Fairy Tale Ending...

And they all lived happily ever after in the land of Bee in my Bonnet .... things are back to normal...my Bernina is in tip top shape.

If you are wondering about the first part of this fairy tale...

Click here.

...and the princess is happy once again.

It feels so good to have it back to working order! Mr.Honey fixed it, cleaned it and put it all back together hoping the computer part didn't need to be used for the timing....

not so lucky there as he doesn't have those special tools. 

So I zipped it over to the dealer and had it timed. 

I only had to wait a few days.

I could have used Kassidy's machine (above)...

which is always set up but it would have been awkward to share with her because she has her own projects going.

So I set up my trusty featherweight on my countertop in the place where my Bernina usually sets down into...

of course it was a little small.

I love my featherweight and use it often and only take it whenever I go away from my studio to sew but it simply can't replace my beloved Bernina.

So now I'm back to business as usual in my studio.

 I don't think I've really showed much of it to you so I took some pictures and thought I would give you a tour of my little space of creative comfort.

I like to listen to music on my ipod or a book on tape when I am designing....

and I keep my cute little fridge stocked with drinks and a snack or two.

I also like to watch old movies while I'm in my studio...

Doris Day is my favorite.

 I am a huge fan of Gilmore Girls and have the whole collection and have each episode practically memorized. 

I put it in the player often.

This is the view out of my window...can you see that my roses are beginning to bloom?

I like to keep some of my vintage collectables around me.

 The crazy daisy picture in the windowsill is one of my patterns.

The pictures on my magnet board are of my grandmother in her apron and my grandparents on thier first farm.

 I'll have to show you a close up sometime.

I use up every available space in my studio. These are project boxes stacked under Kassidys machine.

 I label them in pencil so that I can change them out as I finish them.

This chair is where I sit to applique sometimes when Kass is not in it.

On the chair is my applique kit and I put my feet on the red ottomon.

In this corner is my pink cupboard with all of my vintage irons.

 I use them and love them.... 

I don't own a Rowenta or any other kind. 

My favorite is a 1930's Westinghouse that I have used for about 15 years.

 Mr. Honey keeps it going for me by switching out parts when they go out.

 We find the old original parts on our antique shopping trips.

My rulers...cutters...a pincushion...

things that I need are all close at hand.

My cutting and ironing center is kitchen counter height for ease on my back...

no bending over a table to cut for me!

 It measures about 4 feet by 6 feet...

and is in the center of the room. 

Underneath it is all drawers and cabinets.

I covered the whole countertop with warm and natural batting...

then silver ironing board fabric...

then any fabric of my choice on top. 

( I use a staple gun and staple it)

I switch out the top fabric every once in a while.

I keep my cutting mat on the end of the counter for cutting but I can remove it and the whole countertop becomes an ironing board....very convenient.

A project that I am working on for my family room.....

If I don't have time to complete it because of a deadline...

I put it in one of my project boxes and label it until I can get back to it.

This is how I store my fabric. 

I bought the baskets years ago and Mr. Honey and I built the shelves to fit them.

 I loved the way that they looked like little laundry baskets.

I store my fabric according to color.

I usually buy only fat quarters because that's all I need because all of my quilts are scrap quilts.

Here you can sort of see the red barstool that I sit on when I am drawing.

 I sit up to the counter facing the window with my fabric behind me.

This is the door of the closet where I keep all of my larger cuts of fabric.

 I bought an over the door rack with hooks on it to hang my aprons that I wear when I sew...flower pins...jewelry and special gifts from friends. 

The pillow on top of the stack of clear containers (those are my ready to take anywhere projects) is a gift from my Kassidy made when she was small.

 She made it for me as a suprise for Mothers Day.

Having a large window was a must for me when we built my studio, even though I knew that it would take up precious storage space.

I love the outdoors and it's important for me to see outside in all seasons.

 It overlooks my backyard and garden.

My studio is on the main floor of our little cottage.

You can see some of my button collection on the upper shelf. 

I also store my buttons according to color.

It's also next to the family room and I chose to have cafe doors so that I wouldn't be closed off to my family as I work.

I also put gingerbread wood trim in the top of the doorway along with the top opening in my fabric shelves. 

I have always had a love affair with gingerbread and have it throughout my cottage and garden.

All of the stacked drawers and cabinets that you see here hold my ribbons, punches, paper and paper craft supplies.

I don't get to use it as often as I would like but I do get together with friends one day out of the month and craft away...

I also go on a retreat once a year dedicated to paper crafting.

My irons again and my design wall.

I made it by framing Warm and Natural in a large vintage frame that I found while thrifting. It was gold and I painted it. 

I repaint it every so often too. 

So far it has been red, white, teal and now green.

It's the perfect size for me as I really only hang up a few blocks at a time as I am working on them.

When I layout my whole quilt....I put it on my front room floor and look down on it from the kitchen.

Above is Flower Sugar with some ginghams thrown in.

I have several projects in mind for this fabric and I have cut it up into a layer cake, 2 charm packs, half a layer cake (5 x 10)...

a jelly roll and a honey bun.

I also saved the leftover strips for a string quilt.

Here you can see my turnaround that I keep all of my drawing supplies and misc. items in...

This clock was my Grandpa's. 

It hung above his desk in his office at his laundry center business.

 Now it hangs in my workspace...

I love it.

I think of him every time I look at it.

This is my view from where I am cutting, ironing or drawing...

I can watch the kids and thier friends playing in the backyard and I like that...

or if they are on the couch watching tv or playing video games I can see them...

or if they are sitting up to the table in the family room doing homework..

 I am close enough to help them.

I love my studio in Bee in my Bonnet Land..

 and it's a good thing because I spend alot of time in there!

I like to change it up and reorganize things every winter so it always looks different and new to me...but always welcoming and a favorite place to be:)

I didn't realize how long this tour would take...I apologize to all of you (or to those of you who are still reading it)!

I didn't even show it all to you. 

I guess it's a good thing I didn't. I'll have to show you the rest of it another time.

Oh... one more picture...this is where I store my collection of patterns.... the shelves are underneath my counter and cutting mat.

I have my quilting books on another shelf.

 I love books and patterns but will probably only get through 1/8 of them....maybe....as if...it could happen.

Oh well...a princess can dream.

xx

Lori