Thursday 9 January 2020

My Sewing Room - Part 3

Enough of the "Before" photos, what about the finished product?

I'll start at the door and walk around.


This is my ironing corner.  The dresser was my maternal Grandmother's.  When she moved into her new home in the late 1960s it was relegated to a shed.  We were gifted it as a wedding present.  My Mum can remember Grandma saving for the paint in the early 1930s, in the Great Depression, and then painting it.  Therefore, when the fashion was to strip furniture back, I just couldn't bear to do it.  I even have a couple of rather fragile runners that she embroidered that used to live on here.  The current runner was a Secret Santa Christmas Swap gift some years ago.

On the top shelf I have my button jars and on the second top shelf some of my collection of bobbins.  One year, once again quite a while ago, there was a fruit case full of them at the Oberon Swap Meet.  I asked the price.  It was $10 each.  "How much for the lot?" "$60!"  I'm not sure of the logic in that, but I obviously bought the lot.  This is the first time they have been able to be displayed.  The red trough is just a cute one I bought at the white elephant stall.  I have had potted daffodils in it at times.  

The top cupboard section has boxes of random "stuff".  One area that still needs going through.  The cutlery drawer is perfect for knitting needles and crochet hooks.  The bottom cupboard section has batting and some other bulky things.

My ironing board is wearing it's new, upside down, cover that I recently made.

 

The next section is what I call my "Circle Work Wall".  There are some of my treasures along here.

The little shelf on the left was made by me when I was eight, under Dad's guidance. We were going to do some woodwork at school, so I wanted to have a practice first.  The pattern for this came from a 1950s home magazine.  It used to live in my bedroom at Mum and Dad's.  None of the things currently on it are from back then.  

The three circles underneath are all d'oyley presses.    I've had the poker work one for years, but the others are fairly recent purchases.  I didn't want them, but at $2 each, I couldn't say no.  

I bought the clock for this room.  

I found the picture underneath down at Grandma's when I was a kid.  It had been relegated to the back of a wardrobe after they moved into their new house.  I took it home and hung it above my bed.

The round shelf was found at a garage sale about 30 years ago.  The items on the top shelf used to live on my little shelf in my bedroom as a kid. The Holly Hobby figure and the little figure sitting at her sewing machine were swap meet a few years ago.  The little tin on the bottom shelf is one I've had since a kid. 

The Holly Hobby plate is one that I won in a Holly Hobby colouring in competition when I was about ten.  I had a lovely time making up the patterns in her patchwork apron.  It lived in a cupboard at Mum's for many years, and suffered the same fate with me.  It has only taken about 45 years to be put on display.

The green picture underneath it is an embroidery that Mum did in the early 1970s, when she was in the Embroiderer's Guild.  She did beautiful embroidery, but didn't really enjoy the modern style they were leaning towards at the time, such as this, so let her membership lapse.

The cupboard underneath was used as a bookcase at our previous home.  I think it would have originally been the top section of a larger bookcase, as there is no plinth. Anyway, it works beautifully for my storage here.  The tubs are all from The Reject Shop. Cheap as chips and fit well.

On top, there is my collection of pincushion in the tiered stand and just little nick nacks on the rest of it.


Next along the wall is my fabric drawers.  I bought these at a swap meet and gave them a make over.  I blogged about it here.  They are just the right depth for fat quarters and half metre lengths.

The file drawers on top also hold fat quarters.

The little shelf on the wall was found in an op shop on our trip to Queensland last year.  It houses more of the bobbins.  My Dad used to spin wool.  The little spinner figure and sheep were from his spinning room.

The Edwards and Co tea tin came from Grandma's as well.  When we were kids it was our dress up box!  I opened the tin when were were moving things around.  Inside are some handbags from when I was a teenager.  The sad thing is, they are coming back into fashion.

That's me in the photo in front of the tin.

Also on top is a Holly Hobby mug I recently found with the saying "Happy is the heart that loves the simple things."  So true.

The patchwork ball was made by Mum years ago and always lived within easy reach of any small child that came to visit her house.  It is slightly worse for wear, but that doesn't matter.

The cubes were bought when we tidied the room.  Any potential spot for storage was used.  The two boxes on top have my English Paper Piecing bits and bobs.  The cubes are full of stitching supplies.

You can't see it clearly, but behind them is a little picture that I made at primary school. 

So that finishes that section. So many memories and things that have a meaning for me.  It's nice to finally have them on display.

More soon.

4 comments:

loulee said...

Wow! So much to see and we're not even half way around!

Jenny said...

It all looks so nice, Janice, full of special family memories.

Fiona said...

the room looks lovely... great to be surrounded by your special things too....
Hugz

kiwikid said...

Wonderful to have so many special things around you.