Whimsicals Threads

:: the aftermath ::

Well.....

Nothing like running myself down to the point of having a cold, chills, and no voice before going to Quilt Market, feeling a little better while at Quilt Market, only to come home and find myself (and my husband) sick again.  You would think that after so many years of doing this that I would learn the importance of proper rest and nutrition, but < sigh > it hasn't sunk in yet.

Getting ready for and exhibiting at Quilt Market is always a blur for me and this one was no exception.  In fact, the night before we left, I was still trying to get my booth planned and ended up packing my clothes by creeping into our bedroom with a flashlight at 1am while Tom slept.  (He tends to do most of the driving since the only time I can sleep in the car is, um.... while I'm driving.  Seriously!!)  Needless to say I ended up with some strange combinations of clothes and shoes. But hey.... they say fashion stops at the knees when attending a show like this, right?!

 

So, what have I been working so frantically on you may ask?  Well, this year marks Red Rooster Fabrics 10th anniversary, so I designed a fabric line for them with..... you guessed it...... Roosters! 

I've called it Home to Roost, and am working on a book by the same name that I plan on having ready in January.  I filled my booth at Quilt Market with the projects that were completed, but plan on adding a few additional small things that are still swirling around in my head. But for now, here are a few pictures of my booth and the quilts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not too shabby when you consider that I didn't really start planning the booth until 4 days before we left, although, I admit that I started collecting the various chickens almost a year ago.  The very large rooster was purchased in Arizona and was one of those things that we bought and THEN thought about how to get him home on the airplane!  He ended up riding home in my parents car several months later and has proudly sat guard in my dining room until (sadly for me) he went home with someone else as Market..... that is another story all together!

And just to give a little perspective for those who have not been able to attend Quilt Market (or Festival), here are a few pictures taken from the upper floor of the convention center looking down at the exhibit floor. 

 

And that is just a little taste of International Quilt Market in Houston.  Hope you enjoyed it! 

Terri

:: breaking the cycle ::

 Has it been a long time since I have written a blog post? 

Oh yea.

Do I have a good excuse or reason?

Um, no.

But I have to be honest and say that blogging is one of the easiest parts of my "job" to ignore and let slide.  And really I have no good excuse other than the fact that there is always something else that needs to be done, where blogging falls somewhere between a want and I-know-I-really-should-do-this.

So several weeks go by without a posting, which then drags into a month..... or several months..... and I find that the longer I put it off, the harder it is to get started again. 

But I'm going to try my best to break the cycle.  Starting right now.

Just look at it as a fresh start. 

So, what have I been up to?  I've been working on new fabric lines, getting the new patterns written and ready, and to be completely honest, I've been missing my sewing machine.  I've spent very little time with it since May and feel like I'm going through withdrawal, which is something that I plan to remedy this week.

The summer has sped by, the kids have come home from and gone back to college, and I'm finding once again that there just isn't enough time between Quilt Market in May and Quilt Market in October to get everything done.  The summers are always hard for me because it's the time of year that I want to spend my time outside, on vacation, or just hanging by the pool with friends, not inside in front of a computer screen or even the sewing machine....  Just sayin'!

But, I have taken a few fun trips, as you can see here.....

In July I took my first trip in a hot air balloon.... Yes, that is me waving from the basket of the balloon.  I can now cross a balloon ride off of my bucket list! Then the following week I spent a few days in New York City visiting Red Rooster Fabrics, working with the girls there.  While there and walking back to the hotel one evening, I spotted these silly ladies along the street and just had to pose with them!  I'm sure I'm not the first one to do it, but I thought that they were too much fun!

So, those were my two big adventures for the summer, and now I am buckling down, trying to adjust to the quiet house since my kids went back to school (wow, I never thought I would hear myself saying that!) and gearing up for the arrival of another fabric line and preparing for Quilt Market in October.

And now, I leave you with this.....

I have heard that my Simply Imagine fabric is starting to appear in the quilt shops, and I have added the newest patterns to the website.  Be sure to check them out!

Until next time.....

 

:: just spooling around! ::

First things first.  I want to thank each and every one of you for sharing your stories, your hearts, your hurts and prayers.  I can't tell you how much they touched me.  And made me wonder why I waited to share.  Well, besides the fact that I was (and still am) so completely overwhelmed with how far behind I am.....

BUT, I do have some good news!

Tad's scan came back good and his tumor markers were down, so no surgery is needed right now.  He goes back in a month for another check and they will once again look everything over and determine if he is ok without surgery.  It is still at long road to complete recovery, but I'm thankful that he is at least on the mend.  Energy level is way down, and his lungs were affected by one of the drugs so he's enduring some pain and shortness of breath, but things are at least looking up!

The other snippet of good news is that I finally got my new book sent off to the printer!  YEA!  I'm hoping to see the big semi trailer pulling into my cul-de-sac late this week or early next week. And because it should be here soon, I'm thinking that I need to share a few of the projects with you.

This is the quilt that kind of inspired the name of the book.....

I used lots of different fabrics for the spools, but they are all from my more recent fabric lines, as well as fabrics from my newest line Heartstrings.  I must have been tired and in a slap-happy mood when I was working on it because this little play on words, "just spooling around", popped into my head.... Get it?  Just spooling around instead of just fooling around?!  I had myself a little chuckle and decided that it would be a great name not only for the quilt, but for the book too!

Another project that was really fun to make was this table runner....

Yes, once again I felt the need to use that jumbo rick rack that I love so much.  I didn't plan it that way, it's just that once I got the whole thing pieced together, it just fit with the mood of the blocks.  I love the wavy edge that mimics the wavy applique edge..... so fun!

This is a lap size quilt that uses the large scale prints from Heartstrings in the center of the stars.  Actually, the entire quilt is made with fabric from my new line, Heartstrings! 

And then there is my personal favorite....

I know, it may not look like a typical quilt that I would make, but I had such a blast making this one.  I made this one for my son to take to college with him.  He loves music, plays several different instruments, and even writes some of his own.  It's a big quilt, sized to fit the XL twin beds in the dorms, so the music notes are pieced, not applique.  I collected the black, gray and red music fabrics over the past year and just enjoyed every minute of making this quilt.

On this next quilt, I printed pictures on the Printed Treasures fabric.... I have to say, that stuff is awesome....

I picked pictures of my boys as three different ages and just have to chuckle about the way the pictures convey their relationship.  Although they are 3 years apart in age, they have always gotten along great and I love that!

And, here is one that my mom designed and made.  I liked it so much that I had to include it in this book....

Yes, those are all half square triangles.  The funny story about this quilt is that these are all my fabrics, many of which were scraps that mom pilfered from my trash can!  Some of the fabrics were from my very first lines of fabric, close to 10 years ago! 

And then there are a few smaller projects I made out of wool....

What can I say?  I still love working with wool.  The colors, the feel, the texture.... things you just can't get with cotton fabrics.  The first picture is a pincushion and the second one is a project bag that is a great size to keep my knitting projects in.  Of course, that particular project has been in the bag for a long time since I don't get a lot of knitting done anymore..... Maybe my husband will forget that I told him I would make those felted wool slippers for him......

And finally, the project that is on the cover of the book....

 Yep, after photographing it for the cover, I made it into a little pillow!

 And that's it! 

I'm still working on getting the fabric swatches scanned, resized, and put into some sort of format where they can be posted on my web page, but I did get the book added today, so if you happen to order it, just be aware that it will still be several days before it is actually shipped out.

Now, I'm off to do some more work on the next fabric line.  I finally have a direction and a plan, which is a good thing since I'm already about a month behind getting it to Red Rooster.  It's hard to believe that Quilt Market is looming on the horizon because there is still so much to be done yet.  Yikes!  Will I ever get caught up?!

 

 

 

Market Prep

As you can imagine, I have been frantically trying to get ready for International Quilt Market, which is in { gasp } less than a week.  Where oh where did the time go?!  

I've had several days in the past few weeks when my parents have graciously come to help out, and because mom always brings her camera and takes pictures, I thought I would let her write a post and share some things from her perspective.  So, let me introduce to you.....

Mom (aka Jackie)!

As you read, you will see that I felt the need to insert a few comments.... you will be able to pick them out, I'm sure!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Greetings from Mom!  Terri has granted me the questionable honor of doing a blog for her.  You see, she has been really busy getting ready for Market in Houston.  So being the Mom that I am, she asked me if I'd like to do a "guest blog."   Of course, I couldn't resist the offer.

Dad and I love helping Terri get ready for Market!    Well, I love it and Dad jumps in after I volunteer him.   Actually, our vehicles are trained to make the 60 mile trip between our homes in record time, time and time again!

My first assignment for this market was to show up to help with a new design.   Wellllllll.....any of you who design your own quilts know that great ideas don't always turn into great quilts.  Here's our first effort at using the new fabric line to make a "musical quilt" like Tyler's.  

NOTE:  I don't think I shared the making of Tyler's quilt here on my blog because I was trying to decide if it was going to be in my next book..... Just a few weeks ago, I decided to attempt writing the instructions for it and think I have it figured out, so you will see the final quilt in my new book!  But here is a photo as a little sneek peek since mom brought it up! 

Neither of us were really pleased with what we were seeing, so back to the drawing board we went.   To make a long story short, I headed home with the "notes" and a stack of fabric.  Being as lazy as I am at times, I decided to use only completed blocks for A Brief Note.    I have to admit, its a little "off the wall" or different, but I also have to admit I had a blast doing it!

 

Oops!  There's a stray spool left from another project on my design wall!!!  {hmmm...... wonder if that ended up in a project for this book..... I'm thinking you're going to have to check back to see when I do the sneek peek post!}

After quilting and finishing the quilt, I headed to my embroidery machine and produced three labels for quilts going in the book.   Labels are really important, especially for someone who is old, like me, as I cannot remember who quilted what, or even if I did it or someone else did it--especially after time passes.

Back to Noblesville a couple more times--don't ask me just what we did, but Terri and I were busy all day.

OK--time is really getting short now, so Carol, Terri's assistant, cut fat quarters, many of which ended up back in Lafayette where Dad folded them while I worked on binding a couple things so photos could be taken.  

Back to Noblesville again--whew!  Carol was still cutting while Dad folded more quarters.....I stitched labels in place and attached a sleeve for the Indy quilt show, where Terri entered a wonderful exchange quilt. {I'll post a picture of that quilt at a later date.... it's one of my favorites!}   Carol works on the computer while Dad (the Champion folder) is busy stacking quarters for bundles.

And here they are!!!   Neat, tidy little bundles all ready for the trip to Houston.

 

In addition to getting fat quarters ready, Terri has to finish the back of a rather large quilt.....here she is, diligently working on piecing it.   Notice that its not just a large piece of fabric.....pieced backs are much more fun.

Photos are another "must" in order to publish a book.....The dining room turns into the photo studio!  {sigh.... the photography is NOT my favorite part of doing a book!}

And you surely think Terri treats her quilts like gold---not all the time.   These have been photographed and are ready for the trip.

Oh, and the booth needs to be designed, props selected, etc.    Not sure just what the ball has to do with it, but maybe the little bed will be taking a trip! {The ball was there to hold up the center of the quilt so I could see if it fit on the bed!  Really, I think that is the most action this excercise ball has seen in several months!}

 

There are still a couple of projects to be finished.....to use or not to use, that is the question!    Do the colors work?   How many blocks?   And on, and on, and on.    This one may or may not make it into the book!

One more little detail--Terri always makes sure there's a delicious lunch available for anyone helping her!  {Yum!  My favorite lunch!}

Well, that's about it from Market Prep land.   Hope you enjoyed this sneak peek of what Quilt Market is all about.....it's about a messy house (always time to clean up later) and everyone pitching in to get it done!

Cheers to all, and happy quiltimg from the Whimsicals Mom

 

 

 

 

:: apologies ::

Have you ever done something that unintentionally hurts a dear friend or someone you care about?

Now I KNOW that most of you can relate, so go ahead and admit it.

Well, this recently happened to me and I am so deeply saddened by it.  Even when things happen that are merely an accident or unintentional, I still feel the need to try and make amends.  So here goes....

You see, I just got my copy of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting (November/December 2011 issue).  And on page 78, you will see a lovely quilt called Winterbury Lane and a not-so-lovely picture of me. 

Honestly, it's been a long time since I've had a quilt featured in a magazine.

You see, I don't submit many things to magazines because frankly I have a hard time keeping up with making what I need to for my own books and fabric.  Even with quilts and projects for myself, I rely heavily on several friends (yes, my  mom is included in that group) and their gifts/talents to help me out.  Believe me, I would not be where I am without them.   I am forever thankful that they are willing to share their talents and eternally grateful that they are there beside me in this journey I call life.

So, you can imagine how my excitement over having a quilt in this magazine was quickly replaced by despair when I realized that I had failed to give the proper credit to those who helped me make this project possible.

Although I did design the quilt, it was pieced and sewn together by my mom, Jackie Conaway, and quilted by my friend Kathy Dye of KD Dids.

Mom did an outstanding job of using the fabrics that I sent to her, conversing with me via Skype, and making it all work. 

And Kathy did an exceptional job of quilting, mimicking the applique snowflakes in the snowball blocks, and making the border print look incredible with the little swirls and snowflakes.  If you are fortunate to have a copy of the magazine, you can see these details.

Although I work alone every day, my work is not done by me alone.  Like many people, I need some help along the way.... whether it is an opinion, someone to bounce an idea off of, proofreading, getting a project quilted, or simply finishing it by sewing binding down.  My friends generously help with all of these things.  There is no way that I could possibly keep doing what I do without them.

So, when you see something by Whimsicals or with my name on it, please don't just think of me.  Think of all those that helped to make it possible.  Think of it as a group effort, a collaboration even. 

If you are one of those friends, I thank you.  And if you know of or see one of my friends, please thank them.

Because without them, I would be nothing.

 

It's about time, don't you know?

I know, I know, it's been FOREVER since I've written anything here.  I've started countless times.  Have had lots of ideas.  I've even written them in my head - and please tell me that I'm not the only one who composes thoughts into stories in my head at a time when I can't write them down..... like when I'm driving or taking a shower....

No, the problem is not in coming up with the ideas or getting started.  It's more in the completion.

You see, I get started, then get distracted, then lose my train of thought, and by the time I make it back to finish things, everything that I wrote is so out of date that I have to start all over again.  And hope that I can remain focused long enough to finish.  Obviously, that focus thing hasn't been working in my favor recently. 

And I have to tell you that it is not only with my blog.  It's with everything. Which explains why I just finished my latest book a few weeks ago - the one that was supposed to be finished in May - and why there is a lag between when I got the books delivered to me and when I'm posting it for all of blogdom to see.

But because I'm determined to finish this one tonight, {even if I have to pinch myself to stay awake} I'll move it along and show you my latest book and projects....

 

 

Originally, I was going to do the book with only a few color pages showing the projects and have the text pages for the instructions in black and white.  More like my older books.  But after getting the entire book laid out, I just didn't like it.  So, I went back through the whole thing, added color to all the diagrams, and re-worked it to have color on every page.  And I must say that it was worth it.  A lot of extra work, yes.  But so worth the end result.

So, here are the projects....

This is such a cheerful quilt!  I was really trying to make the blocks look like buttons and flowers without having to do any applique, and I think it turned out well.

 

 

For this one, I took the owl that is on one of the prints in the Buttons and Blooms fabric line and appliqued him on the pillow.  The swirls that you see coming from the branches were actually stitched on with my machine, because I was trying to save some time.  I simply threaded my #16 pearle cotton floss through the upper part of the machine and used some Aurofil thread in the bobbin.  It was quick, easy, and effective!

This tote bag uses two small parts of the panel that is in this line.  They become the pockets on the outside (yes, that's a pocket, and there's another one on the other side using a different panel section.  I sized this to be pretty generous, so keep in mind that ANY fabrics can be used for this.  Make one for the winter and one for the summer.  I think a heavy weight home dec fabric would look great for this bag too.  I'm just sayin'.....

 

This table runner was so much fun to put together!  And I used up some more of my really jumbo rick rack in the process!

 

No, this one is not a panel..... it is actually painted on the fabric using the Shiva Paintstiks!  In the book, I give specific instructions on using the paint and in addition to the colors I used in Make It Merry (burnt umber, crimson, ivory black and meadow green) I used yellow ochre and slate blue.  If you've never used these paints, you're missing out!

 

You can probably tell that this is another portion of the panel print, along with the large border stripe print.  But my favorite thing about this quilt is all the buttons my mom stitched on for me in the border!

 

Once again I ask, can you ever have too many pincusions?!  I love the size and weight of this wool one.  The little needle book is removeable so you can stash it in your sewing kit, or leave it attached. 

And finally, Ollie the Owl.....

 

I had so much fun making Ollie and he seems content to sit by my machine and watch me stitch away.  Now, if only I could find the time to get to my machine to sew!

And that is all!  I have added Buttons and Blooms to my website, so be sure to check it out there....

www.whimsicalquilts.com

Before I go, I wanted to thank all of you for being so supportive and understanding while I try to get everything done yet still enjoy a little time with my kids this summer.   The high school graduation went great, and this summer has been awesome with both my boys home and all their friends congregating in our basement.  But the next several weeks are going to be hard, especially once they are both gone.  I will be finding out what it is like to once again have the house quiet and picked up.  Am I looking forward to it?  Yes and no.  But I guess I'll find out and I'll keep you posted!

Now, I can't believe I did it!  I finished an entire blog post in one night.  Wow.  I think that deserves a good night sleep.....

Good Night!

 

:: the final projects ::

It is always so interesting to see which projects are the favorites and which ones intrigue people.  Believe it or not it is seldom the ones that I would have guessed, so thanks for all the comments!

And from the comments, it sounds like there are a lot of you who have not yet tried the paintstiks, so I guess I need to work on some sort of tutorial.  In the books that have projects where the paintstiks were used, I do have detailed instructions on the technique that I use.  I don't leave you wondering what to do with them!  But my best advice is to just experiment with them.  I should put a big note where I use them saying  NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY because believe me, anyone can do it.  I've seen people with no painting experience get really great results!

If you want to purchase some of the paintstiks, I found a website, www.artsupply.com, that has them for a good price.  Although I've never ordered from them before, you might give it a try!

With that being said, I have one more project in the Make It Merry book that I used the paintstiks on.  It's a little ornament called A Little Joy.

Again, I felt the need to add some additional texture with the lace trim, but that's what makes it so fun!

And I had some of you ask about the little box that was in the picture with the pincushion, so I'm pleased to let you know that it is in the book as well.  I show two different versions.... One of them I did with the fabric from Winterberry Lane, so it is very Christmasy (is that a word?!) and the other is one that can be used for just about anything.

I leave one on my counter to store my tea bags in because it is the perfect size for that.  Wouldn't it be fun to fill it up with hot chocolate packets and peppermint sticks to give to a friend?  Or tea bags, like I did, and have some friends over for tea and scones?! Ah, too many ideas and not enough time!

Here's another project.  How could I do a Christmas book and not include a tree skirt?

I called this Simple Gifts.  See the big border stripe from Winterberry Lane?  Because there are two distinct portions of the stripe, I tried to make the best use of the fabric and cut them so that both could be used, resulting in very little waste.  I can't wait to put this under my tree next year!

My mom helped me out a little with this book by designing this Christmas Star...

This little quilt is the perfect size to place in the center of your table to give it a nice festive look.  And you can complete your table with the Jolly Holly Placemats....

Anyone who did the Cross Country Quilter's Blog Hop a few years ago will recognize these.  This was my projects that I shared when I was a part of that.  I love the big holly leave and the big rick rack.  What a statement!

So, there you have it.  I think I covered them all and I hope that you like them!  Don't forget to leave me a comment to have a chance at winning a fat quarter bundle of Winterberry Lane and a copy of Make It Merry!  You can check out my website and see all of the fabrics included in this line by clicking here. 

I'm going to wait until Monday morning to draw a winner, so keep the comments coming!  Hope you have a great weekend!

Terri

 

:: spring is here! ::

Happy Spring!!!!

I was so in need of a good weather day, and today did not disappoint.

This morning as I was sitting in my room working, I glanced out the window and saw this.....

And I realized that it was the first day of spring!  And the sun was shining.  And it was warm.

I don't know about you, but it's been a long winter and I am so excited to think about putting my winter coats and boots away.  My flip flops were calling to me from my closet this morning and although I ignored them, I know that it won't be long before they become an intrical part of my wardrobe again.  Woo hoo!

And another thing to celebrate....

Last week I sent my new book off to the printer!

Can I tell you what a relief it is to have this book completed?!  AND how happy I am to not work on anything Christmas related?!  I know, that's probably not what you want to hear, when the Winterberry Lane fabric is starting to show up in shops about now, but I feel like I have been stuck in Christmas mode since October.

And because I'm so over the Christmas thing, I'm going to give away a fat quarter bundle of the Winterberry Lane fabric to one lucky person along with a copy of Make It Merry when it shows up sometime next week!

So, over the next several days, I'm going to share with you the projects in the book.  All you need to do is leave me a comment on one of those days, and you'll be in the running.  It's that easy!

Good Luck and Happy Spring!

 

:: silent no more ::

Hello?!

Is anyone there?!

I know, it's been a very long time since I've posted anything, but believe me, I've been really busy.  Wanna see what I've been up to?

The first week and a half of February, I was snowed in.  Well, ok, not really for a week and a half.  It was probably more like 3 days.  But it sure felt like a week and a half.  And it wasn't really snow, either.  It was ice, which would explain why I couldn't go anywhere, since my car doesn't do well on the ice.  Or snow for that matter.  But that's all beside the point.  This is what it looked like....

It looks a little bit mad, don't you think?  My feelings, exactly.... 

There was ice everywhere and I felt like I was never going to escape.  But I finally did.  And my car did too!  And there was much rejoicing!

We had a lot of snow this winter; more than we usually do, which usually puts me in a grumpy mood, because I don't like snow.  But one day as I was grumbling, pulling into the snowy driveway again, I saw something that made me smile.  

My son had been outside and randomly made this little snowman on the little patio table that sits in the front yard.  I don't know why, but I had to laugh.  And then I had to grab my camera to get a picture.  This was before the ice storm.  AFTER the ice storm, this same table made me laugh again.....

How funny is that?! 

I have no clue how this formed, but this sheet of ice hung on like this for several days.  It was the wierdest thing.  No one in our house could figure this one out.  Finally, it just melted away.

So, while everyone else was happliy stitching away when they were "iced" in (get it? Instead of snowed in, we were iced in?!  Ok, that was lame, I know.  I won't do that again...) I spent most of my time at my computer, trying to get patterns written, a book completed, and a new fabric line designed. 

And I have two out of the three done. 

Not bad, but I was hoping to have my book done by now.  Just a few more weeks, though.  I'm finishing the final projects this weekend, and then it's back to the computer for writing, layout, photo touch-ups, etc.

But, I did get the new patterns completed and printed.  I even got them up on my website this week.  And just in time too, becuase I've heard that the Winterberry Lane fabric is starting to show up in the shops already!  So, just in case you haven't seen them, here are the new patterns to go with the fabric....

I also have a new hat pattern and my very first apron pattern!! 

I have to say that this hat is by far my favorite one that I've made.  I take it just about everywhere I go, just in case I'm having a bad hair day, which is more often than I like.  And every time I wear it, I get compliments.

I can't say the same for the apron though, because I think it usually works best to wear an apron in the kitchen.  And since I spend very little time in the kitchen, well....  Let's just say that the apron has not seen a lot of use.  But, it is a fun one!  I made it so that it can be reversed, which also gives it a bit more thickness.

So now, all I have left to do is finish this book.  I'm working on it, believe me.  And I'm hoping that everyone finds that it was worth the wait.  It's been fun, making all these Christmas things, but I'm ready to move on now.  Ready for some spring, not only outside, but in my sewing room too.  Just a few more weeks, I know.  I can feel it....

:: my room, an overview ::

Thanks so much for all the comments!! They all give me something to think about!

I realize that it would probably help to see an overview of my entire room and give you a bit more information, so I tried to tidy it up a bit and took a few more pictures.  I thought about standing in the middle of the room and clicking pictures as I turned in a circle, but the room is too small for you to see much of anything unless you are physically standing here with me.  Seriously.  It is a bedroom that measures almost 11 feet by 13 feet. But, it's my own little space, so it works!

You already saw part of the wall with my sewing table, so here is the rest, moving around the room.

Right now, this dry sink holds my wool inside and my homemade ironing board on top.  The nice thing about it is that I can stick things in the space under the ironing board.  But really, it's too tall in front of the window.  It's a picky thing, I know, but from outside, when the blinds are open, you see the icky back of this, and it covers the heat register.  Also, being only 5 feet tall, I have a really hard time reaching over it to open the window!

To give me added space, I took the doors off the closet and built in a desk, which made sense 7 years ago when I did it.  But since then, I've realized that we put the desk too low and I can't even get a file cabinet to fit underneath, so right now, I have it stuffed with bolts of fabric that I'm trying to find a place for.  I've thought about converting it back into a closet so that I can put my fabric in there, but then I'd have to find a desk, which leads to more issues.....

And in case you are wondering about the wall shelf above my computer.... I had my brother make that for me and I love it, but there again, I need to figure out how to make better use of the space.  More about that at a later date.....

This is a little wider look where you can see the start of my own custom made design wall (complete with a cutout for the outlet!!)

And the rest of my design wall.  Notice that I had to take the door off of the room in order to use this wall, which works out okay until the basement (which is right down the hallway you see there) is filled with teenage boys and their music/video games.  Ahh..... what I wouldn't give for a door on those days!!  But, I only have 8 more months until he's off to college, and I know that I'll be missing it then, so don't even let me get started.....

And now, we're back to where we started, messy table and all.  See my sewing table there on the left? 

Now, before your jaw drops, thinking that this is all the fabric I have, understand that this is where I do most of my work, but not all.  In previous posts, I've given glimpses of the "oozing" effect that comes with having a business in the home, and you can tell that my dining room is used more for Whimsicals than it is for dining.  That is also where I lay out large quilts because it's the only room with a floor that's large enough.  The up side to that is the exercise I get running between the rooms and up and down the half flight of stairs when I'm working on something!

So, there you have it.  I can't believe that I actually am putting pictures of my sewing room here for everyone to see, and I'm hoping they don't end up on some weird website showcasing "what NOT to do", but I guess I took that risk when I first decided to ask for your suggestions!  I'll take some closer pictures of each area for the next few posts, so that you can get a better idea of what I'm trying to work out and accomplish. 

But in the meantime, I need to get to work.  Can't wait to see what kind of suggestions I get this time!