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Friday, November 23, 2012

Moving Back In!

There is nothing more humbling than moving out and moving in and seeing just what you’ve got.  I still feel like there is TOO MUCH in here!

But this is my life, my livelihood—a huge part of who I am and this is the way I work.

I’m organizing things a bit better as I go, but one thing is for certain, I don’t think I can sew up the scraps fast enough to make a dent!  There are more crumbs and strings than I thought ----I love crumb and string quilts, so the HAVING is not a problem…..or maybe it is! 

Perhaps there will be String Fling II, III, IV & V because something has to be the drive to keep sewing it up!

For what it’s worth –I  am probably MORE in love with my variety of scraps and strings than I am of the yardage on the shelves or the Fat Quarters in the bins –the challenge to me is how to use such seemingly useless pieces….I love small piecing, always have---and I love big quilts with lots of small pieces, and therein lies the challenge --- the TIME it takes to piece large quilts from small pieces.

Above is the stack of crumb strips I worked on this morning – I was up early to get the post going for East Street Part 1, and I could sit and sew and not wake anyone else up.  This quilt has a NAME that just popped into my head:  “Trash Can Sally!”  ((Of course, sang to the tune of MUSTANG SALLY don’t you know!?))  It will grow to be a quilt some day some how.

I have a confession----Missy The Magic Bus is going to have to go have a bit of a timing adjustment.  She’s been skipping stitches, and I don’t know how to fix that.  I can monkey with top tension and bobbin cases, but after changing the needle, re-threading 14 times and pulling my hair out --- she needs a bit of tweaking.  I carefully put her back in her box and I’ll take her to the fix-it guy on Monday.  There was no way in heck I was going to venture out this weekend.  Even if I did, I doubt she’d get worked on TODAY.

studio 020

Moving back in!

The new baseboard is up, and I spent time today painting window trim and door trim in prep for putting in a new door. 

studio 021
The longarm side!

Bins and bins and bins and bins and bins……I can’t add any more bins, I’m out of room under that table!

Someone commented last night that they are afraid I’m not going to like my carpet.  I LOVE THIS CARPET!  Yes, it will show lint and thread --- and those yellow headed pins will be VERY EASY TO SEE when I drop them from the long arm to the floor.  It vacuums up SO easily and looks great.  That old Berber stuff I had?  No matter HOW often I vacuumed it, it always looked grungy.  I do not want wood or tile or laminate under my feet.  I like the comfort of carpet and the ease of running a vacuum to pick up thread snips.  I’m excited about my new floor.  It suits the way I live.  And I can live with lint and dog ears and thread.

For those asking questions on the carpet, It’s made by Shaw Industries and I got it at Liberty Salvage building materials in Winston Salem.  It’s a surplus type store, so what they have they have, and who knows what they’ll get next and who knows if more will be available.  I did take a picture of the barcode on the box:

studio 019

I know I had mentioned that we might do Quilt-Cam tonight – but I’ve got too far to go yet to be ready, and I’ll be too far worn out by the time 9pm comes along.  Perhaps Sunday afternoon if not  tomorrow evening?  We are working like crazy bees over here putting it all back together!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

33 comments:

  1. After your recent travel schedule and the thrill of seeing you in Lansing for the Star Struck workshop I can't see how ANYONE would fault you for taking some "Bonnie Time" ... you need it, girlfriend ... seriously!! People can be working on their Easy Street mystery ... enjoy your time at home!

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  2. I love how your work space looks. I wish I could join on Easy Street, so for now I'm saving the PDFs and hoping that things will be a little different soon.

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  3. Your studio is going to look so nice!
    Did some strip sewing, am cutting them down now to be fourpatch material... EZ PZ 8^} Thank you!
    Have already some material for crumbs from the cutting!
    For now: off to bed, its almost 23.00 over here.
    Love LOVE the colors in the crumbs!
    From a dark and rainy Amsterdam (ha, doesn't matter when i'm asleep!)
    Irene

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  4. Bonnie, you do so much! You definitely need to rest until Sunday afternoon. Take it easy this evening and tomorrow evening too. The be fresh and relaxed for Quilt Cam on Sunday. I'll be fixing dinner for 32 on Saturday evening, and would not be able to join you then. But I'm really only thinking of you when I suggest you wait! ;-)

    I've been playing with my 4 patches for Easy Street in between cleaning house and making food ahead. It was like Christmas morning when I got up today! I dashed to the computer right away and, Hooray! I got to open your gift to me ( and thousands of others!)

    Thanks for all you do for us.

    Cheryl in Friendsville MD - www.katydidart.net

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  5. Looks wonderful! Mine looks great when I totally move everything out too! Then, I start putting things on shelves and cupboards and then it looks way too full! I need to re-organize and purge some. Trouble is, I moved my scrapbooking "stuff" in with my quilting - way too much "stuff"!
    I like your carpet and miss mine alot. We have hardwood and lino in our house and in my studio and it just seems cold to the touch. I'm investing in some throw rugs and carpet just to make it a little warmer feeling especially when the weather has already dropped as low as -22 celcius.... It's just right for sewing now! Have a great weekend! I'm watching the Grey Cup on Sunday too!

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  6. I'm traveling but love seeing the progress you are making in
    your sewing studio. It gives me plenty of ideas to use when I set up my new studio :0). Is it possible to use the carpet tiles free floating as an area rug?
    I really like this look. Nicely done!

    Happy Sewing

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  7. Love the studio Bonnie! Thanks for sharing!

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  8. What progress! started on my easy street today...cutting 2 inch strips is a good semi-mindless task suited for days like today!

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  9. Is that a vacuum cleaner I see in the "longarm side" photo? I believe in always leaving the vacuum cleaner out, then when people come over, they will think they interrupted you in the middle of cleaning.

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  10. Seeing your treadle out and ready to use has had me get mine out. I really ought to use her. She's been idle for over a year, but I can't co-ordinate feet and hands. Never have been able to. Any tips?

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  11. Bonnie, SHAW carpet is a VERY GOOD brand!~ VERY!~ I love your floor. You got a real deal on that, if it was at a surplus or closeout price. Good going!~ Sure is looking good!
    You need some little elves to sew up those scraps while you are sleeping...

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  12. Love the redo, and the carpet is so fun and funky. I agree, if I had my sewing stuff in the basement (I don't have a 'place' for it yet) I'd want carpet, too. Much more comfy to stand on. Enjoy your new space. Hope the 'doc' can fix the FW easily.

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  13. I don't know why people think that if flooring shows the thread and lint, that's a bad thing. I am a bit of a clean nut and like to know when it's dirty, so I can vacuum. Otherwise you forget about it and it's just always dirty. Looks great and I know it feels great. Put your feet up tonight and enjoy yourself.

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  14. Do you have another featherweight? I retimed one of mine and it was pretty simple, but I had another one next to it to compare the needle placement with.
    I just checked my featherweight book and it says to be sure the positioning finger is engaged properly if you are missing stitches.

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  15. I don't want further instructions on Easy Street, but was wondering if we need larger strips or yardage later of the black on white? Linda got over zealous.!!!!!

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    1. Kinda. Not Linda! Should blame it on her tho!

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  16. You do so much Bonnie, so why don't you rest until Sunday afternoon. Those on the other side of the ocean would love to see you as well. You studio is really coming together and is looking much warmer. I'm sure you will love it. I hope you can get the stitch skipping taken care of. Let us know what it was.

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  17. Your studio is looken good.... I have wood. My son and hubby put it down last year for Christmas. Its pretty but we have sand and that is death with rolly chairs. I put lots of rugs down so why have the wood.. oh well it was sweet of them to do. I love your carpet. cut my strips and sewed some on Easy Street but wouldn't you know, I had cut it at 2 1/2 instead of 2.. read directions cut once..lol oh well its looken good now..See you on QuiltCam when you get time and have enough rest. We all look forward to it but a girl can only so much..lol

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  18. Your studio is lookin' good, Bonnie, and I'm with you about carpet. It feels warmer. Up here in Northern Ohio we need that. We are getting our first little snow tonight - nothing serious Tomorrow morning, I'm starting on Easy Street and am following your colors. I'm very excited and love how your directions are sew helpful with the sewing tips and pictures.

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  19. I love your carpet. When I first saw it it made me think of a quilt because of the colorful pattern. I have berber in my living room and absolutely hate it!! Your room is comely along very nicely. Have a nice relaxing weekend :)

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  20. If you can wear snips and threads to the airport, guess the floor can wear thread snips and dogear snips once in a while!!! My kids inspect me (front and back) before they will go out to eat with me!! :)

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  21. Can you please come organize ME in your spare time?
    Pretty please? There's a "Happy Birthday,to me" in it for you. You know how you love that! :)

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  22. your studio is looking fabulous! Linda is here, and we are stripping up a storm, taking turns between the cutting mat and the sewing machine, our mysteries are in progress!

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  23. Bonnie, you know more about FW than I do, but did you try a smaller size needle? They say the size 60 is best altho hard to find sometimes. If you have one, it wouldn't hurt to try it. I was having skipped stitches with my Elna 62c and that solved the problem.

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  24. Beautiful studio Bonnie! Put your feet up and relax. We can wait for quilt cam. Switch off the phone, fill a glass and enjoy some Bonnie time!!

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  25. Anonymous12:22 AM EST

    Have to say Bonnie, you have done a remarkable amount in a short time with your studio. I love it - wonderful working space.

    We have wood floors. Really like it, to each her own perference. Mine came with the house...luckily.

    Starting on the 192 4 patches for Easy Street, CAn't wait to seeit moce along.
    Smiles
    JulieinTN

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  26. Loved seeing the Long shot of the studio and long arm space. There is a lot of storage under your Long arm. The runners will protect your carpet. Take time to rest while we work on Easy street tomorrow. I have to wait for my family to leave- then SEWING is on the agenda!

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  27. I love the look of your new carpet.
    I sometimes wish that I would like carpets a bit more... but I'm the laminate flooring kind of girl (being able to wipe away little accidents that my twins cause every day saves quite some time).
    The view into your studio gives me a whole lot of ideas what to do with all the room that I will have under my new longarm machine (which will arrive somewhen in the next two weeks I hope).
    Thank you for all the inspiration that you give to your readers... not only when it comes to quilting - you are also very inspiring on how to manage all that travelling & teaching, sewing new quilts for new books and even as gifts, writing and sharing new mysteries and still be a great wife, mother and friend...
    I guess you're my idol...
    Greetings from Germany!
    Janina

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  28. Wow! How nice to have a "new" space. I know that feeling of having too much in my space. It'll ease up when you settle in and find the perfect arrangement of stuff. I love all the quilts hanging on the wall. I can see how it would be so inspiring to work there.

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  29. Looking good! I like carpet in my sewing space too. The threads are more likely to stay on the carpet instead of traveling all over the house. And like you said, vacuums up so easily!

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  30. Thank you so much for the first clue to the mystery!
    I'm having a ball poking along on it. It is especially enjoyable to be using my thick stash of Civil War stuff and I'm grateful that you had mentioned early on that Easy Street would work with Civil War selections.
    In the meantime, I'm glad that you are giving yourself a little time off to get some rest!

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  31. And I have heard so many people say they LOVE the carpet squares because if a square gets damaged and there is just no salvaging it you just pull ONE square up and replace it! Not like my 40 year old wool carpet that I am babying till I can convince Honeyman this is a great idea! ;0)

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  32. Like you, since I always go to my scrap bins first, I wonder when I'll use up all the yardage I have. Remember your Bargello Bowl a few years ago--for that quilt, I DID go through a lot of my nearly folded yardage to cut WOF strips. I honestly think it's the last time I made a quilt NOT from scraps :-)

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