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My Creative Space

January 21, 2010 jennifer Decorating, Quilting and Sewing

Last weekend I had so many creative ideas that I was just dying to spend a few hours creating. However, it was one of those weekends when someone was tugging on my leg every 90 seconds, especially since there was no school on Monday. I hate it when my day and my heart just don’t align well. I had so much pent up creative energy that I felt like I was going to burst!

On Saturday I stumbled upon these pictures of Heather Bailey’s studio . Instantly I wanted a room like that! I especially wanted to go shopping for a bookshelf that I could neatly stack all my fabric on, in plain sight, to look at for fun and to see everything and therefore use it all more. Well, that wasn’t happening. I’ve promised myself no more shopping like that until I have a basement empty of DIYs. For a few minutes I very seriously considered stealing my cabinet in the dining room to use for my fabric, but it’s perfect where it is so I left it alone.

Instead, I started taking everything out of drawers and made a fabulous mess. Then, over the next couple of days I got it all put back away, but this time I did it so that I can see all my fabric at a glance instead of having it laying in stacks (which means I forget what’s underneath).

So, while I’m no Heather Bailey, I can at least be inspired by the beauty that’s available to me. Here goes:

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Each drawer is now filled (I should probably say stuffed full) with my quilting fabrics, turned to stand up so that I can see all of them. They’re sorted by colors.

Hopefully I’ll use them all more wisely now that I can see them so easily.

There is another drawer for black and whites, another for browns, and a cupboard for decorator weight fabrics.
I also made a separate spot for Christmas prints, and for fall/Halloween projects.

A box full of flannels for baby blankets:

I simplified the cabinet that holds my rarely used collection of rubber stamps. Above it is a bit of vintage hand stitched red and white lace that I just love. It is incredible to me to look at each little stitch. I wonder about who made it and if it was art to her.

I cleared the fabric dresser top so it’s now free of clutter.

I also went through all the supplies that I keep in blue bins under my desk and was able to trim down on the clutter there as well. I use a vintage doll cradle to hold the projects that are currently in progress or next up. I reduced the number of projects in that category.

When I went to store something under the bed, I pulled out a box full of flannel fabric that I’d completely forgotten about! I remedied this problem by storing things I use a lot next to things I don’t use so much. I feel like now I won’t forget about any supplies, and will be able to use them all wisely. This step included using my wire baskets on the bookshelf better.

Now the basket which was formerly full of vintage supplies I intended to use but forgot about houses those vintage bits along with the jelly rolls, charm packs and fat quarters that I use a lot.

Another basket full of good stuff!

I keep being tempted to start collecting cute pincushions, because they’re everywhere and they’re really fun. I have a couple of cute ones, but for now I’m happy using my favorite, this awesome bird sitting in a nest atop a vintage candy dish.

There is a lot that I still want to do to this room, but I’m so happy with it even as it is. Because it doubles as a guest room, I want to try to keep it simple enough that it can also be a restful bedroom. I realize that I’m tremendously blessed to have it. I’m thankful for a husband who works so hard so that we can have a home that allows me a space such as this.

To anyone else who walked in the room, there would probably be no noticeable change.

But for me, it feels like a fresh start for a new year of creativity. I’m pleased.

It doesn’t hurt that I dealt with all that pent up energy in a positive way, either.

One comment Decorating, fabric, Organization, sewing

Fabric Favorites 2009

January 17, 2010 jennifer Quilting and Sewing

So, over at True Up , there’s been a giveaway running for those who submit their lists of favorite fabrics in 2009. For some reason I didn’t feel like I had anything intelligent to add to the discussion until AFTER I started reading everyone’s submissions. While I totally missed the contest, after reading the lists of others, I just have to chime in for the fun of it.

So here goes….

Favorite collection of 2009:
This is a tough one for me. I have two. The first is Rouenneries , by French General for Moda. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this line of fabric. For the first time in my life, I wanted a piece of EVERY print in a collection. I already raved about it here .

My second favorite fabric line of the year was Whimsy by Pillow & Maxfield for Michael Miller Fabrics. I bought a ton of it in the pink colorway for my baby’s blanket, and designed a quilt for my niece in the emerald blue colorway. This was just so vibrant, I loved it. And did you know they just released the large whimsy prints in a new colorway at the beginning of January? In aqua and chocolate brown? Hello! But I digress, for this is 2010, and I’m talking about 2009.

Favorite new designer: I’d have to say Kaari Meng/French General . I’ve been watching her for a couple of years now, and was super excited to see her first fabric line.

Favorite Solid fabrics:

Kona Cottons by Robert Kaufman . Love the variety. Just wish I could find a local shop that carried a good selection of them.

Favorite new trend in quilting: Ok, some might think this is on the edge, and to some it might be old, but to me it’s new. Selvage quilting. You can learn about it here . I’ve always wished I knew what to do with the cute selvages when I cut them off, and now I wish I had them all back! I’m collecting mine for some fun after I’ve got a good stash. I want to make a spiderweb quilt like this one . At least I discovered this in time for the neatest selvages ever, again from French General. I LOVE the little design on each one.

Favorite colors: I’ve been on this one for a few years now, but I’d still have to say aqua, white, and red. Oh, how I love these colors together! Most of my house is painted a shade of aqua. I never get tired of it. And if you want to see an adorable blog in all these colors, check out Camille Roskelley’s blog . You’ll be happy if you do.

Favorite go-to fabrics: Polka dots. I’m loving them as much today as when I first fell in love with them.

Favorite holiday fabric (that I didn’t buy ANY of):

Spooktacular by Sanae for Moda. What was I thinking? Oh yeah, I had a newborn baby then. I guess that’s a good excuse.

Favorite out-of-the-ordinary collection:

Authentic by Sweetwater. I was really drawn to bolts of fabric with dictionary type pages printed on them. I liked how unusual it was.

Favorite random print that I just loved: Flower Power stripe in Heron blue by Lakehouse. I went on a huge hunt to find some of this fabric. Can’t wait to use it!

Favorite new quilt pattern that made me catch my breath: Cotton Way’s Life’s Journey (which I haven’t bought yet, but really want to). I saw it first on True Up’s post here .

Ok, I’ll stop there. I can’t believe how much I found to love of the 2009 fabrics, even with how out of the loop I felt due to adding baby #8 to my life. I’m sure 2010 will be just as wonderful!

Jennifer

One comment Color, fabric, sewing

Book Page Wreath DIY (Part II)

January 13, 2010 jennifer Decorating, Paper

After making my first book page wreath, I made a second one while showing some friends how to do it. If you’d like to try it, you can find my tutorial here .

It was so interesting to see how different the colors turned out simply by using a different book.

One thing led to another, and I made four just to demonstrate how the book you choose will influence the final product.

The first one I made is from a dictionary, purchased at the dollar store. The paper is a newsprint kind of page. You can see how it’s more grey in color than it is white.

The book was approximately 5 x 8 inches in size, so the wreath turned out a lot more full. The pages were also very thin, so the rolls in the paper are softer.

The second book wreath I made came from a falling apart murder mystery I picked up at the thrift store. It was more like 4 x 6 inches in size, and the pages were yellowed with age. This also meant that they were more stiff.

The final product was smaller in size when I finished, due to the smaller pages. It wasn’t as full, but was still pretty. I liked how it took on more of a brown tone instead of a gray one.

Intrigued, I went back to the thrift store and found a small book, about 3 x 5 inches in size, but with crisp white pages and bold black print along with some small black and white illustrations on each page. I was curious how “black and white” it would look.

This wreath was definitely the lightest in color, as well as the smallest in size. It’s really fun to look at, though, because the pages I used were so interesting due to changes in font size and tiny illustrations on every page.

On the last two wreaths I made, I tore some pages into strips and glued them around the foam wreath so you wouldn’t see any Styrofoam in the finished product.

The last book I used was chosen for it’s creamy white pages and the red ink on the edge of the pages. The red didn’t go all the way around the outer edges of the book, so I bought a good tomato red acrylic paint to match and painted the other two sides. I was really generous with the paint because I wanted to be able to see the red. Like my first project, this book was about 5 x 8 inches, so it turned out really full.

I love the red edges!

You could use so many other pages, as well! What about an atlas? I think that a blue colored steno notepad could also be really fun. When we think about books, we tend to think of them all as being pretty much the same inside, as far as color goes. Yet it is so interesting to see the subtleties in color changes when they’re used next to each other in a project like this.

The one in my family room enjoyed a red ribbon and a bird for the holidays.

I hung one on my laundry room door for fun, since it’s at the end of a hallway and I like to make it pleasant for myself to visit my laundry room (this increases the chances for clean clothes at our house).

I like all four of these wreaths for different reasons, and in different places. The question I have is, which one is your favorite?

If you haven’t made one yet, I really hope you’ll try it. And I’d love to hear your what kind of book you use, too.

Lest you think that it would be a waste if you decided you don’t like it, just give it to your 9 year old son and see what he does:

Just wanted to make you smile. Have a great day!

8 comments craft, DIY, thrifty

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