I must admit that I was a little (a lot) bummed about leaving our house in Vermont just when we had finally gotten around to finishing off the old sun porch into a craft studio for me. It's been a long time since I had a space to work in that was all mine. Will and I shared an office/studio in our house in Charlottesville but it was before that, back to the house we rented when we first moved to Virginia, when I had a dedicated sewing room - a sunny nook off the kitchen. Even that didn't last long, it was turned into a playroom (and a very handy one) once Evie was walking. So it's been a while.
Our house here was a little bit of a gamble. We took it sight unseen after my best friend came to look at it and proclaimed it "so you". We knew the neighborhood, sort of. We knew 1920's houses, we've lived in them before. But other than a few photos, we didn't really know what the house was going to be like. Boy did we luck out. It's far roomier than we expected, spacious, particularly for a house of this age. It's full of period details like coved ceilings and wide trim and built in bookshelves. And it has a sunroom.
It's not a big room. Not really big enough for much of anything. If we had brought the piano and were musically inclined, it would make a pretty little music room. But sine we didn't and we're not, I claimed it as mine. My own. For the moment it's full of a mishmash of furniture that we had. Things we weren't using elsewhere. It would be a lot more efficient with some better shelving and maybe a different table thingy. But it's also lovely as it is. All my yarn and my pattern books are there. There's enough room on the floor for fabric cutting and because it's off the dining room, I can stretch out to the big table if needed. I can sit and knit in my old rocker or at my sewing machine and see the view of the street - gardens and charmingly painted cottages (it's much nicer in this neighborhood than when we lived here before the kids were born, ah the difference some paint and regular lawn care makes).
I'm spoiled to have it. I know. A place that is all mine. But I love it. Spring weather makes me want to sew. I picked up a remanent at Fabric Depot - oh how I'm missed that store- and cranked out a pillowcase dress for Evelyn, playing with french seams and a longer lining so that no seams are exposed on the inside. I need to make more of them for her, they work well for her habit of layering and shedding clothes though the day.
And I've got mad, crazy plans for an entirely thrifted or hand made wardrobe for myself (the thrift stores here....oh my! SO amazing!) This weekend I'm hoping to start on a chambray Staple Dress, something simple to see if I like the pattern. I love my go to tunic but it's a chore to make and for some reason (maybe it's because there are SO MANY SEAMS in it) I seem to get failed seams in them after a while. I literally wear them to death. I'm not 100% sure about it, it may not really be my style, but it's worth a go. I've been flipping through old sewing books that I forgot I even had (moving is good for treasure finding) and dreaming away.