My new Quilting Room :)

Our new home:

A new chapter in our lives in North Wales - and we are much closer to family after 26 years of living in London. On Wednesday, some of that fabby family helped me unpack 15 boxes in my new Quilting Room (frustratingly, I still can't move my right arm that well after breaking my shoulder 3 months ago) ... and in just a couple of hours all my fabric, books and magazines, WIPs and quilty stuff was out of the boxes - they know how much I love my hobby, bless them ... though apparently, I have too much fabric!

Judge for yourself - my new fat quarter drawer:

Over the last two days, I've moved and sorted, tidied and whittled stuff down as best I can. This room's not as big as my old sewing space but my oh my, I think it's magical ... what do you think? Warning - I've taken lots of photos:

Even Nell got in on the action:

LOVE it! Am so very lucky to have this wonderful space. Can't wait to start sewing in it! Maybe tomorrow ... but only after I've cleared the hallway - not so much fun:

Linking up with Amanda Jean and Sarah. 

Unpacking and creating a new Quilting Room :)

Tired? Yes!

Aching? Yes! Yes! 

Excited? Yes! Yes! Yes! 

Happy? Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! 

The house move to Wales went very very well. Even Nell (the rescue cat who still hasn't really settled down after 5 years living with us!) survived the 4 hour car journey :) Here she was on Morning #1. She's a 'city cat' so goodness knows what she'll make of the cows, badgers and rabbits when we let her out: 

It's only been 3 days and we have hundreds! a lot of boxes to still unpack but we made a great start in my Quilting Room yesterday thanks to both Mums, DH and my little big sister:

It's a very different space to this fabby room I left behind in London:

... and a bit smaller so I will have to be ruthless with some of my old stuff if I want my new creative space to be both pretty AND usable. Hmmmm, now that could  be tricky for me ...

Pop back Friday - I'm foolishly optimistic hoping it'll be finished! Linking up with Lee and Lorna:

Give me a break!!

My Snooker Table quilt for Jackie's retirement present (blogged about lots but please see here for one at the beginning) is coming along nicely so why the title to this post (other than it's snooker related?!)

DH has arranged for the builders to come in on MONDAY ... yes that's next Monday ... 5 days from today. And they will be working in my quilting room (loft) for 7 days (yeah, right!) to fix the 'unstable roof' so everything, yes EVERYTHING has to come out of the loft by Sunday night. So much for all the sewing on this quilt I was planning to do over the weekend *sigh*

Well, I'm just going to have get on with it, snatching an hour here and there where I can. And DH has promised to set me up in the dining room until I can get back in the loft! I'll share all the before and after photos with you from Monday :)

Here's my 'pattern' for this quilt, courtesy of Google images:

Here's where I'm up to after two non-stop hours tonight. First the corner pockets:

Not sure yet whether I'm going to round off the corners or not when I do the binding:

And all the frames and pockets are done. Once I'd worked out the pattern for one pocket, it really was easy to crack on and piece the others. I still have to applique the pockets but at least all my balls are fixed! Amazing what you can achieve when you have to. Jackie's leaving party is on June 13th ... yikes!!:

What do you think of it so far??

Hoping to get all the front pieced by Saturday morning ... then the major upheaval begins!

Linking up with Lee @ Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday

I'm cured!!!

It must have been one of those 24 hour bugs or something because this week I have spent some money!! A couple of charity shop finds, a garden centre flower pot and a visit to my LQS today has restored my faith in my compulsive shopping habit!!

I'm always on the lookout for little baskets or quirky pots to store things in my quilting room and whilst this isn't a typical quilting supplies accessory, it was just too lovely to leave on the shelf:

In the charity shop at Rochester, I picked up this really cute vase which is ideal for my spare cottons and it's just big enough for my hand to reach in like a kid in a sweet shop:

And in my local charity shop - the bargain purchase of the year, nay the decade!!! I am always envious of people who just 'stumble across' the best little objects but this week it was ME! Look what I found for only ... wait for it ... £5 - yes, you read it right: FIVE English Pounds:

I wasn't sure what to put on it at first because the little compartments are too small for a fat quarter but they are ideal for scraps of 1/8 size and jars of cottons and bobbins and pins and tape measures ... I may paint it pink one day but, for now, how wonderful:

I 'popped in' to Yarnia today - my local quilting supplies store: it's such a cute little shop and Nicci and her Mum Trish work so hard trying to make the business a success ... I just had to support them by buying a few fabrics (and some cotton, rotary blades and ribbons):

The orange and turquoise blenders are 'Dotty Scroll' by Makower and the flowers (front right) is Tanya Whelan's Sugar Hill - Falling Rose and the middle 3 lovelies from left to right are:

'Wild Flowers', 'Sweet Birdie' (Tweet Blooms) and 'Sweet Birdie' (Petals and Pals) by Kathy Davis:

No idea what I'll use them for yet but that doesn't matter, hey?? Oh, I am sooooooo looking forward to a 3-day weekend of quilting :)

The cleaning fairy has been!!!

What a difference a few hours and a bit of organising can achieve. I had to do this today or I could not in all good conscience start any new projects (and I have plenty on my list!) I still have to hoover but a precious little puddy cat won't shift her bum so I won't disturb her any more today. You can see how exhausted she was by the whole clean-up process:

I do have a lot of stuff! I couldn't even get 2012's magazines in to this box and it's only JUNE!!

Much better (good old IKEA shelving) - I know it's still a  'busy' space but it's 'organised busy' so I know where everything is and what I have got:

Nice and tidy tables ... just begging to be sewn upon: 

And a clear ironing space: let me introduce you to Cuthbert - he's the funny looking little knitted teddy to the right of the iron. My dear Nen made him for me about 35 years ago - I think he was the prototype that didn't quite make it to the jumble sale and I said I'd look after him - I can't believe I've managed to hang on to him all these years :)

I love this vintage blanket airer - I bought it at an Antique Shop in Rye (a beautiful town on the Sussex coast) a couple of years back with my birthday money - it's fabby for hanging bigger pieces of ironed fabric on:

And these little baskets I got at the weekend at the garden centre - ideal for holding the fabric for new projects. The one at the back is full of fabric waiting to be turned into 'USA #5' but I need to wash it all first and the weather is foul so I will have to wait for some sunshine (I know ... don't hold my breath!)

 PROOF - I have been busy lately, I do clean this out regularly (honest!) but ... ugh!!

 And a little reminder of a few of the things I want to make:

What bliss - a tidy space is a tidy mind = lots of new quilting projects ... YAY!!!!!!!!

What a MESS!!

How did I let my sewing room get into this state??  

And this ...

I think there's a table underneath there ... somewhere!

 Even Nell is in despair - are ALL those packets of Dreamies empty, Mummy??

Time for a little tidy up, I think!! Ewwwww - look at the dust :(

I just need to make a start!! Not a lot of room on those tables either, hey??

Or on the fabric hanger - and that dress needs to be put away before I turn it into a cushion!!!

Oh, I see you're going to be a great help, Nell - make yourself comfy and I'll try not to disturb you too much!!

Oh, happy days!! Come back and see me later :)