While they've got painting classes, I sure with they had one on painting over this wallpaper! Carry on and watch a few for me. Anyone want to guess how much paint I have in my hair at the moment?
Sharing tips, tricks, and inspiration from my own free motion quilting adventure.
Classes on Sale!
I'm a bad Craftsy instructor! There's a sale going on and I was too busy with the shop to let you know. This is the biggest sale of the summer, so take advantage of it while you can. Use my affiliate link and I'll get a little change while you get some great classes at fabulous prices.
While they've got painting classes, I sure with they had one on painting over this wallpaper! Carry on and watch a few for me. Anyone want to guess how much paint I have in my hair at the moment?
While they've got painting classes, I sure with they had one on painting over this wallpaper! Carry on and watch a few for me. Anyone want to guess how much paint I have in my hair at the moment?
Sew Simple is Shaping Up!
The shop is really starting to feel like it's mine and shaping up how I'd like it. We did a bunch of painting, cleaning, and reorganizing over labor day weekend. The front awning is looking so much better. I'm looking forward to hanging up some fabric bunting as soon as my hubby gets home next week to help me with hanging it.
Poor fella, I worked him like a rented mule and then sent him off to my family reunion a couple of states away with the three kids! He did all of the awning painting. Since I have no one at home, I was able to spend more time at the shop and continue tweaking things.
I really wanted to get rid of this 80's era country blue, and wouldn't you know it, but the grey paint with a slight blue cast to it for the awning turned out to be country blue. Since it's outside, I'm letting it slide. Besides, I think my chances of getting my hubby to repaint that awning is pretty close to negative never.
But the blue was painted white inside. Or at least some of it was. I'll probably be painting a little bit every weekend for a while. It looks so much brighter now. I also got roses on our opening day from the former owner's family and a potted flower from a friend to celebrate our first day. The little sewing machine there is a music box from my mother. Isn't it adorable?! I love getting flowers! A fact my husband doesn't remember. But Craftsy sent me flowers this week! I think this might have to be a weekly habit for me.
I added some bright color today with a full display of Glide thread! It's like opening a box of candy! Yum! I may add the thread to my online shop too.
I've got to focus on getting my sewing space set up in the shop. My family would like our living room back and my husband especially would like for me to leave 'work' at the shop. I'm not entirely sure how to integrate the two work spaces into one, but I'll figure out something.
That wallpaper though.... We're not sure what we're going to do with it. The building owner (the former shop owner) would rather us not strip it as he thinks the dray wall will be ruined. He's likely right and it would be a lot of work. I'm not sure about painting right over it, though the owner is ok with that. I've also thought of covering it up with white batting and having large expanses of design wall. It'd be handy for classes and for displaying small quilt samples. I think the chair rail and below are going to be painted a light turquoise.
I did manage a tiny bit of sewing. A bunting for the sign by the road and this disappearing 4 patch block for a pin cushion. The Tula Pink fabric over the chair above is my daughter's project. She's making her own quilt with layer cake squares.
Now I better go take advantage of my family-free time and get more work done.
Poor fella, I worked him like a rented mule and then sent him off to my family reunion a couple of states away with the three kids! He did all of the awning painting. Since I have no one at home, I was able to spend more time at the shop and continue tweaking things.
I really wanted to get rid of this 80's era country blue, and wouldn't you know it, but the grey paint with a slight blue cast to it for the awning turned out to be country blue. Since it's outside, I'm letting it slide. Besides, I think my chances of getting my hubby to repaint that awning is pretty close to negative never.
But the blue was painted white inside. Or at least some of it was. I'll probably be painting a little bit every weekend for a while. It looks so much brighter now. I also got roses on our opening day from the former owner's family and a potted flower from a friend to celebrate our first day. The little sewing machine there is a music box from my mother. Isn't it adorable?! I love getting flowers! A fact my husband doesn't remember. But Craftsy sent me flowers this week! I think this might have to be a weekly habit for me.
I added some bright color today with a full display of Glide thread! It's like opening a box of candy! Yum! I may add the thread to my online shop too.
I've got to focus on getting my sewing space set up in the shop. My family would like our living room back and my husband especially would like for me to leave 'work' at the shop. I'm not entirely sure how to integrate the two work spaces into one, but I'll figure out something.
That wallpaper though.... We're not sure what we're going to do with it. The building owner (the former shop owner) would rather us not strip it as he thinks the dray wall will be ruined. He's likely right and it would be a lot of work. I'm not sure about painting right over it, though the owner is ok with that. I've also thought of covering it up with white batting and having large expanses of design wall. It'd be handy for classes and for displaying small quilt samples. I think the chair rail and below are going to be painted a light turquoise.
I did manage a tiny bit of sewing. A bunting for the sign by the road and this disappearing 4 patch block for a pin cushion. The Tula Pink fabric over the chair above is my daughter's project. She's making her own quilt with layer cake squares.
Now I better go take advantage of my family-free time and get more work done.
Quilting Meets Street Art Inspiration
I was on the Free Motion Frenzy Facebook page and a post showing her first free motion quilting piece triggered a memory of one of my early pieces. The quilter was a bit down after seeing the beautiful work posted by very experienced quilters. The thing was? Her work was fabulous for a beginner. So I decided to share a pic of one of my early pieces.
So the feather plumes are a bit wonky, who cares? Well, I did, but don't compare your beginning with someone else's middle.
Now this piece was inspired by some local street art. I was so glad I could find these pics from 2011 because I went by this place last week and the abandoned gas station was being rehabbed into something new. Something without this incredible art.
One of these days I'm going to grab a paint pen and go do my own version! I've actually been toying with the idea of using white window marker on my shop's windows.
Which, by the way, than you for all of the congratulations and well-wishes on my new shop-owning adventure. You guys are the best.
I'm trying to get my sewing space set up in the shop so I can do more sewing, but these things take time. So much to do! Hubby has taken the kids on a trip so I am busy working on the shop as much as possible.
Would you do this to a wall of your own? Add color maybe? What do you think of it? I'm curious, leave a comment below.
So the feather plumes are a bit wonky, who cares? Well, I did, but don't compare your beginning with someone else's middle.
Now this piece was inspired by some local street art. I was so glad I could find these pics from 2011 because I went by this place last week and the abandoned gas station was being rehabbed into something new. Something without this incredible art.
One of these days I'm going to grab a paint pen and go do my own version! I've actually been toying with the idea of using white window marker on my shop's windows.
Which, by the way, than you for all of the congratulations and well-wishes on my new shop-owning adventure. You guys are the best.
I'm trying to get my sewing space set up in the shop so I can do more sewing, but these things take time. So much to do! Hubby has taken the kids on a trip so I am busy working on the shop as much as possible.
Would you do this to a wall of your own? Add color maybe? What do you think of it? I'm curious, leave a comment below.
Secret Project Revealed!
Happy Memorial day to those in the USA. A bitter sweet day if you've lost loved ones during their service for our country. You have my many thanks and much love. Freedom isn't free and I appreciate those who have secured it for us.
I promised to reveal my secret project and it's a whopper! Not a book, or another Craftsy class, but a whole sewing machine shop!
This is the shop where I've been working. Sew Simple is a Janome dealership and the only sewing machine repair shop that I know of in south-central Virginia that services all kinds of sewing machines.
After 30 years of serving the Lynchburg and surrounding areas, Mr. Heckman is enjoying his retirement. At 89, and having had several recent surgeries and losing his beloved wife in February, he deserves to spend his days however he wants.
The shop is a bit of a diamond in the rough, but he's the real jewel. He is going to be sorely missed. He lives next to the shop and I hope he'll pop in to visit from time to time. The shop is in need of decluttering, updating, and I'm hoping to make it a source of inspiration and fun. Of course there will be classes and fabulous Janome machines.
Instead of barbecuing, I'm spending my weekend and the next few days cleaning, reorganizing, painting (bye bye country blue from the 80's) and getting the shop set up to suit me and my family. The first thing was to set up two areas for my kids to hang out in while spending time in the small shop over the summer. They're heading out for nearly 3 weeks away after this week.
Then it was time to start painting. So much work to do. I think I'll be painting little bit by bit for the next month or so. We're only closing the shop officially for one day for the change over in ownership, so I have to do what I can when the shop is normally closed (Sunday and Monday). Fresh paint on the door is a must.
I also have to get ready to show my customers the brand new Janome 9400! I've got a whole bunch of machines coming soon and I can't wait to set them out and show how they can make sewing and quilting so much more fun. We all need good tools to do our work. I feel a bit like that commercial (Was if for men's suits or an electric razor? I can't remember), "I liked it so much I bought the company!"
This isn't a quilt shop by any means. We have no fabric. That might change eventually. We do have plenty of accessories for Janomes and other machines too. We even have feet and parts for a lot of vintage machines.
My husband is now the machine service man and he's really enjoying it. He's always been a "fixer." He's a whiz at fixing machines, big and small. As he's gotten older, especially after having cancer, the appeal of fixing smaller machines inside a climate controlled building has sounded better and better. He's already attended Janome service training in 2004 and has studied with a sewing machine repairman from NC, as well as learned a lot from Mr. Heckman.
I never thought we could really buy this shop. Plenty of people wanted to see Sew Simple continue, but this isn't a cheap undertaking, nor do we have the kind of funds that most small businesses need to start up. But you wonderful quilting people? You made this possible! YOU! Every cent that we could save up from my Craftsy classes, ruler foot and ruler sales, even tiny bits of money from ads on my blog and YouTube channel was used to pull this off. There was no money to put into the shop from my husband's job or even a business loan. So this is all from my wonderful quilting peeps.
Pardon me while I shout it, "THANK YOU!"
What does it mean for the blog? Not much should change. In fact I'm hoping to see a bit more consistency in my posting and creating as it feels like I've been living two separate lives. Work in the shop and work at home for the blog and Craftsy classes. I'm merging my home studio space, the online shop inventory, and all the overflowing shipping supplies into the shop.
That's all for now, my paint is ready for another coat.
I promised to reveal my secret project and it's a whopper! Not a book, or another Craftsy class, but a whole sewing machine shop!
This is the shop where I've been working. Sew Simple is a Janome dealership and the only sewing machine repair shop that I know of in south-central Virginia that services all kinds of sewing machines.
After 30 years of serving the Lynchburg and surrounding areas, Mr. Heckman is enjoying his retirement. At 89, and having had several recent surgeries and losing his beloved wife in February, he deserves to spend his days however he wants.
The shop is a bit of a diamond in the rough, but he's the real jewel. He is going to be sorely missed. He lives next to the shop and I hope he'll pop in to visit from time to time. The shop is in need of decluttering, updating, and I'm hoping to make it a source of inspiration and fun. Of course there will be classes and fabulous Janome machines.
Instead of barbecuing, I'm spending my weekend and the next few days cleaning, reorganizing, painting (bye bye country blue from the 80's) and getting the shop set up to suit me and my family. The first thing was to set up two areas for my kids to hang out in while spending time in the small shop over the summer. They're heading out for nearly 3 weeks away after this week.
Then it was time to start painting. So much work to do. I think I'll be painting little bit by bit for the next month or so. We're only closing the shop officially for one day for the change over in ownership, so I have to do what I can when the shop is normally closed (Sunday and Monday). Fresh paint on the door is a must.
I also have to get ready to show my customers the brand new Janome 9400! I've got a whole bunch of machines coming soon and I can't wait to set them out and show how they can make sewing and quilting so much more fun. We all need good tools to do our work. I feel a bit like that commercial (Was if for men's suits or an electric razor? I can't remember), "I liked it so much I bought the company!"
This isn't a quilt shop by any means. We have no fabric. That might change eventually. We do have plenty of accessories for Janomes and other machines too. We even have feet and parts for a lot of vintage machines.
My husband is now the machine service man and he's really enjoying it. He's always been a "fixer." He's a whiz at fixing machines, big and small. As he's gotten older, especially after having cancer, the appeal of fixing smaller machines inside a climate controlled building has sounded better and better. He's already attended Janome service training in 2004 and has studied with a sewing machine repairman from NC, as well as learned a lot from Mr. Heckman.
I never thought we could really buy this shop. Plenty of people wanted to see Sew Simple continue, but this isn't a cheap undertaking, nor do we have the kind of funds that most small businesses need to start up. But you wonderful quilting people? You made this possible! YOU! Every cent that we could save up from my Craftsy classes, ruler foot and ruler sales, even tiny bits of money from ads on my blog and YouTube channel was used to pull this off. There was no money to put into the shop from my husband's job or even a business loan. So this is all from my wonderful quilting peeps.
Pardon me while I shout it, "THANK YOU!"
What does it mean for the blog? Not much should change. In fact I'm hoping to see a bit more consistency in my posting and creating as it feels like I've been living two separate lives. Work in the shop and work at home for the blog and Craftsy classes. I'm merging my home studio space, the online shop inventory, and all the overflowing shipping supplies into the shop.
That's all for now, my paint is ready for another coat.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)