The beginning of this year brought the beginning of a new season for me (and my husband).. our nest is empty and I am working full time again. We were also exhausted having started off the year with our son's Wedding on Jan. 4, 2014. Very little sewing / quilting has happened this year as I strive to find a new rhythm to life.
One of the "new" things in this season is a sewing room / studio / study for me. :-) I have sewn on the dining room table for years... and that has been fine, but we are one of those families who actually use their dining room table. So we were constantly packing up sewing central and then taking it back out. I toyed with the idea of taking over one of the kids' rooms once they were gone, but then felt a bit selfish doing so. Obviously that feeling left! LOL! One bedroom is now a lovely guest room with a wonderful iron bed (belonged to my husband's grandparents) and one of our quilts adoring it. And the other is the "Study-O" (combo study and studio.. so clever! LOL!)
There are still a few finishing touches to come, but here are some photos of where it is now... the color is Benjamin Moore's Grant Beige.. a grayish Beige that we are using throughout our house right now. A HUGE change as we have always had lots of color on the walls.
This is my bit of a reading nook.. and also just a great place to sit and pray or meditate or rest. We bought this chair 23 years ago for my sweet husband. He lost it to the kids and I very quickly. Poor fella! It's been in several rooms over the years and has been my quiet time chair for at least 15 years. I love it! The table was made by my husband's grandfather. My husband never knew him (though they share their first and last names). This is a treasure for him and he is sweet enough to let me use it. The lower shelf is perfect for holding a few of my Bible study resources and books.
This shelf came from a local second-hand store called When Pigs Fly. It was dirty and brown and rather ugly when I bought it (for $15). Lowe's was giving away a free sample of some specific paint colors. I grabbed one in this tealish color and transformed the ugly ducking. It now holds some pincushions (I love pin cushions and most of these were made by friends for me) and some dachshunds.. to say I love wiener dogs is an understatement. The painting hanging from the knob was done by our daughter's best friend who lives in Ireland right now. She is a precious young woman whom I love like one of my own kids.
My sewing area is a bit blah but that will change! I plan to hang a design board above the table. I also hope to create a skirt / cover for the table and a cover for my machine. I plan to use the space under the table to store some of the necessities of a sewing space (a.k.a. more fabric!!!)
I inherited this table desk from our son. I am debating painting it, leaving it as is, or covering it to match the sewing table when I make its cover. The box on top was originally our daughter's, then our daughter-in-law had it and now it's mine. We are into hand-me-downs here! I spend a lot of time at this desk working on Bible study. It has quickly become one of my favorite places. I am thinking of recovering the chair. Anyone every recovered a task chair? I've read several how-tos and a mixture of comments on whether it is worth it or not.
I did add a bit of color to this area since this photo was taken. Bought 2 bulletin boards and with my amazing husband's help, they have been transformed from blah to fun!
For a number of years, my husband worked out of our home. He stored some of his drawing items in this cart. It's been tucked away in his closet for the past 2 or 3 years and he was thinking of getting rid of it. Instead, he passed it on to me. Again, that hand-me-down thing at work! I have it tucked in the corner, but can roll it over to my sewing table when needed. The cat on top is yet another hand-me-down. We bought this for my younger sister-in-law years ago. She later gave it to our daughter, who left it here when she moved out. I have a feeling there will be a granddaughter one day who will enjoy this kitty in her room. For now, she hangs out with me. This is the only kind of cat allowed in our house.My allergies and 2 wild wiener dogs prevent a real one.
Our son and daughter-in-love gave me the top print... a water color of one of my favorite places, Square Books in Oxford, MS. And my husband surprised me with the bottom print. Our daughter took these photos and had them framed a long time ago. They were at my mom's house. The frame broke and they've been sitting in disrepair ever since. He had the frame repaired and painted and now I have a bit of her talent to inspire me.
Had to include a shot of the dog bed for Mac and Mia. Mac loves it.. Mia prefers hanging out under the desk or table as close to my feet as possible! And the door to the closet.. we are painting all our doors (which are now white) with this dark brown called Sweet Molasses and adding the molding to dress them up a bit. There is new hardware coming in an oil rubbed bronze finish. It all looks great!
And last but in no way least.. in fact.. this is probably my absolute favorite thing in the room.. a place to hang quilts! And the one there now is soo special to me! It's actually a quilt top (soon to be quilted). A small group of quilting buddies who live in different states.. Let's see, I believe this top traveled through MS, IL, NC, PA and VA or RI (Cannot remember which state that friend lived in when we did this). This was a Round Robin. I did the center with the house. Then my friend's added the additional pieces. It is so fun and cheery and whimsical. I adore it!
Hope you enjoyed this peek into my Study-O. Not fancy as some, but I love it! Looking forward to creating gifts of the heart here and spending time digging into the Word. 2 of my most favorite things to do!
"Belle"
