaving it for last.
Okay, back to the sewing nook. I first looked at using the extra small bedroom upstairs but it is rather a dark room. Then I thought about the downstairs den but it also houses a couch, t.v. and our dvd selection. It just didn't seem practical and I knew I wouldn't be able to leave my sewing projects out.
My DH likes to use the word "perculate" when taking time to think about something. So I guess you could say I have spent the last few weeks "perculating" over where to put this sewing nook. Sometimes when you think things over and have some time to do this, you come up with an idea that is perfect.
At the top of our stairs there is this perfect area tucked under a gabel. Also at the top of the stairs is a big picture window. I picked that area for my sewing nook. It basically is what I would call an unusual area because one gabel is only 4 1/2 feet in height from floor to peak. I have set up my sewing machine away from the gabel and it is next to the picture window. There is plenty of room for my sewing table and chair and it is away from the peak so I won't be hitting my head. We already had some plastic drawers and shelving that I could use to store my fabric and notions. It is starting to come together.
Yes, it is still messy, but it is a work in progress.
I set up our old desktop computer on an old end table so I can listen to dvd's and music while I am sewing. As for the old lazy boy recliner, I used to sit and read there but not anymore. I will have my DH move it when I decide on the final place to put it. If he complains I will tell him that I am "perculating" about where to put it. Everyone knows that there isn't a husband out there that wants to move a chair around to three different spots before a wife decides which spot looks best.
I've learned over the years that if I want to set up a specific spot for me, it has to be pretty and inviting. This little area is sunny and since it is at the top of the stairs I can still feel a part of the family while I an working on projects.
My sewing nook should be finished this week and ready for me to start tackling some of my sewing projects. I can't wait.
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