Closet and Sewing Center Re-Do! REDONE!! (Cleaning bug hits hard :-)

Plan:  Find space for all those Harriet & Carrie Hargrave projects in my dining room - without removing the table and chairs!

Idea:  Use the coat closet for both coats & shoes, plus sewing projects!!

"Must go shopping", was my first thought!  So, we girls (me, my daughter and son's new girlfriend)  

took off for T.J. Maxx and found:

grass green polka-dotted step stool

Rowenta iron for only $40!

Two grass green/hot pink paisley organizer boxes

and ne matching ironing board cover

and one hot pink hanging storage shelf

and a huge 12x12 book of scrapbooking paper for only $6!

I love all the green & pink - thinking spring!

Harriet and Carrie's projects are all bagged (recycled the bags from the organizer boxes, ironing board cover and the hanging shelf) and in order, with finished projects on the second to last shelf and quilting practice bats on the bottom shelf.  The floor is now super clean!  :-)

On the top shelf is my Omnigrid, my Civil War Chronicles BOMs, my scrapbooking bag and a huge see-through box of material that I plan to turn into lap blankets for the kids and grandkids for Christmas.  

The fun part?  There's actually ROOM for MORE!!  :-)  You know what THAT means.....

(Sorry about the poor quality fotos.)

I love this little step stool!

The organizer boxes are the same color as the ironing board cover.

Newly organized dining room sewing center with new Rowenta iron on the left.

I love it!  It's such a small space, but I'm able to do everything, plus keep an eye on the stove, help the kids with their homework, watch TV , answer the phone, read my magazines and books on quilting, actually piece and quilt and blog!  Ah, the ultimate in multi-tasking :-)  Wait a minute....the Kindle is missing...brb!

Had to bake home-made chocolate chip cookies to celebrate!

The secret to these is real butter and Nestle Toll House semi-sweet morsels - just follow the recipe on the back of the package - I bake at 350 for fourteen minutes instead of 275 and my cookies are HUGE, but my kids love 'em that way!  Our company really enjoyed them, too!

We truly enjoyed our eldest son's visit - he has a beautiful, sweet and smart girlfriend with an adorable little boy - they seem like keepers!! ;-)  

By the way, she loves T.J.Maxx, too :-)

P.S.  My daughter and I "hit" WalMart tonight - I found the most awesome ironing board for $40 and a small (temporary) swivel chair for only $20...now look and let me know what you think!

Ta-dah!

Left to right:

three-tier rolling black metal mesh cart (see through), Sauder sewing cabinet, Dell laptop for blogging (a Must!), rotating Olfa 12" square cutting mat, Janome Jem Gold 3, Ottlite that folds down and has six spots for holding items like markers, pens, calculator, measuring tape, etc. and in the right hand cabinet a serger (carefully hidden on the left-hand side of that cabinet on the underside are two nails which hold all my rulers, quilting books, notions basket, floor lamp, new wide ironing board with Rowenta iron and a shelf with notions basket, small waste basket....and a chair awaiting building...

Shout Color Catcher sheets, sewing box with notions, air duster for sewing machine and computer keyboard, Simplicity Bias Tape Maker and Simplicity Rotary Cutting Machine, small rug so sewing machine foot pedal doesn't run away too far and finally, rulers on the right hanging up on two small brass nails.  It was tricky nailing these in, but well worth it!

In "Quilter's Academy Vol. 1 - Freshman Year" by Harriet and Carrie Hargrave, pgs. 38-40, they make recommendations for improving your sewing area.  This is my favorite lesson so far (besides learning to chain sew, which I really enjoyed, too!)  

Thanks for helping me become a quilter, gals!!