New to me curtains

This summer we travelled to Edmonton, Alberta , Canada to visit my eldest daughter Diana and her family.  We were so excited to meet our newest granddaughter, Gemma Elizabeth!  While there, I bought Diana some new blackout curtains for her living room as the hot prairie sun blazed in on us all day long and it was so dang hot!  These Ikea curtains below were full-length and hanging up prior to our trip to Walmart.  I asked Diana what she would do with them and she had no plans, I asked her If I could have them and she said yes!  Already, I could see them hanging in my sewing cave.  My alterations were simple, I folded them in half and sewed the bottom to just about the top. I didn't measure or cut - I just sewed them, as Diana's new curtains had grommets I took the curtains rings too.  I stopped at Ross's and picked up a nickle colored rod and after a trip to Lowe's to get proper wall fasteners my new window treatment was complete.

Thanks Didi - these look so much better than the black mini-blinds that used to grace this window.

Oh, the joys of a ping pong table!

Carnell got me a ping pong table for our anniversary - do we play ping pong heck no but I sure am going to put it to good use or spray basting my quilts.  I am getting too old to get down on the floor to tape and spray and smooth my quilts.  I rarely do anything smaller that a queen size quilt and it is just to hard on my aging body.

In this picture you can see the backing is clamped down to the table and I have laid my batting down. I have it taped the backing to the table on the far end to keep it taunt.  The is enough room to walk around the quilt on 3 sides.

Now you can see that I have added the quilt top and have it laid back, I have already spray basted the batting to the back and now working on the top to the batting.  This quilt is queen size , so I will have to unclasp, move the quilt over and then clamp it again to finish the spray basting.

Can you see how nice and flat things are turning out?

I was able to spray baste 5 quilts in one afternoon using my ping pong table!  I have Planter's Facsits in both feet and this new table has been heaven sent.  Thanks Carnell, you are an amazing husband!

Another nice feature of the table is bonus storage space underneath !



Wow, I can't believe that it is over a month since I wrote anything new.  With the start of the new school year and lots of projects to work on things just go by the wayside.  However, I am ready, willing and able to

share a few new things with you.

A Light Light to Sew By :)

My sewing space was once a garage, and it has one window and only one double set of wall plugs and no ceiling lights.  I have been struggling with clip on lights, free standing Ott lights, desk Ott lights but try as I might I haven't been able to achieve a decent sewing light.  With winter fast approaching and the amount of day light decreasing I was determined to find a light to sew by.  Off to Lowes I went two weeks ago to get a new Ott light for the HD reading light we have in the living room.  While I could not find a light bulb for that light, I did spy this hanging garage light that plugs into the wall. Now the garage does not have a proper ceiling, but rather ceiling tiles and I debated on whether or not I could hang a  suspended light over my sewing table.  I threw caution to the wind and brought it home - light fixture and day light bulbs  cost just over $20.00.  I screwed the toggle bolts into the ceiling tile and hung it up - while I will replace the toggle bolts with ceiling hanging hooks for now all is good!  I think I will have to get different chain as the one supplied will not work with the ceiling hooks (like for hanging plants from)

I am very pleased to say that the light is amazing and I can sew after dark with no trouble.  The heat put off by the light will be nice in the colder weather also as the garage is unheated, but it really doesn't get too cold down there for me - this is southern California :)



My sewing studio is constantly evolving

 This is the view from the door leading down the two stairs into my studio.  As this was once a garage a long time ago there is only the one window.  I have lamps scattered throughout my space,

but I cherish the daytime hours when I do not really need them. 

I look out on to the street, so it isn't very exciting.

 For our anniversary, Carnell bought me a ping pong table.  This is wonderful as I am hoping to use it for not only a cutting and pressing station but also to sandwich my quilts. 

This means I will not have to crawl around or constantly get up and down off the floor when I am spray basting!  Thanks Carnell - you are the best!  I am looking forward to trying the huge Horn cutting mat that came with my sewing table now.

 There isn't a lot of floor space now, but enough to use as a design floor.  That is a scrappy foundation pieced quilt from a magazine.  One of the shelves houses the games and

 puzzles for our granddaughter that lives near us.

 I am quite the thrifty person - can you see the green shelf behind the fan?  I found that in the alley behind our school one morning.  It folds up flat and is made of laminated

wood a perfect addition to my sewing studio.

The multi-colored box was given to me by a co-worker - it's original purpose was a cd holder

 with slots but no shelves.  I put a couple of cd's in there and

now I can store some thread in a dust free space.

 The cardboard box in the middle of the table is full of scraps.

 A gel mat on the floor cuts down on fatigue especially if you have planter's fasciitis!

My rug is from St Joseph's thrift store and keeps my chair from sliding

away on the laminate flooring.