Sew I See!

This weekend, I gave the new layout a spin. I'm sewing components for my latest quilting project-- components that are string-pieced on a paper foundation. It's going well-- I'm having fun-- and I unequivocally love  having the iron right by my sewing station for quick pressing.  It makes the whole process so much faster and easier!  No more repeatedly getting up and down for no good reason!  I can't imagine going back to the old way after this.  Nope; I'm determined to have an iron within reaching distance of my sewing machine, from now on.   Here's a peek at some of the string-pieced components, along with a handful of the strings.  Those papers under the magnetic pin-"cushion"/dish are my foundation papers, cut from an old phone book. I'm still new to paper foundations, but I think they're working pretty well. Here's another view of the sewing corner.  There's the iron, within easy reach.  I also had my tablet

I recently decided to do some rearranging in my craft room.  I'm fortunate to have ample space for crafting/storing supplies, but over time, the focus of my interests has changed, and the layout of my room didn't reflect those changes. For instance, one large table went almost unused, because it was still a dedicated "clay table" (for using polymer clay).  For the time being, I'm no longer "claying" often enough to merit a whole large table that is only  for clay.  Instead, I've sometimes found myself wishing for more room when cutting fabric and sewing.  Why not combine the two large tables into one (almost) continuous surface? As for the rest... Well, why don't I just show you in a series of very repetitive photos ? (Quick, take a good swig of your favorite form of caffeine;  I'm setting up a room .) Here's the room from the doorway.  My favorite thing about this space is the large bank of windows, which give it a bright, airy

I've woven in the last loose end of the Stardust Melodies CAL afghan, but I've yet to wash and photograph it.  I may wait until the weather cools down a bit (maybe a few weeks?) to try to get photos. The latest project off the hook is bits and bobs of crochet lace I made to embellish a small magnetic chalkboard that hangs in my craft room. The thread is leftovers of size 10 crochet cotton.  (I think it's probably America's Best Country Cotton, which was discontinued years ago.) The pattern for the strip of lace is in Kristin Omdahl's book The Finer Edge: Crocheted Trims, Motifs & Borders .  The loose motifs are from The Harmony Guides: Crochet Stitch Motifs .  (One of them is just the first two rounds, I think, of a larger motif.) I soaked them in a light starch solution (which is how I like to finish most thread crochet projects I make), blocked them loosely, and attached them to the board (only the bottom of which is magnetic chalkboard, by t