Fabric and Craft Storage

I was thinking and thinking and thinking...how to store my fabric. I don't have a lot, but what I do have I wanted very easy access to. You know flat folding in piles gets messy and can be difficult to pull, say the bottom piece out. So this plan works beautifully for me. The flat fold on the top left shelf is larger home decor fabric, and that worked better folded and storing flat, but it still works because there are just a few pieces. 

 

I moved my antique baby scale from the craft table to the shelf and I like it here. Well, I will be working on organizing the rest of these shelves until they work just right for me.

It is such a treat to be in this little room. With the pretty colors of fabric cheerfully displayed. Creativity is such a blessing. :)

Craft Room Shelving...The quest for all things organized!

After a long time I finally have my shelving installed. I designed how I wanted it to look and it came out fairly close to what I had envisioned. Here it is from the doorway looking in, actually the paint on the door is white (a darker white), I'm not sure why it is looking like a wood tone.

My husband had to take this view with his "power camera" with the wide angle lens to get it all in. You can see the smoke detector hanging from the ceiling. He had to cut through the ceiling and move it over so when the unit was installed it would clear the detector. There is more work to be done. The ceiling has to be painted where it was cut in to, and the detector put back in place. The molding still needs to be painted and of course the sewing and craft supplies will need to be organized on the shelves. At the bottom is just the sunshine hitting the wall below the last shelves.

I love the corbels, they came pretty close to making them how I wanted, except the top portion was  suppose to be as deep as the shelf depths, (which are 2 different sizes). Oh well--what to do?

SPRING CLEANING with the CLASSICS, Volume 1

It's the time of year when we feel a need to take a closer look at our surroundings and to beautify those surroundings by renewing-cleaning-organizing and repairing all around us in our homes and yards. Some approach this with eagerness, others with dread, and still others with--well, you can fill in the blank. But spring cleaning is really never a one time experience, it is really an ongoing day to day blessing as we take care of the simple daily tasks of life to the best of our abilities. And as we do so it brings to ourselves and others comfort and security.

Out in the world there is such a jumble of chaotic voices trying to confuse us on the topic of homekeeping and its worth. I find it fascinating that since the beginning of time it is a built-in instinct to provide shelter for ourselves. To create a home to come home to. A place of refuge, of rest, of replenishment. A place to feel loved and protected and cared for. After all, the only reason we go out into the world to work is so that we can provide for our nests.


Samuel Johnson said: "To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labour tends. . . . " (The Rambler, Nov. 10, 1750)

It is a privilege to be the Keeper of the home, to be the one to provide comfort and love for those who live there. In Ancient Roman religion and mythology there is Janus the god of beginnings and transitions, also of gates, doors and doorways, endings and time. Most often he is depicted as having two heads, facing opposite directions. Symbolically they look simultaneously into the future and the past, back at the last year and forward at the new.

We are like gatekeepers-this says much more than just guarding a doorway--it involves guarding with a steady watch care over our families comings and goings and helping them to adulthood and beyond.

When I think of Spring cleaning what comes to mind is, "The Classics." Books like; Eight Cousins, Jane Eyre, Mrs. Careys Chickens, Swiss Family Robinson, The Three Little Pigs, Little House in the Big Woods, Anne of Green Gables and many more. They are wonderful stories and wound into the fabric of their lives is their family beginnings their homekeeping and home beautifying and the every day joys and cares of building a home life. The sweeping, the dusting the polishing the washing and mending, the cooking, the sewing and other refined skills they have learned.

Once we understand its grand importance in our lives of caring for our homes and providing the best life we can in between its walls, we will be inspired to do the little dailies that maintain a happy balanced home. This is true for whatever and wherever we call home.

When I was about 11 years old I received the book Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott as a gift from a good friend of our family. She knew how much I loved to read and it was one of my first books that was just all mine. I devoured it quickly and went on to read it over 50 times in the next few years. I loved its cozy homeyness and the little lessons taught on work , health and sacrifice.

Here is one of those little lessons.

Rose is speaking to her Uncle Alec who is now her guardian since her father's passing:

"I've been trying to decide what trade I would learn, and I want you to advise me. I haven't any talent or any especial taste that I can see, and that is why I can't decide, Uncle. So I think it would be a good plan to pick up some very useful business and learn it..."

Uncle Alec replies: "Well, now, there is one very excellent, necessary, and womanly accomplishment that no girl should be without, for it is a help to rich and poor, and the comfort of families depends upon it. This fine talent is neglected nowadays and considered old-fashioned, which is a sad mistake and one that I don't mean to make in bringing up my girl. It should be a part of every girl's education,..."

"Oh, what is it? cried Rose eagerly..."

"Housekeeping!"

"Is that an accomplishment? asked Rose, while her face fell..."

"Yes, it is one of the most beautiful as well as useful of all the arts a woman can learn. ...one that makes many people happy and comfortable, and home the sweetest place in the world. ...it is a fact that I had rather see you a good housekeeper than the greatest belle in the city. It need not interfere with any talent you may possess, but it is a necessary part of your training, and I hope that you will set about it at once, now that you are well and strong."

This advice from Uncle Alec stirs something in Rose and she sets in right away to begin to learn to keep a home with Aunt Plenty as personal mentor, whom all admire. So, I think the first part of Spring cleaning or any cleaning begins with a pleasant and grateful attitude of the privilege that we have a home or apartment or hut to take care of, to put our stamp on.

From there we can use an endless array of homekeeping how-to books as references if we are not as lucky as Rose was in having an Aunt Plenty to personally mentor us in these tasks.

Coat Closet Inspired by Mary Poppins

I am in need of a coat closet....So, I began to put my brain cells to dreaming and remembered this scene from Mary Poppins. You know, the scene where the children do not want to clean up the room. And she sings something like--In every job that must be done there is an element of fun. You find the fun and snap, the jobs a game. And with Mary's magic they proceed to clean the room.

While the doors are popping open and closed and open and closed I realized that these free standing coat closets only had an upper shelf and below the shelf are hooks to hang things on. Well inspiration struck and I drew out my ideas of a very narrow coat closet (free standing) with a little medieval twist to it with arched doors. I told my idea to a very creative man who came and measured my area. And asked lots of wonderful questions which I gave him my answers to and he went to his work and put his thoughts and ideas into his computer and brought back a rough sketch of what it will look like. It will also be in a luscious red....I can't wait.

Needless to say I will love it.......so I am now saving my pennies and dollars to have the work done. I wont have him begin on it until I have saved completely for it.


Here is a side picture of the narrow area. It is 15 1/4" deep. Perfect for a free standing coat closet with a shelf and hooks or door knobs inside to hang coats. Right now I have hung up these plaques with door knobs to use as a temporary coat hanging area.

Below is also showing my boot tray. Its a copper tray with large pebbles inside to let the moisture from boots and shoes drain down through the pebbles and help the shoes dry quicker. It has come in very handy this winter season.






I can't wait to have the coat closet built and I love the color red, it makes me smile :)

Glass Vials

I love Itty-Bitty things--they make life so satisfying.

I have these vials in 3 different sizes. They are perfect for buttons, brads, beads, or whatever is small and in need of a home. I even took the largest one and put one of my favorite spices in it and tied on a miniature tag with hemp string and had a perfect little just because gift for a friend. I have quite a few of them and I have been dreaming on the perfect way to store them. So far I have come up with -- taking wood and drilling holes to fit each circumference. Also something with a handle on it so it can be moved around easily. I purchased them online at Specialty Bottle . I am hoping to acquire more in the future,--after all you can never have too many homes for those Itty-Bitty things. It just makes life more orderly. :)

Artful Homekeeping

I have had these jars for about ten years. As you can see I use them in my laundry/bathroom area to store supplies. I decided I wanted to put tags on them. I happened to be at a craft outlet store and came across these metal painted tags. They were marked down to .25 cents each. I thought the price was right, so I purchased eight of them and tied them on with hemp string that I had in my craft storage (more on this later).

And if anyone is curious about the tennis balls?...

I use them when I dry our down pillows and comforters after washing them. I just toss them into the dryer and they bounce around nicely and help "fluff" up the feathers as they are being dried.

These smaller baskets I use to keep different items in. For example, socks that are waiting to find their match, spray and wash, shoe cleaner and other sprays, a dusting brush, do it yourself dry cleaning supplies, etc.


From right to left (I'm going backwards) Round crystal deodorant balls from Good Earth Health Store, Dove soap bars, Laundry detergent (I use many different varieties), Q-Tips, Bounce dryer sheets, Tennis Balls, Magnetic Dusting Cloths, and on the far left of the picture above, I have one empty glass jar.

Any suggestions on what to store in it?

And finally the larger baskets I use for clean folded laundry, waiting to be put away. The wooden tags on these are quite old and falling apart, Morgy Mans isn't even there anymore its a mystery where it disappeared to. I'm thinking of changing these out for larger metal tags. Hmmm. Tony wants me to fix up the old ones (I'll have to see):)

Have a happy homekeeping day:)