Sewing redux

I have spent the last year remodeling my sewing room.  I posted the results on Prim Stitchers Society page on Facebook and got incredible response!  There were so many questions asked  I decided to blog about the remodel and help others on their way.  I absolutely love antiques and found objects and have used them religiously in my decorating for 30 years.  I was very upset when all my long held precious things didn't work in my new space. So I decided to do something about it. Something different for my new life.  Shedding the old (keeping some of it) and starting on a new adventure.

  Not only do I design punchneedle, cross stitch and quilts I've been an interior designer for the last 20 years so that helped a ton!

First, let me say a few words if you like the style I choose: IKEA, IKEA, IKEA, IKEA!  

MEASURE A THOUSAND TIMES, THEN ORDER THE FURNITURE.

 The first set of pictures are "THE BEFORE".  I want everyone to realize this is a very small room. A lot can be done in a small space or even corner.

Unsuccessfully trying to make it work.  Broken shelves, resulted in piles of books all over the house. I was very sad.

I bought cheap shelves from Target to no avail. Things, tiny things, slip through the open spots.

My ironing board become storage instead of a very useful tool of sewing or being able to go out of the house not looking like a crumpled paper sack.

Close up of the carnage and never ending mess.

During the year progress was slowly made. The next set of pictures show what my entire house looked like during the process. I thought I would lose my mind, every room was taken over by this project!!!

A start, some furniture in.  Crap all over the floor, which seemed to never want to leave the comfort of the soft tan builder grade carpet.

Now stacks appeared! Out of nowhere!  My beloved 20 year old ironing board became completely useless. It seemed I moved piles around hoping they would get smaller and eventually they did.

My apartment is very little, barely 790 square feet.  I couldn't eat at my table most of the year.

My tiny living room became the spot of construction and assembly.  

My poor bedroom. No longer a retreat but a friggin nightmare of chaos. 

NOW!!! 

 THE RESULTS!!

 It was so worth all the pain, crying, planning, purging and buying!!!

All wall furniture is from the Hemnes series from IKEA.  Laptop stand, chair, lamp and floor mat from IKEA. Table the embroidery machine is on I won at an auction for $1 fifteen years ago. I love it and will never get rid of it!!

All furniture and baskets in cubbies from IKEA. White and tan basket from Target. Totes in shelf Lilly Pulitzer from a local gift shop.  Atop the cubby are plastic shoe bins from Target that hold all my specialty threads.

Baskets are the Branäs baskets from IKEA. Pink file folders, also IKEA. Tan striped boxes from Target.

Cutting table is 25 years old, I love it!!!

Sewing table is the Olivia series from Sew Vac Direct online. Very easy to put together and loads of space!  I own five sewing machines and three fit in this one table.

Bookcases and Secretary hutch are from the HEMNES series from IKEA. Baskets are from Branäs series from guess where?? IKEA!

Another angle.

Everyone should have a tombstone chalkboard!!

Turquoise stand from IKEA. My oldest daughter gave me the Ballsack to hold my knitting projects and give me the ability to offend others at will. I use it.

The next set of pictures are just some of my favorite details of the new room.

I made this wool pincushion to fit in my pink milk glass compote.

I love childs antique sewing machines. I have one.  I found the pincushion at an antique store.

My faves from Notforgotten Farm!  

No space wasted. Over the door hanger from IKEA, totes from local gift shop.

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Inside part of the hutch.

Not everything is in its place yet!

Inside my very tiny closet, use every inch!!!!

Favorite old things.

Sometimes during the process I would get very depressed. So I got on Ebay and bought lots of the exact same sewing book. Don't tell anyone!!!

Small paper box with sewing notions in it sit atop my knitting books.

I  used a tabletop wreath holder to store my hoops, then actually put a wreath on it.

Turquoise cart from IKEA. Very affordable and easy to put together.

It was not all fun and games. Many boxes arrived at my door looking like this.  Some furniture had parts missing, I spent hours on the phone with customer service. Sometimes they redelivered my entire order and my house was filled to the rafters with huge boxes of stuff I already had.  Then the long wait for them to pick it all back up!!!

I need lots of this. COFFEE!!!!  To eleven please!!!

During all this mess we adopted another puppy mill dog. Her name is Bubbles and she is a sweetheart. 

No Kitty had put up with all this too.

I really wanted to be here 90% of the time!!!!

My hair went grey in the process. 

So, there you have it.  IKEA and a ton of measuring.  You can do it!!!!