{workspace remake and new machine}

Well, let me just say how incredibly blessed I feel right now!

A little while back, I posted that I was committing to 4 goals ala Elsie at A Beautiful Mess, one of which was to spruce up my sewing workspace and perhaps make a dressform in the process. Here be the awesome update:

Well, first lets start with a review of were at before...

Here is a shot of my former workspace as it was just over a week ago. Way too tiny table (slatted patio table, so it wasn't even an even surface), highly unattractive not to mention uncomfortable chair, and nowhere to store all the little trimming and such that come along with sewing.

And here was Catalina, my first ever sewing machine. The old girl tried, but she wasn't up to much. Note the lack of stitch variety, and even the widest zigzag stitch was broken, as well as a thread holder that was broken and missing when I got it, so I concocted a ghetto temp fix out of a bamboo skewer and tape.

Then, about a week ago, my darling hubby suddenly said he thought I should get a real desk (so that my projects would no longer cover the whole living room) and we headed out to Ikea. I settled on the desk they showcased in their sewing room display. Go figure. But it did seem the wisest and cheapest choice for a sewing desk. Once we got that set up and I tucked things into my new-found drawers I was already feeling like I was living the good life.

Then I received a mind-blowing package from my dear MIL.

Along with a lovely note came a BEAUTIFUL sewing machine!

Now here is the crazy part: when she told me to be expecting a parcel arriving soon, I didn't even want to admit it to myself, but I started having daydreams that maybe she'd gotten a new machine and sent me her old one or something like that...but I knew I shouldn't get my hopes up for such a crazy idea. Coincidentally, in my failed suppression of said daydream I thought "I hope it would be a Singer so I could name it Ella."

....

It is a Singer!
So I'm pleased to introduce Ella to the world.

And look at all the feet and dohickeys it came with! I have no clue what each of them is for, but I've ordered a copy of the manual for Ella and can't wait to try them all out.
AND it says that it can do easy buttonholes! That was one of the things I wanted most in a new machine! I know I'm using way too many exclamation points for good form here, but they are still not as many as I feel.
Just a review: Catalina vs. Ella. I think there is a clear winner.
I don't think I can explain just how happy I am about this. This is one of those situations where I don't talk, I just hop up and down with joy.

And now, a full view of the new space.
I also whipped up some wall art to keep me in the creative head-space when I'm sitting here.
These babies quick project, but quite fun.
The middle one is a cork board from the dollar store that I painted the frame black and then hot-glued fabric onto, and the two side deals are canvases that I drew as inspired by the same Elsie as above, got wood frames from Ikea and painted those black too, and then hot-glued the canvases to the top of the frames.

Here is the space on lock-down. So neat and tidy!

And my comfy-cozy new chair so I don't leave my sewing sessions with a broken back.

And finally, an update on the dressform aspect of this space remake:

I got together with a friend a while back who wanted one of these as well. I made her one on her first, and it turned out pretty great. Then we tried to do mine and before she could reach my waistline I was on the verge of passing out and could no longer stand up. Don't know what was up with that, but we had to call it quits for the time being.

So here is as far as we got. In fact, we would have needed to do another one anyways because the method we'd employed for separating the paper tape from me was seran wrap. This proved to be the wrong choice since, when I measured this thing after it got off of me, the bust is three full inches smaller than me. Not all that helpful.

We shall try again.


My head is still reeling from the awesomeness that sits before me on this desk. I can't wait to get started using Ella. She didn't come with a manual, so I ordered one online which will take a week to get here. For now I must practice a measure of patience and only experiment so far as I feel safe I won't break her. But OH MY GOODNESS! What a day. I really am blessed.