It is no secret that the sewing room in our basement is my happy place. It has everything I need to get my creative juices flowing - my sewing machines, cutting table, rulers, cutters, fabric, quilting books and magazines, thread - and the list goes on and on. And it has been the perfect retreat from all of the uncertainty going on in our lives lately. But in addition to all of my essential sewing tools I also have an abundance of memorabilia that makes me equally happy.
Rocking chair - Tom bought this rocking chair for me 35 years ago when we found out that we were expecting Sara. It has lasted through late night feedings and afternoon snuggles with three children and now I use it when I need a comfy spot to do handwork or look through my collection of magazines for quilting inspiration.
Side Table - my Dad is quite a handy woodworker and made this drop-leaf table several years. He no longer wanted it when he and my mom moved three years ago so I claimed it for my sewing room. The table that I had sitting next to my rocking chair was falling apart and in desperate need of replacing.
Record player - Tom bought me a record player a few years ago for my birthday so that I could finally play the vinyl records that I had kept. Now I can relive the memories of playing in the St. Olaf Band when I was in college as well as listen to my Partridge Family, Chicago, and Blues Brothers albums. We found the table at a garage sale and I repainted it dark blue to match the colors in my room.
Mrs. Beasley - one of my favorite TV shows when I was growing up was Family Affair. It was about three kids who lived in a city apartment with their father and a butler named Mr. French. The youngest daughter, Buffy, had a doll named Mrs. Beasley. One summer I used my fair premium money to buy a Mrs. Beasley of my very own. Now she keeps me company in the sewing room.
Vintage sewing tools - my aunt had quite a collection of tools that were my Grandma’s and I brought them home from Oregon after she passed away. They include rulers, tatting tools, crochet hooks, and thimbles. Now they sit on a shelf in the sewing room that my Dad built for me.
Thimbles - along with the thimbles that came from my Grandma via my aunt are several that came from the travels of my quilting club friends. I have thimbles from Germany, Italy, Ireland, England, and Mount Rushmore. I found thimbles to share from our travels to Memphis and Las Vegas. It has been fun to think of my quilting buddies when we are traveling!
Cabinet - this piece of furniture is actually a microwave stand that Tom and I received from his mother as a gift for our wedding. It is the perfect height and size to store rulers, pens and pencils, the indoor/outdoor thermometer, and DVD player as well as candles, catalogs, and empty notebooks.
Quilt rack - I received this quilt rack several years ago when my mother-in-law passed away. Tom and I had given it to her as a gift and now it holds a special quilt in my sewing room - a quilt in which the blocks were made by my paternal grandmother and quilted by friends of my maternal grandmother.
Clown painting - this painting was done by my dad for my circus-themed room when I was little. I rescued it from the trash - yes, he had thrown it away! - when my parents moved to a new house a few years ago.
Items that were handmade by my children - Sara made a letter holder in junior high shop class and I use it to hold coupons/fliers from fabric shops.
Melissa made this papier-mâché container in art class and it holds all of my dowels.
Lindsay painted this flower pot which hold my mechanical pencil lead and erasers.
Do you have a “happy place” in your house? What makes it the best place on earth for you?