My Stitchy Spot

It was about this time last year that I decided I wanted to start back cross stitching. It had been 30+ years since I cross stitched and I had no idea one year ago how cross stitching had progressed and how much stuff I would need.

I’ve tried stitching in the sewing room but upstairs is more convenient. I’m closer to the laundry room and the kitchen where most of my household activities occur. Rita stays upstairs so it heps being upstairs to take her out and tend to her. From my stitchy chair upstairs, I can see out windows that face south, east and west, which includes the driveway and front door. Boots will come and go – sometimes he’s upstairs, if I’m sitting and stitching, but if I’m up doing things, he goes back down to the sewing room and sleeps or looks out the window.

No one sees my stitchy area downstairs so other than securing things so Boots can’t get into it, I don’t have to keep it terribly neat. Upstairs, I try to keep it neat because when someone walks in the front door, they’re basically facing the stitching area.

Over the past couple of weeks, I had brought all the charts upstairs and gone through them planning for 2022 stitching and it was such a mess. To get out of the chair or back into the chair, I had to kind of plan my path. There were boxes and bins and charts/bags spread out everywhere.

Sunday and Monday, I spent a good bit of time re-organizing and putting everything away. The living area upstairs has so few walls and placing furniture is a bit of a problem, especially with an entertainment center that takes up almost an entire wall.

In one little corner where I stitch, I need a table for the computer, the magnifying lamp and the Lowery stand. That’s a lot of stuff crammed into that corner. I love that spot because to my left is a window where I can see the back yard and part of the garden area. Just beyond the fireplace (which you can’t see in the picture), is another window and I can see the back deck from that window. Straight across and through the breakfast room I can see out the windows on the south side of the house. There’s never much to see there but I can see if it’s sunny, snowing, raining or cloudy. To my right is the front door and just beyond the front door is the dining room with three large windows and I can see the driveway or anyone walking up to the front door. So, it’s a good vantage point to be able to stay aware of what’s happening outside.

Across the room, we have two more recliners, but I’d be facing the entertainment center and though I could see out the dining room windows, I’d be seeing trees and not the driveway or the sunset views I get from my corner.

The entertainment center to my right takes up the only full wall in the family room. While I hated giving up that wall space, we needed the entertainment center for storage. We have quilts stacked where a TV would go, we have books, we have candles, we have photos on top. Both the end doors will close off the center and leave the ends open or vice versa. We’ve always kept the center open and the ends closed. This side closest to me, I’m able to store some of my supplies in there. Also, on the door, I have the Command hooks and have things hanging and I can easily reach these from my chair.

I also have hooks on the side of the table to my left.

The slip covers we have on the chairs have pockets in the side and I keep the stylus that I use for the phone and the tablet in one pocket and my tablet in another pocket.

It really isn’t hard to keep the area picked up (unless I haul out EVERYTHING and spread it in the floor). There’s no good place for the magnifying lapm and it definitely doesn’t add to the decor but it’s very necessary so . . it stays. If we’re having company (and we know they’re coming), I will either put the lamp over by one of the other chairs where there’s more room to get it out of the way or I’ll take it to one of the bedrooms.

I keep saying I wish I had a little more room in the corner but if I did, I’d have more stuff and it would still be a mess.