My Sewing Room update (bring on the pretties)

I feel like all my posts are really out of order this year – totally my fault and due to taking on lots of commitments, having far too much to write about, meeting certain deadlines for blog tours and just genuinely being disorganised. This was due to be my first post of the year so I could show you my fancy new digs but so many other projects got out of the way. No huge surprise considering I still have 18 custom quilts from last year to blog, that is right EIGHTEEN! I am truly terrible at times with the whole blog side of things but I genuinely need to be in a mood to write before I can lol.

So it is a few weeks since this was all finished and I have shared some peeks on Insta and Facey in the meantime but I am really really excited to take you all on a tour of my new pretty sewing room!

Anyone who knows me knows I always pick a room of my house to update and redo in school holidays. It drives my family crazy because invariably they are just settling in and enjoying some quiet time when I start moving rooms like a crazy thing and laying out drop sheets. I cant help it though, the minute I take a small break from work all the other projects I mean to do stare me right in the face, screaming for attention. I can usually hold out 2-3 days before one gets under my skin.

This holidays I picked my sewing room (and also my dining table and finished my back family room but shh) and gave her a facelift. She is actually the dining room of my open plan house so can be seen from the front door. Once I had painted the back room grey my brown sewing room stuck out every single time I walked through the door. Every. Single. Time. Personally I think I deserve a medal for waiting until January to tackle the project. I don’t have many before photos although you can see a few here.

It started with a paint job – grey to match the rest of the house and then it was a simple matter of a new blind, curtains and a rug before I could get all my existing furniture back in and get down to the serious business of making it pretty.

Funnily enough I was getting this all ready while the world was in the grips of KonMari fever. I ascribe to the theory naturally as I am prone to being a bit of a collector so I started quite simply with the walls, adding my most favourites until it felt finished. It is probably a bit busier than most people would like but the reality is everything on the wall comes from someone I love or admire – which makes it the perfect space for me to get creative. Daisy under the table there is perfect as that is her spot during the day while I work. She is the perfect winter foot warmer too which is great.

I mean look at that wall! How could any one of these beauties not have pride of place? Each one has a story to tell about me and my journey with Piccolo starting from the beautiful deer artwork from Jess (Little Peach & Pip) which she drew for me when I started to the map of Adelaide sent by one of my favourites Kathy – if you look closely you can see a tiny Piccolo Studio on there because she contacted the artist and asked for a special custom piece with that added! I am lucky to have beautiful friends who are the balm for my weary soul. And clearly you can see a bit of a deer theme going on – it has been a pleasure finding little bits and pieces or being gifted them be people who know me far too well. Possibly the most exciting thing though was finally giving my original Jennifer Paganelli art work a home, after all something that special needed pride of place.

Everytime I walk in here now my heart is settled and happy. It may sound corny but I am genuinely surrounded by love and friendship every single day. It sets me up for a positive and productive 2019.

The other side of the room is home to my (rather large) fabric collection and all my bits and bobs in baskets. They are where I keep the custom orders and projects I am working on as well as a few UFOs which I really need to tackle and get made soon. Funnily enough the refolding of the fabric was the biggest job in my whole room. It took me 3 days to get it folded and organised after a busy end to last year. Hilarious when you think I had the room repainted and largely put back together within 24 hours. It is also worth noting that I am totally incapable of destashing fabric. I had big plans too but each piece I picked up and folded ended up  having a mental project attached to it. It is necessary for me to halve my stash this year by either sewing it or getting rid of it – this was not the best start to be honest lol.

And of course my beautiful handmade doll collection from some talented Australian makers, which frequently appear in my photos, and my sewing library which I refer to frequently.

I didn’t need to do a lot of sewing for my room but decided to make a new sewing mat and pin cushion/scrap bucket for my machine. Both are such practical additions and, in true piccolo style, it was necessary to make them pretty. I used Jocelyn Proust’s latest upholstery range for Spotlight for the fabric additions. I love the modern Australian addition and the colours and fun suit the space so well. Plus of course it ties into the rest of the house which is slowly filling up with her fabrics and homewares. I know I have said it before but it is genuinely fantastic to have Australian designs and Australian designers mainstream, we need more of them!

For those interested in making one at home the tutorial for this thread catcher and weighted pin cushion can be found here at Confessions of a Homeschooler.  Inside those drawers are all my notions, trims, and general everyday sewing needs. They are so handy and were a quick purchase after my wire drawers collapsed being moved back into position.

The final part of my sewing room is my cutting/planning area. It is where I am sitting right now writing my post actually. The shelves are used for stock mainly although that bottom shelves is where I keep all my cutting templates and personal pattern information. The floral journal there is my personal sewing bible filled with all things piccolo right down to simple measurements of each product I make and tips I have found for the perfect finish.

The pinboards are a genius addition and so super easy to make! I simply went to my local Bunnings and bought some low density particle board (LDF) then brought it home and used my staple gun to whack fabric on it. I wish I could give you a long drawn out explanation but it literally took me longer to write this out than it did to make them. I highly recommend you all do this as it is so great to have somewhere to stick all my bits and pieces. A few weeks down the track and it is somewhat fuller than it is in this pic that is for sure! And of course those black cockatoos will always make me smile when I sit here looking at them.

Once I had the pinboards out of the way I had to admit I was in a bit of a staple gun frenzy. At that moment I needed to staple gun and fabric cover ALL the things. My eyes caught this lovely vintage stool I have had for a few years. It was one of the few things Daisy ever chewed as a puppy – she simply couldnt resist the corners. A gorgeous piece of fabric, some wadding and my trusty gun and voila – a stunning new stool for the corner of my room. I never considered myself as much of an upcycler but seriously it made me so happy! I have an old meat safe I am planning to do up and blog about this year now that I have well and truly caught the stapling and painting bug.

So there you have it, one practical yet pretty space where I will make piccolo happen this year. She is going to be one busy room and I am so glad that, with all the hours I need to spend in here, I have somewhere lovely to work filled with memories, beautiful fabrics and creativity.

Sarah x