My Sewing Space

I'm finally back. I've been a bit under the weather for a couple of weeks; so I'm a little behind, but that's nothing new. I thought the idea of sharing pictures of our sewing/hobby spaces was fun, so here I go. The first picture is my quilting frames. I love my quilt frames because they make hand quilting so much easier, take up less space and because my son-in-law, Doug, made them for me. He did a great job on them and I know it took him many, many hours. Shanna's quilt that I am currently quilting is hiding under the fabric pieces, but since she can't see it yet I covered it. By the way, the exercise ball is what I sit on when I quilt. I know--a little strange, but it's very comfy for me, and probably good exercise, but certainly not enough.

For the past couple of months I've been sewing in my family room downstairs instead of my sewing room. I can spread out down here and leave my project scattered about because I'm not using the room for anything else right now. It is in my canning kitchen; so in a few months (after the retreat) the sewing stuff will have to go back upstairs so I can use the kitchen for what it is meant for. For right now, I love using it as a sewing room. I have been working on my miniatures so they are on the tables. On the cutting board I have some stack and whack blocks I'm cutting out for a wallhanging. Why should I stick to one project at a time?

This is in my sewing/laundry room upstairs. This is one of the cupboards in the room with my small stash.

This is the counter where I usually sew. I have my old machine set up here, but hardly ever use it. Notice the pincushion on the wall to the right of the thread. That's a very special pincushion because Grandma Winkler made that and gave it to me. You will also see a couple of other projects I'm working on. There is a pink and blue quilt that are pieces of brushed nylon that Grandma Winkler also gave me years ago. I started a quilt many, many, many years ago, but never finished it. I made it so long ago that I had never really pieced a quilt before and I was pressing open all the seams. This past week I used some of those scraps to make a doll quilt for my little grandaughter's birthday, but I forgot to take a picture of it and mailed it off. The looseleaf on the pink and blue has pages of fabric samples and lists of fabric that I need for projects I will do in the future. I take it with me to the fabric store.

This is another view of my sewing area in my sewing/laundry room. I think you can see why I like to sew downstairs when I can because I can't spread out very much here. The blue caboodle holds my Dorinda quilt borders. The larger paper bag is garden seeds ready to be planted. Once that happens, sewing will be on the back burner for several months while I garden and freeze and can produce. Truthfully, I'd rather sew, but I sure love eating the stuff I can. Under the counter is a plastic storage with drawers. I have a quilt project in each of those drawers waiting for me to get to. There are also some other projects in a closet. I counted 11 unfinished projects, but I'd rather call them "works in progress" then I don't feel so bad. Oh, that really bright orange thing in the corner is my hubbies hunting hat. It needs to be fixed. It's only been there since last hunting season. I still have a few months before he needs it. :o)

Now, a change of subject. The other day I looked up a history of Dorinda and thought this was an interesting paragraph. It said it was written by Ella Lloyd Beckstrom, and she got it from Mitzie Rogers.

"When I was a girl of thirteen, I lived with her (Grandma Dorinda) during the winter. The snow was very deep and it was my duty to sweep paths each morning, get her wood and feed her chickens. Her large old lumber barn was across the street from her house, and the high drifts of snow were eight to ten feet deep. One morning she bounded out of bed, dressed, and with pencil and paper sat by the window to draw a quilt pattern from the figures the frost had made. This she called 'The Window Pane Quilt'. She had on hand thirty-five quilts and tops at one time, nine white bed spreads all designed by herself. She was a natural artist. Much of her work is to be found among her friends and relatives."

I sure would love to see that "Window Pane Quilt".