Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Sewing Room Tour

This is the sewing room. I thought you'd like to see where all the kitty quilt magic happens.

(You can click on the pictures to biggify.)

Here you can see the worktable and big board. Pinned to the board on the left of the table is The List. Each kitty quilt order gets a page. These pages are clipped to the board in categories... Top Made; In Process; Ready to Ship; Waiting for $$. Mom keeps a running tally of how many quilts have flown the coop and how many are waiting to hatch.

Below "The List" Mom hangs the plastic envelopes with quilt pieces.


On the floor next to the worktable are a stack of plastic bins. In these bins Mom has fabric "chunks" sorted by color. 75% of the time, Mom can put together a kitty quilt using the chunks she has already made.

Under the worktable is the Eye-key-ah conked-out mouse cushion, a basket of toys, scratching pad and a litter box. All for me.

This is the work table, where Mom cuts the fabric into strips. This stack of fabric on the left has been pressed and is ready to cut. The stack of fabric on the upper right has been washed and must be ironed before it can be cut. The tissue box is self-explanatory, but the other little box is used as a table top trash bin for bits of fabric, thread and bent pins.

On the wall above the worktable, Mom pins notes from cats who have ordered quilts, or just sent us cards to say Hi.

To the right 0f the work table is the sewing machine. Mom's sewing machine is 30 years old, and doesn't do anything fancy. Inside the old student's desk is a small basket with empty bobbins and replacement sewing machine needles and a pair of scissors she uses to trim threads. There's a wastebasket to her right. At her feet, under the desk is a clear plastic bin. When Mom sews lots of strips or pieces, they fall into the bin instead of onto the floor.

On the wall to the right of the sewing machine is the thread rack, which is where Mom keeps her thread, organized by color. Notice there isn't much thread on the bottom three rows. That's because I can reach those.

Just to the right of the thread rack is the closet. This is a bulletin board on the door where Mom puts pictures of her fambly and other things she likes. It used to be covered with more things, but I pulled the pins out and Mom didn't like that.

Inside the closed is this drying rack where Mom stores the strips of fabric she hasn't yet sewn into pairs or cut into chunks. Storing the strips this way means they don't get wrinkled.

Next to the closet is this bureau. Mom keeps supplies in the drawers, one of which I will show you in a minute. On top is this small TV, CD player/Radio and a DVD player. Yes, Mom painted the bureau too.

In a drawer in the bureau, Mom keeps her good sewing scissors, her rotary cutters and spare blades, her pin tin, seam ripper, measuring tape, binding tape maker and other small tools.

Opposite the sewing table is the ironing board. (Mom just got a new pad and cover.) You can see the spray bottle, telephone and the iron as well as some other stuff. Mom says the funnel is real useful for adding water to the steam iron, and the bottle of water is for her when she's thirsty.


The Most Important thing in the sewing room is the cat hammock. This window faces South, so it's the best place in the house on a sunny day. See the radiator along the bottom of the wall? That makes the cat hammock a warm spot too. And see that little stool? That's so geezer cats can reach the cat hammock.

And every workspace has pictures of those you love.

14 comments:

Honey P. Sunshine said...

wow, that's quite a setup. we can't wait for our kitty quilt!

The M's said...

I am jealous, you are quite the organized person. I love you sewing room.

Zippy, Sadie, Speedy and M'Gee said...

Moms craft area used to be neat and organized. Den dad started buying stuff on ebay, now every surface and unner her cutting/work table is covered in boxes of LIGHT BULBS! She keeps telling dad she is gonna start tossing stuff so he moves it around a little but never really cleans it up. Our dad is nawty!

Anonymous said...

Great tour Millie! I loved seeing where your mom works on the flying quilts. I am still loving my quilt by the way. I sleep on it every day while my mom is hunting.

Thanks for showing us around!

Tucker (and my mom, Joni)

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful tour. I'm quite impressed with the organization of it all...impressed and envious. :)

Mr. Hendrix said...

Great room Great tour. I just read over at the blogosphere news that Gizzy isn't doing well at all. We're sending comforting, healing thoughts to your family, bean and cat. Take care and know you're in our hearts.

Daisy said...

Millie, your Mommie is very very organized. I am very impressed. How many quilts has she made already? A lot, I'll bet! It is very amazing to think of those quilts all over the country, and now the world!

Angel Junior, Orion and Sammy said...

Goodness! Your Meowm is so organized! My Grandmeowm would be in heaven!

a fluffy feline friend said...

Thanks furry much for the tour, Millie. Your mom is furry creative! :)

Anonymous said...

Millie, has your Mom ever considered a career as a professional organizer when she gets tired of working with computers and retires?

I'm both impressed and envious!

Forty Paws said...

Wow! That is very organized Millie! Owr Maw kood Nefer be dat organized in a gazillion yearz!!

Luf, Us

Anonymous said...

That is a very nice picture of a young Gizzy. We hope he is feeling better.

Ninja & Brenda

Just Ducky said...

Your mum is furry organized. Mum isn't, she has wayyyy to much yarn which she needs to use for stuff.

Anonymous said...

Great sewing room and very neat. I see you have some current fabrics. Good luck on your next project. Hopefully you will post if.