Movin' On Up and a May White Shirt

My May white shirt is finally done!  We will ignore the fact that it was actually made in June and move on.  May was spent loading boxes and laundry baskets of stuff from our home of 25 years into the car and carting an hour to our summertime house that is now our everyday house, in preparation for selling the aforementioned 25 year home!  The run-on sentence is kind of how the whole process felt.  What are we doing today?...loading the car and carting stuff up 40 steps...what about tomorrow? ...loading the car and carting stuff up 40 steps!!!!  If you think I'm kidding about the steps...

Anyway, since my sewing stuff spent the month of May in boxes and laundry baskets I did not have a chance to make my May white shirt, so we will pretend that it happened in May and hope I can get the June installment in books before July!

Before I get to my shirt, let me show you my new sewing 'cupboard.'  As part of our move to our former summer cottage, now everyday house, I said good bye to my sewing room and moved into a large closet on the third floor.  The loft room was planned as a multipurpose room so some days it's my sewing room and other times it is the yoga studio, or an office.  So all of my sewing paraphernalia is now on wheels and rolls neatly into the closet when I finish working.  I am liking the discipline of cleaning up after a project and starting with a clean slate.  It seems to make sense in my new downsized lifestyle.

Good bye old sewing room....

Hello new sewing cupboard...everything folds and rolls...

When it's time to sew, my treetop loft becomes a lovely sewing oasis...

At the end of a project, it all folds back into the cupboard to make space for whatever comes next...

So that is where my May (ahem...June) white shirt happened!

I really liked the Closet Core patterns that I tried in March so I got them out again.  My plan was to make the sweatshirt, but with a little wiggling I managed to get a pair of shorts and a tank top as well.  I got a really lovely rayon French terry in a creamy white and a matching rib knit for the bands.  It is soooo luxurious.  It has a bit of sheen and amazing drape, I feel very special when I wear it.

The tank top is a self drafted pattern.  Basically, I cut arm holes into the sides of the circular ribbing fabric.  It was a bit of an experiment, but I am happy with the results.  I like the neckline of the tank under  the sweatshirt which has quite an open neck edge.

The patterns are quite oversized and while I like my new shirt and pants, I think I might go down a size or even two for the next go round with these patterns.  They feel a bit overwhelming!  I really like the way the pockets and side seams are done on the pants.  It was a bit of a head scratcher the first time, but once I figured it out, it was very slick.  I'm not sure how many "lounge" outfits I'm going to need now that we are coming our of Covid hibernation, but for now I am loving these cozy pieces.  ...on to June!

My Southernmost Sewing Room

 One of the "must haves" that we put on the list for our relator last year when we were looking for a house in Key West was a dedicated space for me to set up a sewing room.  It seemed like a luxury, but I knew that I wouldn't feel at home without somewhere to sew. (My husband was totally on board with this knowing what it is like to live with me without a project to work on!)  As we visited houses, it was clear that this might be a bit tricky to accomplish.  But our relator came through and we ended up with a lovely loft room that is perfect for a sewing space.  Because it has very sloped ceilings it wouldn't work for much else IMHO!  Since arriving in November, I have been collecting furniture and fixtures that fit the space and create a darn tidy sewing room!   Before I could actually move into the space, we had to redo the A/C and do some work on the stairs that access the loft.  (which are outside, how cool is that?) I am very excited that the work has been done and I can move in and sew.

The first thing I wanted to make was an ironing table like the one I have in Michigan.  I can't believe how long it took me to make the first one and now I can't imagine going back to a wobbly folding ironing board.  I did a post about how I made it for Threads Insider.  I'm not sure when they will post it, but it has all the info about how I did it.  I also posted about how I made the first ironing table  Here  The main thing I changed when I made the new one was to get a length of industrial wool felt for the top.  The stuff is 3/4 of an inch thick and OMG does it makes a wonderful ironing pad.  I am in love. 😍

In the picture you can see the iron I brought with me, it has been just fine for years..but...every time I have tried it here it has spit water all over the place!  I hate that!  I have tried all the different types of water, and temperatures, all the iron tricks I know and still water, water everywhere.  Nope, that wasn't going to work.  I just did it!  Got myself a Reliable Professional Steam Station  like I have in Michigan.  Let's call it a Ground Hog's Day present. 😉 Isn't she lovely?!

 

My ironing table is made with wire pantry shelving and a piece of MDF board.  Since I had to get 6 foot shelves I had some extra supports...and since MDF comes in 4' X 8' sheets, I had a lot of that left!  I used the shelves as 'legs' for a cutting table.  The left over MDF was a generous 6' X 4' and works just perfectly for a cutting table.  I love a "no waste" project.  After much banging and crashing.... Voila! My cutting table!  With lots of shelves for storage.  She's a beaut!

The reason that we had to redo the A/C was that it had been leaking onto the floor.  When we got here we had this lovely staining and a really warm loft!  😟 The holes above the window are from removing the offending appliance, but what to do about the floor?  Other than the stains the floor was fine and sound, so I decided a rug would be the solution for now.  But a rug in a sewing room, hmmm?  How about a vinyl rug?  Thank you Home Depot!  I got a 12' square of sheet vinyl that is soft under my feet and covers the floor until we decide if a new floor is in the cards.

I wasn't sure if I would go whole hog and get a dress form but after the iron incident I decided I may as well get fully equipped...let's call it a Valentine's Day present! 💖😂 And isn't SHE lovely.  All padded out and ready to go to work!

Sooooo.....Welcome to my new southernmost sewing room!!!!!

 

  

 

 

It seems like a long time coming...I have been imagining the space for almost a year and to finally have it ready for a project...Yikes!  The paralysis of the empty page!  I may just sit and soak up the vibes for a bit before I dive into the maiden sew.