Rearranging the Studio

 ... Again!  Some changes are small and some are more dramatic, but this room gets used a lot and I keep critiquing what's working here and what isn't.

I've wanted a comfy chair in this space for a long time.  It couldn't be really large or it would feel like there's too much furniture in the studio (which is true).  So I've looked here and there until this one popped up on Craigs List.  I'm pleased with it so far.

My teens have enjoyed it, but they want to use a rolling chair for an ottoman and slouch down nearly horizontal.  Hmmmm.   Not what I imagined, but I do enjoy their company.

The poinsettias are just visiting.   I don't know if they crave light, but most of my plants seem to do better indoors if they get a chance to soak up some sunshine every few days.  There are lots of plants gathered in darkness on the hearth.  So I rotate them when I remember to water them.  Poor plants!

The Necchi sewing machine, which was occupying this space, is now tucked at one end of the long arm frame.  It's not a perfect spot for it, but I can try it for a while.  It's an occasional use machine, at least for now.

Enjoy your day!  I'm off to serve breakfast to some friends.
- SeeingStars

Upcycling in the Studio

It started with an office chair left by the side of the road for trash pick-up.   Then it took a little encouraging with a sledge hammer to separate the rolling base from the chair.  A section of PVC from our stash in the garage was a perfect fit to slide over the vertical post on the rolling base.

And then the cardboard tube in the center of the batting roll fit very nicely over the PVC.  One straight pin keeps everything from unrolling.

When it's time to cut a piece of batting, simply roll away from the wall, unpin and it's ready to measure and cut the desired amount.

I like storage ideas that keep things off the floor, so I can sweep up the lint (and dead ladybugs) easily.

I wish I could remember where I found the inspiration for this batting storage.  I even hunted for a little while online trying to locate a site.  If you know and share the link, I'll post it so the inventor gets the credit due to them. 

One of the things I love about visiting other quilting blogs is discovering their ingenious solutions and deciding if they could work here.

 
This new machine and cabinet combo had the 2 flip out table top sections which take up lots of space.  They have to be open to use the machine.  The studio was feeling too crowded, so I removed those sections.  It was a simple operation with a screwdriver.  Later, if the need arises, I might make small flip tops which can be open or closed with the machine in use.  I doubt it will be closed up very often.

Here's a sneak peek at the new piece of batting with a Project Linus quilt top over it.  The words were scribbled in chalk to make sure I could fit them in the space well.  A damp washcloth makes a good eraser.

I'm not sure what I'll quilt in the outer border sections.  The fabrics are busy, so it won't need much detail.  Maybe large swirls to suggest air and water currents.  Maybe I'll practice stippling.  Or maybe I'll end up with wavy piano keys.

Enjoy your day!
- SeeingStars

Rearranging the Studio

I've been pretty happy with my studio up to this point, but now it's time to rearrange.  After one of my teens have asked for quite some time for a nice quality sewing machine, she now has one.  This is a vintage Bernina 830 Record.  It's a powerful and amazing mechanical machine.

Did you see all those feet?  I can't wait to see how they work.  Some are similar to my newer machine, but some are very unique.

This also came with a cabinet which fits this machine quite well.  I love the large space to the left of the machine which is just at the right height for a project to glide along.

The machine drops down and tucks away when not in use.  Then the 2 extensions can flip inward to close everything up.  There are lots of extras and surprises in the drawers.  Many are handy for garment sewing so I'll have to ask a knowledgeable friend about them.

Drawer with buttons and a wooden piece (?) Looks like thread spools could rest there.

Last night, we cleaned up and opened up everything on the machine.  All the proper spots were oiled and we spend a few minutes turning the hand wheel and watching all the mechanical parts move.  It was fascinating!  I now know more about my own machine, like which part stops moving when I disengage the feed dogs.  Our younger teen is taking robotics and she recognized some of those gears.  She's already expressed a desire to disassemble the entire machine to see how it works.

I think I'll send to her Switzerland for a summer job in their factory.  That way she can see how everything works without turning this one into a robot.  I'd prefer it to sew, thank you.

Older teen has also taken robotics, but she's in my camp.  She'd rather sew with it than take it apart.  Just for a little persuasive insurance, I told them both what these vintage workhorses sell for online.

After an hour of watching the parts move and adjusting the levers to see their effects on the innards, we actually made some stitches.  Purrs like a kitten in the high speed mode.  No weird sounds at all.  Then we switched to the heavier fabrics, slower speed mode.  It does make more noise.  I can't tell if it's just the extra power or if it needs an adjustment.  For everyday use, we won't use the heavy duty mode anyway.  But if it's needed, we'll take it in for a checkup first.

I've read online that the owner's manuals are hard to find in print.  There's a scanned pdf, but it's not the same treasure as this one.  The original owner preserved her name, address, purchase date, purchase price (of cabinet, machine and total).  She took notes in pencil on most of the pages and attached her samples as she went through her orientation class.

When her age and health prevented her from continuing, she passed it down as a gift to a sweet young woman.  This woman's father refinished the cabinet and eagerly awaited the time when she'd catch the thrill of creating with sewing.  But, alas, this just isn't where her passions lie.  So she sold it on Craig's list and I just happened to stumble along to snatch it up.

I'll keep my eyes open for a knee bar to lift and lower the presser foot.  Although the original machine came with one and also a carrying case, these are missing.  Not a big deal at all.  The knee lift from my newer machine fits this vintage one, so I think I can find one if I'm patient.

Enjoy your day!  We're getting some Spring-like weather here.  Perfect for continuing to work on our shed.  Can't wait to finish it and move along to another project.
- SeeingStars

Let's Do The Twist

In the evenings, after jury service this week, I've worked a little bit in the studio.  It seems there are 2 projects happening at once.  Does that ever happen at your place?

The twister quilt needs a border, so I went shopping and found a nice, cheerful print for it.  Unfortunately, it looked awful with the quilt.  So, I'll save it for another time.  Instead, I opened my fabric stash and found these two - a purple for the inner border and the lime green with fish for the outer border.

Project Linus twister quilt

The other project is a impulsive one.  I wanted to try making a quilt from plaid shirts.  When a local thrift store had a half-off sale, I purchased a few and started playing.  The blocks are made, but not joined yet.  I think this would be a neat quilt to keep in the car for a picnic blanket.

The inspiration and pattern came from The Thrifty Quilter.  I liked her use of red and decided to place mine in the centers of each 9 patch also.  If this were larger, I think it would make a neat veteran's quilt.

Finally, I did clean up that mess under my cutting / pressing surface.  It looks much better now.

Since I've been released from jury service with a big check for $31.80, I think I'll go to my workplace and see if I can earn a few more pennies today.  No actual trials for me, but I was on a panel and was not chosen for the jury.  During my down time, I enjoyed getting to know a few people while I hand stitched a binding.  Over all, it was a pleasant experience.

Enjoy your day!
- SeeingStars

Updated Studio Photos

I thought some of these were already on my blog, but couldn't find them to send a link.  If it were daylight, I'd take new ones since things are always changing a little bit here and there.

This room was our screened in porch prior to the April 27th tornadoes.  It measures 12 by 17 feet.  Since there are 3 doorways, furniture placement has to allow for lots of open spaces.   The quilting frame is 10 feet long.

Seeing Stars  :)

WIP Cutting Table

Cutting Table for a 5' 6" quilter

It's almost finished!  My box is firmly attached to the dresser and is just the right size to support the cutting mat of 25" x 37".  The grid is 24 x 36, but there are margins around the edges.  I'm planning to use the top drawer for longarm thread storage and perhaps other longarm supplies.  No plans yet for the open cubby or the lower drawers, but I'm sure they'll get filled.

The 3 pumpkins still need borders and stems before being quilted.  I'll share more about that project soon.

More confessions ... I drilled pilot holes too deep and they poked through the top surface!  Of all the places to make this mistake, I was not pleased to see that I ruined the top.

Mistake.  Bummer.

So I've scraped and filled the holes with wood filler.  Tomorrow morning, I'll sand and clean and repaint the surface.  I've done the same with 4 screws holding the box to the dresser top.  I had hoped to screw in from the drawer side upward, but couldn't get the drill to fix in that space.  So I had to drill from the box bottom thru to the dresser surface and countersink the screws.  Those holes are also scraped and filled.  They'll also get another coat of paint tomorrow.

It will be ready to move into place and I'll take photos of the whole studio.

My next home project challenges are for the birds, literally.  Sadly, several birds have hit the windows and perished.  I've read that moving feeders closer to the windows can disrupt their flight patterns and help them to stop flying into the windows.  We currently don't have any feeders after the storm damage, so I made a few temporary ones after I just returned home from Lowes.  Eye roll.  I could have picked up a few while I was there if I'd realized our old ones were gone.   These are hanging near the studio and hopefully will help prevent injuries and worse.

The second bird project involves discouraging the woodpecker from drilling through our front porch.  I did remember to purchase an owl decoy and set him up in view of the holey porch.  Since the wood filler was already in use in the studio, I've at least started patching the porch damage.  One of the holes is really deep and will probably take a few iterations of filler before I can paint it.  What a naughty woodpecker!  There are plenty of trees he can use instead of our house.

The band is marching tonight, so I'm off to find warm clothes before arriving to chaperone Bus #3.  : )

Enjoy your day!
- SeeingStars

Ruler Apron

Do you remember reading Katy No Pocket by H. A. Ray as a child?  It's a story about a kangaroo with no pockets.  After much strife over her lack of ability to carry children, she meets a carpenter who gives her an apron full of pockets.

Here she is at the end of the story.  She's happy because now she's able to carry around lots of little friends.

I've thought of Katy all day today as I made a new tool for my sun room.   I'm really excited because it turned out just as I hoped.  I like that I can keep all these things near me, but not cluttering the table top as I work.

It's made from some leftover canvas and attaches to my folding table with 4 velcro tabs.  I use several rulers and there's a place for all of them. 
On the left at the bottom, there are two 6 x 24 rulers and above is a pouch for squares in 6 and 6.5.  Then, the right side has a 12.5 square at the bottom, with a 9.5 above.  Finally, there are two smaller pouches : one for the missing 4.5 square ruler and a larger rotary cutter, and last tiny pocket holds a small pair of scissors and a small rotary cutter.  I also tossed in two Add-a-Seam rulers for paper piecing, since they fit too.

If you try something like this, I'd suggest first pinning the pockets in place to make sure there's room to lift each ruler out.   I decided to make the upper row of pockets 3.5 inches from the top edge, since the apron is slightly under the table top.  This allows easier access to those top pockets.  Also, I cut each pocket 2.5 inches wider than the ruler.  Then, as I turned in the raw edges, I still had plenty of width so the ruler isn't too tight.

Here's my test case with all the pockets pinned.  Even though I didn't need to move anything, I'm really glad to test it out first.

To celebrate my successful project, I began a pumpkin table runner today.  It will be a festive touch for our Thanksgiving celebration and a nice gift for my sister-in-law, who makes it look easy to feed so many guests from her kitchen.  You wouldn't believe how many people end up crammed in her small kitchen as she cooks.  She just smiles and reaches around us rather than fussing at us to get out of her way.  We should all be as gracious as Patti!

It's been threatening to rain today and it's been much colder too.  I've enjoyed watching the leaves blow as I've worked.  No painting for today either.  Yesterday was a crazy time of dragging pieces in and out as the weather changed.  So I'll return to my cutting table when we have sunnier weather.  I'm looking forward to getting that project finished, so my little space will be even more useful.  One step at a time!

I meant to show you my bobbin case on the sewing desk yesterday.  Here it is lifted up from the table surface.  As I confessed, I just didn't see the need to paint all those extra little shelves since I don't use this piece.  It won't lift up with one hand and even with two, it becomes a wrestling match to get it out of its resting place.  Great idea, but not so useful in practice.

Enjoy your day!
- SeeingStars

Confessions of a furniture painter

 

 Here's my "new" sewing desk!  I really like how it turned out with its new coat of paint.  I know I promised a photo from the back of a galloping horse, but I just couldn't fit the horse inside the studio.  So instead, you'll see all the flaws.

If I was about to start this project all over again with my newly found wisdom, I'd remove all the hinges.  The rubber cement did work as a paint resist, but I still had to deal with paint drips in the cracks of those hinged surfaces.  It would have looked a little better if they were painted as separate pieces.  Plus, there would have been less resanding and repainting to fix flaws.

The other thing I'd like to think I'd do differently would be to do all the painting in a nice clean, well organized and spacious garage.  However, this might prevent the project from even getting started.  There would be many fewer dead bugs in my zipcode if I'd painted under the garage roof and I wouldn't have had to drag all the pieces inside each night to avoid the dew.

Notice the cutout for the sewing machine?  The back side has a funny profile now.  That's because I used a jigsaw for the first time and cut an L shaped piece to allow my machine to fit.  My Bernina has a larger footprint than the sewing machines made a few decades ago when this desk was crafted.  Before, I had to keep the back piece tilted up from its hinges.  This made machine quilting or sewing on a binding a little harder because of the vertical wall when that piece was tilted upright.  Mr. SeeingStars was very supportive and stayed right there as I made the jigsaw cut.  Then, I asked him to show me how the router is used to smooth those edges.  He chose a bit that complimented the previous edge and worked his magic to make the finished edge look great.  I'm so glad to have his help.  I just wasn't ready to try my luck with a router.  I've heard before that it takes practice and I should use it on lots of scrap pieces before trying it on real furniture.  Thank you, Mr. SeeingStars!  You're my hero!

This is how I used to sew with the back section raised.  I covered a rectangle of foam insulation to raise the sewing machine height to be level with the top of the desk.  The foam is covered with a piece of canvas.  I considered adding this second piece to it, but it's not necessary.  The only part that shows is the part closest to the front.

There's a bobbin storage compartment that came with this desk.  I'm not comfortable using it because it sticks before adding paint and I fear the bobbins would fall to the bottom.  Since it's not convenient, I decided not to paint the whole thing, just the top inch or so.  A perfectionist I am not.  So sense I'm bearing all my mistakes, I'll share the bobbin storage part too.

Overall, I'm thrilled with the result.  The process of painting isn't really that much fun, but it's worth it to keep the goal in mind.  Some furniture that's functional and looks good in its setting.  I hope I'll soon get to the point of forgetting this project and just using the desk to sew and quilt.

Would I do it again?  You betcha!

The next project is a custom cutting surface made from an old dresser, a sheet of MDF and some more paint.  More to come in later posts.  Am I nuts to start another project so soon?  You betcha!  But the sooner I start, the sooner I'll be finished.  I can't wait to keep all my longarm threads in the top drawer!

Is she really doing this again?

Enjoy your day!
- SeeingStars