Menu

Renovations

It’s been a bit quiet around the blog lately, since I haven’t had any time to sew in the last few weeks. I’ve been itching to do more work on both personal projects and the linen waistcoat, but it’s had to wait. I’ve taken a couple weeks off to focus on life – packing, painting, moving, unpacking, and celebrating my daughter’s graduation from college. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind!

First things first, I need a space to sew in the new house. This room got stripped down to bare walls and subfloor… Craft Room Before… before being painted a pretty lilac with fresh white trim, and having new outlets, lights, and flooring installed.IMG_1179In the long run this room will just be the craft room, but for now it is also my temporary studio while we shuffle around the other rooms. I really love how the paint and flooring go together in here. The flooring will be continued through several rooms of the house that were previously carpeted, including what will eventually be studio space.
IMG_1180We painted the sunroom a happy apple green, and turned it into the dining room. Sun RoomThe ceiling fan also got an update, covering up the boring old bronze and fake wood with oil rubbed bronze paint on the base, grey chalk paint on the blades, and new globes that tie the whole thing together. Ceiling Fan MakeoverMy new bedroom is a cool aqua, and I plan to decorate with shades of aqua, teal, and spring green. I’ve been repainting mirrors and decorative bits for the room so I can create layers of color and texture, and I’m repainting and distressing my jewelry armoire to match the antique dresser I have. The dark cherry of the original finish is just too jarring next to the rest of the room. Bedroom

I hunted around for sheer green curtains for ages before I realized I picked up some silk cotton blend in LA last year that is the exact shade of green I had in mind, and there is just enough for a pair of curtain panels. I’ll also be using some other LA finds to make sheer white curtains for under the green, some teal velvet pillow shams (and maybe a headboard someday), and trims for embellishing pillows and sheets. I knew there was a good reason for all that shopping! Fabrics and colors are still in flux as I find pieces that make me happy, but here are the swatches for now. Bedroom swatchesWe also finished the second bathroom that has been under renovation since last summer, painting it and installing a new vanity, toilet, lights, and flooring. That’s four rooms almost completely made over in the last month! While it’s not sewing, it’s been rewarding to express creativity in other ways.

On top of that, some friends and I held a HUGE craft sale and I cleared out tons of my personal craft supplies and sewing stash. I still have plenty more to sort through and pack, but it’s much more manageable. Most of my essential furniture, sewing supplies, and books have been moved over to the new house and unpacked, so I’m close to having a functional workspace again.

And my favorite part of all – this beautiful girl came back from her study abroad project in Australia and graduated from college! We had a great time with family and friends over the last week, celebrating her accomplishment. I’m so proud of her! ReneeJust when I was really getting used to the break, several new orders came in and reminded me that it’s time to get back to work. I even made my first international sale, which is pretty exciting for me! Costume College is a lot closer than I remembered, and I still have some hope of having outfits ready to wear, plus I have a class to prepare for. I also have some really amazing collaborations developing, which I’ll save for the next blog post. Things are about to get very busy for a bit!

Share your thoughts...

%d bloggers like this: