A Productive Sunday

This Sunday, I was determined to be a bit more productive than I usually am. The first thing I did when I got up was to put together the ottoman I'd bought for the sewing room. The ottomans are pretty inexpensive and not that sturdy, but they are covered in velvet and hold quite a lot, so they are a good enough solution for the time being, as they look a lot more attractive than plastic boxes.

In the sewing room, I was able to empty three large plastic storage containers into one ottoman, which I found very satisfying.  The boxes had been stacked at the end of the bed and made the room look quite cluttered, so the ottoman made a big difference here.  The contents are items that I want to sell online, but haven't got around to listing yet. Now they are all together and much more easily accessible and take up a lot less space. I'm sure I or OH will find use for the empty plastic boxes, if not, I can donate them. 

When I got back from the dog walk, I decided to tackle LB's ottoman. This was used to mainly house bed linen and towels that she uses when she's home. There's still lots of room inside to store more, but it looks tidier than before, when they were all just piled up elsewhere. There isn't really any room in her drawers, or there won't be when she brings all her stuff back for the summer. Here's a picture of this box in situ:

After doing this, I then went back into the sewing room and did a bit of sewing on my machine. First, I made a fabric wall hanging for LB's room using some fabric that had a New York print on it. She loves New York, so I hope she likes it. I couldn't see myself using it for anything else. 

I also made a couple of tea towels whilst I was in there, from some fabric in my stash. I've been wanting to do this for ages. The fabric I used wasn't actually that thick, so I don't know how absorbant they will be. I'll have to wait and see. They were very easy to make though. Here's a picture of the two I made:

It felt good to sew things other than the quilt I've been working on lately. I also started using the tiny 1" square patchwork set I bought last week. I pinned up about 50 small squares using lots of fabric scraps from my scrap box. This felt very satisfying, as there's very little else I could use such small pieces of fabric for.  These will be a great project to take with me when I travel or go away for a couple of days, as they can be stored in this small bag:

The pieces are so cute. Most are currently only pinned, but I have basted a few. Here's a picture of the ones I started to make:

Lastly, I decided to hang a curtain in the sewing room, that I'd bought from work a few weeks ago. I bought a pair, but the second curtain I'm going to use the fabric for another big quilt project later in the year. Here's a picture of the new curtain in situ:

It needs a few more curtain rings adding, but I need OH's help to do this as I can't reach the pole to slip them on. It can be done at another time. The curtain is very plain, but it is lined so should block out more light during the summer months and keep more heat in during what is left of the winter months. The curtain I made for this room was only ever a temporary measure, until I could afford to buy one. I've now donated it.

Later in the evening, I attempted to reorganise beneath the shelves and desk in the sewing room, as the area was a bit of a mess and looked untidy. I managed to make progress, but I need to seriously declutter and simplify this room, as there is so much stuff in it and it's looking very cluttered at the moment. I'm doing it bit by bit, as I can afford solutions to the issues that I'm dealing with. I'll keep you posted on progress.

It felt like a very productive day for a change, which felt good.