Yep. O’lipfa brand. I have bought so many of them for various costumes shops over the years, and every time I do, my coworkers are confused then thrilled with them.
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Progress on the denim top! It’s screaming for a border but I’ve run out of white fabric. I’ll have to dig through my stash to see if I have more white fabric somewhere.
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awww…I wish I had known you needed white fabrics…I have loads of white that was gifted to me ages ago…let me know if you can’t find any…I could get a packet together for you quickly!
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I was wondering what your final layout would look like. I like the different sized sashing strips, it works well!
Have you considered using a different color for the border?
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@AIMR my early quilts were also all with a scissors. I remember when I got a rotary cutter and a mat-it was a revelation.
I quite enjoy cutting, but need to pay attention to ergonomics, at least once a session I twang something in my hand. Ouch!
@Immaculata I love that layout, it looks great
@MistressJennie I never knew those lipped rulers exists. It seems like something that if you got used to it that you wouldn’t want to do it any other way.
I’m looking for all your tips and advice on laying out my new craft-room (whenever I get into it!) I’m thinking with cutting-for patchwork, I need something hip height. And not too big so I can reach all sides and also freestanding so I can walk around it. Or do you have a different system that might work better?
Re sewing, I am currently in front of a window which really helps for aligning FPP. And I have a mini ironing board beside my machine. That bench is low (so I don’t strain my shoulders when I’m sewing) which makes it too low for standing ironing. I’m thinking maybe two ironing spots (or is that overkill-i don’t iron clothing! Just seams)
Other things that work well that I’ll have are lots of shelves that put everything within reach, less frequently used supplies/tools in labelled boxes.
Currently my fabric is folded and stacked by colour, I’m thinking of switching to cardboard cores and storing it upright, maybe in 3 categories (<3m, 1-3m and >3m)
What would you change/keep with your current setup
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I am reading as you edit, it’s hilarious 
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I do it all on my phone and have to rewrite at least twice because of all the blasted autocorrect!
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I love it. For a minute you were really hollering your love of those lipped rulers in giant font, lol…
I cut with scissors, sometimes rotary and mat. It’s just part of it for me, never really chose to love and dislike it much.
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I’m really a cavewoman because if I can rip, and not cut with scissors, I rip.
Obvs, for my strip quilt and crazy quilts…
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Eh, I ripped fabric all the time when I was costuming. It creates an actual straight line of the weft, so if you are pinning out fabric to lay out your pattern pieces, you’ll then have 2 straight edges to align with the edges of your cutting table. Goodness I miss my giant 4’x8’ cutting tables, with cork tops to pin directly into.
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I had no idea either, I thought I had tons of white! I’ll have to check again, I can’t believe I don’t have anything left. I always have plain white cotton.
@AudiobookLover my idea was to have a few denim blocks floating on a white background, but I could always try if anything else matches the design. The different sized sashing strips are a happy accident I cut the strips for the right side of the top, stitched them together, then figured out the width I needed for the left side. This is absolutely the most random quilt I’ve ever made, I’m just making it up as I go along! Not my usual method but it’s fun.
I also try to rip fabric as much as I can! The denim was foundation pieced because worn denim is difficult to work with. I used old shirts and pillowcases as a foundation and I just ripped them up. It’s quick and straight.
@Edel I’m also usually on my phone and I edit a LOT. My autocorrect is terrible, it tries to correct everything to Dutch spelling! Used to have a phone that could switch between languages but haven’t figured out how to do that on this one.
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That’s all I use for cutting my fabrics too.
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My cutting table is 30” x 48” so it’s easy to reach across the width. I set it at counter height so I don’t have to bend when cutting. I found the best place was where I could reach three sides of it. My favourite place to sew is beside a window for the natural lighting. I also like to hang my scissors, rulers and rotary cutters on the wall beside my cutting table.
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Oh I envy some one who has room for a table and room to move around it. I have a small room and way to many craft categories…sewing knitting, embroidery, painting, paper crafts, assemblages, things that need glue…lots of glue, and so on. I have a counter and my ironing board doubles as a table way too often.
But a well designed craft area is wonderful. I keep adding little customizations that fit my way. And remember lots of lighting. There are a lot of led options out there.
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That’s what I had before we moved. I’m hoping when we build our house later this year I can set up the same.
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I’ve just caught up on the chat, but I wanted to second using the plastic bags linen comes in to store sewing projects 
@Immaculata
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That is what I have currently, but I am lucky that in my new house I will have more room and a blank canvas!
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I am quite excited for you to have some fun setting up your new space. I am one to look at space and see how it fits into my lifestyle. We have a very huge formal living room at the front of the house but we are not formal living room types. Pretty much we have set up the family room as our “lounge”. The formal room became my craft supplies storage room as well as general storage for my husband’s additional musical instruments.
We also don’t dine formally, and have a kitchen to eat in as well as a large patio outdoors. Most of our dining with any friends is quite casual so we use it as an office.
Use your house the way you live, not how the estate agents show them to be! lol
In another group I belong to, people around the world showed the space they sew in…from a tiny table in the front yard to a huge built in room, we all make do to do what we love. It was awesome and humbling.
Have fun! It will be nice to start from scratch and yet a lot of work…but it will be worth it!
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I have always wondered what people do with formal living and dining rooms! They aren’t common in my country, only mansions and country houses. Most homes just have one large downstairs space. Do people actually do that in real life, host friends in seperate formal rooms and leave them unused most of the time?
We have a massive dining room table in the middle of our living room. We eat there, we host friends there, I work there now and I often sew there too. We have a small box room upstairs that I use as a craft storage room, there’s a small desk there, but it’s way more fun to sew in the middle of the house instead of in a dark corner upstairs. I would totally get two ironing spots if I had the space. And a steam press too, to save my shoulders. I worked at a dry cleaner’s as a teen and I’ve wanted one ever since, they’re just so big!
Yes, they do…the more modern homes have great rooms that are open to the kitchen and act as one big gathering place…I prefer function…houses here are larger because we have the space, I guess…too much to clean and take care of, but it is harder to find small places unless you live in the city…or an apartment…
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