Making an ironing table

I've started to notice that quite a few quilters are making themselves a larger ironing surface either by adapting their ironing boards or putting a larger top on a bookcase. I had a small cupboard that can be rolled around on castors, it's 45x60cm. It used to be my mother's microwave cupboard. I had a board cut to size at the hardware shop, I wanted it to fit into a space 110cm long when I'm not using it.

I attached the board to the cupboard with screws, countersinking them so they wouldn't affect the ironing surface.

I covered it wth two layers of tin foil. I'm not sure if that was necessary but it should help the board to resist steam from the iron and might help stop it getting too hot.

Then I added a layer of cotton batting but it was a bit bumpy so I added a layer of wool coat fabric on top. I turned it upside down to staple down the padding.

Then I covered it with some blue cotton drill that I had in the cupboard. I might order some of the ironing board cloth from Amazon but this should do in the meantime. I only safety pinned it on, so I can remove it easily.

Then I noticed all the wasted space under each end and used some racks which we had in the garage left over from a previous project. They hold all the ironing paraphernalia. The baking paper, Teflon sheet, spray bottle, fluff remover roller.

So now I have a mobile ironing station in my new studio and I love it.

Out -takes

The turquoise fabric needed to be ironed before I covered the padding, but my ironing board was covered with tools and nails, then it occurred to me - DING- I could use my new ironing board.

Quilts on sale now!

To help pay for the set up of my new studio I am having a sale of my smaller quilts. They range from $150 for the biggest down to $30 for the smallest. I have pinned them to my new design wall. Let me know if you are interested. I just made two sales so there are gaps - which will pay for another bookcase. Yay! 

My new studio

I've been working in a long thin room which has become so full of 'stuff' that I have found it harder and harder to find a space to work in. Recently I have been working in a 50cm square spot on a 4 metre long bench because of a lack of storage space and an inability to organise my stuff. 

We have just done major renovations across the whole house. These were long overdue as the kitchen was a 1970s brown horror. It was so authentically awful that it was used as the set for the movie 'Via Satellite' when we rented out the house while we were overseas back in 1997. It has taken until 2015 for us to brave the disturbance of kitchen renovations. Anyway after months of painting walls, waiting for tradespeople, moving furniture around so we could recarpet etcetc, we moved to the downstairs part of the house and my husband kindly vacated his office ( he moved into one of the kids bedrooms as they have left home) so I could  have a bigger studio at the front of the house. I will have a space to teach a few students or have a few friends over for crafty 'play dates'. I should have enough space to make voluminous theatre costumes in there too.

I have painted the walls and ceiling, ripped up the old disintegrating carpet and had 9 new lights put in. Yesterday I had new Lino installed, tomorrow Lisa Call is going to help me put up a large design wall, and I should get the bookcases and cutting table set up by next weekend. I'm really looking forward to putting my books in place. The books have been moved 4 times already, as each room was cleared for recarpet game or painting. I am so over moving books.

Nasty brown floor is transformed by instant plank like Lino.