Quilting Frame and Reorganization Update

Here's my new toy: the Flynn Multi-Frame Quilting System. It's a lightweight three rail frame to hold quilt layers taut while free motion stitching on a regular sewing machine. It is easy to set up once you watch the demonstration video. It's portable and stores in the original box. 

The Amazon price of $136 is very reasonable compared to other home machine frames costing $1,100 and up. Those are really big too, and I don't have enough space for that.

I made a test quilt first, which I've cut into sleeping mats for Callie cat. She won't care that my stitching is cattywampus. There will be a learning curve: most skills improve with practice. Yesterday I quilted my first quilt on it, and while there are a few mistakes, I chalk them up to experience. I won't use the frame for every quilt.  Larger ones won't fit unless I get longer rails, and some designs need more precise stitching with a walking foot. 

Follow up: If you read last week's blog, you know this purchase created the opportunity to make more space around my machine by rearranging my furniture. I did order two new under table cabinets to hold thread, accessories, and tools. They arrived on Friday, and we put them together right away. Don't they look so much nicer than the plastic containers?

I cleaned out my tall white cabinets, arranging supplies closer to where they are needed and moving seldom used ones to high closet shelves. Efficiency rules! I even tossed some things into my donation box. The room is not minimalist by any means, but I am hoping to keep my space neater and organized. Callie supervised the action, and I think she approves.

Last week was busy, now on to practice on a few UFO's that I never got around to quilting. And as always, I need to use up some fabric from my stash so I can buy more.

Domino Effect

I have a new layout for my creative space. It started with 
buying myself a new quilting tool. I wanted to use it right away but because it requires a bit more room around my sewing machine, I needed to clear off and rearrange my tables. Normally I'd shove stuff around, stack things in corners, and get busy quilting. I resisted the urge.

Instead, I took a day to evaluate my space and figure out the most efficient placement for everything. First, I took out all non-sewing objects that had found their way into my room. (Not sure how that happens, probably brought in by gremlins.) I shifted the tables around on paper first before actually moving them. I tried one setup, actually sewed a few pieces, but that seemed cramped. This roughly 12 x 11 room can fill up quickly!

After settling on a final layout, I reworked drawer and bin storage with similar items together, close to where they are used. That led to a lot of consolidating and eliminating. I tossed old magazines, untangled power cords, moved a pegboard to the end of my cutting table, dusted, and swept.

I decided I like fewer things sitting out on my tables. It looks spacious, neater and I don't have to move stuff out of the way to work. I borrowed a plastic drawer unit from a closet and tucked it under the cutting table to store projects in progress. The desk area does double duty, for either my laptop or another sewing machine.

I'm pleased with everything I've done so far. I have more to do: the closet shelves and the white cabinets need attention, plus I'm considering different under the table cabinets to replace the plastic ones.

Next time I'll tell you about my lovely new quilting frame, which caused the domino effect and led to a two-day reorganization of my space. It was definitely worth the effort. I'm inspired to create!

Impossible To Resist

I just couldn't help myself. I have another beautiful tiger oak antique in my dining room. It's a triple curved glass china/curio cabinet from the early 1900's, manufactured by Superior Furniture in Rockford, Illinois. 

It's not completely my fault. My husband suggested we go back to the antique mall to take another look at a little wash stand we saw last week. He spotted this cabinet tucked in a corner, called me over, and encouraged me to buy it. Another anniversary present, he says. The booth owner was there, said he'd give us a sweet deal since he'd had it for a while.  So you see it was impossible to resist and apparently meant to be. 

I haven't forgotten my clutter rule. My current china cabinet is going to move into the kitchen. The kitchen bookshelf is going downstairs to his guy room.  His old shelves will go to the barn.  I gathered up more things out of the spare room closet to donate. Something in, something out.  

As for the wash stand, it's still at the shop. I'm not going back there for at least a few weeks. But it is pretty, and would fit nicely in my mama's room...

“I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it.” --Mae West

Rearranging Furniture

Wow, a busy week completed and another already started here at Casa Ireland. Even with normal housework, appointments, mowing two yards, and checking on my mama, I found time for a few extras.

First, for our anniversary my sweetheart bought me a fabulous tiger oak sideboard at a local antique mall. The label says Home Furniture Company, East York, PA. There's no date but I'm thinking early 1920's. They manufactured oak dining furniture from 1898 to 1928, when they changed to radio cabinets and bedroom suites. It is exactly what I was looking for and matches my other tiger oak pieces perfectly. I love the detail on the doors!

Getting a new piece of furniture means rearranging...not only the room where it will be, but overflow into other rooms. I had to unload the china cabinet to move it, which led to cleaning the glass shelves, finding forgotten treasures, and reorganizing the shelves. I dusted baseboards and chair rails, swept and swiffered, rehung pictures and wall décor. I brought in his old Philco radio to sit on the new sideboard, moved a mirror to the hallway. My dining room sparkles and looks totally redecorated.

We already have a house full of stuff, so I donated one old filing cabinet and plan to sell another piece. I have two boxes of stuff from the kitchen and dining room ready to go to Goodwill. After dealing with an estate sale, my plan is to simplify and purge our household items. This year and from now on, the one in, one out (maybe two out) rule will apply to nearly everything. My fabric and his electronics are excluded, of course.

By the way, I know that the current trend is not brown furniture. I don't follow trends, I use what I like. I decorate for my own happiness, pleasure and comfort.  

Decorating Golden Rule:  

Live with what you love

Sidetracked

Sidetracked

How do you like my newest quilt design? It's called Sidetracked, and there's a story behind the name. I finished piecing the front yesterday, after a day of cutting and sewing leftovers from my scrap basket. It was a spur of the moment design inspired by moving furniture in my sewing room. But I'll start at the beginning.

Last Tuesday I had planned to sew a vest for my mama. Amazingly, I didn't have the right color fabric. That's right, with hundreds of yards of material in my stash, I didn't have anything to match her camo print cargo pants. Yeah, I realize she's 79 years old, but those of you who know Sam understand the feisty redhead who is my mama. 

 

Anyway, after putting away the fabrics I had pulled out, I couldn't get interested in sewing anything else. As I was sitting there, a new layout for my furniture just popped into my head. I love to rearrange furniture, so I had to do it right then. I put the sewing table and desk back to back by the windows, and moved the cutting table on the other wall. This may work better when I sew quilts, so they won't fall over the edge of the table as I sew.

During the upheaval, I found a scrap bin that had been tucked under the sewing table, behind my thread cabinet. Aha! Inspiration can come when you least expect it. After I had put the finishing touches on my room, I sorted through the fabric pieces and started laying out a design.

I have to admit that I've been a little sidetracked lately. But I did order some fabric to match the cargo pants, got a fresh new sewing room, and pieced a quilt from forgotten scraps. So it must be a good thing to divert onto another path every now and then.  

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Antique Tiger Oak Furniture

I have always loved furniture pieces made from quartersawn oak. It has character and texture. Sometimes called tiger oak because of the golden striped grain lines, it was popular during the Arts & Crafts period. My great grandmother Mamie had an oak table and chairs, china cabinet, and buffet. They are the simple Mission style, manufactured by the Cochran Chair Company in Cochran, Indiana before 1900. The story is that she had to burn two chairs and the table leaf one winter night so they wouldn't freeze. I don't know about that, but I have enjoyed the round table and four chairs in my kitchen and dining room for nearly 30 years.  

I have been wanting a tiger oak sideboard to match my table. Last Friday, on our anniversary, we went exploring in a local antique mall. We saw several oak buffets, but they weren't exactly what I had in mind. We did come across a cute little tiger oak bookcase with a single glass door and the same simple lines. It fits perfectly on a short wall in our dining room, and the sale price was right at $225. I've already filled it with pieces of my pottery collection.

We noticed it had an original looking shipping label on the back, hand addressed to Portland Planing Mill in Portland, Tennessee (where we live). What looks like an original price of $37 can be seen on the wood back. The manufacturer on the label is Grand Rapids Fancy Furniture Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was able to find that they were in business from 1896 to 1938, before being bought out by another company. They made office desks, ladies desks, bookcases, music and radio cabinets, mostly in the Arts & Crafts style.  The only info I found about the Portland Planing Mill is a Portland Herald article in 1909. 

I'll keep searching for a tiger oak sideboard or buffet, enjoying my quest since it's such fun browsing around antique shops, flea markets and estate sales. I wonder about the families who owned the pieces, where they came from and the stories they could tell.  

“Antiques are things one generation buys,

the next generation gets rid of,

and the following generation buys again.”

--Author Unknown

An Old Rocking Chair

Several weeks ago my mama and I stopped at a yard sale, where I found an old rocker. It is just like one that used to sit in my grandmother's living room. The best thing about it was the $10 price tag. I think this style was pretty common in the 1940's and 1950's. The carved arms and rail are pretty, and it's comfortable to sit in.

 I have the perfect place for it on our screened porch, next to the chaise lounge where Rowdy dog takes his nap. Now I'm looking for fabric to recover it, something old fashioned or perhaps a modern print.  It appears to have the original faded light brown fabric, webbing and cushioning. I've decided not to refinish the wood, since it has a well used, kind of distressed look. I'll just use Old English polish to clean and freshen it up.

Once I finish the project, I'll post an update. It may be a while, since we're already using it just like it is. And, sewing is on the back burner at the moment because of our camping schedule. Ten days at Defeated Creek was wonderfully relaxing, but this week I'm catching up on chores like laundry and yard work. I did use my free time at the campground to design a dozen new quilting and sewing projects, but I have no clue when I'll have a chance to start them.

“Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere.” --Glenn Turner

“I've had some of my best ideas while sitting on the porch in my rocking chair with a glass of sweet tea.” --Anonymous