Dear Fellow Quilters,
Please help me with my problem. I have outgrown my quilting space. Haven't we all? We have a family room that we use every day and a living room which we use at Christmas for the tree. I want to turn the living room into my quilting room. My husband says he doesn't want people walking into the house and seeing all my quilting "junk". BTW. I have NO "junk". I have precious fabric and valuable tools. The question is do I listen to him, or just take over the space?
Take care,Hilary
Would you be able to use one or more privacy screens to block the view of those entering your home? Could it be used to display one or more one of your beautiful quilts? This might be a compromise?
Are you planning to stay married to him? Are you a "neat" quilter or are you like me. I start a project and really don't put everything away till I'm done. Can you afford furniture quality cabinetry to hide your precious quilting stuff? For example, a large entertainment center could store tons of stuff. End tables that have cabinets, more storage. Would you be able to keep it straight and neat so it would not make hm angry evertime he looks in there? In the end, only you can decide what you can do and how it will affect your relationship. You could explain that you are paying a lot of money for that living room and getting little return for the dollar since it is so seldom used.
I would agree with using an entertainment center for storage. I used one for years until I was able to make one bedroom into a sewing room and I used a full closet instead of the entertainment center. The one I used had several shelves and two big drawers and I was able to put a ton of "stuff" out of sight. I think that a couple of built-in cabinets that are furniture quality could also help to keep it looking presentable. Do you have another entrance that you could use instead of walking into the living room?
Jill
Storage is the key I think, to keeping hubby happy and you organized and your "junk" (that is what my hubby calls everything that is not his) tidy and it is a good opportunity to have a clean out too...I couldn't believe all the "junk" or "stuff" that I had that I hadn't used in years and would never use...I gave all the stuff away and made a ton of room for the real quilting things that I needed and used..so, storage, is my answer ...haha...long winded answer I must say..Ikea is a great solution for storage..they have storage for every kind of size
oh and welcome to QCA..this is a great site
Ontario, Canada
Hi Hilary, Love your smiling avatar. There has to be a win/win situation in there somewhere. My first question would be "Do you have a lot of company?" If your front door opens right into this living room, I would hesitate on the idea because I think the pressure to keep it "neat" would take away from the enjoyment. You need a space that you can leave and come back and pick up where you left off. If you have a formal living room that has a separate entry that perhaps french doors with sheers could be put up so that you could close it off from immediate view, then it shouldn't be an issue. Maybe you should involve him with helping you think of a plan to have more space. Keep us posted.....
We have one of those unused living rooms too. My DH offered to give me the family room and move the TV to the living room, but I decided not to do it. Storage would be an issue (now I have a closet, a small chest of drawers, and several storage tubs) and the fact that I'm not a real neat quilter so I want a door to close if I wish.
Maybe you could take the family room and make the living room your family space?
Southwest Florida
Hmmmm... that's a tough one. I'm afraid I'm not much help. I quilt at the kitchen table, in between meals. My loot is stored under the bed, and in one drawer of the kitchen cabinets. My rulers are on a peg in the garage, and my hubby is right square in the middle of it all. If I were you, I'd be tempted to move hubby into the livingroom and take over the entire house for my 'junk". It'd serve him right with that attitude! :)
My one possibly useful thought on it is to show him some of the wonder pictures of well designed sewing rooms we see in mags and such, and maybe give him a better idea of what it is you're going for. Personally, I think some of those sewing spaces are far and away more inviting them a formal livingroom!
Girls? Would you Care to post pictures of your beautiful sewing spaces and help out?
Quilters are people who strip so they won't go topless.
Thank you all for your suggestions. My husband must be psycho, I mean psychic, because when we went out to breakfast, which is my favorite thing about Saturday, he "suggested" that I move my quilting into the living room! I guess it just had to be his idea!
I have a couple of nice chest of drawers that I keep my fabric in now. Instead of leaving them where they are, I will move them to the living room to be "nice" furniture. Good thoughts! Thanks!
Someone one said that you should marry the person that you want to annoy for the rest of your life. My husband and I are perfectly suited to each other and I would not want to annoy anybody as much as I want to annoy him!
Now, if I have the living room, how long will it take me to get him to think the long arm quilting machine was his idea....
If you can get him to do that, please let me know how!
Nancy
Hilary Bobker: Now, if I have the living room, how long will it take me to get him to think the long arm quilting machine was his idea....
This made me laugh out loud. Sounds so much like my daughter. She would have a plan to make him think it was his idea! I've never been that clever.
A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars.
Patty Mc
Oregon & Arizona
Hilary Bobker:Now, if I have the living room, how long will it take me to get him to think the long arm quilting machine was his idea....
it sounds like the sooner you start dropping it into the conversation, the sooner it will become "his" idea. you are very lucky. i had to have a room that i closed off. i am way too messy for sam to put up with my quiting in the way all the time. sam is so clever, he rented me a room downtown next to his office and most of my stuff isn't even in the house anymore.
oh, and welcome to the group here. we'll look forward to seeing what you do with your quilting space. gini
gini in north idaho
Oh you lucky girl! I would love a studio space outside the house!...but not close to his office! I'd want to be "hard to reach"!!!
hilary, it isn't so bad, he's usually golfing or skiing, or off in a meeting so we don't run into each other too often. gini
Snowbird Quilter: Hilary Bobker: Now, if I have the living room, how long will it take me to get him to think the long arm quilting machine was his idea.... This made me laugh out loud. Sounds so much like my daughter. She would have a plan to make him think it was his idea! I've never been that clever.
That was a good one and made me laugh out loud too. I can't wait to hear how Hilary managed to get her long arm quilting machine believing it was her husbands idea. I just love it........LOL!
Jutta, CA