Thursday 29 January 2015

Craft Room Makeover Part 1


I've been waiting waiting waiting to publish a new post, ideally with great ta-das and exciting reveals of amazingly impressive projects. Or project singular even. Sadly though, this was not to be. I've been really restless this last week or two. Starting things. Not finishing things. Sometimes not even starting things at all. I decided that the root of this, or part of it, at least, is my increasingly disorganized craft room. I'm really really lucky to have a whole room to dedicate to my crafting, it's not a very big room - after all I live in deepest suburbia in the increasingly densely populated south of England - but it's a room nonetheless. The furniture is a mish-mash of bits we've stopped using in other rooms - an old dining table, an unused desk, a bookshelf that someone gave us, a toy storage unit that was replaced by something more grown up. Hubby keeps telling me just to buy new furniture, but I quite like the old bits and pieces. Plus I really can't be bothered trying to decide what else to get, and it just seems so wasteful when there's nothing wrong with any of them.

However I have a really bad habit of piling stuff up and never putting it away properly, not least because there wasn't enough storage space for it all. Plus, my wool storage just wasn't doing it for me. Stacked about 6 balls high it kept collapsing and was generally just a mess. This room was not the restful, peaceful and inspiring place I wanted it to be.

So, for the last week, my spare time (what there is of it) has been spent rearranging and reorganizing. I didn't want the chaos to affect any of the other rooms so it was a bit like one of those square tile puzzles where you can only move one thing at a time then move the next thing into the space just created by moving the first thing, and so on. It's still a bit of a giant WIP but it's getting there. Lots more to sort out - paperwork, fabric, ironing, but lots is looking rather lovely, and the most important bit - my Beloved Yarn Stash - is looking fab-u-lous .... Here's a wee peek (can't show you any more as the rest is still obscured by Messy Stuff) ....


I commandeered 2 CD racks from around the house. We only ever listen to electronic copies of the music now anyway, so the CDs were evicted and are now occupying a couple of shelves elsewhere. They are several disks deep as we don't need to get them much. The CD racks are pretty sturdy and quite tall, so I've laid them on their sides, one on top of the other, along the back of my desk :) Each little CD cubby-hole holds 4-6 balls of yarn. What a happy sight to work/play next to :) I could spend hours just gazing at it. I might even sleep next to it.

I'm also fortunate to have a brilliant embroidery floss collection. My friend's Mum, who was a passionate cross-stitcher, passed away quite suddenly a few years ago. I knew her myself, she was a lovely lady. My friend and her sisters had to sell a lot of their Mum's belongings and add the monies to her estate. My friend sold me the job-lot of all of her Mum's stitching stuff - books, magazines, and threads - and look - one of those gorgeous vintage concertina sewing boxes ......


I thought about painting the box off-white, and doing the whole distressed thing (the box would be distressed, I might too) but actually I'd rather keep it the way its original owner had it. The floss collection was (is) amazing, look at the range of greens alone ....


Everything was numbered and labelled, Shelagh was super-organized. When I came into ownership of the collection, the sewing box was empty and all the cards of floss were in those whitefish plastic flat boxes with dividers ..... which are now in use by the Little People for their equally impressive loom band collection. And the floss cards fit perfectly into the sewing box, as you would hope. Shelagh kept all her spare cards and number stickers in this little original Oxo tin. I think she must have won it in a raffle, you can still the raffle ticket stuck on the bottom....


During my sort-out I found this old cross-stitch that I completed years ago but never got round to framing. I loved making this picture, it the kit was a gift from my Mum, and although it's a bit olde-fashioned for my usual tastes, I do rather like it, so I must get round to finding a frame for it.


As lots of shelves and boxes were cleared up, various random crochet motifs and swatches were unearthed. Maybe they will become a freestyle something-or-other. I had a great idea for them earlier but I seem to have forgotten what it was. Don't you hate that ? I'll just have to wait for inspiration to strike again. It looks like a dreadful jumble doesn't it ...


There, that's a bit better ..... 


My Playroom Thingy squares are multiplying, I'm nearly ready to assemble .....


And I've got a few new little bits on the go .....


Last, but most definitely nowhere near least, look look look look loooooook ...........


Fancy winning those little treats ? Next week I hope to reach my 100th post (I know!!!! 100!!!!), and I'm planning my Very First Giveaway!!! Whoop!!!! That little lot (deliberately half hidden, by the way, in order to keep it a surprise), with the addition of a few bits more, will be winging its way to one of you, my lovely readers, and I'll give you more details in a few posts' time :) Y'all come back now, y'hear ?

xxxxxx

20 comments:

  1. Well.. you're WAY ahead of me on cleaning your craft room. I have a serious problem. I keep putting stuff in there and not taking anything out... it's like an episode of "Hoarders". I actually might have to hire help.. an organizer or something. As for the hats for Brazil babies - can you let me know your email address and I'll send you my address? ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  2. Jill this is going to transform your life! I can't wait to see your room all finished. Inspired idea to recycle the cd racks. We never use CDs now either but somehow not able to get rid of them..... X

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  3. LOL! Are you accidently my twin sister ;-)?
    My little craft room is the same i'm afraid... I did declutter some time ago but it's already a mess again! Who does that? (me I guess...)
    I am going to steal your idea with the cd racks if you don't mind; we have exactly the same ones and last week I put all our cd's in boxes since we do not use them anymore....
    And this is only part one? Can't wait for the second part!
    Lots of love from Mirjam.

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  4. Looking forward to seeing the finished craft room. Using the CD racks was genius, the yarn looks so beautiful all stacked together. Have a great weekend.

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  5. Your yarn stash looks lovely and I'm sure when you are all done your whole craft room will be equally lovely looking. I'm trying to sort mine but do a bit then get distracted and do something else so it's taking ages.
    You are teasing us about your giveaway so I'll be watching and waiting to see more
    Jackie x

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  6. It's all looking fabulous and I love the CD rack yarn stash. I think I've got embroidery floss envy, what an amazing collection, the concertina box is a wonderful way to organise them all. Have a lovely weekend.
    Jane xx

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  7. I can SO relate to your craft room story. I have a similar situation here. Had to fit 2 rooms into one as my DD and SIL live with me and their baby was due in November. I'm still trying to get some kind of order in my craft room but its just getting too overwhelming. I've given heaps of acrylic yarn away but my stash keeps multiplying. Goodness knows what happens in here when I go to bed each night :) xox

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  8. It looks so good, Jill. I don't have my own room, just a corner of our shared home office for my desk and a few of the shelves around the room for my things. I also have four bins for my yarn stacked up against a wall, I love your floss storage. I have a similar sewing basket to hold mine but it's still in skeins with the bands on, I really need to get them wound onto cards.

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  9. What a happy, bright & cheery post! Your yarn looks just perfectly yummy all snuggled up in its new home. I did the same with our CDs - tossed them all in a plastic crate in the loft and commandeered the CD shelves for my craft room :-) And oh-my-word, I have a complete case of sewing box and embroidery thread envy!
    Happy sorting & have a lovely weekend,
    xx

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  10. What a great idea to utilize CD racks, I may have to "borrow" that idea. I also have the Oxo tin, amazing what one hangs on to.
    Hugs

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  11. Your storage ideas are wonderful! I love the CD racks used like that, they look great! Am wondering if we have got any around here that I can appropriate to use in the same way! Wishing you a happy weekend.
    Helen xox

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  12. It's so nice to get organized isn't it? I can't work either when my 'stuff' is in a mess.
    I like your idea of storing embroidery floss in a sewing box: I have one, and I have lots of floss in those little plastic cases - perhaps there should be a crafty marriage so to speak of the two!
    Have a great weekend!
    Jenn

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  13. Wow, your yarn storage idea is brilliant and looks great too. My craft room is tiny and it always looks like a bomb has exploded, hence my blog name. Lovely little sewing box and embroidery threads.

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  14. Nice storage and lovely workspace !!! Your emboidery floss collection is impressive indeed !!! So I wsh you a very creative week end !

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  15. It's fun to reorganise a room, especially when it's your very own craft room, ready for some creativity. I like the way you've stored your yarn - it looks very pretty :)
    Cathy x

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  16. I love what you have done, it is so fun to have everything in its place. Sign me up for the giveaway right away and I don't even know what it is!
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  17. Your craft room looks wonderful!! I love all the wool, and that sewing box with all the threads is lovely I bet your friend's mum would be pleased it is so loved and appreciated :) Looking forward to seeing the framed cross stitch - I used to stitch a lot but some how crochet has taken over.... xx

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  18. It looks as though you have made very good use of all the available space that you have! The embroidery threads and sewing box are incredible aren't they! I have one of those boxes in the loft waiting to be renovated, but no wonderful threads inside like you have! It must make you smile just to look at them! xx

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  19. I had my craft room tidied and then it got all untidied again over Christmas. I really need to get it sorted out again. It isn't TOO bad but I need to find somewhere to keep the Christmassy stuff. I love the way you have your yarn stored. The sewing box and all the floss is amazing.

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  20. Hi Jill! I love your re-organizing! It's great when you can find your craft stuff!!! The idea with the ikea cd racks is great!!! Hope you get it all the way you want it!!
    Have a lovely week!
    Ingrid xx
    http://myfunkycrochet.blogspot.be

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Jillxxxxx