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Fabric

Getting Organized In A Small Space

Karen · 9 Comments

Getting organized in a small space
Getting organized in a small space

I have had several people email me recently asking me how I manage to find the space to sew and quilt in my tiny RV home.  One of the ways is to be organized, with a place for everything.

I found a sturdy table with shelves underneath for about $35 at Wal-Mart last year. It fits in between the dresser and the bathroom sink in our bedroom. It is just the right size for cutting and sewing fabrics for all kinds of projects:

The sewing area

On the left side of the table, there is a space about 5 inches wide, that is the perfect place to store my folding chair and counter top ironing board when they are not in use. Under the table, I have two stacks of plastic drawers for holding sewing notions and supplies.

Small drawers hold small items

On the dresser within easy reach, I have a stack of smaller drawers that hold small but necessary notions that I use all the time when I am sewing. Things like scissors, bobbins, needles, markers, buttons, and measuring tapes are literally at my fingertips. Although you can’t see it much, the stainless steel dish on top of that drawer stack has a strong magnet in the base–it holds my pins in place even while we’re traveling down the road. You can get a really good one at an auto parts place–it was intended as a dish to hold nuts and bolts.

Larger drawers hold patterns, thread, zippers

The larger drawers under the sewing table hold zippers and other closures, thread, bias tape and trims, patterns, and fabric scraps. The little container on the far right holds scraps of batting that I use when making cosmetic bags, and other smaller items.

storage spaces, RV organization
The TV cubicle stores rulers and my iron

We have never watched TV in the bedroom, so that little cubby hole is used for storing my rulers and iron, among other things.

organizing RV spaces, storage solutions
An over the door rack holds projects in the works.

I found a nice sturdy over the door rack that fits over the cornice board at the back door of the trailer. I use it to hold things like projects in the works, a clip on light for my sewing area, a bag of fabric, and a lint roller. That lint roller is THE BEST for picking up all those little threads and pieces of fabric when I am through sewing for the day!

Bolts of interfacing and batting on a shelve in the wardrobe closet

You might not be able to see this clearly, but this is where I store bolts of interfacing and batting. I buy things like that when they are on sale at Joann Fabrics for 40-50% off. There are three bolts in there right now, with room to spare for some mailing supplies like padded envelopes, and priority mail boxes. They really don’t weigh a lot, but because it is a bolt, it is pretty large. Keeping them in the wardrobe closet is a pretty good option.

fabric in the linen closet, fabric storage, organizing
Who needs that many towels?

I store fabric in one side of the linen closet. Who needs that many towels anyway? And because I always need more fabric than that:

storage solutions, organizing a sewing area, RV storage solutions
A wicker trunk in the living area

I have a wicker trunk in the living area. I bought this trunk more than 10 years ago when we bought our first travel trailer. It serves a dual purpose–it is a coffee table most of the time, but the inside is full of fabric:

My storage area for fabric

When we travel, everything is packed away. The sewing machine, the folding chair, the ironing board, the rulers and iron, all go under the bed. All of the plastic drawers are on the floor, in front of the back door. The sewing table is either put on the bed, or in the back of the truck, depending on how long we are going to be traveling. The wicker trunk is pushed sideways next to the door. In the more than 10 years that we have been traveling, everything has always stayed put while we were going down the road.

The next question people always ask me is “How did you get your husband to let you have all that space for sewing?” Well, the answer is, he knows this is what makes me happy. If I were a fisher woman, or a kayaker, I would make space for the items I needed to be able to enjoy those activities. I am a crafter and quilter–I need these tools and supplies to make me happy. Life on the road is not just travel–if you can’t have the things you need to make  you happy, no matter what that might be, you might as well just stay home.

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Filed Under: Life on the road, Projects Tagged With: Fabric, full time rv'er, organizing, Quilting, RV life, Sewing, storage

Amelia’s Dress Finished

Karen · 5 Comments

I am so happy with how this turned out!

This has turned out to be a very satisfying project. That curtain panel really looks great in the finished product.

The pattern I used does not call for an overskirt, so when I cut the skirt, I cut it about 3 inches wider on each side than the underskirt, so that it would be “fluffy”.  I also cut it with the original hem at the bottom, and cut it 3 1/4 inches shorter than the underskirt, so that when I hemmed the underskirt, it is just the right length.

Here is the pattern I used, McCall’s 2053. I bought it in 1999, when Miss Sarah was born, and used it to make a dress for her, too.  Her’s was a baby plaid seersucker. It turned out just as cute. I made that hat for Sarah, too. I’m thinking this dress needs a more “baby bonnet”  looking hat, though.

McCall's 2053

I finished the back with baby snaps instead of a button, so that it will be easier on her mommy when she is dressing Amelia. Can’t wait to see the pictures, except that it is about the size to fit a 6-8 month old so I will have to wait. Sigh.

I’m sharing this on Everything Etsy’s “I Made It!” Blog Party

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Filed Under: Granddaughters, Sewing Tagged With: Fabric, Granddaughters, pattern, Sewing

A Day In Kanab, Utah

Karen · 6 Comments

Remember this? Well, today we added more to it. We got  up very early to go to Kanab, Utah. It’s an 85 mile drive, with a one hour time difference once you cross the Utah border. We wanted to get there by 8:00 a.m. Utah time  because we were having work done on the truck. So, we left about 5:50 (Arizona time), went to pick up Gaelyn of Geogypsy, and took off.

Gorgeous sky in the Kaibab National Forest

Early morning in the Kaibab National Forest, just outside the gates of the Grand Canyon National Park, is always interesting. You might see deer, turkeys, a coyote, or a buffalo out there. Today we saw this beautiful sky.

We got to the auto shop just at 8:00, and dropped off the truck. They gave us a loaner vehicle so we wouldn’t have to sit around there all day. We went to Houston’s Trails End Restaurant for breakfast, then headed about a mile or so north of town to the private campground where our friends, Marcie and Jim, and Chris, are staying while they are workamping in Kanab.  I didn’t think about taking pictures while I was there, but that campground has some wonderful scenery around it.

Marcie and Chris are going to be staffing a booth at The Kane County Farmers Market, which will be held every Saturday from the last weekend in May through the middle of October, beginning at 9:00 am to 11:30 am. Chris makes some really cute “tea bag wallets”, which are big enough to hold 4-6 tea bags for hot tea. What a great idea! Marcie makes crocheted items, which I unfortunately did not see. But, if you find yourself in Kanab on a Saturday morning this summer, go on over and check out our stuff. They are going to be selling some of my things, too. Thank you so much, girls! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.

When we left their place, we went over to the Family Dollar store, where I picked up some packing tape and another cute dress for Amelia. (yeah, I know, I have it bad, hehehe).  There just happened to be a thrift shop next door, so we went in to see what they had. I picked up a luggage carrier for a good price to use to take my laundry to the laundry room. By then, it was almost time for my hair appointment.

Since the post office is right behind the hair salon, we parked there and I finished packing up the things I had to mail out. Heads up to all my kids, I sent gifts out to all the grandkids today. They should get them soon. Got the hair cut and made an appointment for a pedicure in two weeks, and another hair cut in 5 weeks. Yay!

We went to another thrift shop, the one for the hospital auxiliary, where they had these cute fabrics for 50 cents a piece, for 1/2 yards!

Lots of inexpensive fabric. Yes!

I also picked up all this lace trim, for practically nothing!

Almost a hundred yards of laces, for less than $5.00!

The best bargain of the day, though, was this fabulous thread bin, full of thread, for $15! Some of that thread is silk. And all of the spools are wooden, which I haven’t seen in years. OH, I am just loving this!

Some of this thread is silk! a great bargain here.

And last, here is a lovely piece of fabric, all pink and flowery. It is actually an 84″ X 26″ curtain panel, that I picked up for $4.00 in Deja Vu Antiques. I am planning to use it to make a fluffy dress for Amelia. Yes, like Scarlett O’Hara, she will be wearing the drapes before she is old enough to walk.  Hahahaha. But, don’t you think that is just soooo pretty?

Soon to be a fluffy baby dress!

Somewhere in there, we went grocery shopping, and ate some lunch at Escobar’s. Finally, around 4:00 p.m, they got finished with the truck.  They added a Banks Intercooler under the hood. See all those new manly pipes! FabGrandpa is in “guy heaven”.

Those gray pipes were added to increase the flow of air to the turbo.

And FabGrandpa finally got to add the Banks sticker to our truck. One on each side. He says they only cost $1100, each.

Love that new sticker!
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Filed Under: Fun Stuff, Sewing, Utah, Workamping Tagged With: Fabric, Friends, Sewing, thrift shop, Utah

Did I Tell You That I Love Fabric?

Karen · 6 Comments

Fabric in my linen closet

So, I guess you thought that since I live in a 34′ travel trailer that I would have nowhere to store a fabric stash? Dream on!  I could not live without fabric. Even if I don’t have time to sew for several months, I MUST have fabric with me at all times. I would probably perish from fabric withdrawal if I could not at least pet it once in a while. You know, take it all out, arrange it in different combinations, think about what I want to do with it EVENTUALLY, feel it. You know, all the things a real fabric-aholic does.

That photo up there? Is the fabric I have stored in my “linen closet”. The “linen closet” is two shelves in an overhead cabinet in the bedroom. My fabric takes up one shelf in there. Who needs towels anyway???  I also have a wicker trunk in the living area that doubles as a coffee table. It is full of fabric. And a two drawer Sterlite storage container. And a shopping bag in the wardrobe closet. But, with all that fabric on hand, I still didn’t have the exact piece that I needed to finish a couple of projects.

I bring this up because we had to go to Tuscaloosa for yet another medical thing for FabGrandpa today, and on the way home we stopped by the Carolina Lily Quilt Shop. And when I say we, I went in and bought stuff and he sat in the truck and slept off the anesthesia. I figured if he didn’t know what was going on it didn’t matter. Right? (Oh, and by the way, his colonoscopy turned out fine.)

I can’t tell you how much I spent, because I didn’t look at the bill, just handed over my debit card. That was a rather brave thing to do, but it was very necessary.

Charm packs and jellyroll

When I went in there today, I bought two charm packs and a jelly roll.  Charm packs are precut squares of a variety of fabrics that all coordinate. Same with the jelly roll, except that you get 40  precut strips. The ones I got today are the Birdie 5″ charm pack; the Animal Alphabet 5″ charm pack; and the Soiree’ 1 1/2″ strip jelly roll. Having the pieces precut saves a lot of time and makes making a quilt so much easier and faster.(plus, if I don’t actually use it for a while, I get to see so many fabrics all at one time!)

Background fabric for Sarah and Seth's Bethlehem Star quilt.

I got the background fabric to be able to finish Sarah and Seth’s quilt. I wanted a brown but could not find one that matched this very well. The green looks very nice with the other fabrics in the star.

Yellow for sashing for the charm pack I won.

Back during the summer I won a charm pack of precut 6″ squares in a giveaway. I have been wanting to do something with them, but needed sashing fabric. I got a nice yellow to tie them all together. Don’t know exactly what it is going to be yet, but at least now I can start seriously thinking about the possibilities.

I went in there to buy this.

And this is what I actually went in there to buy. I have all the pieces cut for the blocks, sashing, and border of the quilt for my bed. The only thing I needed to be able to get it sewn and ready for quilting was the backing. I found this deep brown that looks really good with the other fabrics. I’m thinking I am going to have it quilted with turquoise thread, so it will show up nicely on the back of the quilt.

So, now I am set to be able to complete several projects. Let it snow! See if I care!

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Filed Under: Fabric, Quilting Tagged With: Fabric, Quilting

Hurray! I Got Some Sewing Done Today

Karen · 15 Comments

I have so many projects to get done that sometimes I don’t know where to begin. I made a rule for myself a couple of years ago that I have to finish one thing before I can start another, because I had gotten into the habit of not finishing things. I would make the quilt top, but not follow through with putting the layers together and quilting the project. Since I made that rule for myself, I have finished lots of things.

I DO still buy fabric, and cut things out before I finish the project at hand, but this just gives me something to pick up and sew.  Today, I finished sewing the star pieces together for the Star of Bethlehem quilt I am making for Seth and Sarah.

If that looks familiar, it may be because I am making one very similar to it for Becca and Ken. There is only one fabric that is different in the two quilts. These are king size, and I am sending them out to a long arm quilter to be quilted. My sewing machine won’t handle that big of a job.  Here is a photo of Becca’s quilt ready to go:

Yes, I was working on it in the maintenance shop. I had to clean of the work bench and tape some plastic on it to have a space big enough to work on. Sometimes I go to a quilt shop and use the tables in their back room. I have never been turned down for doing that, as long as they don’t have lessons going on at the time.

I had bought some yellow and purple fabric for the new baby’s quilt when a month or so ago:

But then this cute cute girlie girl fabric came in the mail last week:

So now our new little missy will be getting this purty fabric called “OH, Cherry, Oh” for her first quilt from her FabGrandma. I haven’t decided on a pattern yet, but I think I am going to let the fabric tell me what to do. I got what is called a “turnover”, which is a pack of 40 pre-cut triangles, and three 1 yard pieces. I love those pre-cuts–they make it so easy to get started doing something.

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Filed Under: Daughters, Fabric, Granddaughters, Quilting, Sewing Tagged With: daughter, Fabric, Granddaughters, Quilting

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