Sewing room makeover take... three?

I've lost count to be honest. You have to live with a room a while to learn what works and what doesn't. Especially so for a working room.

While Casey was away becoming one of the few and the proud, I took over his room. I figured the Marines owned him for at least four years, he wouldn't be needing it. At the time it seemed like the perfect arrangement, but it wasn't.

About a year later, I moved things around again. It was better, but over time, it just wasn't working either and eventually became a junk hole. Not at all conducive to creativity. I just wanted to close the door and pretend it wasn't there. Except it was. It was there, and I may have had a bad dream or two about it. 

Think I'm exaggerating? Brace yourselves folks, what you are about to see isn't pretty.

Are you ready?

Now you know why I haven't posted any sewing projects. I'm not sure I could even find the sewing machine.

Yea, bad. Real bad.

Let me say one tiny thing in my defense, I had already started some of the reorganization when I took these photos. You know, things get worse before they get better.  I had pulled things from under the table and piled them on top. The other stuff, like mount lampshade over there, that was there already.

Then it got even worse. You see, to implement my plan, most of the furniture in the room had to come out. There was a lot of stuff hanging out on that furniture

Enough ugliness, it's giving me the heebie-jeebies.Lets get on with the afters.

Wall to wall work table and all it cost me was the price of the legs. It's the same hollow core door I'd been using as a cutting table, only now it's fourteen feet long instead of seven

No new furniture was purchased. Almost everything was reused and repurposed. I did purchase a new plywood top for my cutting table and legs for the work table. I also purchased tissue paper for the pom poms and a small amount of molding. It was a use-what-you-have makeover for sure.

I reused the computer desk by taking the top off, turning it upside down and putting wheels on the new bottom.

All the closetmaid components that were below the cutting table were reused in various ways. The book shelves were placed under the work table.

This one was turned on its side to hold storage boxes and the printer. I made the little shelf to hold my silhouette with a scrap of plywood from the new cutting table. Did you catch that? I said I made that shelf. Yep, me and my kreg jig. It ain't much, but I did it, start to finish, all by my lonesome.

That's not all folks. I also made this thread rack. Alone. Just me.

These shelves? I hung 'em.

I recovered the chairs with fabric I bought a while back and never used. (Hancock Fabric)

I also pimped the closetmaid cabinets that serve as bases for the new cutting table.

I added beadboard backs, beadboard wall paper to the sides and baseboard around the bottom. Oh, and some corner trim on all the corners too. 

You're looking at my stool aren't you? I know you are. It was free. Yep, free. Don't hate.

I was at my cousin's, next door,  he was finishing the edge of my plywood table top with his router and I spied that stool in the corner, dusty, stuff piled on top, and I shamelessly begged him for it. Not really begged, but I let him know if he didn't love it to pieces, I'd give it a happy home. And he said OK.

I spent hours, no joke hours, trying to get the placement of those two cabinets right this morning. I measured and moved, measured and moved. I just knew the first thing Mitch would say when he walked in the room would be,  the table isn't straight. He has one of those eyes. He picks up the slightest offness and it drives him crazy, and when he points it out to me, after I've slaved over some project, it drives me crazy. Like I want to beat him to death with a level or something. I kid.

So, in an effort to keep him from pointing out my nonsquareness, I measured. A lot. I even got the laser level out. Not that I knew what to do with it, but it was there. Moral support, I guess.

One of the bases has drawers and holds my patterns.

The other one has doors to hide crafting necessities.

My books were in the closetmaid book shelves under the cutting table before. Now I can see them all.

I made the cover of this one. Well, not me, but one of my projects.

I was already storing yarn in this bushel basket. I just stained it gray and recovered the little top.

The pegboard was just moved from one wall to another.

Same plastic jars for ribbon storage.

I think I am going to paint the doors on this cabinet with chalkboard paint and I have an art piece planned for the wall above the work table, so it's not 100%, but I couldn't wait any longer to share.

I'm thrilled that I got a new room without going out and buying a bunch of new stuff. I forced myself to used what I had and I couldn't be happier.

Comments

[Thimbleanna]

Wow Autum! It's awesome! You made me laugh several times -- you're too funny. (Apparently I need to get a laser level.) I love all the things you made - especially that thread rack. VERY cool! So...what's the first big sewing project planned for the new space???

[Nima]

wow...that was an awesome experience of visiting your sewing space...i just loved it...than you for sharing...

[domesticali]

Oh my goodness - and I thought I had a lot of craft stuff!!!! It all looks great though - hope you enjoy being in there again.

[Linda Eg]

It looks amazing! :) What did you use for the tread board? :)

[Autum]

Thank  you Linda. The thread board is a scrap piece of pegboard that I painted white. I framed it with molding that I cut to fit and glued onto the pegboard.
I cut 1/4" dowel into 3" pieces and glued them into every other hole on every other row then painted it all white.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

xo Autum

[Autum]

That craft stuff seems to multiply like bunnies doesn't it? I think I may go overboard when I buy supplies too, because we live about 30-45 minutes from the nearest craft store, so you can't make a quick run out when you are in the middle of something.

I already enjoy being in here. I'm using the computer in here now. I had stopped even doing that for the most part. I was using the lap top. I don't mind browsing on the laptop, but typing is a pain, so maybe my blogging will improve now that I have a better space for blogging. We'll see ; )

xo Autum

[Autum]

Thank you Nima. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

xo Autum

[Autum]

Thank you Anna. I love the thread rack too. It was really simple to make and it will be nice having it so visible and within easy reach.

I was pretty funny with that laser level, no clue what I was doing.

I don't have a sewing project planned yet, but Casey was home last weekend and needed me to repair a hole in his work coveralls. It was so nice to just sit down and fix it. No scrambling about to find thread and then clearing a spot to get to the machine. I just pinned up the hole and sewed it up. It made me ridiculously happy. It's the little things : )

Have a wonderful Sunday!

xo Autum

[Courtney]

I am in love with this room!!!! How did you make that board for your thread? I have serger spools all crammed into a drawer.. Drives me nuts. You did an awesome job!

[Courtney]

Oops... Shoulda read the comments first. ;)

[Autum]

Thank you Courtney. I did take some pics along the way when I made the thread rack, I'll post those, but it was really simple. I used a scrap piece of pegboard and glued 1/4" dowel into every other hole on every other row. I framed it out with some leftover molding that was in the garage and painted it all white.  You can cut the dowel any size you need for your thread. I just did a couple of rows long enough for serger thread, but you could do a whole rack just for serger thread. I think those dowels are 5 inches and the others are 3.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

xo Autum

[Autum]

: ) No problem.

[Audrey]

Wow, it's amazing. I am green with envy ~ would LOVE to have a space like that. I laughed out loud because I REALLY WAS looking at your stool and then you busted me. So cool that it was free!

[Autum]

Thanks Audrey.
Isn't that stool great? It was already that color too, all I did was clean off the sawdust and spider webs.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

xo Autum

[Linda]

What a wonderful space. You did a great job. You have inspired me to take a look at mine and see what I can do with what I already have. Thanks:)

[Audrey S.]

Wow, what a wonderful space you have created! Love,love,love it. I've only been following your blog for a short time, so when I started reading your post about your son being groomed for the few and the proud, I choked up and of coarse read the blog when you described the emotions of watching your son become a Marine. I cried through the whole thing. I've been there and done that too in 1999. The emotions came back as raw as they were when going through the experience. Once a Marine, always a Marine, but Marine families are just as dedicated and strong. Enjoy your new, impoved sewing space. And thank that Marine for me. I'm so grateful for all that they do! Ooorah!

[Kim Fleming]

I love it! Especially the thread board & the cutting table....sigh...I'd love to have a cutting table....
You did a wonderful job.

[JoAnn]

A well-organized space - great job! Thanks for sharing the details!
Jo

[Autum]

Thank you Audrey. I had not read that post in a long time myself. I cried reading it too. It was a tough time. A very tough time, but I'm sure if you asked him, he'd say it was some of the best days of his life.
He's been stationed in Jacksonville, only a couple hours from home, so we see him regularly, but next month he will be going on a ship deployment for almost a year. It's not going to be easy, but I'm glad he made the decision to become a Marine. It's been wonderful for him.
So you've been a Recruit Mom  too? Wasn't it awful? The only thing that kept me sane was finding the Recruit Parent message boards, otherwise I would have been completely clueless as to what was going on.
I will pass along your thanks and thank you to you and your Marine as well.

xo Autum

[Autum]

Thank you Kim. The cutting table is really just two boxed units from Lowes. I dressed them up a little, but they would have functioned just fine as is. I purchased a half sheet of plywood at Lowes and got them to cut one foot off one end making it 3'x4'. My rounded the outer edges with a router and I stained and sealed it. You can have a cutting table, it really wasn't hard at all.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

xo Autum

[Autum]

Oops, it seems I left off the word "cousin" in my comment. My cousin rounded the outer edges...

On Sun, Feb 26, 2012 at 3:12 PM, Autum Hall <autumhall@gmail.com> wrote:
Thank you Kim. The cutting table is really just two boxed units from Lowes. I dressed them up a little, but they would have functioned just fine as is. I purchased a half sheet of plywood at Lowes and got them to cut one foot off one end making it 3'x4'. My rounded the outer edges with a router and I stained and sealed it. You can have a cutting table, it really wasn't hard at all.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

xo Autum

[Autum]

Thank you Jo!

xo Autum

[Autum]

Thank you Linda! I'm happy to know I've inspired you : )

xo Autum

[Audrey S]

You've made it through the recruit days, which is good preperation for when he's on float. My son was in Jacksonville also. My younger son joined the Army and was stationed in Fayetteville for 6 years. That was nice when the boys were within a reasonable driving distance of each other. I'll put your family on my prayer list for safe keeping.

Quilting will be a nice diversion while he is gone. And I will pass the thanks on to my son also.

[Nancy L.]

It looks fabulous!! Maybe a tutorial later on how to recover the office chairs? I tried making a slipcover for mine and it was a big, fat fail!