Quilting Room Renovation – 2019

In 2019, all I asked for from my husband for Christmas was for the room I sew in to be updated. We moved in nine years ago and the walls were still the muted textured yellow and rust colors from then. Although I loved them at one time, I was ready for a brighter, more ME kinda room! That being said I also figured he would enjoy this gift giving verses going to several stores. Milton isn’t much of a shopper folks! I will say – it was more work than I thought it would be!

BEFORE PICTURES!

The walls were textured so he had to sand them down and ended up re-mudding sections of the sheet rock. If you know what that entails you know Milton put a lot of love into this room! 🙂 He has sheet rocked for years so it was simple for him compared to many but still a lot of work! Then it was time to paint! I am very grateful for his abilities!

When we moved into our home in 2010 this room was our “core” place to hang out. It has a gas fireplace and we had our television in there at the time. I still get a gushy feeling in my chest when I think about those days because our daughter was so little. After supper we’d all three fit on the love seat and watch cooking shows or something else together. Some of the best memories I have of us three are in this room.

When I started quilting about four years ago I was in one of the spare rooms but I really disliked being so separated from the rest of my family. Our daughter’s legos were on a big table in this room, so one weekend I just decided to move that table to our garage and take over the now quilt room! Basically her Dad lost is parking spot in the garage and it is now a workout room and lego area! 🙂

This room has lots of light with five windows and a door with glass in it so it’s just grand to sew in! The hardwood floors make it easy to clean things up but is hard on my old knees if I’m standing too long! So I stole my padded kitchen mat recently to use! Works like a dream! The view from the west windows is normally lovely during sunsets, my memory garden is right outside as well and one of our fields.

Painted but not setup photos!

When we began I thought I wanted the color theme to be one way but ended up going with white walls and accenting with red, blue and yellow. The room decor is still a work in progress in areas but I’m very pleased with how it has turned out thus far!

The “barn quilt” is another piece of handy work by my husband, it’s the second thing I asked him to make for me. I chose a “Swoon” pattern and several colors that took patience and he didn’t complain at all! I love it!

Another item I have been desiring for this room and our fireplace mantel is a refurbished old window. During the process someone was selling several very cheap so we snagged them up! I had Milton paint one navy blue and put a mirror in it but after it was completed I just wasn’t feeling it! Hence the one you see now! I threw together a small wall hanging with 2 plus mini charm packs, did some straight stitch quilting and we stapled it to this white painted window. Seriously – when he put this up on the mantel and we placed the God Bless Our Home in front I just gushed for a moment! The lanterns were my mothers as well as the gnome and the white piece to the left are all three of my daughter’s hands. The Blessed are the Piecemakers was made by my oldest daughter.

As I began researching ideas online for my new room there wasn’t a great deal out there to be honest. But I did find inspiration from Thimble Blossoms website and her wall of mini quilts inspired me to make some for my room.

There are two other special pieces in the room that honor my parents. My mother assisted me in making three quilts in my lifetime and they were done when I was a young adult. After that I didn’t pick up quilting until after she had passed away. What inspired me probably was that I inherited a great deal of her sewing room things. One of them is a thread holder my step- father made her, once again I asked my husband to paint it, which he willingly did and I LOVE IT! I chose three “special to me” photos of Mom and I to hang with it. As I sit at my sewing machine, which sits on her sewing table I can see this display.

The other fun piece is a three tier tray that is a work in progress still. I knew I wanted yellow, I knew I wanted “you are my sunshine” and a photo of my Dad and I together on it. He sang that song to me one time when I was young so it has special meaning. I planned on using succulants in the tray but found the artificial greenery at Hobby Lobby and liked them.

One of my favorite spots is right here in the corner. It has a comfy chair that not only I but my family enjoy from Overstock.com. I use this area for my daily devotions or hand stitching binding or pinning blocks, etc . The chair is not as red as I wanted but I’ve gotten used to it.

The navy blue shelf is the first thing Milton every built me. It hung in our first home and when we moved to this home it found itself in the attic (2010). I recalled it being there and so we were able to re-purpose and put another piece very special in this room. Milton painted it, although he dislikes painting wood (stain only kinda guy) and put new hooks on it.

Some of my plans for the future is to find or have Milton build a cabinet for my fabric stash. The light is wonderful to sew in but I need something with more closure so my fabrics do not fade. Yet I do require some fabric exposure so I recall what I have and not buy too much more!

To the left of the doors is my design board that Milton made me one year ago when I was commissioned to do a large quilt. It is another must for a quilter! I love having it and he made it so we can make it twice as big and open it up. Much better than being on the floor laying out blocks! 🙂

My cutting table is actually another homemade item from my husband. Milton designed and built the desk that is now my cutting table early our marriage for me. We have another desk setup in our home office and I needed a cutting table. When we put our minds together great things happen! I’ve been using it or a couple years now and it’s great! He put wheels on it so I can move it around if I want too.

Although some of the pieces in this room aren’t picture perfect or may seem mismatched, I find that it’s a room that is an extension of me. I hold memories and homemade gifts close to my heart. I’ve sprinkled things around the room to help me recall something or someone. The collage of my family reminds me I’m blessed having them in my life, memories of my parents can be found by glancing around the room and the way my husband shows love is making my wishes come true via building things with his hands for me. This is pretty evident in this room alone, not to mention our home.

I can’t go without mentioning the most important tool in this room. Sewing machines! One of the sewing machines I have is a Singer 9960 that I received for Christmas a few years ago. It’s been a nice machine but I recently purchased a new one. My mother is about to make an appearance again in this post! 🙂 My plan was to save up for a Juki TL2010Q that I had researched all about in the past! If I had the knowledge I do now, back in 2017 I would have just asked for this machine not the Singer 9960! We will still use the 9960 for things other than straight stitching. My husband persuaded me to purchase the Juki with money I had been saving that I received from my mother’s passing in 2015. As a sweet gesture I named the Juki after my mom (and me), our middle names are the same – KAY! I’ve only had her a few days but I am honestly say I LOVE THIS MACHINE! The reviews did not lie! If my Mom was able to see me now I think it would make her heart happy to have me following in her footsteps of using a sewing machine. 🙂

The last thing I wanted to show you from the quilt room is this awesome ironing board cart/cabinet Milton built! Towards the end of the project I found something similar on Pinterest and showed him. I was afraid to spend anymore money on this room though and one day I recalled that we still had cabinets that he had used in my old craft closet. I asked him if he could just use those to create this. Who was I to doubt this talented man! Of course he could! And here I have a rolling ironing board cabinet that I can lay large pieces of fabric on to iron! The small blue board is one I made to use when I travel or just need closer to my sewing machine.

I feel very blessed to have this room for myself and family to use. I have a granddaughter that is interested in sewing and my littlest grandkids enjoy playing with my tape measures and clips. My husband helps me by cutting my backing and batting and measuring those for me. My daughters are welcome to sit in this room and visit with me. It’s a place not only for me but for my family and friends! The quilt on the chair was the inspiration for colors & it’s one of my favorite patterns as well.

After Photos!

I spend a great deal of time in this room because we are down to one child at home and she will get busy with her own life activities and my husband has busy seasons on the farm. I’m lucky to have a room where I can make homemade gifts for others, recall memories of loved ones past, be reminded of the gifts I’ve been given and once in a while dance around on that hard wood floor with my builder! Thank you to my builder for making one of my dreams come true!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have enjoyed my little “nook” of happiness!

Julie