On the seventh day of Christmas ...

... and New Years' Eve!  I went to my friend's for a couple hours this early evening and had a little wine and some great conversations with good friends.  Now home to ring in the New Year with my family.  We toast with sparkling apple cider, watching the ball drop on t.v., and shoot off poppers.  I really don't like to go out; too many people, and too many scary drivers!  I have a lot of goals for the new year, but I'm not going to post those tonight.  I think I'll focus on that next week.

I thought it would be fun to show you my sewing room.  It isn't fancy, and I love to rearrange it, but it is a space where I don't have to share it with anyone else, and I can close myself in there if need be.  This room actually used to be my daughter's room a long time ago before we remodeled.  It really is too small to be a bedroom, and is like a big closet!

When I'm sitting at my desk sewing, this is the view I have.  The bookcases hold my fabric, organized by color.  There is also a leftover piece of furniture in between the book cases that isn't the most efficient thing, but it holds some odds and ends.

(Criminal Minds reruns on t.v.)

Then to the right of that is my dresser with EXTRA LARGE t.v. (I inherited that television when we got a flat screen for the living room, and it is just waaaaaayyyyyy too big for the room, but where else was it going to go?), and my cutting table next to it.  The dresser holds blocks of the month, charm packs, and some unfinished projects.  The cutting table can open up wider, but I prefer using it as is.  It takes up too much room in my tiny space when it's open all the way.  The red basket underneath the cutting table holds scraps of fabric that are too small to be cut into strips, and when it's full the scraps are stuffed in old pillowcases to be used as dog beds.

Moving to the right again is my desk with Bernina sewing machine.  I have a small cutting mat next to the machine and the piece of yellow polar fleece hanging on the wall is my design board.

Then the last wall is really the "closet" in the room.  I took the doors off, built a desk in there, and used to sew at the desk.  I had too much stuff around me, and I didn't like that I couldn't see the t.v., and also that when I was sewing on something large, there was no place for the quilt to go because of the wall.  I noticed yesterday that the shelf in that closet is about to fall (again!); I put the screws into the studs I thought, but they've pulled away from the wall again.  See all those bins under the desk?  Those are my unfinished projects from the last umpteen years.  Neatly packed into bins, labeled with my label maker on the outside, and then each project has it's own 3" x 5" index card in a file box alphabetized by name of project.  On the card I note what the project is, when I started it and what needs to be done.  At least I felt organized when I started this system ... it put boundaries to all those pieces of fabrics and patterns that were laying everywhere!  I know there are better organizational systems out there, and I am thinking it is about time to invest in one.  Have you seen the latest issue of American Patchwork and Quilting?  There's an article that starts on page 14 about organizing your sewing space.  Every time I see one of these articles, or see someone's sewing room, I want it all!!!  I want my room to look that cute!  It seems really boring to me now.  Not colorful or inspiring despite all the beautiful fabric in there.  I don't have much up on the walls, and this is part of the problem.

Here is the view from the doorway.  I think this gives you a pretty good idea of how small the room is!  While I love my little bookcases on the left wall, I think they are taking up valuable space.  I sense a redesign and reorganization to come!  Wish I had a personal decorator/designer!!!!  I will certainly keep you posted on what I decide.

Before I sign off for the year I have to show you the progress I made today on the B.O.M.  Making half square triangles.  When my directions are really confusing because there is so much to them, I always check off my steps after I complete them.

The half square triangles are made by placing two 6 1/2" squares of fabric right side together.  On the back of the light square I have drawn a line diagonally.



All pinned, stacked and ready to sew.  One pin on either side to keep from shifting.

Next I sew 1/4" away from the line on both sides; using my walking foot there is a hash mark that is 1/4" on the foot; I sew with that mark on the line; first on one side, chaining all the blocks together.  Then I take the stack and turn it around, and sew on the other side of the line.

And then you have a chain of squares!  I press them to set the seam before I cut them apart.  Leaving them chained before I press keeps them together and seems to make it go a little faster.

That's as far as I got today!  Happy New Year to you all and I thank you so much for making me a part of your 2011 ... can't wait to see what 2012 holds for us all!