A Tour of My Sewing Room: Through 5 Items I've Made for It
What better advertisement for your business is there than using your own creations in the day-to-day running of the business? That's why if I need something and I can make it, I will.
The advantages of this are that it will be one-of-a-kind and custom-made for whatever the need may be, and you can also use it to promote your skills and show everyone just what you can do.
In my sewing room, there are many items I've made. Many are practical and serve a definite purpose, while others are purely to make it look pretty and add a splash of colour (or sometimes hide a dent in the wall—don't tell my husband).
Let's start the tour:
1. Ironing Board
The first of the "me-made" items on the sewing room tour is my recovered ironing board. The previous cover was an IKEA standard white cover that was stained from ironing coloured pieces of cotton.
I have a love (some might say obsession) for Ruby Star Society fabrics. I love to use the scrap packs to make zip pouches. I save all my scraps and selvedges, and I use these when making bits for my sewing room.
I don't know about you, but I can't bear to throw away those little treasures of fabric. They are all so pretty and colourful.
This brings us to this morning when I got fed up with my stained ironing board cover. I used some thermal compressed polyester fleece as the wadding and did a quilt-as-you-go method with strips of scraps and selvedges. They are all different widths and colours, but I think this just adds to the character of the finished item. Don’t you?
2. Bunting
When I was working on my "Make Your Own Bunting" sewing class, I made up a few samples to show people what they could make. What better place to display them than on my walls?
True to form, I used my favourite Ruby Star Society fabric and accented them with some Makower polka dot fabrics. I'm not sure which I like more—the pink polka string or the lime polka string. Which do you like best?
3. Keeping My Desk Tidy: Zip Pouches
I have two zip pouches I keep beside my sewing machine. The first is a Sew Together Bag—quite possibly the best organizer bag ever. It's a pattern by Sew Demented (you can get it on Etsy), and it is a firm favourite for sewers and knitters to keep all the little bits and pieces organized.
The one I made for myself is made with (I bet you can already guess) Ruby Star Society fabrics from my scrap basket. It's mostly selvages, with lime polka dot accents. The inside is made with upcycled denim jeans.
I was given a few bags of old jeans to make use of; some were transformed into book bags, Christmas stockings, and picnic blankets. I saved the pockets and used them in the Sew Together Bag to add extra storage. I also used some of the pieces with extra wear or stains for my pouch.
Fun fact: Both of my brothers, one of whom is a fisherman and the other works on the Whalsay inter-island ferry, gave me some old jeans to make a Teddy Bear for our dad's birthday. I used some of the leftovers in this bag. It's fun to know that your storage bag had a fishing or ferry career in previous lives.
Back to the organization problem—I needed to be able to keep all the bits for my sewing machine handy and accessible. With all the pockets in this pouch, I can keep the sewing machine feet, needles, seam rippers, turning tools, awls, and ready for when I need them.
The next zip pouch I have is my Twirled Ends Pouch (pattern by Patterns by Kanako on Etsy). This was actually the first one I made (once again with my favourite scraps and selvedges). Since it was my test make, I use it for keeping my quilting clips in. Handily, since it's in a zip pouch, it's perfect for taking to sewing classes or workshops.
4. What's on My Cutting Desk: Fabric Storage Tub
I was trying out another new-to-me pattern—the Tub Family (designed by Rosie Taylor Crafts)—and decided to use the first one I made as a quilting clip holder (yes, another one—I have a LOT of clips). These are the perfect squishable, washable tubs for keeping bits and bobs in. I used some of my favourite selvedges with a few words of inspiration on it—"It's going to be okay." Sometimes we all need to hear that during a busy day.
5. Finally—Some Artwork
I have at least three of my drawings printed out and on the walls. Can you spot them around the room? First, there is a small drawing of Jack when he was 3 years old (above the printer). Next, there is a drawing of two puffins surrounded by sea pinks (above my Munbyn thermal label printer). Finally, there is a drawing of Foula and Burra Isle Lighthouse partially hidden behind the white plastic tub on my Draper storage on the cutting desk.
There are many more items that I've made to help in business, but they are hidden away in drawers and cupboards (none of which are tidy enough to show to the world).
