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Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

For The Home: Toy Box Cushion



If you remember, one of my New Year's Sewing Resolutions is to sew for my home.  I have been so proud of myself for all that I have done.  I'm up to about four or five projects.  They are just little things, but they make me feel better about my home.

We have a nice little starter home that we are outgrowing, but we don't have any immediate plans for moving into anything larger.  So, I've been trying to maximize our storage space, and find different ways to make our small space work for our growing family.  Minimizing clutter is difficult.  Kids have so many toys, and they are inevitably hauled out to the living room where most of the playing happens. In our cozy home, our living room is also where we entertain, and the first thing someone sees when they come into our home.  So, being able to put toys away quickly (as soon as there is a knock at the door), is a plus.

I picked up this white chest a couple of years ago while out thrifting.  It was in decent shape, but nothing beautiful.  From the beginning I'd planned on making a cushion for the top.  It was a way to add a bit more seating to our small space, while hiding away toys.



It took me a long time to get around to making the seat cushion.  It's not the most exciting thing to sew, but I am so pleased with the way it cleans up the room.  I purchased the foam at a local craft store that was going out of business.  It was 3.5" thick, so a perfect little cushion for any behind.  The herringbone fabric is the same that I used to recover the glider.  It is nice and neutral with a really subtle sheen.

Velcro became my best friend on this project.  I chose to use it both to attach the cushion to the chest, and as a closure on the back of the cushion (no photo, sorry).  I attached the rough side of the  sew on velcro to the material, to avoid snagging if it wasn't perfectly aligned.  I used a sticky back velcro for the chest.  


 Now we can store all of those toys with their brightly colored packages.  It really does make a big difference in the space.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Working Mom: Do Not Disturb


I work from home, and am glad that I am able to.  I am able to spend most of my time with my kids, and then squeeze work into our crazy day.  Unfortunately, working from home with kids is not easy.  Sometimes, in fact, it is nearly impossible. 

Because my kids are accustomed to me being at home, they always need me. When my husband has a day off, they still run to me first to tattle, for help them find their favorite monster truck, or to grab them a glass of water.  I love being able to help, but sometimes I wish that it was easier to work from home.


I found this chalk board door hanger on clearance at Wal-Mart. It isn't anything pretty, and I'd love to paint over it, but I was feeling pretty lazy.  So, I sat down at my computer, and whipped up a little design. Cut my vinyl with my silhouette, and then less than perfectly transferred the vinyl to the door hanger.


I don't have high hopes that it is going to make it easier to work from home, but fifteen uninterrupted minutes of work a day would be a beautiful thing. Now I just need to teach my two year old, and six month old how to read.

Do any of you work at home moms have any suggestions for creating more focused work time?  A schedule that works for you?  Quiet activities to entertain your kids while you get things done?  I'm all about refining my process, and would love to know what insights you have.