I'm kind of an all in or all out person. When I began to think about journals, altered books, fibre art, and embellishing with beads I leaped high in the air and came down a little more spinney than usual. I folded up my sewing cabinet and shoved it into a corner. I flapped open my big tall craft table and bought all kinds of supplies and books. My ladies craft night never really got going and then I began to wonder if I could really do all this. So I turned to the yard and began to harass poor plants and defenseless trees. Winter has covered the dead bodies but there is a finger that crooks in my direction from the playroom. Come!!! I still want to do it all. I try to keep 2 square feet clear on the table and just stack stuff higher. I am piecing. MQing: not so easy. Focus also means reality. Craft table is nice but not usable because of the piles. MQing doesn't work for anything bigger than a place mat. I gave away my ironing board and the cabinet top is too small. What can I give up? Actually, it turns out, very little; a few cubbyholes for 'stuff'.
Back from the basement comes my counter. It replaces the the 2 square feet and hopefully more. I put the old ironing cabinet under it. well it actually holds up the counter. I flapped out the sewing cabinet, a little crowded getting up from the chair but not unduly so. Actually it even works better with my big cutting mat on one end although it requires a bit more bending. The small bookshelf gives more support to the end where I lean to cut. It stores magazines. The small table will fit under the edge. I really like piecing on that end. The craft table is all folded small but is a perfect ironing station and right behind where I piece. It could open some but I could also roll it into the hall. I have a white microwave cabinet in the basement so I brought it up by the counter. I can roll it about and it could even move over beside the sewing cabinet to hold up bigger quilt sandwiches as I machine quilt. I'd need to shift things a foot or so for that but when I MQ I don't usually do anything else. The U-shaped walk area, maybe more H shaped because of the 2 doorways, makes the best use of the room. Crafting is great but the reality is I sew more than I craft at this point. I also think the counter is a bit further away from my sewing stuff and I am messy. I'll need to move my art supplies closer to the counter though. Anyway, I'm quite pleased. I need 2 machines up. That just works SO well. The curtains over the stash bookcases are quite handy for little design projects and the big design sheet in the hall is as handy as it can be. I have also found that too efficient is detrimental to my physical well being. I need to move about.
So it took some pondering but I did get a creative solution. Now I need dear hubby to support this counter better; I just fixed the darn computer tower and it is resting on a bread pan on a plastic rolling shelving unit. The shelf above the counter needs leveling. The power bars would be better affixed to the walls. Dare I press for a new plug for the iron??? But I think I have a Triple F happening. YAY!!!
I did get the water running up and down hill. This isn't exactly bargello as I didn't want green up in the 'sky' so that had me considering my options. 3/4 inch cut strips. What was I thinking??? I must have been fixating on the water! LOL
