The Great WSBN Sewing Room Tour

So the WSBN (Wellington Sewing Bloggers Network) thought you'd like a Sewing Room Tour and on our blogs throughout September, we'll be showcasing our sewing rooms, our fave makes, WIPs, and possibly even our favourite parts of the city - well Wellington is the Coolest Little Capital in the World and you can't beat it on a good day ;-)

The harbour from the top of Te Ahumairangi Hill

I'm lucky, our house has four bedrooms and one is my sewing room, although we do keep it permanently as a guest room for a single person, so I have to be reasonably tidy! Mind you, I have to say it is hard sometimes!

Do come on in...

Yes, the single bed stays, it's about the best place for it to go instead of against a wall, so the floor space is relatively limited. I tend to cut out on the lounge floor upstairs, or I have even been known to cut out on the upstairs deck in the sunshine. :-)

Anyway, back to my own room, I've got a sliding door which I can open out onto the lower deck. This faces due north which means I get all the sunshine and fantastic light.

On the left by the window is my desk (which is an old drop leaf dining table) where my sewing machines are. Then on the right are a few book shelves and some storage (ha ha, the latter sounds so posh, it's not really!)

Looking from the other end (from the deck) you can see the bed, another cupboard and a wardrobe.

My work area... Not the largest of tables and a bit wobbly at times, but I've managed to use it in this state to make enormous curtains, so I'm happy. It's also a useful table if we have a dinner party (then I frantically have to tidy and clear it up to take it upstairs!)

The chair was Mr N's mothers, known as Nannabelle's chair! I love this chair and I think I might make a seat pad for it and re-varnish at some point. A heater is a must for the winter - it can get cold in that room!

You can see my machines on the table. The Janome (John Lewis) machine on the right is my main machine. I got this for GBP 99 about six years ago, it's a basic machine, but I can do button holes, use a twin needle, stitch blind hems, etc so I'm happy with it. I've not used my old Singer for a while and unfortunately the case got damaged coming from the UK, so I need to get that fixed and the machine serviced. It is a great machine though and is fantastic for thicker fabrics.

The cupboard at the far end

This is where I keep all my patterns, notions and also my music. This is my room and so my music stuff also has a home in my sewing room.

The case beside the wardrobe is my 'cello in it's case. I don't claim to be the best player in the world and haven't really played it since I got to NZ, but I haven't the heart to get rid of it. The dolls house on top of the cupboard was built for my by my Dad when I was little. At the time, I was the height of luxury having electric lighting! Unfortunately that doesn't work at the moment and the house definitely needs renovating - another thing that's on my long list of things to do! Here's the inside for those who are interested...

The shelves in the corner have my sewing books and also yet more music. Plus some of my favourite ornaments on the display shelves. My fabric is in a box under the bed and also in a case and the ottoman in the corner...

Oh you want close ups? The shelves and some of the fabric... I've tried to reference some of my fabric on Evernote, but got very frustrated and didn't know the best way to reference it on there, so it kinda got left and now I don't really know what I have got and what I haven't! Any suggestions welcomed!

A hint at the view outside my window is in the photo above, but if you really need a distraction while sewing, this is the real view from my chair! It's lovely in the summer I can open the ranch slider and sit on the deck hand sewing! Jealous? Of course you are ;-) Although being full north facing we do get the full prevailing winds, which in Wellington are quite often strong and northerly... It's not called windy Wellington for nothing! Oh and the hills the other side of the valley are on the other side of the Wellington fault... Plus I can even wave across the valley to one of my fellow WSBN members!

Works in progress (or in my head) are numerous! I've got a couple of things on the go, plus about another half a dozen or more queued up ready to go! So just a few to keep me out of mischief - there really are not enough hours to sew all these. I need some time off work to sew!

A second Simplicity 3673 in a purple wool...

Papercut La Sylphide in a burnt orange and also a black/cream viscose

Then I've got a Sewaholic Yaletown planned (both dress and blouse), a walkaway dress (Butterick 4790), Papercut Petal skirt, another shirt dress of some description, leggings, Papercut circle top, Sewaholic Cambie, Sewaholic Alma or Pendrell(s), a cardi, some more loud golf trews (Vogue 8719), a couple of shirts for Mr N (Burda 7767), a quick short pencil skirt... Oh and I need to hem the lounge curtains I made a year ago which have been hanging ever since to "drop out". Methinks they'll be well and truly dropped out :-) And that's not to mention some knitting which is also on the go and planned - help!

I think I'd find it hard to say which are my favourite makes, I love my Mortmain which I made earlier this year and also my Gabrianna (made for TMS Indie Pattern Month). Then I've also got other fave makes - my Alma, my Daisy Anna, and my purple Renfrew.

I'll finish with a few of my fave photos of Wellington, just to make you jealous of our fab little city. Does something make you think I love this place (even though I've only been here two and a half years?)

Looking towards Karori on a frosty winter's evening from just round the corner from our house

Makara Beach

Just round from Owhiro Bay looking towards the South Island 

(if you look carefully you might actually see snow in the distance)

OK the sun doesn't always shine here, but, well...

Thanks to Gemma for coming up with the idea and kicking us off on Monday. So the last words from the Crazy English Lady - I seem to have that nickname here in NZ although I'm unsure why ;-) - don't forget to check out Juliet's (our very own Crazy Gypsy) blog tomorrow for the next installment!