Hi everyone,
I showed my hubby Mr. Moose and he said if it was free he’d take it. I’m not sure where he might put it…maybe in the chicken pen to keep small animals away…or even hawks. I hope it finds a home soon… he needs some love!
I actually got to spend some time in my sewing room today and guess what? I made something for the girls! I’ll show it tomorrow! I was testing out something! :o)
Thanks for all the compliments on everyone’s native costumes yesterday. I wish I had made sure which country they were all from before I posted their pictures. We have a pretty big group of students from Africa… Nigeria, Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, and many more!
Well, I hope Charlotte gets her internet fixed and is able to get back online after Wednesday!
I told you I would share pictures of my sewing room cleaned up and neat and tidy! For 3 days now, every night before I go to bed, I have been putting all the things that I worked on that evening. I don’t know WHY it took me so long to realize: IF YOU JUST PUT IT AWAY IT WILL BE NICE THE NEXT TIME YOU COME IN HERE! I guess I’m a slow learner. It’s all cleaned up again and so tomorrow it will be nice and ready for me to make something else. So let’s see it now… (I wish I had taken a before picture) but it was really messy!) It’s not TOTALLY SPOTLESS, but I’m getting there.
My sewing room is just off my living room and if you walk through my door, this is what you’ll see on your left…
My thread holder (that I made!), a bookshelf with my beads and jewelry findings and charms, all my various glues, my paper flowers are on a shelf, my stretch lace for gloves, My various pieces of denim (usually garments I find to cut up), the two containers on the right side are my Dolly Toy Box items, my embroidery floss, the bottom left box has things in it I give as gifts to my buyers, there is an extra sewing machine on the bottom shelf. It’s just like the Janome I use mainly for zigzagging since my Singer Featherweight and 301 don’t zigzag. I won it on an online auction for only $22.00! Score!
Next is my dolly cabinet that has been gradually getting more filled up with each passing year. All my dolls stand in there naked, just waiting to be picked to model the next outfit I make.
I LOVE the dresser I won at another auction. It has 13 drawers and some at the top are really skinny, so I have narrow things in it… like my hair clips, brush, some hair bows, and rubber bands.
All my doll shoes are in the middle top drawer and my doll wigs are below the shoes.
My Wool Felt is in the bottom drawer on the left and my hat making molds and straw/braid are on the right side.
Of course, you can see my fabrics folded and in the bookshelf. Below are fabrics for thigh highs, lightweight sweaters and tops.
Moving around the corner to the right… you’ll see my white furniture… a small armoire and a dresser with lots of drawers too. I keep my laces and ribbons on spools, and trims in the armoire, and in the dresser, you’ll find my Ultrasuede fabrics, my fur fabrics, my postage scale, shipping tape and small bags I put things in when mailing, my tissue paper, stickers I use when I package something up, and cards to write notes to my customers on.
Back in the far corner is the TALL bookshelf my hubby and I made last year. It was made to hold my leather and the tools I have, plus all the other things that go with making leather doll shoes… patterns, my shoe molds, containers of eyelets and rivets, plus some fabric on the top, flowers used for hats and baskets and bouquets down below. I have a steamer next to the bookshelf.
My big 21 drawer dresser/chest is on the wall opposite the white dresser. It has various things in it… my wintery scarves I use, my accessories for my dolls, ready made straw hats, baskets, lots of odds and ends in the drawers. On top are zippered bags with my tulle for slips, my white fabrics, my fabrics for lining bodices, fleece on one end… oh… and you can see my ruler holder on the end of that dresser. I do use it a lot and love having everything so handy to reach for.
Around the corner from that dresser are built in shelves that stick out into my room. The basement stairs go underneath there, so that’s why the room wasn’t just 4 square walls. I have baskets up at the top with bib making supplies, extra containers, zippers, snap tape, some quilt blocks that I’ve started, etc.
Below the shelves is where I do most of my cutting out and take my pictures for listings. I have a curtain behind the gray fabric that slides back and forth, making it easy to get to what’s behind. In the pullout plastic drawers below the table I have my Valentine’s, Easter and Christmas stickers and things that go with those 3 holidays… There is also my Vintage Singer 15-91 machine Kristoffer gave me last year… It weighs a ton and I don’t grab for it very often, but I’m wanting to try sewing some decorative lines on my leather as it’s known to be heavy duty enough for that.
Around the corner and you’ll see another bookshelf of mine. It has my patterns, my books, my smocking pleater, things I use a lot when sewing…pins and needles, machine feet, extra bobbins, pattern books down below, and lots more.
The last corner in the room is my sewing machine table… my hubby custom built it for my room. The walls aren’t straight angles so it’s a bit cockeyed when it stands alone, but when it’s in the room, you’d never know it. I have snaps, elastic, velcro, serger thread, odds and ends in those drawers.
The blue stenciled cabinet was an old TV cabinet and was like a big cube… about 30″ by 30″ square. I loved how it closed, so we bought it at a yard sale for $7.00, I think… When we got it home, it stuck out too far in my room. So, my hubby cut the thing in half, (side to side) finished off the back with a piece of wood, I painted and stenciled it and now I have a 15″ cabinet. It has all my fleece in it.
There is WAY more things in the room that I didn’t remember to tell you about, but I think you can see, it’s pretty full and I DO have lots of inventory. I tell myself that’s so I don’t have to run to town every time I need thread or a button or interfacing. I do have some things I probably need to let go, but for now, I don’t have time to purge those things.
I LOVE my sewing room… and I’m loving keeping it neater too!
I hope you enjoyed my pictures…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, it looks wonderful! I love the variety of cabinets, dressers, and shelves that give it a “homey” touch! You could go to one of those closet companies, and pay a ton for a specialized room, but you would not have all the memories of where you got things, how the two of you worked on putting things together, and the warm cozy feeling of being in that room! I think it looks great just the way it is!
I always wondered where you got that neat sign, the “Dressmaker” sign. It is so distinctive looking and wonder if you have a story about it. And then that pretty old fashioned dress or slip that you have there in the first picture. I know you have mentioned it before, but I forgot what it was or where you got it.
I’m curious about what you made for the girls! Maybe swimsuit tops? Swimsuit cover-ups?? Maybe something completely different, if I am off the mark!
Jeanne, your room is dreamy! I love it.
Wait, is that an opening above your machines into the living or dining room?
That is how my set up was in our old house. I could sew all day, could run into the kitchen when I heard the potatoes hissing, (which reminded me that I was actually cooking too), or look across at my kitties. It was a wonderful view.
Now I am upstairs and both skylights are covered with two layers of purple 3M foam board because the ventilation is not that great right now and the sun makes the place way too warm. Oh well…
I love your machines together on that fancy desk! This is such a perfect work space. I love everything about your filing and storage. All of your fabrics displayed on your color wall is very nice. I like that you have a broom, and certainly the floors are easy to keep tidy or find a stray pin. I have a swiffer hanging close by ….. we make the lint!
and you even have a little tv!!! Well, I have brought my laptop up stairs, but it can be distracting. I love your doll cabinet. Very perfect really, wow! Your thread shelves are incredibly perfect, easy to find the right color without shoving spools around. Really brilliant!
I am completely excited about your latest endeavor for the girls! Spring stuff I am sure!
Happy Tuesday everyone. I hope today is a beautiful sunny day where you are.
We have perfect weather today 60’s and blue sky!
I do love Susette’s moose. If, I had cooperation, it would be coming here, but since it isn’t, I can only hope that the buyer loves it too.
Jeanne’s idea of cleaning up at the end of the day is a good one. However, if I did that, it would take me eons to find everything again to continue working the next day. I guess that I would need a holding pen where all the recent projects could remain hidden, but ready to go at morning’s light. 🙂
I love how Jeanne’s workplace has lots of storage options. Here, there is no sewing room, but a corner of the family room that isn’t much fun at all. Maybe in my next life, there will be more rooms in the house. 🙂
I wonder what Jeanne, has been working on? Hope that we find out soon.
OK,Jeanne, you have got me, I am shamed by your sewing room. I have been lazy …well, we were really busy last week with all the nights going to church and then Easter. I have no excuses now. Your sewing room is sparkling!! I will drag myself up stairs, work on my room and wish I had all the great places you have to put yours.
Dear Jeanne, thanks for the tour of your sewing room. I remember when you showed it a while back. I love how organized everything is. I think I saw two blue Madame Alexander boxes in the photos with the iron and ironing board. They are right next to a wicker basket with paper (I think) sticking out.
Maybe Suemae can donate the moose to a local environmental or wildlife agency or to a library. I think she could also reach out to the local newspaper and say her moose needs to be adopted. That might get her front page coverage and the moose a new home. Maybe.
April is National Poetry Month. That makes me happy. Some of my favorite poems are
Barbara Fritchie by John Greenleaf Whittier (had to recite that in junior high)
Mother To Son by Langston Hughes
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost (had to recite that as well)
The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman
This Is My Beloved by Walter Benton (I love all of the poems in his book)
Happy Poetry Month Dorothy! Those are lovely poems to recall. I like them
Your idea is great regarding the moose. I still think local facebook market place will get some interest!
Dear Rosemary, thanks for you comments. I enjoyed reciting poetry though I cannot think of anyone else in my English classes who did, except maybe for the drama students.
I think that Facebook Marketplace is a great idea! Maybe there is a club that has a moose for a mascot. I am reminded of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. That was my favorite cartoon series.
Remember years ago when we used to ask our kids to join in for a ten minute tidy? and we would scurry around and put the toys away and hang up coats…. etc.
Well, I was not consistent but I used to make it fun, put on music or set out cookies.
Anyway, Ten minute tidies are so long, haha, I do a “two minute tidy” these days. and offer a prize (more sewing) and it is amazing what piles I can go through that just need to be folded and put away. At present my entire work space upstairs is “organized chaos”
I am always doing waaaay too many things/ideas at the same time, I hate putting something away fearing I will forget about it. So I now I have a small shelf for current works in progress. Anyway, I will need many two minute tidies to get my place looking presentable. -with a kitty, I am of course always cautious about nibbly bits and pins.
Your sewing room looks great! Neat and Tidy. It’s interesting to see how you store things as well as all the nice pieces of furniture you’ve collected for all the sewing equipment, dolls and materials. I always think: this is the wonderful room that all the beautiful outfits come from for our dolls!
Enjoyed seeing the pictures, thanks for sharing, Jeanne.
Great tour of your sewing room, Jeanne. It’s fun to see how you organize things. I was trying to see which dolls you still have.
Jeanne, your sewing room puts mine to shame. I have an 8m x 10m room attached to my garage and work on the equation that stuff expands to fill the space available + one cupboard. Unfortunately, since Sam moved her stuff in as well that has become needing two or three extra cupboards. We did do a purge over Christmas but need to do it again. I really enjoyed the tour.
Have a lovely day everyone