I just finished turning these plywood shelves into these smaller wall shelves. Since selling my big IKEA mega desk, the plywood’s just been sitting around, waiting to be useful again.
Initially, I planned to have three shelves above this table, but the sloped ceiling had other plans. But two shelves is better than none, especially since they now prominently display some of my favorite ceramics I made last year. Prior to shelf life, they were all kinda cluttered together and invisible.
The third shelf found a home above one of my sewing tables and is providing much needed storage space for my ball winder and new (but very old) swift. The art display is still being figured out over here.
In an attempt to be productive while dissociating, I am prioritizing daily creative acts. And I’m going to try to document some of it too. Last week felt especially creative, so here’s what I did.
Fine Things Community Pottery Studio
I joined a brand new studio and successfully threw two pots! I feel really nervous not having the traditional support of a class, but I’m excited to explore some ideas outside of the scope of local classes. Here are the things I’m planning to work on:
Nerikomi patterned pieces (this technique excites me so much)
Tiles for my fireplace renovation
Chess set for my husband
Hand-built plates using MDF forms I eventually make
A tabletop lamp?
Painting Workshop
I attended a really lovely painting workshop taught by Allie Yacina at Happy Anyway. I am obsessed with sketchbook artwork and Allie has an incredible practice, some of which is currently on display at the shop. The morning consisted of creating color swatches using a primary palette, thumbnail sketches of a still life, and then a final painting. I left so inspired, I spent way too much money at the art store. Acrylic gouache is a fun medium and I learned just how creamy Caran d’Ache pencils are.
Cast on a New Sweater
Portuguese practice.
In additional to just starting the Port Jacket, I learned the Portuguese knitting style. I wanted to try this method out because I read it can reduce hand pain and give you better purling tension. I’m not getting amazing results doing German short rows with this knitting style, but I’m hopeful it’ll get better with practice.
Shirt Sewing + A Weird New Shelf
And lastly, I made a lot of progress on this button up. All that’s left are the cuffs and buttonholes. I also bought and installed this so-hideous-it’s-kinda-cute towel rack that I’ve had my eyes on for months. I wanted something on the wall here where I could hang works in progress and in-use patterns. I also moved my small “design board” over to this wall too. It’s way easier to access now that it’s not behind a table. You can see I have quite a few outerwear projects planned!
I had no idea how much health issues had slowed down my desire to play around with materials and make stuff. But now that my thyroid medication seems to be at the right dose and I no longer have a uterus (thanks to fibroids), I’m BACK BABY.
It’s really exciting to feel like I’m actually awake during the day now. And I want to celebrate my newfound productivity by cataloging my recent makes. First up, I just added the binding to this wall hanging I made years ago.
I refinished this “gentleman’s cabinet” which you can read more about here and here.
This thrifted stool got a much comfier seat. The rope basket turned cushion cover was already made, but I added the fabric and drawstring bit to keep everything in place. There’s now 2″ of foam too since the plywood was much too hard of a seat. I finished this project by splattering some acrylic paint on it because why not?
I’ve actually been finishing some sewing projects outside of work! I made a dress out of fabric that’s been in my stash for YEARS, a quilt coat with fun yarn ties, several new machine covers (also using old stash fabric), these amazing mellow yellow Cloud Sweatpants, some basic tees, and I batch cut out like ten more projects. I’m planning to share more about some of these makes in upcoming posts.
I finished two sweaters in December and started playing around with duplicate stitch.
I got out my tufting gun and was a total beginner again. This process is so challenging and I hate not being in control, but I’m willing to keep going! The ultimate goal is to make little rugs for all the steps leading upstairs for Otis.
And I’m trying super hard to reestablish my logbook practice. In 2018, I captured a trip in one of these sketchbooks and I’ve missed so many travel adventures since. This practice is one of my proudest accomplishments and I’m determined to pick it back up.
The gentleman’s cabinet is done! It still needs a coat of wax, but it’s upstairs and looking so much better. This thing is solid wood, so I was able to sand out a lot of the deep scuffs and scratches. It’s still sporting some imperfections, but I’m calling it *character*
I am okay with the stain color. It’s a bit more orange than I thought it would be and it kinda makes my eyes vibrate. There’s absolutely no way I’m going to re-sand it though!
I’ve still gotta figure out what goes in each drawer, but I know it’s for sure going to be a home for interfacing and bulkier sewing supplies. I think the big divided drawer is going to be perfect for yarn and knitting WIPs too.
I’m excited to find some art n’ things to style the top of it. The extra surface has already proven super handy and adding a light to this dark corner has lengthened my nighttime making sessions.
I bought this old, heavy, and apparently very dirty dental cabinet two years ago with the intention of cleaning it up and storing sewing supplies in it. I knew at the time that it was going to be a big job, but damn, I really underestimated it.
In addition to 75+ years of muck, and a little bit of mildew, there were a few forgotten treasures inside. The diagram of “The Teeth of a Seven Year Old Child” was my favorite find.
I cleaned the whole thing and stripped the drawer fronts of paint, but then simply couldn’t pick a color. Then winter hit and I didn’t have to choose a paint color… and then it was two years later…
Well I think working through my sewing WIPs made me want to wrap up this furniture WIP. So I went back to the paint store and picked up even more color chips.
It came down to these two colors and since I already have a lot of green in my space, I went for clay. The basement lighting made it look like a Halloween cabinet and I did briefly question everything. But once the back was dry, I brought it upstairs and in natural light, it looked just as I’d imagined.
In the stripping process, I accidentally removed spots of the enamel on the insides of the drawers, which added MORE things I needed to paint. But ultimately the insides needed to be repainted because they were truly gross, even without my paint stripping damage.
I used spray enamel for just the drawer interiors and left the original paint on the outside because of the locking mechanisms. There’s also writing on the bottoms of the drawers. This cabinet appears to have been built by a couple of people (they all initialed a little sticker) and the process included numbering the cabinet itself and each of its parts. So each drawer and each drawer pull has a hand written number, which is pretty cool, and I didn’t want to cover that up.
The cabinet probably weighs around 200 lbs and needed to be maneuvered up two flights of stairs. It was awkward and a little scary but we did it! Due to space restrictions, I had to work on the drawers in two batches. Getting the first batch done and in the cabinet was really exciting.
My paint job isn’t perfect, but I wasn’t starting with a perfect surface either. I did my best and think it looks a whole heck of a lot better. I added this photo to show how much time has passed – my hair is quite a bit longer than in the first picture.
This cabinet holds a lot and I’m really enjoying that every drawer has a certain supply in it.
I’m a rearranger. I get a boost of creativity from rearranging a space. You can see several iterations of my space (and past spaces) here.
Everything started with wanting to downsize my cutting table. The big IKEA table was fine but it really dominated the room and wasn’t super sturdy.
These Husky tables had been my sewing tables (they were lined up along the back wall) and I’d taken off the drawers because I kept bashing my knees on them while sewing. I knew with the drawers attached, they’d make a much better (adjustable height) cutting table and would allow me to have all my cutting tools at my fingertips.
I really, really love this new cutting set up. The wall mounted system I’d been using to store all this was starting to annoy me since I’d have to carefully grab each item in order to not make the hooks fly off the pegboard. It was also a dust magnet.
Once my sewing tables transformed into the cutting table, I splurged and bought three more Husky workbenches without drawers and wheels (the wheels made them too tall before).
I knew I wanted to flip the space too so that the table length could increase. I’m able to fit all my personal machines and the machines I use for work all together without having to move stuff around as often. The little swivel corner where I can stitch a seam and then spin to my serger is my favorite part.
I’m planning on replacing these IKEA cabinets too with this old dental cabinet I’ve been trying to restore for a while.
Rearranging kinda helped me de-prioritize my work-from-home set up too. My computer desk had always been in a major corner of the room and now it’s in between the two sides, which has made it take up less mental space. It’s across from the built in fabric storage pictured on the right.
Moving my computer table freed up this corner for art! I lost my practice during the past 5+ chaotic years and I’m desperate to find it again. It’s not routine yet, but at least I’ve started.
And finally, after working in this space for several years, I realized it was missing something crucial to any creative practice – a comfy spot. It’s not complete yet (this is an air mattress) and the coffee table is much too large, but it does the job. My husband is building me a custom daybed and I’m going to learn some upholstery skills too. This spot will double as a guest space, but will mostly be my Knitting (and seam ripping) Nook.
You can make great things on a simple, inexpensive sewing machine. I started sewing on a Brother CS6000i and it took me through my first four years of me-made items. I made a lot in those first four years, including my wedding outfit, first few quilts, and many, many bags. You do not need an expensive machine to have a rewarding sewing practice. However, if your sewing practice is one that sticks, you feel like you’ve outgrown your intro machine, and you can budget for an upgrade, go for it!
Once I knew sewing was something I’d do for the rest of my life and fixing things on my Brother machine was costing more than its purchase price, I began researching brands and saving. I decided to go with Bernina because its known for its stitch quality, longevity, and several folks in the sewing community endorsed them.
Berninas are expensive. It’s a big deal to fork over several thousand for one machine. After a lot of consideration and saving, I bought my first Bernina from a dealer in the Bay Area. One thing to note is that your local Bernina dealer probably sells at a lower price than what is listed on the official Bernina website. I’ve now purchased three machines at dealers that were $500 – $1000 lower than the MSRP.
Bernina 530 Sewing Machine
Photo from 2017
The quality difference between the B 530 and my Brother was immediately noticeable and my sewing practice really exploded. Everything was so much easier to do. Tension issues were non-existent or easily resolved, buttonholes were BEAUTIFUL and easy, and the edgestitch foot? Holy shit, I love that foot! On my new 530 I could adjust the presser foot pressure, needle positions, sew on buttons, and it could handle thicker projects.
The 530 really sold me on Bernina machines overall, so several years after its purchase, I was able to buy a Bernina serger to replace my temperamental Brother 1034D.
Bernina L 460 Serger
I purchased my L 460 on sale because Bernina was gearing up to release the 800 series several months later. I would absolutely love to own the 890, but that’s a cost my budget and I can’t get behind. I’m also a little wary of combo machines and air threading, but I’m not speaking from personal experience.
The dealer I purchased my L 460 from also includes free classes for it, forever! I was able to take one class before COVID hit and it really helped me understand all of its features and how to thread it. I’m using this online video series to periodically refresh my knowledge. It’s for the L 450, but they’re very similar. Bernina also has workbooks to help you understand just how much these machines can do.
I really love this serger. I feel like when I sit down to use it, I know exactly what’s going to happen and how to control it. With my 1034D it was always a gamble!
Bernina 770 QE Sewing Machine
At work, I get to sew on a B 475 QE and it made me wish my 530 had some of the newer features like the automatic thread cutter, the jumbo bobbin, and the touch screen. So, I decided to upgrade to the B 770 QE. There was a deal to purchase this machine and get either the L 460 or the embroidery module for free. Since I already had the L 460, I went with the embroidery module.
I’m pretty miffed the embroidery module requires $2,500 design software that only works on Windows. Since it was a free add-on, I didn’t really look into it. Should have done more research! I haven’t played with the free embroidery designs yet – I’m sure I’ll hate them – so that’s a topic for a later post. But HEY, Bernina! Create a web-based design software and I’ll embroider all the things!
I chose the 7 series over the newer 5 series for a couple reasons. The first was cost, the 590 was several grand more, and the 7 series has a 10 inch workspace – I wanted that extra space for quilting and bag making. And lastly, that freebie deal totally swayed me. I need to make an embroidery learning plan so I actually end up using it. If anyone knows how to turn Adobe Illustrator files into something the 770 can read, please let me know!
I still have the 530 and I plan to keep it for when I’m sewing something with topstitching (a two machine set up is the BEST), when and if I’m using the embroidery module on the 770 and need to sew, and I plan to stagger services so I’m never without a machine. Or I might sell it… I’m not sure!
Bernina L 220 Coverstitch
The year of working from home and never ending loungewear made me decide to buy a coverstitch machine. I found this used Bernina L 220 on eBay. I was super nervous about buying a second hand machine that I wasn’t able to test out, but the seller seemed to only offer sewing stuff, had a high rating, answered my many questions, and offered a 30-day return policy, which also covered the cost of shipping it back.
When I first posted about my ‘new’ coverstitch on Instagram, I got a lot of panicked comments and DMs from folks asking if they should buy a coverstitch machine instead of a serger. They do different things! I wanted a coverstitch machine for hemming knits, flat joining seams on athletic wear, and inserting elastic on swimwear. I have my serger (aka overlocker) for finishing woven seams and constructing knit garments. It has a lot of other applications, but that’s what I use it for the most. Basically, a coverstitch machine is not a necessary machine, but in my opinion, it works and looks a whole lot better than a twin needle.
Twin needle hem (left). Two needle wide coverstitch hem (right)
I’m so impressed with this machine! It handles everything both like a boss and I can’t believe how flat the fabric is in between the stitch lines. I always get so much tunneling and weirdness with a twin needle. It can do a single needle chainstitch, wide and narrow double needle, and a three needle stitch. So far, the only thing I wish it had is the free hand system.
I’ve read that the Juki MCS-1500 and MCS-1700QVP (only available at a dealer) is essentially the same coverstitch machine as the Bernina L 220, which is sadly no longer in production, if you’re in the market for a coverstitch.
11.5 months later, I’m back with part 2 of my studio update! If you saw part 1, you’ll notice quite a few changes. The main update is, like a lot of people, home is now where I work. And my work involves a lot of filming equipment. Equipment that takes up a lot of physical space… and mental space. Anyway, all of the extra stuff and well, *gestures broadly at everything* I just didn’t feel inspired to share. But I want to now!
This corner is no longer home to my horrible exercise bike, but instead a bunch of plants, UFOs, and occasionally a yoga mat.
Artwork (upper left corner) by Avery Williamson.Artwork by my mom!
I’ve wanted to sew curtains inspired by this artist for ages, but decided to purchase some simple shades. I’ll eventually finish those curtains, but flashing my neighbors was getting old and I was having to tape paper over the windows to film.
There’s a lot more stuff on the walls now too. I hung IKEA pegboards, art, and made two bulletin boards out of homasote and canvas. The board pictured here is holding a project that will one day be a quilted jacket. The top shelf of my cutting table stores a bunch of tripods and lights (hidden by other stuff), batting, yarn, and fabric scraps.
Large woven scraps are folded and stored on one of the open desk shelves and the small pieces live in these baskets. I can easily pull them out when I’m working on one of my two long-term quilt projects. You can see how I store my fabric stash in this blog post.
This dress form is from my vintage selling days. She’s definitely not my size, but it’s fun to hang an in-progress project on her. The baskets hold printed patterns and fabric on rolls. I went with Husky workbenches to hold my sewing machines. They’re really sturdy, easy to move around, height adjustable, and have two drawers for storage. I didn’t really think through the drawers and the free hand system of my machines, but whatever.
I love this old banker’s chair. I thrifted it for a cool $15 in Tulsa, OK and it’s the best for rolling back and forth between my sewing machine and serger. The machine pictured here is a Bernina 475 and it’s from work. My personal sewing machine is a Bernina 770 QE (hasn’t arrived yet, upgrading from a B 530) and my serger is a Bernina L 460 (currently getting serviced), which is why they aren’t pictured.
Oil paintings are from my graduate program. I’m hoping if they’re in my face, I’ll pick painting back up.
This board is the second homasote and canvas board and I’m using it to plan projects. Once a project is finished, I’ve been trying to add both the drawing and swatch to a notebook with a few notes about it. More plans can be found here.
The IKEA cart holds distilled water for my iron, spray bottle, lint rollers, a handful of Pyrex saucers I sometimes use as pattern weights, hand sewing supplies, and supplies for the quilted jacket project.
I recently bought this ironing board. I had to upgrade because the one I bought from Target 12 years ago was completely rusted and started staining anything I pressed. Really happy with this upgrade! It’s wider, has a special place for my iron, and a handy shelf, which I’m using to hold WIPs and pressing tools. Can you spot Otis?
Here’s a closer look at the big board. The little light and Herman Miller chair used to be my grandfather’s. The block printed bag holds scraps that are too tiny to be turned into anything and are destined for the trash.
This IKEA cart holds a bunch of stuff. Top shelf has tools, a Gutermann thread chart (highly recommend getting a thread chart during quarantine), an RK Kona cotton swatch book, my classwork from GarmentWorks, and my button stash. Middle shelf has rolls of elastic, muslin scraps, and mask making supplies. Bottom shelf has fat quarters for that previously mentioned curtain project, more elastic, and a bowl of Petoskey stones! This section of pegboard is home to my block printing supplies. The closed cabinets hide a mess of random stuff and more filming equipment.
Artwork by my mom!
This is another quilt project and it lives in this IKEA drawer thing. Whenever I cut out a woven garment project, I also cut out as many 2 x 2 inch squares as I can to reduce waste. Here’s an idea of what it’ll look like once it’s assembled.
Thrifted artwork.
I love this space and I’m super grateful to have it. Anything else you want to see? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
29 weeks ago we started updating the second floor. It began with electrical – not a single outlet (in the entire house) was grounded, there was only one very orange light fixture, the ceiling was… bad, and two wall mounted electric heaters needed to disappear. Then came duct work, which meant dismantling a weird built-in cabinet in a closet on the main floor, followed by more demo upstairs (groovy glass partition, framing, and ceiling tiles – goodbye!).
Drywall was installed directly over the OSB because it was easier than tearing it down and that kept it out of the dump. The contractors said they were going to use 1/4″ drywall, but slapped up 1/2″, which you can really feel in the stairwell. The room is super insulated now, I guess!
Once the drywall was up, it was immediately brighter, but it revealed just how off the walls were. It took quite a lot of mud to get the lines straight-ish and the corners’ angles to not look too wonky. I think at some point during the drywall install, we also had the floor tiles inspected for asbestos in preparation for the new flooring. Thankfully, no asbestos was involved in the making of this hideous room.
Once the drywall was in and the mudding was finally done, I made the mistake of painting, thinking it would be easier to do so before the flooring and new lighting fixtures were installed. DON’T EVER DO THIS unless you’re the person carefully installing shit. Contractors touch everything with dirty hands and swing their tools around. Also white paint chips all look the same in a room with weird brown flooring, so I accidentally painted the entire room a light yellow. I shudder to think about the amount of money I’ve dropped on paint alone.
But after what felt like 59 layers of paint, a whole lot of caulk, learning the importance of quarter round, and yep, you guessed it, more paint – it’s almost done!
Can you see all of the crap on the floor back there? I’m still painting! But the main focus of the picture is my BEAUTIFUL fabric stash. I used the comic / magazine board method and sort of grouped them by color. I love it so much, I almost don’t want to sew it.
The largest part of the room is now home to mega desk. No more cutting things out on the floor because this back won’t do it and this table is massive. It’s the FINNVARD & LINNMON desk combo from IKEA (measurements available on the IKEA website). The carpet and chair are vintage. The cutting mats are from Joann and I used a 60% off coupon for both.
I’m really loving how clean and bright it is up here now. So far I’ve hung up just one piece of art, a painting by my mother. I’m still trying to figure out the space and its different “zones”. I’m planning to hang pegboards, but I’m just not sure where they want to live yet.
Here’s my computer / non-sewing, but still creative work desk. My husband I used to share it in our old house. The fuzzy chair was rescued from my grandparents’ basement and has lived with me in four states now.
If I’m honest, this corner is probs gonna change. This bike, although it looks cool, is so loud and so hurts my body that I rarely use it. But the intention is there. I’m planning to reupholster two chrome art deco chairs for a lovely little seating area here.
I think my favorite thing about this space is the countertop. It’s concrete and beautiful. I scored that Schoolhouse Electric pendant light at Hippo Hardware in Portland and the fans are Hunter.
I’ll share my sewing set up once it’s presentable!
