Sorted various fabrics and bits that need to be remade into something else into baskets on shelf, stuck hooks where needed for tape measure and electrical cords. Saw a piece of stash fabric that really needed to be used up, so decided to make covers for the overlocker, sewing machine, magnifying light and the chair back so it doesn’t rub on the wall.
Oh, and discovered I’ve been incorrectly threading one needle on the over locker for, oh, about 7 years or so! I kept doing it the way the previous machine had been set up, and didn’t realise this one had the tiniest difference - now the stitches are sitting where they should.
Sounds like you’ve made your space a lot easier and fun to use! I’m sure everyone would love to see pics of the covers you’ve made added to this post, too!
1 Like
AIMR
(Linda -2023 is a use the good stuff year! :us:)
#3
So neat and tidy!
I would also like to see your covers…I hadn’t thought about covering the chair back! I am getting a new chair today (black standard office chair)…a happy cover would be nice!
I love the chair back cover and all the other decorative covers and storage that you created. That gold fabric is fabulous! Looks like your newly-organized space will work very well for you.
It’s such a good feeling when you finish a project like this, and can sit down and work and have everything you need easily accessible to you. Kudos!
If I hadn’t had destashing in mind I would never have thought to use that satin dress fabric for this purpose! It turned out awesomely and I’ve used about 3 metres I think all up, only tiny chair back rounding scraps - in the bin.
The chair back cover is a bit short because I cut the width the wrong direction and had to turn it around, but it still works.
In another room I have a bright red small office chair that I used calico to cover the seat and backrest as red doesn’t go in that room. Another old green office chair backrest and seat is covered with black calico to fit the room it’s in.
It all just worked and I’m so pleased with it, now I can move onto more ambitious projects.
The covers are currently covering the things they were made for, but I will get some images of each of them for you when I have a moment later today!
I’m so pleased with how quickly everything came together.
I had a plan, did the measuring, laid out the fabric, looked at it and thought,"Hmmm, I wonder if … " and totally changed my mind to make an easier one piece cover for each of them instead of trying fit triangular shapes into the machine covers.
I love it when complicated turns into simpler and easier for potentially a better, but surely finished, result.
You will Magpie, this new rendition of my craft room has been 6 years in the creation of. Through out last year I did the major reassessment that you are currently doing and along with other items throughout the living quarters, gave 2 large trailer loads of boxed up books, crockery, cutlery, kitchenware, craft related items, furniture and other stuff I can’t remember, to charities who could use them.
It’s a good not to feel weighted down by the pressure to use stuff instead of waste it, you know.
I may understand … I used to be the drop off point for other people’s craft items etc, because, ‘here, you’ll know what to do with this, I’ll leave it with you, it’s too good to throw out and you can make something from it’.
I did used to pass things onto those in dire need etc, but that time has passed, I’m in hiding nowadays - they can’t find me anymore!
I’ve managed to get images of the covers, I took the quick and easy road to get them finished, thus they are simply straight pieces of fabric cut to fit the sizes of the items I was covering, and seamed up the sides to make a bag, with, in the case of the machine covers, a box corner sewn in for shape. I had to make sure I got the measurement for the absolute widest part of each of the items so the bag would fit.
A cutting board like can be seen in the top pic is invaluable for being able to do these sorts of things quickly and easily. Pins can be stuck straight into the cardboard to hold fabric and patterns straight with no guess work. The lines can often be seen through fabric making it easier for cutting. Not for those who use rotary cutters though.
The magnifying lamp cover is just a drawstring bag big enough to pull it on over the light. The ribbon drawstring then hooks over the top screw of the light when the light is uncovered for use, so it doesn’t get lost.
The chair back cover needed to be shaped slightly to fit the curved shape at the top, plus it’s wider at the bottom than the top. I turned the fabric the wrong direction when I cut the top curves and it was too narrow to fit, so had to redo and that left the cover a bit short and curved at the bottom - it still works to keep the back from rubbing against the wall though.
The sewing machine cover is basically the same as the overlocker cover only smaller. Here I’ve folded it to show how the box corners give the single piece of fabric some shape.
The box corners form the shape without having to cut separate pieces to sew into the sides. It’s easier to see how to do box corners than to describe it, this video does it well.
In this one the seams can be seen, as well as how I sewed the corners down for extra strength in keeping the shape.
I would like to be able to do that with my kraft piles. Currently it is all just randomly stacked, where you need to go through it all to find what you are looking for.
Thank you, that’s really lovely of you, and yes, I really am looking forward to being able to do so.
It took time, a lot of time, and a lot of changes, to get this to this stage, nothing happened over night, except for making those new covers, that did happen overnight. LOL
I dream of a space sometime just for my crafts and ironing. I guess I could let go of the dining room table and officially take over that space.
4 Likes
AIMR
(Linda -2023 is a use the good stuff year! :us:)
#19
Thanks for the pics! You made them quickly and yet still lovely in your room!
I just purchased a new office chair but it is a bit larger than my old one, so now I am rethinking of how I can rearrange my room to be more efficient and comfortable (I use my computer to stream tv shows as well so my room is my “den”)…
I have a very large room that is currently being used for storage that I thought about taking over, but it would be such an enormous task to switch them, plus it is at the front of the house and visible to any visitors we might have…
I want a dress stand like you have…but I have no room for her…unless I can rearrange things…hmmmm…
and discovering you’ve done something wrong for long is probably something most people discover 
at least you discovered it!