Friday, August 31, 2012

Nothing like a deadline to make you work! Studio re-do, FINISHED!!

Ok so it was a self imposed deadline, but I made it. When I started my re-do I wanted to be done by the end of August. And today is the day! My room is as finished as it can get right now. I have plans for a slip cover and some curtains, but the room is to the point where I can actually go down there and make these things. I am super excited and looking forward to getting some sewing done.

On Sunday we got all the molding in place and in less than a week my room went from this...


 To this...


I tried every angle and all sorts of lighting but I some how could just not do this room justice. Maybe the close up shots are more convincing.



Instead of putting the shelves back up (that I hit my head on and such) I organized all my tools on the walls.


 Thank you Ikea.


This ottoman is also from Ikea and was taken from the living room. It has seen better days and that fabric is what I am using to make a new cover and some cushions to give it new life and a comfy place for people to hang out with me while I work.



I made labels for the things in the closet in hopes that I will put things away better. Maybe it will help. I am planning to make curtains for the closet so that I can hide stuff back there.

I put the remaining pieces of some of my favorite fabrics in embroidery hoops and hung them up. I know this has been done before. But I thought it was a great way to displays my favs and one of my sewing themed silk screens it says "I like to look at life as a spool half full."


I did not forget that both my hubby and my daughter get some space in here as well. This is Eric's corner, I think I spruced it up pretty nice for him. It's just too bad all that electronic crap has so many cords I really need to get in there and tame that mess.

I also put in a tiny table and chairs so that M and maybe a friend could do a little crafting as well. I am so excited to have my room back. But now I have to go off and clean and cook and deal with all the stuff I have been neglecting while in the heat of the re-do.

I managed to only go over budget by about $17.00! I did all this for $567.00 (ish).  Which includes all the paint, wood for molding, new desk, new shelving, all the hanging stuff on the wall and all other supplies needed for repairs, caulking, etc. I did buy the most expensive paint in the world but those boys who mix up paint over at Ace (Scott Blvd, in Decatur GA) are so easy on the eyes oh and they are helpful and stuff too.

I am off to live some life, and check out the Decatur Book Festival!

Peace Out - C



Thursday, August 23, 2012

Studio Re-Do part 3

Ok people I have regained what sanity I ever did have and am going to turn this mother out! You last saw my amazing floor. I have shown tons of people and they are all amazed that I did if free hand. Apparently this is a unique talent. I say it is just a mix of boldness, bizzare amounts of bravery and a little laziness on my part. However I can tell you most cake decorators can do it too. Like the Cake Boss guy he can just whip out a scalloped edge like nobody's biz-ness. But I digress, thank you for all the compliments on my awesomeness. I do appreciate it.

So what you have all been waiting for...the finished floor!

  I have to admit I am a little impressed with myself. The longer parts are at the edges and corners in a perfect way. And I added in some little details that make it look more finished. Could not have turned out better if I had planned it. May be weird but I just see things in my head and then I do them. I sew a little like that too. Not as boldly as this project.

So on to that stinkin molding! I am borrowing a miter saw from my Uncle this weekend and hoping to knock this out! Get the molding painted Monday as well as some floor paint touch ups (there was a small miss-hap near the door). When the clear coat was still wet I stepped on the floor and some dreamy peach came up when I picked my foot up. So we will just do a little touch up there. The whole point was for it to look industrial and funky right?

Yesterday I made a trip to Ikea and got some storage stuff and a new desk for the hubby, he does get  a little corner of my room, as does the kiddo. We are re-purposing stuff from all over the house to go in here. It is going to be awesome! I am even thinking of getting a TV down there.

Any way ... off to buy molding and glue and nails and stuff.

Peace Out - C 

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Studio Re-Do, Part 2

Right now I am sitting on my back deck drinking coffee, writing this and avoiding the studio fix up. I am happy with how it is looking so far, it is just that I am now stuck on a hard part. I have painted the floor and need to just do some final detailing and clear coat it.

What I am stuck on is quarter round or shoe molding for the whole room. I need to cut 22 pieces. That is 44 cuts and then it needs to be installed. URGH!!! I knew that this was going to be an aspect of this project. But somehow I was able to ignore it, until now. One of my neighbors has offered to help me. But I feel a little bad just pawning this project off on him. URGH!! Maybe I am over thinking it?

Let's focus on the cool looking floor. First I painted the floor so I would have a solid background. Then I drew in my design with chalk. It is pink chalk hope you can see it, and yes I just did it free-hand. No stencils or measuring for me. I am way too lazy for that crap.  


Then I started painting in the center. At first I was trying to do all the detail from the center out. Then I realized I needed to get the basic colors laid in and then add detail in layers as it dries.


I used the paint from the walls, ceiling and bathroom. And then I decided that I needed to add some more colors just to make it a little more interesting.


I am not quite done. But I added navy and pink so that there is a little variation in the design and so that the room is not so matchy matchy.


Maybe I will get inspired and finish it today, but if I do that then I really have to deal with the gap between the floor and the base board. What a pain! I just want to get back in my room! I miss having a space to call my own! And I have not touched my sewing machine in two months. Maybe I am having withdrawal? Or maybe I just need to take a break and play hooky today.

Later Peep!
- C

Monday, August 20, 2012

Back to the Blog! Studio Re-do For Real! Part 1

I took a major break from then blog and as I said I would worked on some living of life. It has been nice! But I feel like I have been up to some blog worthy projects so I decided to do some blogging about my studio re-do and then just go from there.

This re-do has been a LONG time coming. You may (or may not) remember I first announced that I get to re-do my sewing room back on November 18, 2010. Since that was getting terribly close to 2 years ago we will call those the before before pictures. I did manage to get the walls closed back up by December of 2010 but then it sat like that for well... since then.

Then on September 22, 2011 I did some re-organizing with out really addressing the problem areas. Kind of like giving in and buying bigger clothes even though you plan to loose weight. Actually it felt exactly like that, but let's not go down that road it is a whole other blog.

As you know we went to NYC for 6ish months and since my business was shut down it finally felt like a natural progression to leave it shut down and get this stuff done.

So here is my studio before (about 2 weeks ago).  You can see the wall under the bay window where it is just drywall. I pulled up the hideous carpet and discovered beat up cement floor beneath it.

There were tons of holes in the cement so I used an entire can of cement patch and filled them so that the floor at least looks complete. It will never be smooth. And I am ok with that.

I am just showing you the pictures of the most interesting stuff. There was lots of time spent working on boring things and many hours of watching paint dry while drinking coffee and "thinking".


In short I patched and painted the ceiling, walls, all trim (including 2 doorways, a closest and that bay window), and the floor.  Oh and I painted the bathroom.





I am also painting a design on the floor but it is so amazing and awesome, that it deserves it's own blog post. It will be part 2 of this series and I hope to something it is ready and I can tell you all about it in the next couple of days.

What have y'all been up to while I was on my break?  I will work on letting you see my Shanghai Pictures soon.

Peace Out - C