My sewing stuff is all crammed in a small room right now, so while I wait for my bamboo flooring to arrive, I decided to test out some paint colors for my big upstairs studio. These are two very pale shades of blue-gray.
You can all guess that I would MUCH rather sew than decorate or remodel, but do love a good episode of Fixer-Upper. And I love that paint color that Joanna uses on almost all of her interior walls, so that’s the look I’m trying for.
The yellow paint that is in the room right now simply has to go. I’m planning white baseboards and trim with dark wood bamboo floors.
So which cool pale blue-gray do you like better? The lighter shade or the darker?
My 11 year old daughter helped me paint big samples of each color on every wall to aid in choosing. I’m leaning towards the darker one, I think.
So, what have you been sewing up this week? Did you make something with one of my free sewing tutorials or patterns? I would love to see! Tag me on Instagram @sewcanshe.
Sew an organizer covered with pockets that you can hang in your closet! This easy sewing project is great for organizing sewing and craft supplies, fashion accessories, bathroom necessities, gift wrappings, and more. There are pockets on both sides plus a big interior pocket so every bit of space is used. I’ll show you easy step by step instructions for sewing this organizer and putting it to use in your home. Get sew organized today.
Are you sewing a Closet Organizer with me? I hope so! This is Part 2 of our free sewing tutorial for an amazing organizer with a coat hanger inside so you can hang it anywhere.
If you are getting started, make sure you start at Part 1 of the free pattern.
Be a basketmaker! Sure, you can sew, but did you know that you can make amazing baskets too using your sewing machine, some fabric and the same materials that you use for your other projects?
Have you fallen in love with Quilt as You Go yet? It’s a fun technique for quilts, of course, but I’m having lots of fun using it for pouches and tote bags too.
I’m so excited to share with you the pattern for our first mini quilt of 2018… Flora! This beautiful little quilt was designed by the very talented Lauren of Molly & Mama…
At my daughter Chloe’s high school (can you believe my baby started high school???), the lunch lines are so long that she has been skipping lunch! She’s always starving by the time she gets home because she doesn’t want to carry a big lunch bag as well as her heavy backpack – poor girl!
Looking for free table runner patterns? I gathered up all my favorites in one place – here are free quilt patterns for table runners for fall, winter, spring and summer!
I am so in love with the beautiful look of simple patchwork quilts with lots of squares. This is the perfect way to use up fabric scraps like I did, or you can make a beautifully coordinated quilt with pre-cut 2 1/2’’ square fabric pieces that come in mini-charm packs.
I’m also in love with the process. If you feel like quilt making is your escape from the world and sitting down to sew for a few hours makes your troubles fade away… this is the quilt for you!
Sew an easy beautiful apron with this free sewing pattern that only uses one yard of fabric! Whether you are sewing for yourself or for a friend, an apron always comes in handy and makes a great gift. This blog post includes a link to a free template that I digitized for you.
Disclosure: some of my posts contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of those links I may receive a small commission, so thank you for supporting SewCanShe when you shop! All of the opinions are my own and I only suggest products that I actually use. 🙂
Use up small pieces of fabric and make an amazing fabric match box. This is perfect for holding and organizing sewing supplies such as thread, safety pins, bobbins, and more! Or make it an adorable gift with a surpise inside. I can think of about a million and three uses for a handy little organizer like this!
This tote has to be your new bag! It is just the right size for a purse, plus you can carry items that you want to keep organized and grab quickly in the 6 (yes six!) exterior pockets. Sew up this easy free bag pattern today.
Learn to sew the beautiful Pinwheel Mosaic Quilt Block! This block takes the classic pinwheel quilt motif and wraps it up like a yummy apple pie. I can hardly believe it, but we have finally reached the last quilt block…
I’d love to offer you some sewing tips and tricks to try, free advice to help you improve your sewing projects, and what to do to become a better and happier sewist. Hobbies like sewing and quilting need be fulfilling or we get too busy for them. Read on for better sewing techniques, and honest advice so you can get more out of your sewing.
I’m so excited! Just For You – my new book with 24 projects from 21 amazing bloggers is releasing really soon… it will be available on Amazon starting November 1st and from C&T Publishing (and maybe your local quilt shop) on October 15th!
To celebrate, we’re planning lots of fun stuff. So let’s start it all with a giveaway, right?
Hello there all our sewing friends! I am so thrilled at the huge number of people who have joined the ‘It’s a New Year Sewalong’ through the facebook event page, and I hope there are many more who will be…
25 Comments
Your studio is going to be great. I like the pale blue/grey best. Good luck with the painting. Looking forward to seeing it finished.
You may be able to move around your decor easier with the lighter shade of paint, but ultimately you should paint whichever color makes you HAPPY. You can always repaint later.
You have a great size room!! WOW Personally I like the lighter shade. Whatever you do will showcase better. Also in dark and dreary weather it will be lighter and the lighter color will absorb less of the lighting esp with the dark floor.
I like the lighter gray. I love the size of your studio. A girl can dream. My hubby and I have considered extending my little bedroom size sewing room (which is lovely, with built in storage on two walls) out, over our 22 x 18 living room, but I think it’s just a dream.
Always go with the shade that reflects the most light (that’s the lighter one). Once you get fabric, and carpet, and shelves, and everything else, light will be absorbed. Gray is a perfect color, and your white shelves that were in the old studio will contrast beautifully with either gray. Even though you have a lot of windows, there will be cloudy days and nighttime sewing, and you don’t want dark walls absorbing the light. You want the walls reflecting the light. (I speak as someone who has a lovely studio in the basement, and got rid of the darker colors.)
It seems that the lights have it, but I like the darker better because the white baseboards will be more contrast-y. However, I frequently make decorating blunders so you should trust the others. I’m not to be trusted. Please share what paint colors they are. Thanks!
Ok, so I thought I’d add some value, haha! Here is a link to the paints that Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper uses. Surprise! She developed her own paint line. Of course she did.
I really like the lighter gray but whichever color you choose it will be an improvement over the yellow. You are moving right along on this project and I can tell you are eager to have it completed. Good luck!!
I like the darker I think. Actually I like both. We just painted our kitchen with the darker gray on the bottom and a lighter gray on top. I love it! You room is sooo spacious I don’t think the dark one would be too dark. Either one would work wonderfully!
The darker one will contrast better with the white trim, but the lighter one is more neutral and will bounce light better in the room. I just painted my new sewing room a very pale grey a litter lighter than your lightest one so I’m a little biased! 😉
Your studio is going to be great. I like the pale blue/grey best. Good luck with the painting. Looking forward to seeing it finished.
Wow, what an awesome studio! The more light the better for me, so for that reason, I would go with the lighter color. Thanks for hosting the party!
You may be able to move around your decor easier with the lighter shade of paint, but ultimately you should paint whichever color makes you HAPPY. You can always repaint later.
For that huge space and to keep it light, airy and happy, I guess I’d pick the lighter color.
I like the lighter, especially with a dark floor. White trim is perfect!
What a beautiful big space, keep it light and a happy place to go!😃😃
I tend to like the lighter shade. I think you will get the look you want with on that big space. That looks like a big room! Good for you!!!
I would aways go with a lighter hue. I do like the gray for some reason ;). Thanks for the show-off party!
If you want the same look as on Fixer Upper, you might be able to google and find the paint color.
You have a great size room!! WOW Personally I like the lighter shade. Whatever you do will showcase better. Also in dark and dreary weather it will be lighter and the lighter color will absorb less of the lighting esp with the dark floor.
I like the darker one. A little more contrast with the white woodwork, but still light. What a wonderful space!
Holy cow, what a studio! I tend to go for the lighter shades myself. Can’t wait to see the finished room!
I like the lighter gray. I love the size of your studio. A girl can dream. My hubby and I have considered extending my little bedroom size sewing room (which is lovely, with built in storage on two walls) out, over our 22 x 18 living room, but I think it’s just a dream.
Always go with the shade that reflects the most light (that’s the lighter one). Once you get fabric, and carpet, and shelves, and everything else, light will be absorbed. Gray is a perfect color, and your white shelves that were in the old studio will contrast beautifully with either gray. Even though you have a lot of windows, there will be cloudy days and nighttime sewing, and you don’t want dark walls absorbing the light. You want the walls reflecting the light. (I speak as someone who has a lovely studio in the basement, and got rid of the darker colors.)
I think with the darker floors the lighter gray would look better and wouldn’t absorb all of the beauitful light in the room.
What a big new studio room you have – looking forward to seeing lots of photo’s of your progress 🙂
Thank you for hosting! I like the lighter. Paint tends to be darker than expected when it’s complete.
It seems that the lights have it, but I like the darker better because the white baseboards will be more contrast-y. However, I frequently make decorating blunders so you should trust the others. I’m not to be trusted. Please share what paint colors they are. Thanks!
Ok, so I thought I’d add some value, haha! Here is a link to the paints that Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper uses. Surprise! She developed her own paint line. Of course she did.
https://www.thecreativityexchange.com/2016/04/joanna-gaines-new-paint-line-magnolia-home-paint.html
Thanks a lot!
https://shop.magnoliamarket.com/pages/paints
You can buy it online. Uh-oh, suddenly everything around here looks like it needs a new color!
I like the lighter one. It is more gray-blue. The other has a brown tone.
I really like the lighter gray but whichever color you choose it will be an improvement over the yellow. You are moving right along on this project and I can tell you are eager to have it completed. Good luck!!
I like the darker I think. Actually I like both. We just painted our kitchen with the darker gray on the bottom and a lighter gray on top. I love it! You room is sooo spacious I don’t think the dark one would be too dark. Either one would work wonderfully!
The darker one will contrast better with the white trim, but the lighter one is more neutral and will bounce light better in the room. I just painted my new sewing room a very pale grey a litter lighter than your lightest one so I’m a little biased! 😉
Your sewing room is huge…..please, please post pictures all along……and where is this room located at?
Aida Rizzo