Connie’s Sewing Room, 1-6-23

You are going to love this tour of Connie’s sewing room! Last spring they moved from Garner to their home on Lake Okoboji about 100 miles west of here. All of her “stuff “ is so familiar to me but it’s almost unrecognizable in new surroundings.

Aren’t those white cupboards just fabulous?

Summer Schoolhouse by With Thy Needle and Thread, Brenda Gervais

This beautiful cross stitch is Connie’s latest finish.

And that’s a wrap!

61 thoughts on “Connie’s Sewing Room, 1-6-23

  1. Carolyn Boutilier

    Connie , Thank you for sharing your wonderful sewing room. It is exquisite and what a great place to create. Carolyn b Shenandoah Valley Va.

  2. Shirley

    I love your quilt studio Connie.
    Thanks for sharing, Connie and Mary. The kitty is a bonus.
    Shirley of Oregon

  3. Susie

    I love to see how other people decorate and include special personal treasures in their homes.Mary and Connie do such a lovely job! Thank you both for always sharing your spaces.🌸 And your talents!

  4. Kathy L

    WOW, what a beautiful sewing room, and yes I love those cabinets, I love the cat to, seems all sewing rooms have at least one cat, LOL

  5. Jan Hebert

    Swoon!! Such a beautiful space. Yes, those cupboards are gorgeous! Love all of your furniture, wall decor, just everything! The kitties are precious. I’d love another kitty but man, my Blue is eating us out of house and home! I can’t afford to feed another cat, lol. I just love that little red and white quilt. Connie, do you use a wall board to plan your quilts or is that what is under your red and white quilt. Mini planning boards. I can’t think of what they’re called! Blaming Covid! Jan in MA

    1. Connie Tesene

      Hi Jan- I wish I had a design wall like Mary’s – I seem to use the floor or my bed when I have a bigger quilt to lay out. Yes, those are small design boards that I have used for individual blocks. I followed Lori Holt’s tutorial on You Tube. I love them, and they are very useful.
      Connie

  6. Kim from TN

    Connie, thank you for sharing your sewing space with all of us, it is so inviting. I love all the personal touches and the cabinets. I must admit that I really look forward to the blog, thank you Mary for keeping it going. It and you are a treasure.

  7. Diane in Colorado

    Love, love, love the white cabinets!!! What great storage and display space!!! And kitty in a box is always fun (and funny!!)!
    I have dreams of a wonderful sewing studio! Some day!!
    I had to wash my car today. Twice. It is so sloppy here! 42 degrees though so I will not complain!!! It’s January and I am ready for spring!!

    1. Jo in Wyoming

      Diane, I went into the car wash this morning and came out to snow!! It’s been snowing in Cheyenne on and off all day.

      1. Diane in Colorado

        Jo- we didn’t get any snow but it warmed up enough to be sloppy. I am grateful to have an unlimited pass to the carwash–getting my money’s worth this month!

        Best,
        Diane

  8. Karla T

    Beautiful space and I love the natural light and white cupboards. Is it two rooms in one? Like an attached sun porch? Sooo pretty! I wouldn’t want to leave it 😉
    Is it much less space than what you had, Connie?
    I also love the kitties and red quilt! Thanks for the eye candy, Mary and Connie!!

    1. Connie Tesene

      Hi Karla, the room with my sewing machines and cats(ha) was a 3 season porch. When we made the move to Okoboji we put in new windows, flooring, etc to make the 2 rooms seem like one. It is less space than I had in Garner- there is a storage space in the basement that is pretty full too. Ugh😂. I need to sew faster!!!
      Connie

  9. Diane, Squeak, and Buddy in Central Ohio

    I love the big windows and cupboards. What a great space. The two kitties are beautiful. What a great sewing space. Thanks, Connie😃

  10. Diane in Maryland

    I love all the wonderful natural light! Such a bright inviting space with very contented kitties. So nice! Connie, thank you and Mary for the tour! How is your dog Betty doing?

    1. Connie Tesene

      Hi Diane. Betty is living the Dream. She loves the snow in the winter and the lake in the summer. Thanks for asking. Connie

  11. Barbara Firesheets

    What a beautiful sewing studio! Thank you Connie and Mary for sharing the pictures. Love Connie’s cross stitch finish too!

  12. Jo in Wyoming

    Love it! Connie, your old house was incredible too. Creative women deserve incredible space.
    I noticed the goat and found the Canada goose too!

  13. Beryl BC

    The sewing area is lovely. Is the cat in a cat bed or a storage bin? Wondering if you made it? Thanks for the tour.

    1. Connie Tesene

      I purchased the cat bed that Dot is curled up in at Walmart. I have a bird feeder outside of the window where she is laying- so there is constant entertainment for her. Connie

  14. Vicki in Seattle

    Beautiful! It is so light and cheerful. The white cupboards are great! Thanks for sharing the photos with us and happy sewing!

  15. Kathy in western NY

    I love sewing room tours. Always fun to see how we all keep our play rooms.
    Thank you Connie for sharing it and you have the same wall calendar as I do.
    I keep the older ones I have of hers too.

  16. Jeanie S, Central IL

    Your sewing room has both charm and character, and I love all the storage those white cabinets offer. Thanks for the tour.
    Are the cats both from the litter Mama Kitty had in the barn? I only remember Dot’s name.
    Thanks for showing us Connie’s sewing room. I hope you had good weather for the trip. 🥰

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Jeanie – YES! You’ve got a fantastic memory, Jeanie! Connie ‘s cats are Dot and Lily.

  17. Rhoda Ebersole

    Just so gorgeous. They are happy with their move it looks like.
    Thanks for sharing with us.

  18. Betty Klosterman

    Nice tour — absolutely love the white cupboards, plus drawers and shelves. BUT where is the sewing machine? And what else did you miss?
    Mary, the picture of Connie at the table in your sewing room — the checked table cloth looked pretty classy!
    I filled my car with gas on Dec 12, and 4 weeks later I have driven 58 miles! Guess I’ve been inside a lot. We’ve still got new snow covering the ground, but no drifts in town. It will melt in the next couple days. The ice left from the Christmas drifts is still there.
    The Idaho Square Dance blocks (Bonnie Hunter) are all ready for the borders. I hope to take a picture of it. And I finished my Christmas cards, too. On to the next list of stuff to do.
    Take care, everybody. Love hearing about your storms, good stuff, etc.
    Bettty in Rapid City

  19. Kris in WI

    Admiring all those windows and the white cabinets…and turning a little green! Fun treasures, too. Thanks for the peek into your sewing room, Connie. Kris

  20. Linda

    Oh goodness, how fabulous is that room! I wish I wish!! And there is plenty of room for my fur babies too. No sewing room should be without kitties, mine getting into everything keeps me jumping but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I long for a sewing room but it will probably never happen so I use the hearth area in the kitchen and just squeeze my way around things. I consider my self lucky to have that!

    The white cupboards are fabulous, maybe my stash would fit in them….

    Thank you for sharing, now to go wipe the drool.

  21. Gloria from CC

    Connie’s sewing room is beautiful! She has such a knack for putting things together usefully yet homey (as do you Mary). The cats looks so happy and comfy. The added bonus is that she’s on a lake – it doesn’t get any better than that!

  22. Peg in MO

    Thanks so very much for sharing Connie’s beautiful & organized yet so personal “create” space. Mine is a mess & this is just the inspiration I need to clean it up! And… your loss with the closing of Martingale has been on my mind. What a blow to your heart & years of hard work. I’m so sorry!

  23. Debbie Davis

    What a beautiful cheerful sewing room to creat in. I could spend hours in there …… 💗

  24. Debra Dodge

    Awesome room Connie. Such a lovely spot to sew and create. Beautiful finish on your cross stitch pillow

  25. Frosty WI. Ruth

    Yes her sewing room is wonderful!!! I like how she repurposed primitives to house her tools and stash!! I look for your pattern books and patterns everywhere- that used quilting supplies are sold! I have been so fortunate to find many of them!!

  26. Susan K in Texas

    Oh what a beautiful space to work/play in. Those cabinets can hold a lot of beautiful fabrics. And two kitties staying cozy just adds to the charm.
    Hubby and I have been sick almost all week. We got antibiotics yesterday. We both had covid before Christmas (I spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas sick). So no sewing for me.

  27. Cheryl from Niagara Falls

    Wow! Those cabinets are a serious source of envy!! I am in the process of moving my sewing area from a basement room to upstairs and can’t wait for a new bright sewing room with tons of space, light and new storage. Is there ever enough?! Your studio is amazing!

      1. Cynthia from SW MN

        Dear Connie, Do you remember the name of the IKEA cabinets? I’d love to he k them out online, longing for a trip to IKEA anyway, I love that place! They always have names in Swedish for everything!

  28. mary h

    Mary, I don’t know anything about publishing. Are you saying that all your patterns that were in Maritngale books are now their property?

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Mary – I have more information now – the patterns and photos as shown in their books remain their property and we cannot copy them and/or use them for sale – even though they’re no longer in business. If someone buys Martingale, our books go with the new owner. We CAN use our original patterns as they were written out – such as Charm School which was a single pattern sent out each month. When we closed we were ruthless in what we got rid of but I have found quite a few of them. Thank goodness!

  29. Janice Brown

    Mary and Connie, Happy New Year. I am catching up on several days worth of blog postings. Connie, your sewing room is very nice. It is so airy and bright, such a peaceful place to work. I am envious of your white cupboards . . . so much storage. Thanking you for the tour.

  30. Connie R. In NE Wis

    Connie, your new sewing room is just as beautiful and inviting as your old one. I’m trying to take in every detail. I especially like the wooden cupboard with the star design in the side. Love the red quilt. Is it a pattern from a Country Threads book? Thanks for sharing.

    1. Connie Tesene

      The red quilt is called “Jersey Girl”. Is is a schnibbles pattern by Miss Rosie’s quilt co.

  31. Casey

    Fabulous sewing room!! Is the room showing through the archway part of it, too?
    I so miss my sewing studio at our home we sold in Maine. I have absolutely no room in this house to set one up, so my sewing machine is in the bedroom and the cutting table is in the walk in closet. Not ideal, for sure, so I believe my quilt making is a thing of the past, unfortunately.

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