Cubby Island: How To

The cutting table/cubby island is finished! Everyone loves a good Ikea Hack so I took lots of pictures so I could share how we made this. I love Ikea and to date have never had any missing parts or problems putting things together. (Knock on particle board laminate.)

Ingredients:

• 2 – Expedit shelving units from Ikea
• 1 – 36x80” hollow core luan door (bought ours at Lowe’s for $25)
• 4 – 3” heavy duty casters. 2 locking, 2 plain
• package of L-brackets
• package of straight joining brackets
• Paint & Primer for door

After assembling your two shelf units place them back to back and attach together with the flat joining brackets.

We used 4 total. I thought I’d bought a package of 6 and intended to put three on top and three on the bottom but because I only had 4, I only used 4. If the whole thing falls apart, I’ll let you know!

 

 

Attach the casters to the bottom corners. We put one locking caster on each end, diagonally from eachother. Now that it is all together I don’t think that was necessary because I have carpet and this thing is heavy and won’t roll away with out a lot of effort. If you are using this on a hard surface floor, locking casters might be a good thing.

 

While my husband was putting these parts together in the house I was outside painting the door. I used a KILZ primer because the door came with some lettering stamped on the ends that I didn’t want to bleed through the finish coat. I then used two coats of interior semi-gloss door and trim paint. Another option for finishing the door would be to glue laminate to it so it was like a kitchen counter. That was too fussy for us so we just went with paint. I’m going to be using my large rotary cutting mat on it most of the time anyway. I also considered covering it with batting and stapling a large piece of canvas (like a painters’ drop cloth) over it to make a large padded surface that would be good for pinning and light ironing. (The steam may warp the door over time.)

Once the casters were on the really heavy lifting began, literally. Because these shelves are not made from solid wood, we worried that the screws would pull out if too much sideways force was put on them. So we tipped the unit on its side and then lifted it and put stacks of books under the ends. Then we were able to leverage the entire piece and put it on the casters.

 

All that is left now is to attach the top to the shelves. Of course the one day I choose to paint something with latex paint the weather gets wet and humid. The door just would NOT dry! Finally it got dry enough to carefully carry into the house and we left it over night in the cooler air conditioned room and it finished drying.

This morning I finished it by attaching the door to the base with L-brackets. I debated for a while if I was going to have all the over hang at one end or to balance it equally. I finally decided on centering it because it looked better and gave work space on each end if I wanted to pull up a stool or high chair.

 

This is one solid piece of furniture! It will have to be completely disassembled if it ever needs to leave this room. Total cost was less than $200 and about a days worth of work. No heavy power tools needed. We did it all with a cordless drill/screwdriver and a rubber mallet.

Where I Sew: Hoarders Edition

Do any of you read Pink Chalk Studio’s Where I Sew series? The following photos will clearly show why I will never be asked to be a part of this blog series! I will also probably never become a popular inspirational Pin on Pinterest. But alas is my life. I’m letting you, my ever loyal and intrepid reader peak behind the curtain and see the ugly truth. There is a reason “Mess” is my last name. That and “My Eclectic Neatly Organized Space” doesn’t have the same ring to it.

This is the mess that is my sewing room. I’m sharing it in all its raw glory. For once I remembered to take “before” photos. I’m slowly working my way around the room getting this place put together so that when my new machine arrives it will have a room worthy of its wonder.

The project started with a trip to Ikea Thursday. Well actually it started with many trips through Pinterest collecting ideas and inspiration. There are two things on my must-have list. First was a better way to store my fabric bolts. Having them lie on their sides on the open wire shelving was messy, hard to organize and took up too much real estate in my crowded room.

Three Billy bookcases later I now have this! Isn’t it beautiful? Now when I get an Etsy convo asking if I have more of a certain print I can glance over my shoulder and see in a second how much fabric I have left on the bolt.  I also think it will stay neater and cleaner than my old system. I may even be inspired to use some of it in my own projects. The other bonus of putting in these shelves is that now the old metal utility shelves can be repurposed in the garage or basement and I can finally get those areas under control.

Now onto my new cutting table/storage island. We purchased two Expedit Units to hack together with two counter-height drawer units that I used to have in my old studio, then moved to the store and then put in the garage until I was able to repurpose them. This project hasn’t been started yet so I will have to share that with you at a later time. My plan is to group them all together, add legs or some other way to raise the Expedits to the same level as the drawer units and then top it all with either a nice finished piece of plywood or a couple hollow core doors. I’m hoping that all the miscellanea will fit into the drawers and baskets in the cubbies of this island and I can eliminate the other messy shelves and piles of crap on my tables. The kitchen island has the name “The Shiny Island”, I’m going to have to some up with some clever moniker for this new island. Why do I have a feeling that it will quickly become “Mt. Doom” in no time?

This is the first thing I see when I walk into the room. Hardly inspirational. It’s a wonder I get anything done in here. Also to my right as I take this photo is the laundry area that is a constant state of Mt. Laundress that threatens to spill over into my work area all the time. I’m hoping that the storage island will become home to all the crap and books you can see piled on the shelves along that back wall. This corner is where most of the work gets done. I typically set my laptop on the table below the bulletin board (after moving the piles of crap collected there to some other flat surface or the floor). My new sewing machine is considerably bigger than my 180 that you can see over in front of the window with my big serger next to it. I’m probably going to have to make some other arrangement for my machines. If the island is big enough I may move the serger to one end of it or make a flat ironing board to set on the island instead of having the free standing ironing board by the machines.

This is my “desk”. Again, it’s a miracle that I get anything done at all in here. There is so much more purging that has to happen to get rid of stuff that will never get used and just takes up room and makes me crazy.

I know I’m not the only sewist/crafter that just can’t give/throw anything away because “I can do something with it eventually.” Then of course there is the curse of putting value to things that really aren’t worth anything. I’m learning that lesson again with my recent ebay purges. I’ve been holding onto stuff that I thought had value only to find that getting rid of it is not worth the hassle of the small amount others are willing to pay me to take it off my hands.  Goodwill shoppers in the Fox Valley may be in for some crafting bargains real soon. As much as I need money right now, I also just need some of this stuff GONE. Then I can focus again and get to work on the things that do matter and get back to the creative life I’m meant to have.

What have you done this week to help move you toward your goals?

Update: Laundry Detergent

It has been 5 days since I made my own laundry detergent using tutorials and recipes I found on Pinterest. Original post is HERE.

I’ve washed a number of loads with it since and I can finally give a full report on my results. I used about a 1/4 cup of detergent and filled the softener dispenser with plain white vinegar. Dried everything in the dryer as usual, no softener sheets or dryer balls.

First two loads were bedding, sheets and a quilt from my bed. I was really pleased with the results. Nothing miraculous or anything but the felt and looked clean and had a nice fresh scent. As you may know, the dogs like to sleep on my bed so that results in less than fresh smelling and looking bedding at times. Especially the quilt on top which tends to get quite dingy and sometimes muddy if it rains (which it hasn’t done in MONTHS here so that hasn’t been an issue.) I wash it frequently and sometimes I don’t always think it gets really clean. This time it did. I use a special memory foam pillow with a custom case made from stretchy terry that often looks kind of gross because I’m often lazy and don’t remove all my makeup before bed. It came perfectly clean and white again. Bonus was that everything smelled fresh and clean without a perfumey smell.

I then did a load of towels. Some of the dish rags were a little “ripe” smelling but I threw them in anyway untreated. I again used a cup of vinegar in the rinse. I was really happy with the results. Clean, fresh and no bad odors.

The real test came the other night when I took a sweatshirt out of my closet that hadn’t been worn in months. It must have been put away damp because it had that distinct “musty” smell that comes from cotton being damp and put away in an airless place. YUK! It was so bad I couldn’t even stand to wear it sitting by the campfire. I put it in a load with some other dark clothes like jeans and Tshirts. Again using a cup of vinegar in the rinse with the homemade detergent. It came out without any residual smell! The only complaint I had about this load was that a lot of the clothes were more wrinkled than I’m used to when I use liquid softener. But that could also be because I put them in the dryer before work and my husband took them out later. I usually try to get them out immediately and hang them up while still warm to avoid wrinkles. For all I know they may have sat in the dryer for hours and then got thrown into a basket before finally getting folded/hung.

My daughters and husband have also used this new detergent and I haven’t gotten and blow back from them. I’m thinking we may have a winner. The only loser may be the orange drink dispenser that I stored it in. It tends to separate over time so I just keep a wooden spoon inside to stir it up with and then sometimes it gets a little chunky and clogs up the spigot. I’m going to try to remember to look in the neighbor’s recycling bins tomorrow for some gallon jugs or find some other way to store it.

Pinterest Exeriment: Homemade Laundry Detergent

Like so many of us I’ve become obsessed with Pinterest. I browse through it at least a few times a day. Sometimes I just take a visual stroll and other times I have the time and interest to follow links and read new blogs. I frequently ask myself where was this when I was a new stay-at-home-mom? I also find myself thinking, “been there, done that” as often as not.

One BTDT idea that kept popping up all over Pinterest and many of the blogs I ended up finding was the notion of making your own laundry detergent. This really isn’t a new idea and not one that is foreign to me. Way back in the days of babies and clothes diapers (mine I mean, I know there are STILL babies and clothe diapers currently in the world!) I didn’t realize I was making my own detergent when I washed diapers in one scoop of washing soda and one scoop of Borax. I just did it because it was safe, natural and got them clean. I also dried them on the line in the sun to sanitize and whiten them. (Just to make sure you realize that I am NOT 90 years old, this was the mid-90s, 1990s.)

But I never tried a recipe or to make it into a liquid detergent. Now that I’ve swept most of the granola out of my life, I don’t spend a lot of time on these kinds of things.  I use a front load washer and I am happy to say, I am not the only laundress in the household anymore. I successfully trained my daughters to do their own wash. So laundry detergent had to be convenient and easy. But all these posts and pins had me intrigued. I like saving money, I like cleaning with natural products and I like an experiment.

I just so happened to be in Jewel yesterday picking up some stuff and decided to see if they still carried Borax and Washing Soda. I couldn’t find and Fels Naptha soap (I think I can get that at Ace Hardware) but I read that the type of soap didn’t matter that much and I like Castile soap because it smells nice and is all natural (vegan too if that matters to you) so I grabbed a package of 3 bars.

After dinner I gathered my supplies. Damn! It was garbage day this morning and I don’t have any empty gallon jugs. But I do have this 2 gallon drink dispenser that we never use in the garage. If this experiment doesn’t work and we want the drink dispenser again it is just soap, I’m just cleaning it right? If it does work I have this nifty container with a spigot, just have to redecorate the laundry area with orange accents!

I put my laptop on the counter and Googled all the recipes and tutorials I had come across to get an idea of where to start. What I learned is there is no ONE way to do this and many people have tweaked the general recipe to meet there needs. So in other words, I kind of “winged it”.

Basic Recipe:

• 1 bar soap – most recommend Fels Naptha, I used Kirk’s Castile. I’ve seen Ivory, Dove, and home made used.
• 1/2 cup Borax
• 1/2 cup Washing Soda (NOT baking soda)

I grated and melted the soap in a pot of water (maybe 6 cups of water) Then I added the borax and soda and stirred. Then I poured the hot mixture into a bucket and added some more water, about a gallon. I then poured it all into the drink dispenser but then after a while I realized that it wasn’t cooling because this was insulated so I poured it back in my big bucket. I never got a gel like consistency so I decided to just let it cool and see what happened.

This morning there were strings of gel floating in the liquid but that’s about it. I put it in the drink dispenser and screwed the lid on tight and gave it a good shake. Once it settled again after the shake there seemed to be more gel-like substance in there. If I had one of those stick type blender things I’d use that and see if it frothed it up more and gave me a more gel consistency. I’ve done more Google-fu and read that even if it doesn’t gel up it still works. Figured that would be the case since the ingredients are the same.

I have some sheets and towels to wash today so I’ll try this out and see how it works. I’ll report back later with my results.

The true test will come when the rest of the family uses it. If it takes anything more than the minimum of effort it may be a loser. I can’t see them taking the time to open the dispenser and stir before using. But I remember reading somewhere when I was in college that modern laundry detergent leaves so much residue on the fibers of our clothing that you can wash most lightly soiled laundry with no detergent and it will still get clean just from the leftover detergent that comes out in the wash water. This was good for a poor college student to hear! So if my family just washes their clothes with “Borax fortified water” they are probably still doing okay.

What other super popular Pinterest Pins are there that you’d like to see tried? I’ve already read that the Mountain Dew and baking soda glow stick doesn’t work. Bummer.

Bernina University Review

I had the fortunate opportunity to attend Bernina University (BU) in Washington DC earlier this week. As a part-time employee this was a very nice chance to get inspired and educated on all the new things Bernina has coming out this year.

The classes I took were mostly focused on ideas for new projects/classes for the upcoming year and sales techniques.

Class 1: 580 Reasons to Sew on a Bernina

In this class we worked on the 580E machines, my current favorite in the line (or it was until I saw the new 780!). The project combined many of the great features of this machine including machine embroidery using the absolute check feature, decorative stitches using a variety of specialty feet, and buttonholes. We made a pretty holiday pillow cover using a black linen table runner blank. I didn’t get to complete my entire project but did come home with the instructions to do so when I have time. I think this project will  make a fun class to feature the 580 and machine embroidery.

Class 2: In the Loop

This was a serger class and we made a really cute ruffled purse using T-shirts. I did finish this project and was pretty happy with the results. I am going to redo it and try to write up a simplified version as a tutorial. I also plan to make this project into a serger class for the store. I really like the technique for making the ruffled fabric and look forward to playing with it more and seeing what other projects it can be used in.

Class 3: Just Sew It

We use the 380 machine for this class and it focused on quick, simple projects for beginner sewers. I was a little reluctant about this class before it began because I thought it would probably be stuff that I had already done or knew but I was pleasantly surprised. I did get a lot of good ideas and inspiration. We made three projects from the upcoming Just Sew It e-book; a tissue packet holder, a mug rug and a small photo album/notebook cover. They were all presented in a fun, fresh way that I think our beginner sewers will like. They will make nice holiday gift ideas and Make & Take projects.

Most impressive were the new 7-series machines. I didn’t get to take the classes where I could sew directly on these new machines but my co-workers did and reported that they were very impressed with these machines. I did get to see them up close and really liked what I saw. So much so that I am now planning on purchasing a 780 for myself. After 12 years it is time for my trusty and reliable 180E to be retired.

On that note I’ve decided that in order to be able to afford this new Wonder-Machine I need to sell a couple of my old machines. I am even willing to send my beloved 180 off to other pastures so I can make room for new.

But most of all I need to sell the last of the remaining Viking machines I had in my store classroom. I have one 870Q Viking that has been stored away and hardly used. I still have all the original packing boxes, manuals, and accessories. It is in what I would consider like-new condition. Even when I had the store this machine rarely got used.

 

It listed for $2200 new, I sold its twin 2 years ago for $1200. I’m willing to consider any reasonable offer at this time. Local buyers also have the option of having me give them a free lesson on how to use this machine. I am offering it here on my blog and Facebook now to my readers and plan on listing it on Ebay next week if I don’t get any offers.

I also have a large collection of patterns that I am planning to start listing here or on my etsy shop in the very near future. Just need to move the scanner upstairs and get a system set up to get them entered and listed. I have vintage, new, independent designers, quilt and craft patterns. Something for everyone!

Once I have my new machine I will be ready to part with my 180E and will be listing that here as well. My ultimate plan is to have the new 780E and a smaller, simpler machine for Emma to start sewing on again. I don’t know if that will be a 3-series Bernina or just something cheap and simple that I find used somewhere.

Stars and Stripes

I just thought I’d share a few old projects with you that make me think of the 4th of July. I made this quilt about 10 years ago and it was one of the first quilts I ever made. I don’t remember the pattern source, I’m pretty sure it was in a magazine, maybe Quilter’s Newsletter????

I had collected quite a few fat quarters of 30s reproduction fabrics and other red, white and blue small prints. When I made this I didn’t know that flying geese and stars were supposed to be hard. This quilt is also set on point with lattice sashing. I do remember taking the finished top into the LQS (local quilt shop) to get backing and the ladies working there being very surprised that it was my first real quilt. Just goes to show you that sometimes not knowing what you don’t know is a good thing.

When I made this quilt it went on Emma’s bed when she had her first room to herself. The room was painted a nice deep yellow with red and white ticking curtains. Now it is on the guest room bed and is usually covered with a black comforter because it really doesn’t match that room anymore. I’m thinking of moving it to the basement family room. It would look fabulous against the big red couch down there.

Another old quilt that I keep on display in the guest room is this “Stack and Whack” star quilt I made using hand-dyed fabrics from my fabric dying era. I love the bold colors in this wall quilt. As you can see this room is now painted with vivid green walls and a turquoise ceiling so the bold colors of this quilt really fit well here. No one will ever accuse me of being afraid of color!

 

 

This last little project is a store sample I made last summer. Just used a variety of red, white and blue fabrics we had and cut them into 2.5x5” strips and pieced them in a brick pattern. Other features of this pillow are the covered buttons. I used the I-Top button maker to make them. It sure is a lot easier than the old method of making covered buttons!

 

I also added red piping in the seams and accented the pieced section with hand-look stitches in red. That was the one feature that really got attention at the store. Most Berninas have this stitch available. It is done with the color thread in the bobbin and invisible thread in the needle and adjustments to the thread tension.

This pillow will also be added to the big red couch in the basement. Someday I will have my dream house with a big wrap around front porch with white wicker rockers and I will decorate it up for the 4th of July with red, white, and blue quilts and pillows, bunting and vases of daisies.

Hope you are all staying cool and safe today. I think I have a date with my pool for the rest of the day (and a can of 100 spf sunscreen!)

Pattern Review: Two Zip Hipster

Pattern Link

I finally made this pattern after having it for at least a year. It was designed by my friend Erin Erickson of Dog Under My Desk. We became friends because of our love of sewing and our dogs. Then in one of those weird coincidences, we realized we had a mutual friend and then her aunt and I became co-workers at the Bernina dealership. Sometimes people are just supposed to be a part of your life.

I admired this bag when she wore it into the store and I saw her post about it on her blog. My chiropractor has been telling me for at least a year that I needed to give up my heavy shoulder bags and either downsize to a small hand bag or a cross-body strap bag. I knew this was the perfect remedy but finding time to make it was always an issue. I’ve also been waiting for the “just right” fabric for it too. Last week this fabric came in and I wanted to make something out of it immediately. This is the Hope Chest collection by Josephine Kimberling by Blend.

I really enjoyed making this pattern. Erin has done a fabulous job photographing and describing all the steps. Because of how detailed this pattern is it is in PDF format and I didn’t print out all (32 pages!) I opened the file on my laptop and referred to it as I worked. If you have a tablet (iPad, Kindle Fire, etc.) you could send this to it and use that to read the instructions. The only page I printed was the cutting layout diagram. I did not print and use the pattern pieces. I chose to just use the cutting list and my rotary cutter to cut all the pieces. I also made sure to label each piece with a note to the size and name of the piece.

Speaking of tablets, this bag is the perfect size to carry your tablet. My Kindle fits just right and there is room if you have a bigger tablet such as an iPad. Not a surprise, Erin and her husband are really technology/computer geeks so she really has her finger on the pulse of the needs of the techno sewist. This will be a great bag for travel. Very secure, convenient front pocket for plane tickets, etc.

Erin is an interfacing savant. I swear she’s tried them all and has an opinion about what works and what doesn’t. And her opinions are based on practical trial and error. If you have a question about interfacing check out her Interfacing Page.

Other highlights of this pattern (and all of Erin’s patterns) are the attention to details and finishing. I have a thing for well engineered patterns that pay as much attention to the inside and finishing as they do to the outward appearance. This pattern is beautifully designed with all of these details in mind. Of course this means that there are a lot of details and steps involved in this pattern but they aren’t difficult, just take them one step at a time and the end result turns out very nice. Erin’s instructions literally take you through each step with a clear color photo. Her zipper instructions are probably the best I’ve ever seen in all my years of sewing. Seriously.

I carried this purse this weekend to a couple places. At a party on Saturday night it was picked up off the chair twice by different people who commented on it and admired it. (Needless to say they were pretty impressed that I made it.) One even compared it to a new design available from “31 bags” called the Organizing Shoulder Bag. Coincidentally a customer came into the store yesterday carrying the 31 bag and I got to compare directly and I have to say that I like the Two Zip Hipster just as well. There are detail differences but the size is comparable. I have also been told that Vera Bradley has a similar style but I haven’t had a chance to compare it. But I can say with confidence that the less than 2 yards of fabrics, zippers, interfacing and notions still cost me WAY less than a new Vera Bradley bag! I can see another one of these in my sewing future. I think it is the perfect blank canvas for some cool machine embroidery or applique. I also think that doing some mixing and matching of different fabrics for the front pocket, sides and straps would be fun.

I give this pattern 2 Thimbles UP!