Tuesday, February 11, 2014

I'm a Ripper!

I meant to do a post yesterday but it was one of those days that got away from me... a little of this and a lot of that... and then it was dark. Not that it was a bad day! I love a day without commitments to anyone but yourself - my husband and son were at a Math League competition so I pulled dinner out of the freezer and kept on my merry way.
Event #1: Magazine Culling
I'm making my way through the opening Event of my Olympics Organizathon and now I'm down to the heavy hitters - my favorite magazines like Quiltmaker, Quick Quilts and Quilts and More. And guess what? After lots of encouragement from those of you who rip without hesitation I took a few deep breaths and joined you!
I like it already. Quick, easy and neat... plus I've got empty binders on hand to fill. Great solution for my older magazines! As for the newer ones and my favorites I'm not sure that ripping is the answer so I'm looking into storage options.

In the semifinal round of Magazine Culling I will be looking through the rest of the magazines with a different purpose - to identify Projects I Want To Make NOW. Either they fit into my Sewing for the Seasons theme or I just plain love them! These will factor into an upcoming event - Quilt Kit Making.
The Medals
I believe in rewards and they motivate me to get things done. And, more importantly, the best rewards are reinforcing because they are a constant reminder of the accomplishment. So after careful consideration I've decided on my Gold Medal... a new sewing table for Mr. Juki.

This is my current sewing setup (with clean tables because I'm going to be doing some quilting this afternoon). Both of my Juki machines are set back to back and I really like having them in this arrangement. I can see my design wall, look out the window and the light is great to sew by. It's easy to wheel my chair back and forth. I bring the folding table in to help support the quilt top and it's a quick trip down the hall to grab it from our utility room.
Julia sits on my daughter's old computer desk and Mr. Juki is on a wheeled table I bought about 10 years ago when I sewed in our laundry room closet. The problem I have with it is ergonomic - it is too high. I think when I'm piecing I'm up and down enough that it isn't an issue, but when I am doing a lot of quilting my neck and right shoulder get really sore.
Recessing this machine into a table has been a part of my plan from the start. As I start down the road of learning Free Motion Quilting I will be just be spending more time getting sore which is not very motivating! Julia will be moved onto the cart and I can use the desk elsewhere in the house.
I have to admit that while I love to drool over gorgeous sewing cabinets from Koala or Perfexion I am on the thrifty and practical side. Plus I prefer keeping my furniture footprint small in this room because of my 4' x 6' cutting table. Having space to breathe in here is relaxing to me.

My original plan was to buy components at IKEA and go the DIY route with help from my handyman friend. But after a lot of reading online I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Juki needs a sturdy table. He is a semi-industrial machine after all and I worry about vibration when sewing all out at 1500 stitches per minute.

After a lot more reading, research and thinking I've decided on a Sew Perfect Table like this for my Gold Medal. It's height adjustable, industrial strength and the size I am looking for. And, I do have to admit it that I got a lot more excited about it when I came across THIS post by blogger Sarah Ann Smith... I'm thinking aqua would look pretty spiffy!
Image from http://www.sewperfecttables.com/
Let's face it... I am going for the GOLD even if I have to pull an all nighter or two to get it! So much so that there will be no Silver or Bronze Medals in my Olympics Organization. Back to the magazines I go!

11 comments:

  1. Awesome reward! I think you will totally earn that gold, and you will love it as you do FMQ. Having my machine recessed like that helps me so much. Your ripping seems to be doing a great job.

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  2. Rosemary B here:
    This looks wonnnnderful.
    Okay I love the table set up, yes yes, I like room to breath too, and an area to toss scraps.
    You are doing so well.... did you accomplish all of this during all of the CURLING yesterday?
    Good grief, three hours!
    Well done.
    Okay I have a question about the TL2010... another question....
    the thread. Where do you buy thread like that, huge spools.
    So how about the silly Coats and Clark thread in a zillion colors that I have. Will those spools fit too? Where do you file all of your thread... oh oops I will wait, one thing at a time.
    You win the GOLD and that table will be perfect!

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  3. I would say you have won the gold! Wonderful organizational skills!

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  4. A ripper is better than a stripper- LOL Good job on overoming. The sad part is when I look through magazines now I see things I never saw before. My interests change so quickly I fear I could be missing interesting things by tossing the rest of the magazine.

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  5. From one ripper to another...go for it!!! You deserve the gold for your determination. Can't wait to see the "after" with it all in place. Have a great day!

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  6. Thanks for the inspiration! I think I will rip in front of the Olympics tonite! A flush mount for the sewing machine makes a huge difference for FMQ'ing. It eliminates a major source of drag and you have a much better chance of a good ergonomic solution. Go for the gold!!

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  7. You will love the Sew Perfect table...a friend has one. The ergonomic issue is very big reason....ask me how I know. That larger flush surface makes a big difference too. A great reward to you.

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  8. I really like the idea of ripping and pairing quilts patterns into a quilt kit. I also like the idea of creating a notebook of projects you want to make....looks like this might end up on my summer to do list! ::)

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  9. Great ideas. I think I'm going to get some clear page protectors to keep the direction pages together and make a new notebook of inspiration. I already make myself a box of fabric, and directions as I make them up. I guess that's the same as your quilt kits?
    linsquilts.blogspot.com

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  10. You will definitely enjoy a table that your machine will set down in. Dad made me a table almost 6 years and I now find it hard to sew at retreat/classes/etc where the machine sits so high on the tables. Cheering you to a gold finish!!

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  11. Kit making -- now there's an idea! I'm not sure that I'm that disciplined, usually the quilt I'm making sparks another idea!

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