When Greg says ‘You want to go to IKEA this afternoon?’ I don’t hesitate. I yell at the girls to get their shoes and socks on, I grab the ferry schedule and we’re off. I don’t ask why. He really dislikes shopping. He’s the most non-consumeristic person I know. This is good and bad. The Good: it’s an extremely exemplary way to look at the world. The Bad: if I really want to go shop for something, darn it, it’s a royal pain in the butt.
I’ve been in search of shelving for the last 6 months. Something that I could store my quilting cottons on. New, used, I didn’t care. Just something that could hold a lot of fabric. I kept coming up empty handed. IKEA was my last hope.
IKEA is a day trip for us. Close as the crow flies, but a ferry ride and a drive over busy Seattle freeways. A 4 hour round trip no matter how you look at it. I could go by myself but a truck and a husband to load the boxes makes things a lot easier. I’ve concluded the afterglow of getting to set off real fireworks the night before put hubby in the mood to make such a trek. Again, no sense questioning good fortune when it lands on you.
I couldn’t be happier with what I found. I have no idea what it’s designed for but it’s perfect for fabric and notion storage. I still have plastic tubs of chenille, linen, wools and silks sitting in the office. I have a stack of ugly fabric that I pulled out as I folded and color organized my new shelves. What do you do with your uglies?
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The Seattle Times featured an article yesterday about Alex Martin. She made this dress and wore it everyday for a year. Yesterday was day 365. Her tag line says: 365 days. one brown dress. a one-woman show against fashion. I really enjoyed reading her reasons for doing it and how her perspective changed over the year. Check out her website. The photo journal by month is thought provoking in and of itself.
Oh, I love it! The new book called “Perfecting Your Quilting Space” shows lots of rooms with fabric storage from Ikea. I told my husband I want to redo my sewing room with stuff from Ikea. Now I just need to save the money!
OK – I’m guessing you are either on Whidbey, or Camino, or Bainbridge. Maybe in Bremerton or south or north of there – though if you live there it might be cheaper to drive around. Though I don’t know with the price of gas. We both grew up in Seattle but have lived in Vancouver WA for 32 years now. We used to get up there to visit parents, but as they are all gone now we mainly get up there for a couple Mariners weekends a year and sometimes a trip to Ikea. I had quite a few relatives on Whidbey, though they are all gone now too. We really love that island, but waiting for the ferry is the pits!
Patti, the Hardenbrook girl
C’est splendide ces tissus bien rangés, bien alignés. Un plaisir pour nos yeux !
That is gorgeous and you have filled it with such lovely things.
That’s the last straw, I am moving over to be your neighbour. That fabric! Those shelves! You live on an island!
Now I’m off to read about Alex Martin – sounds fascinating.
I set my uglies aside and intend on posting them for giveaway/trade, but never do. I will if you will!
Your shelves look so great. Bask in the glow!
wow, how good does all that fabric look!
I wish I could get rid of the uglies. I guess I just keep thinking that somehow they might be useful for something someday. I suppose that not having enough space will push me to get rid of them at some point, and I am thinking that time might be soon. I have just started to think about how to get rid of them so I am anxious to see if anyone has any good ideas. I have also thought about posting for give away or trade, but wonder if I will ever get around to it.
oooooohh, this is sooo nice! Doesn’t it make you feel happy just to look at it?? I have my uglies, actually most of my fabric, in a free standing Elfa shelf system. The kind with the deep wire drawers. They have them at the Container Store. For the first 7 years of our marriage, it was my husband’s “dresser”. Now he has a piece of real furniture and I inherited it. Much stronger and sturdier than the plastic shelf units.
I’m so jealous! Your fabric looks simply delicious on those shelves. I’ve been trying to find a way to store my fabric more efficiently as well. I think your shelves work well because the shelves are spaced closely together so that you don’t end up with huge towers of fabric that fall over (that’s what mine do right now). The green back panels of the shelves really compliment the colorful fabrics.
That shelf is perfect for storage and goes great next to the tall curtain. Did you make that curtain? It’s lovely. It’s definitely better to be able to see all your fabric like that. When I can’t see it, then I can’t find it when I need it, and I never remember to use it when I have the opportunity. And it looks like you have room to grow in your fabric collection.
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Wow, beautiful! You’ll be appalled at how I store my fabric!
That is a wonderful storage piece. I love that you can close the doors for instant decluttering.
And your new pink stripes from your quilt on the banner are beautiful, fun, funky, and all around delish – (though the pink letters get a little lost on my computer screen)
Oh, wait. I just looked again and I guess I imagined the doors the first time. I’m still sleepy.
Oh, man. That shelving is so perfect for crafting storage. I so wish we had an Ikea within four hours of us. Oh well, I’ll just enjoy your space. :0)
I like your shelf, your fabrics and your website! Thank you for the waterbottle-carrier! I think You would like my quilt studio, too. All of my furniture are from IKEA, naturally, because I live in Sweden. Welcome to have a look around! http://www.quiltpassion.zoomin.se
Ikea is my favorite. We actually use there furniture for our fabric store J & O Fabrics. If you are storing fabric for long periods of time you should make sure they are covered up so no light is constantly on the prints.
Have fun sewing!
Tudo muito lindo. Cangratulations.
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Do you care if I repost you?
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