Monica's Craft Room

 Our oldest daughter Monica lives in Detroit.  Like her siblings, she has sewn most of her life.  Her first sewing project was a mitten for her thumb.  She was trying to quit sucking her thumb.  She did great during the days but struggled with the habit in the nighttime.  Her idea to make a mitten to cover her thumb was augmented with having to pin the mitten to her pajama sleeve.  After a while the hand-sewn thumb mitten truly disintegrated into shreds.  Of course, over time, Monica battled the habit away. 
However, she and I have often lamented that the thumb mitten dissolved.  From that hand sewing project to the ever-favorite, button chains, Monica picked up to sewing easily and has always had a project of some sort going.
Through college, she picked up other hobbies, card making and jewelry making.  Along with sewing, she has many busy collections of toys and trinkets.  Her collection has grown as she has moved from city to city through her college career and now in her work and married life, she has an art collection that would rival my own.   We have cheered her on as we know that her hobby has given her respite from the challenges of her career (as it has for many of us).
Playing in her craft area has been a challenge because she didn't really have an area.   Each trip to her home, she talked about carving out a space in their basement.  Recently, I convinced her to move the office out of the spare bedroom in their house and set up her own area.  She calls it her Craft Room.  Before our arrival to their home for a recent weekend, Monica had painted the room a soft beautiful shade and had moved all of her supplies into the room.
 With the supplies roughly in their place, Monica was just about ready to start playing.  Over the weekend, we helped to sort things out.  It was a blast going through someone else's toys.  Baskets and jars and bags of yarns and buttons, trinkets, old jewelry and much more were sorted and stored.  I appreciate being able to see my toys.  Not only pretty and inspiring, having notions and trims within view reminds me and often inspires me to sew.  Over the weekend the room evolved.  While a fairly small space (about 100 square feet), we made the most of the space and the light.  With big windows, the room is a perfect space for creating.
I think I had as much fun arranging the room as I suspect Monica will have in creating in the room.
When we left to return to Iowa, Monica had cheerily told us she was looking forward to an afternoon in her room.  She spent a good amount of time just enjoying the room and the space.  Sometimes, even for me...that is the best part.  I really hope each of you has a space that you can call your own, even if it is just a corner of a room.  Most of us didn't play enough as children.  I would say that we ought to declare our own playrooms with ample play time.   Hope you find your own play time!!  jill