Saturday, May 18, 2019

Timely order for my sewing room...

We've been in our home, our very first 'own' home, for almost eight months. When I mentioned this to my husband yesterday his immediate response was "No, it can't be...can it?"

Incredible isn't it? All that time spent saving for a deposit and then looking for a house which would suit our needs at this stage of  life - it seemed endless and often frustrating when we were going through it - yet here we are, eight months along and still finding our home-owner feet. 




We had rented all our adult lives and when you do that for more than three decades there's a particular mindset which has carved itself into the way you live, the way you plan or look at things in the home. There's a hesitancy to make changes, internal shudders when the vacuum cleaner hits the door and leaves a gouge, mental pressure to always keep things as perfect as possible...and you're always counting down the weeks until the next quarterly house inspection.




My mind has been very ..s..l..o..w..l..y.. removing those thought processes and replacing them with enthusiasm to change and confidence to express myself genuinely within our walls. My husband on the other hand accomplished those changes rather quickly in comparison to me. 




Whilst our focus recently has been on the January monsoon repairs, now that the ceiling, laundry and roof have been completed I had a deep need to make changes in my sewing room - as it's my place of work. 




Last year Rosie and I had discussed the notion that the best way to freshen up a room and keep only what you need/want/love was to remove everything and slowly bring back only that which truly meets this criteria.




So this past week that's exactly what I did, removing everything which wasn't nailed down or attached. My hallway, bedroom and living room were taken over with 'stuff' and little by little I cleaned, sorted and considered how to utilise this work space to best advantage whilst also making it a joy to be in.




Hubby asked if there was anything I needed to make the room more practical and in response to my need for better storage solutions (after I removed a set of totally impractical drawers) he bought and assembled a wonderful set of deep and wide drawers. Just one drawer alone was able to hold neatly everything I'd kept in all six drawers of my old chest.




There's a lovely ease to the room now and I feel refreshed of mind and spirit, ready to finish new designs which had been left uncompleted due to the frustration of my environment as well as health and family time constraints.




What to hang on the walls? That was not an easy choice to make as there are many projects which had been packed away when we moved and not seen the light of day since...but as I removed each one from their various storage containers I found it surprisingly easy to choose after all. 




It was also lovely to display some special gifts along the shelving, like that beautiful cross stitched sheep (above) which Jan Skinner made me many years ago.




My basket of applique scraps is now right above the sewing table where I can take it down to sort for just the right fabric in new designs...




...and my beautiful shelving unit has been scrubbed and the fabrics refolded. I also removed and donated any materials I don't want or need. 

The ELEFANTZ sign was a gift from Fee way back in 2010. Isn't it the prettiest thing? I love that it has a place to be displayed now.




The adjustable table Mr E bought me for Christmas is now facing the opposite direction so when I do my morning Bible study inside or plan the working week ahead I can look out at the wild birds which frequent the native Grevilleas planted along the fence line. Before this the table faced the house next door and I really don't want to watch other people on their balcony so this new layout is fabulous.




I'm considering looking for some pretty second hand sheets to use as decorative curtains because I do think they'd be prettier than the solid white drapes which hang in front of the sheers. 
And I want to make a jelly roll rug for the floor as well, but all in good time. For now my sewing room is perfect as it is and brings me joy.






The blue and white chest of drawers you can see in one of the top photos will be spray painted in white semi-gloss next week as its not been touched since we bought it eight years ago at a garage sale. I use the top of it as my sewing room ironing board and the drawers hold things like craft rulers, quilt hangers, Blossom's vast beading supplies, and small gifts for giving. I'd considered donating it and buying something new but then those words God whispered in my ear late last year came back..."Use what you already have". 




So this entire exercise of change and order in the room cost us one set of extremely useful drawers and a can of white spray paint yet to be purchased. I was also able to gift many fabrics, supplies and ornaments to the local Salvation Army op-shop.

Knowing that I can keep this room the way I want and even bang in a few nails here and there to hang new things I may make in years to come has helped me overcome that old 'renter' mentality and given me the confidence to approach each room in our home with the same care, thought and delight.
Small steps at the right time. No rush. But there are plans forming...

God bless you precious one and may your day be one of delights and joys which surprise you, moments which remind you that God loves you more than your mind can possibly comprehend, and ideas which spark fresh creativity.

hugs


32 comments:

Tracy said...

I have room envy it's beautiful and inspired me to prettify my space

Kerryanne @ Shabby Art Boutique said...

What a beautiful and inspiring space to create in Jenny!! I love a good craft/sewing room re-do. It's creatively invigorating and don't you just love all the forgotten goodies you find too ;)
Wishing you many hours of fabulous creativity in your new sewing room xxx

PennyP said...

Thank you for the blessing at the end of your post- sometimes when things are tough (caring forfthe elderly) its good to receive those kind words. Blessings to you and yours too Jenny.

Shortbread and Ginger said...

What a beautiful place to work - and even just to sit and relax in. You have inspired me to get on with a good clear out of my study which is much in need of a refub!

gracie said...

A very inviting room to spend creative time.

Little Penpen said...

What a pretty sewing room!! Enjoy!

Tammy said...

Love your sewing room and love the Elefantz.banner that Fee made you it is gorgeous. Love all the white with the pops of color here and there. My daughter and I leaned out the linen closet yesterday and found 2 bags of items to gift to a few folks and some to donate to charity...We have been busy cleaning out some things and I have been busy updating the outdoor patio furniture as well.

julieQ said...

What a beautiful room, and it is a pleasure to read about your joy with it!!!

Little Quiltsong said...

The room looks so cozy and full of inspiration. So happy that you can decorate to your hearts content now and not worry about where or if you can place that nail to hang some lovelies on it. Such a pretty room, Jenny - Enjoy :)!!

Allie said...

Jenny-girl I love it! What a gorgeous space - so light and cheery, and yet so practical. I do agree about using sheets as curtains - they already have a rod pocket, lol!!! My favorite thing to use for curtains! You've inspired me to change up my own space - of course, I tend to do that weekly, lol. But my walls need a good fix, I keep forgetting I can hang things in here. The rest of the house has plaster walls, really hard to get a nail in, you'd better know what you're putting where before you do, lol!!! But the sewing room has some kind of sound proofing wall, easy to get a nail in and when you pull it out, you can't see a hole. Perfect for me.
Your studio is just as gorgeous as you are, dear girl.

Joanne said...

Hi Jenny,
Everything within reach and organised! Love it! Full of creative inspiration!
We had a leak in the wall between the bathroom and my hobby room....that turned out to be the driving force behind a hobby room make over! Went from being a drop and run "storage" to a place where I can sit, sew, creat and enjoy!
Wishing you loads of creative time enjoying your space!
Hugs,
Joanne

Remembrances said...

You have given me many inspirational ideas! I will soon (I hope) be organizing my 20x20 sewing/craft room on our new property up north and have been thinking about ways to make it more organized than my small room here at this house. Thank you! Karin

carol sferra said...

So,so beautiful!!!!!

Lin said...

Such a beautiful, light space Jenny. A joy to sit in and to work in I am sure. xx

Farm Quilter said...

Your room is so orderly and lovely...rather like the rest of your home! A reflection of you and how you create. After owning my own home for decades, it is hard for me to get into the "not my house" mentality...I want to change so many things, but I'm learning to let it go and forget about it.

MissPat said...

What a calm and serene space you have created. Mine is a jumble right now as I am in a frenzy to finish 2 baby quilts to be gifted to friends and 2 baby quilts to be donated to a good cause. Almost to finish line with them, so a clean-up will be next on the agenda. Hope you have a lovely week.
Pat

Su said...

If your curtains are cotton, could you not dye them?
Lovely room that's functional too. I especially love the little wooden drawers that appear to house notebooks, they are fab.

Jenny of Elefantz said...

They are not cotton, Su, they are rubber backed blockout curtains. And I do not want a solid colour...much prefer something with a pattern. :-)

Kay said...

Oh my, this room is so amazing. It is pretty, organised, and peaceful at the same time. I am sure you enjoy your time in here. A sewing room is my dream. x

Ondrea said...

How peaceful and pretty your sewing room is. It looks so orderly and roomy. Perfect space for creativity. Can't believe it is 8 months already!

TerriSue said...

Dear Jenny, Your system is the same one my organizer used while going through my house. As we had room in our garage she would load things up on a dolly and then take them to the garage. Then she would bring in items one at a time. They were usually boxes full of things. We would go through the boxes in the comfort of the inside and then she would go out to get another box. Since I had clutter to work through also it took a while. This last week she showed up to go through the garage. I was able to discard quite a bit. Now I am trying to figure out what storage system I want in the garage so that we will be able to go through it again and put things up. Your sewing, office, work room looks just lovely. The first thing that I noticed in the pictures were the quilts hanging on the wall and thought, Jenny is now able to hammer nails into the walls wherever she chooses. That has to be liberating.

GeneGribouille03 said...

Quel bel endroit pour travailler et pour rêver bon dimanche Geneviève de France

Montse said...

Tienes una habitación de costura bellísima y muy ordenada ,te felicito .
Besos.

Cindy A. said...

You've created a lovely space that leaves no doubt in one's mind that it's a Jenny space meant for creating. So much eye candy! About the only thing that I'd change would be the chair at your sewing machine. A nice cushy one with wheels would be easier on your body, plus you wouldn't have to get up every time you needed to cut or press something, just swivel to cut and roll over a bit to press. Of course, you do have to get up on occasion as sitting for hours on end isn't good. As for driving nails into the walls, a good alternative is the Command hangers by 3M that stick to the wall but can be removed without causing damage. They work great. Enjoy your space. I for one have greatly enjoyed the photos you've shared and am inspired to get with the program and do something similar in my own space. Take care!

Jenny of Elefantz said...

Hi Cindy :-)
My old swivel chair gave me extreme back ache so Blossom has it now (and loves it), so I will replace it one day but not until we can afford a good one. For now the chairs I have in there are fine.
About the 3M hangers...cannot be used in our extreme climate. We tried them at one rental home and the extreme tropical heat and humidity changes the structure of the glue. When removing the items and 3M hangers we lost half the wall which required an expensive replaster before we handed back the keys. We simply will not use them again.

Corina said...

What an amazing room! Very inspiring... (we just moved country, so I finally have my crafts room back, but I still need some storage solutions ;-)

Susan said...

It looks amazing, and I think it's because of all the white. Curtains with a Lecien kind of print would be pretty and maybe you can find sheets like that. I like the white, too, though. Really, I need to take everything out of my house and put it on the front lawn, and not bring *anything* back in. LOL Well, maybe the antique pie safe, and my bed, but nothing else. Just start over from scratch and only bring in things I love. Highly unlikely, though. =)

Angie in SoCal said...

I did this to our guest room/bedroom. When the snoring gets bad, I lay my pillow there. With time it became so cluttered I was no longer comfortable in it. Every surface had something on it. Then I got the news that we were going to have guests and had to do something about it. I took everything out and did just as you did. It looked so much better and calmer for me. I'm in the process of going through all that stuff and doing as you did, Jenny. I'm much more at peace and the company enjoyed the room.

Татьяна said...

Как же у вас красиво и стильно! Сама давно мечтаю о своей собственной мастерской))

Julie said...

Dear Jenny - I have been away on a short trip & I somehow missed this post. When I saw your sewing room photos on Instagram I thought to myself "Oh I hope she does a blog post about this"!! And it was here all the time. How wonderful & light & airy & refreshing it all looks. Love, Love it so much!! xx

Carol said...

What a delight to see someone's pretty work space! You did a great job! I need to redo my space since I've been in a new location this past year. Now that I am over my cancer and free of it I am beginning to feel more like myself, minus the hair. I just got to do it.
Have a great week my dear friend.

Kim said...

So inviting and inspiring!