Here we go – you’re going to love this. I am probably the only one who truly understands the burden of having too much that has accumulated for 40 years of being in the quilt business. Wish you all lived close by so we could have a garage sale of fabric, patterns, books, etc, etc.
This two story garage was built about 20+ years ago and Connie moved her sewing room to the second story. When her boys were little she sewed in the house – first in the kitchen in the little closet under the stairs. Then they added a room off the kitchen so she could sew and still cook and take care of her family. Her boys have grown up with a quilting mess – they’re well rounded young men – ha!
Going up the steps is a quilt show in itself.
On Connie’s right is the bathroom – in the shower is stuff that is potentially half finished stuff to finish and sell at Junkin Gal.
The linen closet is more.
The pictures hanging in the bathroom have a theme of the Sacred Heart – these pictures are real treasures!
Outside the bathroom is a cupboard of fat quarters and in the shelves below is Jan Patek/Linda Brannock projects. The first picture is precuts.
This next picture is an overview so you will understand that I am going to move around the room to the right. The big cupboards serve as room dividers.
To the right the whole wall is shelves with books, pincushions, and other interesting “things”.
Against the adjoining wall is a rack of current Civil War fabrics.
Her sewing table sits to the left in the room, not against any wall.
On the back of her chair is Cobblestones made in Fig Tree fabrics.
Back to the wall is Linda Brannock’s Garden Girl hanging above the cutting table which is a kitchen island from IKEA. On the adjoining wall is the TV and more of the same.
On her design wall/divider is a new panel.
Connie likes to work on 3 or 4 projects at a time so she doesn’t get bored. Here are come of those projects including Bullseye. Hilary is peeking out, too.
Then comes the hideabed that she want outs of her space. And the green cupboard directly to the left. This line of cupboards backs up to the big cupboards I showed you first that are room dividers. I know this is difficult to imagine.
She wants to take this cupboard to the lake this summer – thanks, Roy!
Hanging over the next fabric cupboard is our pattern Spot. Under Spot is brushed cotton. Spot hangs over top to offer sun protection.
Next is brushed cotton.
This cupboard is Civil War and above on wall is wool rug hooking.
Next is punch needle.
This basket is Japanese fabric.
I realize now I should have drawn a simple floor plan for you to follow. I think I got lucky when I posted my sewing room because there were many pictures and it didn’t crash. I’m going to stop here and continue later this afternoon. Keep in mind that I can’t answer your questions about what’s the name of this quilt, this fabric, this cupboard because I probably don’t know.
I love seeing your sewing studios!
OMG…now that is a sewing 🧵 room !!! Love all the
Quilt displayed n just seeing her room is a treat
N thanks for sharing!!! Love it♥️♥️♥️♥️
Amazing, both of your fabric. It tells me that I need to be out shopping for more fabric as I thought I had a lot 😂
Wow! overwhelming amount of fabric. You and Connie have a larger volume of fabric at your homes then the local quilt shops have for sale around here. And I don’t mean combined fabric of yours and Connie’s.
Wonderful spaces you both have!!! I would come down to Garner for a garage sale from the Twin Cities on a Saturday in the summer! Just a little FYI. I have several relatives living in Lake Mills too.
I have never seen so much! Only a quilter could enjoy the look. I have been asking my husband to purchase the house up for sale just now across the street. I have always wanted “ a quilt house” to corral my stuff and be able to leave my tables up and have places to put my stuff. He just looked st me when I mentioned my good idea. I have just one large room and the closet of the adjoining bedroom. The guest room is where I lay out finished blocks for the next top. My idea isn’t going to happen I think but I wish.
I love it that Connie seems to have the same modus operandi that I do: any flat surface must be covered with stuff immediately. And, her stuff is much more interesting than mine. It is a joy to see a studio that’s real, not something staged for a magazine photo shoot. I can easily picture Connie creating here. I think both you and Connie are wonderful for sharing the real way you create and sew. Thank you!
thank you for sharing Connie’s place of happiness. I thought I had lots of fabric but both of you have me beat by a mile and then some. love Connie’s Garden Gal quilt. That is on my bucket list. Love all it. Carolyn b
OH MY! You and Connie are one of a kind and I totally understand why you worked so well together. Very much the same taste. Thank you so much for sharing, makes me feel that my stash is NOT out of control, but quite managed. You have also inspired me by some of your quilts.
Love seeing Connie’s studio! I echo the comment above – a real working studio! And I am sighing over the fabric. If you don’t have a garage sale how about just packaging up miscellaneous fabric you don’t want and sell it as scrap bags. I have found that as I get older I want to do more scrappy quilts but don’t always have just the ‘right’ fabric to draw things together. Thanks for all the time you have taken to take us into your creative studios!
It is just a fabulous space. So so wonderful…thanks for sharing
I loved looking at all the quilts. What a treat…..can I have a place like this in heaven?????
Love it!
Love the pictures. My inspiration sometimes comes from the pile of fabric just sitting there. I decide after a while that those fabrics would be great together.
Thanks for both studio tours. As always love the sharing. Now I feel somewhat justified , like i’m in good company, but also know after i’m gone my girls will hate cleaning up my mess. lol
Great to see Connie’s studio. It does look a lot more “settled in” than when we were there for camp for tour when it was new. A guest could stay there and shower then. lol Not judging, since my room looks like a Tornado blew thru.
I think it is interesting that she has fabric sorted by designer. I have mine sorted by color.
I’ve had the privilege of seeing both of your sewing spaces and feel nothing but contentment and extreme happiness with my own! Not an ounce of guilt or remorse for my way of life!😊 Love your sharing of extreme quilting!😊 ❤️ Can’t wait for you to come visit and see my new spaces! Hopefully the snow will quit one of these days!
You two are such an inspiration!🌷
Oh my, another treasure trove of fabric. I expect that any guilt I have left after seeing Mary’s stash will be completely eliminated after we see the rest of the photos of Connie’s stash. Thanks ever so much for your willingness to share your Stash Troves with all of us. ❤️😘❤️
Wow, I have never seen such a stash. It is like a store full of wonderful fabrics. Wish I was close so I could attend that garage sale:)
I love the pictures you post! Your studios are amazing! Do you have any frabric from when you opened your shop? I was lucky to find your shop as you were getting ready to retire. I loved wondering from room to room. The fabric I bought that day was used in my first pieced quilt.
Again, thank you for sharing. Said it before..say it again.. I want to come play at your houses. While I didn’t see a quilt I didn’t like…found the quilt with a squirrel 🐿 on it especially appealing….don’t like squirrels so I find that interesting in itself. Know y’all probably sick ok snow, but tranquil for those of us that don’t have to deal with it or problems it creates. Be safe..stay warm.
Nikki Mahaffey – I’m not actually so sick of the snow but I wish my animals could get out and not be so confined. I feel sorry for them.
Do you two love your new Berninas?????
Linda – no, can’t say that we do.
Thoroughly enjoyed every nook n cranny shown, well covered and packed with Connie’s needful things. The quilts on the walls are an inspiration! Thanks for showing and sharing with all of us. You two are certainly kindred spirits and have inspired so many of us quilters with your great books and fabric lines.
Another snowy morning here in northern Idaho. Big thick flakes have been coming down for over three hours like a winter wonderland. A little goes a long way!
I agree with Jan Davis–I, too, love seeing your creative spaces as they exist, not as a staged space. Thank you for sharing your spaces with us! You’ve given me lots of ideas for storage/display in my sewing space that I hadn’t considered before.
I love Connie’s Betty quilt!!! <3
I finished sewing the binding on my Bullseye last night. I've made a lot of quilts in the past year but none that have gotten as many rave reviews from friends as this one. I'm on to Caring Hands (from Beyond the Battlefield) now and I'm really looking forward to watching how it comes together. I spent nearly all of a day cutting for it and have 6-8 of the bear paw blocks done–only about 90 more to go! I think I have enough fabric cut for 4, but want the scrappy look and that means cutting plenty of extras to mix it up.
Diane Bauer – Caring Hands is a handful of cutting, isn’t it?
I especially loved the variety of quilts hanging on the stairway up to the studio.
Having significantly down-sized my life’s belongings, so many of my quilts had
to go elsewhere. I do love seeing some of my pieces at my daughters’ homes
and at friends’ homes. And, I realize that they were a gift when they went
out to the world through our local thrift shop.
Please tell us how you hang your quilts on the wall – you usually think of pictures hanging in staircases but those quilts….perfect!
The quilt “Spot”. Is it still available to purchase. A great “fix” for all dog lovers! Thanx for the tour of both fabric collections. Love all your fabrics. Stay warm & dry.
Linda In So. cal – yes, Spot is available for $10 to Country Threads.
both your sewing rooms are inspiring–love these pictures–totally could find my way around because I was there a while back –sure miss you two and the shop but never fear–just like a junky–I find a source to fuel my addiction I for one have not minded the long winter—sew-sew–sooo here’s to spring–could not imagine life without our beautiful seasons
I love to see your unstaged creative spaces ! This is real life! My grown boys are seasoned too……they know the difference between paper and fabric scissors! Keep blogging…….love to read about your lives in the mid-west and your quilting projects.
Love all your pictures from both sewing rooms. My sewing room is downstairs. This morning I was in the dining room and there was a pin cushion with pins and 2 needles on the floor. My cat had been in the sewing room and had brought it upstairs. Never thought he’d do something like that. From now on the door will be kept closed.
what was your reply to if you like your sewing machines?
Thank you for sharing photos of your and Connie’s stash.
Do all quilting companies have this much stash? And you received it free from the manufacturers? In their hopes you would use the fabric in a quilt one day?
Amazing!
Rhoda Eversole – where did you get the idea it was free? We purchased every piece – most was wholesale for the shop – remember I said we each got a half yard cut of everything that came in? We were not sought after like some designers that got free fabric.
Happy Places – can just feel the creativity and comfort jumping from your fabric. What inspiring places for both of you. Thanks for sharing.
Oh what a glorious pair you two maike. And what happy sewing places! I envy your friendship, talents….and sewing stashes. I only dream of such! I have a stash too but no sewing space…..I sew at the dining room table but have stuff stashed all around it. Fortunately we live fairly remotely and almost never have visitors in which I have to uncover the table. A couples dinner can happen at the kitchen island. Thanks for sharing! Glorious. I love every morsel in my stash and can almost remember when and where I got it. Lots of memories when I pet it. People don’t understand…..but bet you two do@
Carolyn V – YES, we do understand! March Madness will soon be here!
I can’t imagine having that much space for myself to sew and store my beloved sewing stash. Both of yours are equally spacious and fun to look at. It’s so good to see “works in progress “ as both your sewing areas are great inspiration to me with projects and bowls of scraps assembled together. I know this was a lot of work putting these studio pictures together and we so appreciate you opening your houses to all of us!!! What wonderful posts these were for us to enjoy.
Thank you for so generously sharing your lives with us! ❤
-Jean
Mary and Connie! You both have shangri las that are so wonderful. Creativity exudes from every picture. Keep on keepin’ on! All your blog friends need you both. Thank you for posting, Mary! You did such a good job. Now, I am going back to view the show again!
You couldn’t help but be creative in this space … Love it …
Before I forget…loved “where the crawdads sing” by Delia Owens. I’ve been reading from your book recommendation list and enjoyed all I’ve tried, so wanted to pay it forward. Story of girl left alone to live in marsh. So intimidately written you’ll feel the beauty of nature.
What a treat to see Connie’s space, too! We were lucky enough one year at camp to take a field trip, and I’ve never forgotten it. I still have pictures of the space, including her Halloween decorations. I love all the antique cupboards. And I copied Connie and bought the IKEA kitchen island to use as my cutting table – it has tons of drawers and I just love it! My next project is to alphabetize all my books and patterns – hoping it will keep me from buying duplicates. Thanks for being our tour guide.
Thanks for sharing both your sewing studios. I have only one small room off of my bedroom but it is MINE and I love my computer, sewing machines, cutting table, ironing station and tv. I have about 1/100th of what you ladies have in fabric and quite content. There are hardly any quilt shops left on Cape Cod so I mostly order online. I miss my old resident in western Mass. and my instructor, etc. Oh well, I do make use of my time sewing, walking, volunteering, etc. Life is good. I truly enjoy your blogs, keep them coming.. DEE
Mary, You and Connie have the BEST places to hang out and sew. Love, love, love all of it!
Oh my goodness, I just love it!! 😂😂 I wouldn’t know where to look first if I was standing there in person but I would love to try. I have a question, is your pattern Spot available for purchase? Hugs, Sandi
Sandi – yes, Spot can be purchased for $10 to Country Threads, address on home page.
You are right. I LOVE the tours. They (yours and hers) make me feel good and bad all at the same time. Bad (jealous of all that space) and Good because others have piles and messes as big as mine. I have to shut the door of my sewing room (bedroom) when company comes.
What fun, though! I will view this several times today. Thank you.
I LOVE your sewing spaces!! Inspiration and a retreat! I don’t think you can ever have too much fabric!! All the quilts on display are awesome!! Thanks for sharing what you love to do! Stay warm!
Great sewing room filled to the brim with great ‘stuff’. Isn’t it funny how someone else’s fabric can be so interesting. Love all those post it notes in the books. I do the same thing. Time passes and I look and think I no longer want to make this or that one and choose a whole new bunch of quilts to tag. Love seeing Betty there too. Thank you for the tour.
Thank you for all your inspirational pictures of your sewing rooms. Please share Connie’s method of hanging her quilts on the walls – I see no means of attachment.
Just loved seeing all of this. Wish I would have come to your shop. Awesome…
Hi Mary-Connie…Thank You for the “tour” of your quilt spaces…and you were so right “we ain’t seen nutin’ Yet”…oh my! I don’t have as much fabric. I call yours super-calli-fabric-quilt-tageous!
Both your studios are amazingly wonderful! I love your use of antiques and vintage cupboards for storage. Wish I had more room for them.
We’re enjoying a beautiful sunshiny day today even though it’s only 26 degrees in northeast Oregon. It’s amazing that the snow is melting when it’s this cold.
My bullseye quilt is finished, bound and washed once! Yay! I’ll send it thru a spin cycle and dry it again so it fuzzes more.
Looking forward to the rest of the pictures from Connie’s studio.
Thank you for sharing your quilting spaces! They feel so homey, creative, and comforting. I love all the interesting antiques and “things” being used to display and store fabric. Much better than my cardboard and plastic boxes!! Inspiration everywhere!!
Love you two being willing to share your spaces with us! You are both amazing! I feel like a newbie here, but I can so relate to you both. I feel so happy! 🤗
Thanks for the lovely tour of Connie’s studio! What a glorious space to be creative. I am in awe of all the small quilts hanging on the walls. Do you know how she hangs them? They hug the wall and hang so nicely!
Ellie – hanging nicely starts with perfect cutting, piecing and then quilting with a low loft batting.
I agree with Rita from Ct. All of our shops here have less than you both do. The only exception is one in the Catskill Mountains in Windham, NY (over 7000 bolts). The owners live upstairs and the shop is downstairs about 2000 sq. ft.. tons of kids, modern, 30’s, reproduction. It is heaven for quilters. Thanks for the wonderful tour, my stash has been diminished considerably. May we all hope that little groundhog was right and we have a wonderful spring.
Absolutely wonderful!!!
How do you hang all your little quilts on the wall?
Thanks for sharing Connie’s studio, along with your own. Now we know how creative minds and quilters work. I have a stash, somewhat smaller, but mostly stored in plastic tubs, by color, behind closed doors. I think your method is more inspiring but not sure if it would work for me. I love your use of old “stuff … tables, cabinets, etc.,” being a lover of distressed furniture, etc. You’re both inspirations, I hope you see the end of this awful weather soon.
First of all the building itself is a treasured sight. Then the staircase, lined with wonderment, color, texture, up to the unexpected. Then we see a WOMAN AT WORK….Oh the choices, we would all like that. The challenge of getting all the furniture up there let alone everything else…But wouldn’t we all love it to be us……..I still marvel at how much you two get done in your hours, days and weeks.. Thank you both for sharing your spaces and your pets.
I wouldn’t know where to start in either of your sewing rooms – overwhelming! You both must know where everything is and just where to find what you want at any time. I am so impressed!! I see that Connie has a kitty helper as well as Betty!!
Wow! Both of you have sew much fabric — old & new! You should open a quilt shop or something like that!! LOL! I know, retired from that — me too! Well, I certainly don’t recall your pattern “SPOT”. It is sew cute!! Was it a stand alone pattern or in one of your books? Is it made with cottons or wools? Anyway! just love these “real life” tours as so many are calling them! Can’t wait to see the rest of Connie’s “happy place”! Thanks for sharing!
Jan Behm – Spot was a stand alone pattern – never in a book.
Thanks! I guess I missed that one! 🙁
Love it! The primitive cupboards are great storage pieces. Looks like a wonderful space to create with lots of light. Thanks for sharing!
Both of your sewing spaces are wonderful! Great pictures-a girl can dream!
Very impressive!!!! Makes me feel better about my sewing room mess. I can clean it up and
two hours later it is messy again!!
I always look forward to reading your blog and I have loved “visiting” your quilting spaces through your photos. I am in love with Connie’s cupboards and wish I had room for some like them in my sewing area.
It is encouraging to me to see how you both work and create.
Oh my gosh I am so into the old cupboards that I have a hard time looking at the fabric, Love, Love, Love, those old cupboards. The fabric is wonderful also. I am a collector of old cupboards myself. so getting to see these awesome old pieces is just fantastic.
Janet VanDeWalle – I’m going to talk about one of those wonderful old cupboards in tomorrow ‘s post.
Priceless!!
The only thing that is out of place is the Canada goose, up by the pumpkins. It needs to come to my house.
What fun this has been. Thank you both.
Thanks for the tours! SO FUN!
Your spaces inspire creativity for all!
Hugs to all!
Judy in Texas
Hi Mary!
oh, such inspiration! All those beautiful fabrics to play with – especially the brushed cottons and civil war stuff. There are just never enough hours in the day to play with all our goodies! The old cupboards are just beautiful, wish I could leave all my fabric out and about like that. You both have wonderful sewing and creating spaces, Thanks for sharing them! I’d drive the hours to get there for a garage sale, in warmer weather!
Thanks! I needed this! I feel much better now about my sewing room and how it has metastasized all through the house! And I thoroughly understand Diann Smith’s comment on buying another house for quilting! Quilt on, Girls!
I love to see how quilters decorate with their quilts so Connie’s stairwell and studio thrilled me to pieces! Look forward to the post on the cupboard — all of them were so great, such wonderful storage space that’s perfectly aligned with the Country Threads vibe. Between all the catagories of stash and finished pieces, it’s such an inspiring work space!!
I love the old cupboards, enamelware, wire baskets, eclectic project and organized chaos!! Another perfect sewing room!!!
Best garage I’ve EVER seen! Fabulous tour!!!
Thank you, Mary, that is a funtastic stash! I love the Spot quilt, the chicken quilt and the little one with the dog head. Have a nice week end.
Both of you: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Wonderful!!
You should both be featured in the magazine “Where Women Work” (I think that is the name), as mentioned earlier. Those picnic baskets (especially the green one) were awesome. Also all of those pincushions. I’m going to take the whole tour again this weekend.
Loved everything!!!! Thanks for taking so much time to document and share!!
What a fun space Connie has! I love seeing a Real working quilt studio, not staged. I have the same Ikea kitchen island as my cutting table, and it’s my favorite! I love seeing all her quilts all over too. Very inspiring! I love the “Spot” doggy quilt! Is that pattern still available or am I too late?
Sharon – Spot is available for $10 – it won’t have an end date like the monthly patterns-don’t worry!
I loved seeing Connie’s sewing space! I just love all the old pieces where you store fabric. I know that you said you probably would not know the name of quilts but I’m going to ask anyway, in the event it is a Country Threads pattern – what is the name of the long blue and cream quilt at the turn in Connie’s stairway? Is that a Country Threads pattern? If so, it is available? Thanks!
Brenda in Iowa – I went back and looked at that blue and white quilt – those were antique blocks she bought and put together but you could make it with equilateral triangles.