Studio Improvements

My Bernina, aka Bernie, must have been upset with my absence, as it produced several fatal errors, when I went to turn it on to sew.  I tried powering it off and restarting but the message returned.  At first it allowed me to do a little sewing, but then stopped altogether.  So off it went for some repairs.  Turns out it needs a new chip, which is en route, so hopefully we will be reunited in another day or two.  Distance makes the heart grow fonder!

Skippy, Panda and Susie Q modeling with their newly upholstered studio hangout

So to help with my withdrawal, I kept busy in the studio doing some much needed organizing, cleaning and some studio improvements.  I did some significant purging of unused templates/tools, as well as books and magazines that no longer hold any interest for me.  They are headed off to the upcoming guild meeting, where I hope they will make another fellow quilter happy.

Shortly before my Florida trip, I kept smelling something funky in my studio.  The windows were open so I just assumed the smell was coming from outside.  But then I realized Skippy (my 15 year old schnauzer) must have vomited on one of the window seats.  I tried my best to clean the cushioned top, as well as use ample Febreeze, but the vomit smell was pretty well absorbed into the upholstery.  Besides, the once crisp white in the fabric showed considerable wear and dirt from several years of the dogs watching doggy tv.  Usually when it's time to reupholster anything, I cannot find any fun fabrics.  I lucked out this time and found a basic teal print that read as a solid that fit in with my teal decor and would hopefully disguise any dirt/hair from the dogs.  I made sure I scotchguarded them to help protect against future stains. 

Construction of the pegboard cabinet

A pegboard cupboard posted on Pinterest had also piqued my interest.  I showed the picture to Doug and asked whether it would be possible to build.  Later that night, we were off to Lowe's to pick up the lumber and supplies needed for this project.  We made a great team as we figured out the building plans/measurements and assembled the cabinet, complete with sliding doors and shelving.    

Pop of teal and french cleats for hanging

We made great time with the construction, until inclement weather hit northern California forcing us to shut down our outdoor work space.  But as soon as the sunny weather returned, we finished painting the pegboard and shellacking the wood.  I showed great restraint in waiting for it to thoroughly dry, so we could hang using a french cleat system.  I also waited an extra evening for it to dry some more before filling it with all my quilting notions and tools

Sliding Pegboard Cabinet doors slide back and forth to reveal all my notions

Enhanced task lighting

One last enhancement was installing under cabinet lighting for my cutting table.  I had originally had two plug in wall lamps that came out and shone down onto my cutting board.  But the pegboard came out from the wall too far for the light to hit the table.  So once again, we were off to Lowe's where we found some awesome LED lights that stuck to the underside of the cabinets and project some awesome light. 

I can't wait to pick up Bernie and bring her home to newly enhanced home!