February is busting out all over!

Distractability Factor was really up this month.  I'm not sure if it was the vitamins and green spring tonic or my arch enemy, Procrastination, but...

I got totally involved in a Spiffing Project that consumed me for about a week.  The results are very gratifying!

Straightening fabric stacks led to a full dismantle and major decisions on what fabric groupings were lukewarm and old what were hot and still pertinent.    Because I work with the seasons this should add some order to my UFO's.

I also learned that I need a written plan for all that needs to happen in the monthly time span.  I totally forgot the camera challenge and then I thought I had lots of time for the UFO's.  Not so!  :{

So right under the 'puter keyboard is my monthly calender page and I have the due dates recorded.  I also have used the scheduling aspect of blog posts to motivate me to get something in there before they self publish!   :0 

Unfortunately I have nothing actually finished.  :[  I had bought a new iron but it has been easier to keep on using the old one than learn how the new one works.  I spent the morning looking for the cd that came with it and finally did a you tube search because the boiler needs to be primed the first time its used. Its now ready and I do like it!  It is actually designed to sit flat so hopefully it won't be falling on the floor like the last iron was wont to do! 

It has an internal boiler and pressing all those seams was a snap!   I noticed the top was a bit wavy as it hung on the design wall.  

The iron has great steam and can be used like a steamer so I tried it and now the top looks great!  Next I need to decide what to do with it.  I doubt I'll add borders and then there is the quilting!  ???  I have no more of the multi print so it'll be a solid coloured binding.

This will be a baby quilt so I want it to be soft.  The binding went on and that new iron made pressing it a breeze.  I doubt it will even see pins! 

The newly spruced up playroom should have me strongly marching through ufo's in the next month!

My score remains the same because I haven't started anything new although fingering all those fabric stacks surely was tempting! 

Studio Spring Sprint

I have come to terms with the early spring.  I don't usually think of the yard til May but the weeds won't wait and the debris is blowing about.  The weather was okay but served up a stiff northerly breeze for Friday. 

We got a good day's work in but nothing photo worthy.

The weather is kinda nasty again today so I'm back to thinking about the month of April.

 Now I need to figure the best way to stay up to date with the Altered Book tutorials which I am enjoying immensely.  This mixed media is 'clicking' for me and I want to do MORE!  Then the quilting for the quilt show needs to move along as well.  I also am tired of shoving stuff about for the beading class.  That means I need supplies to be where I can work on them.  So I'm studying the playroom layout.  Basic configuration works but the counter is actually too high.  So...

I changed the ironing board cupboard for the art supply cupboard.  This will be way better to stand and work at. 

The ironing station has a new cupboard that my Rooster has been trying to ignore.  I'll have to ruffle his feathers a bit!  I figure the hooks will hold up that pesky iron cord and the shelves can always hold things.  The lower cupboard  is a bit high but I do have an ironing board and this is for quick pressing of patches. 

All this is helpful as I need to think about what to keep here and what to send to the workroom when I get it done.  I could use some tweaking of Nina's space but that's as good as it gets for now.

I need to think of an appropriate name for the workroom.  This is my Coop and Saucer Playroom.  I have some birds and some teacups.  Not sure what the workroom will actually evolve into but it'll be for wet and messy stuff.  Suggestions welcome! 

A third time for Friday

Who'd have thought it would take 3 days of Friday to get the vacuum put away!

I can see why directions are sometimes optional. Board A and B look the same on the diagram but when I got to step 3 and board B I found they were not so this is where mild swearing starts! 8^) Then I did go for pliers because there are 2 sizes of dowels. No swearing, I was too worried I'd not get them exchanged. Amazingly, it took all afternoon. Now I do have some extra parts left over and I can explain most of them. They are options I chose to disregard as I didn't want it attached to the wall. But the 4 screws rather haunt me because I recall seeing some holes that made no sense. oops! But it looks sturdy. I haven't actually stood on it and should the need arise that I have to, well, I hope there is some kind of flash back! LOL

Form rates higher on my priority list than function. So this must be pretty. I shall acquire more of the canvas baskets and I'll probably use them as my parts department. This will also be for leftovers from projects. I've seen some very creative uses made of leftovers. Serendipity's they'd be. I'll find a green towel to match the baskets and cover the heat resistant pad.

But it needs to function as well so the power bar needs to be positioned where I can see the light and know its on. I find hooking the ironing cord up keeps it out of the road so the shelf above with the hooks fills form and function. I could paint the shelf periwinkle though! I bought an iron holder to mount to the wall and I'm thinking ugly and hubby is thinking FIRE!!! So that may not happen. I'll try the board I have and if it is wide enough, then I'll get one cut that is the right length. I like the overhang because that gives toe room. I can pull the cupboard ahead a bit if I'm ironing those long lengths that need a place to go. Actually what would make it perfect would be a little drop leaf on the right end to set the iron on as you move the bigger lengths of fabric. I never know where to put it while I do that.

So, I'm kinda pleased with myself but appreciative of hubby's look of dismay when I say I have a quick, little job I need him to do. I am actually making a list of little fixes in here that'll probably end up being a whole day's worth of work. Ah, togetherness! 8^)

Oh no! Company's coming!

I spent the morning flinging some of my stuff. I have kicked the garbage can around the corner and out of site. Then I thought how hard can putting my new ironing station into action! I mean, if my Dh (dear hubby) can put it together without reading the directions and swearing only mildly... Surely a moderately competent and creative chick can do this. So I descended down into the depths of the basement and arrived breathless on the second story with a hammer and some kind of X tipped screw driver which are ALL the tools I apparently need. I thought about it but decided to forgo the box of band-aids. A little pause to check the 'puter and...

Yvonne over at Ink Spiller's Attic has nominated me for the Sunshine award and is sending bloggers by.

Uhm... welcome! 8^) Please excuse the mess! I'm making my very own version of an ironing station. I like to iron on a stable surface. I'd been using my folding craft table with an extra board and some heat resistant batting and a towel. Worked well and was in a good place. But I'm improving my play space, The Coop and Saucer Playroom. aka - old master bedroom

Now the craft table is busy and the substitute table too low. I found a stackable 9 cube organizer at the local hardware store. It fits between the 2 doorways, is the right height and has storage under it. It is only 12" deep which helps with traffic congestion but may need to have a wider board laid on top. Anyway, that is what I'm spending today's creative time doing because who knows when 'he who rules the roost' will be available for assembling this latest acquisition. I will be having a coffee break when all is done and because this is a place for chicks to hang out and clink cups and spill the overflow into their saucers, you are all very welcome to knock the lone rooster off a chair and hang around to see how I make out.

Now, where was I ?

Gently push 4 small dowels (K) into the holes in each of the fixed shelves (B) as shown.

B, which one of you long guys is a B.......