Stop staring and start sewing!

T-shirt twist

I'm still on my quest for the perfect t-shirt but today I decided to take a totally blah shirt and see if I could make it a little interesting.  I really like this color but the shape was so bland I rarely wore this shirt (and certainly not when I wanted to feel cute).  This is just a cheap Walmart shirt (Faded Glory) that probably cost 3.00 so no harm in trying.

I started by cutting off the hems on the sleeves and at the bottom.  Then I cut another 1" inch strip off of the bottom to "re-purpose" elsewhere.  Oh, and I cut off the neck band and squared the neck opening.

I gathered part of the 1" strip and stitched it onto the front of the neck.  I found some lime green elastic in my elastic stash (score!) and stitched it across the neckline (I think I cut it about 2" short and stretched it) to keep it from stretching open.  It was still a little floppy (the ruffles kept wanting to fold into the shirt) so I tacked some of the gathers down from the inside and that seems to have done the trick.

Then I made two vertical 1" slashes and tied a piece of the hem through the holes.  I had to hand stitch the holes up a bit since they stretched open too much.  I would've been better off making the slashes much smaller.  But I like the finished look anyway.

So here's the finished shirt!  I like it so much better.  It has a much more feminine shape while still being modest.  I've lost track of the number of tops I've bought knowing I was going to have to take it home and lift the front up so everything wasn't hanging out.

Here it is with my new Lantern Bloom skirt.  I used the same pattern as I used for my Vicki Payne skirt but shortened it and added a couple of rows of ruffles to make it a little bit fun.  I'm having a good time playing with this pattern.  It's very basic and versatile and goes together pretty quickly.  So happy!

Remember when I posted about my impending project for Sew Simple Magazine and wrote that I hoped they didn't go out of business between then and now.  Well, guess what?  Yup, they've ceased publication.  I'm not shocked since a lot of the scrap booking magazines by CK Media have been shut down and a lot of contributors haven't received the compensation they were expecting, but would have been nice if they had let me know instead of my having to track down the information.  Hopefully I can get my samples back (since I worked my buns off on that tutorial!).  I'm disappointed but oh well...onward and upward...right?

In good news....Oh Boy! and Be A Man are arriving at Fabritopia tomorrow so they are available for purchase right now (and so great!).  Vicki Payne's fabric is marked down 20% through July 7th and all of Jennifer Paganelli's fabrics are 15% off (as well as Tanya Whelan's French Hatbox). 

So much fun stuff to look forward too!!

Hair today, gone tomorrow (har har)

Well our little guy is almost 3 so we decided it was time to work towards becoming a big boy.  His hair has been wild and unruly (somewhat like the boy himself) so we decided we were ready for the big cut.

This is his "outside bathtub" and he loves it!  You can do that in Arizona (when you're not busy frying eggs on the sidewalk).

I got to be the barber (tight budget this week) and here he is after the first few cuts (see his little pile of curls on the table?).  Joey thinks that his curls had made him so cute they rendered me incapable of disciplining him and he figured if we removed the curls he would be less cute.

He was wrong.  Look at those big, beautiful, blue eyes and those gorgeous golden waves.  He's just a little dream boat!! 

Potty training is next!

I had some time to sew yesterday and I whipped up this apron for a friend's birthday.  I'm getting very fast at this pattern so this may end up under a few Christmas trees this winter.  I discovered a way to get over 5 yards of bias tape out of one fat quarter and it's a real fabric saver.  I'll post a tutorial soon. 
And I got a great deal on Amy Butler's Nigella (some of which I used for this apron) and Denyse Schmidt's County Fair so I'm passing it on at only 9.00 yd (full retail is 14.95!).  It's a glorious 54" wide and the Nigella is a soft sateen finish while the County Fair is a more durable finish (I'm going to make some outdoor pillows for my patio with that one).

See our finished garden wall in the background?  Yay!  Dirt and roses are next!

And I want to wish a Happy Father's Day to all of the dads out there and to the single moms who have to be both dad and mom (you have my awe and respect!).  I hope you had an extra special day!  But if it wasn't all you hoped for then just get the kids off to bed, pop in your favorite movie, put your feet up, and eat a package of cookie dough without sharing any of it (except that stuff that's been recalled because of e-coli, stay away from that).  Fun!

My sewing machine (whom shall remain nameless)

It's Sewing Machine Month over at Sew Mama Sew! so I though I would join in and answer their questionnaire.  There are some great resources on all aspects of sewing machines (buying one, attachments and accessories, choosing the right needles, etc.) on her blog all month so it's definitely worth checking it out!

Here's my machine and answers.

What brand and model do you have? How long have you had it?
Elna 6600 Quilter's Dream 2.  I've owned it for about a year and a half.

How much does that machine cost (approximately)?
Around $1300.00 (plus tax)

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?
Mostly clothes and handbags.  Occasional quilting and home dec.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?
Lately I've been sewing about every other day.  My machine doesn't get nearly as much use as I'd like.  I'm sure I haven't even begun to tap it's full potential.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?
I really like my machine!  It's solid and durable and has lots of fun bells and whistles.  It doesn't have a name (I guess we haven't completely bonded yet).

What features does your machine have that work well for you?
I really like the needle threader since my eyesight is kind of going downhill.  I like all the fun stitches and I really like the fact that the stitch length goes up to 5 (my old one only went to 4).  Oh, and I like the lever attachment that lets me lift the presser foot with my leg so I can have both hands free.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?
I like the button holer but it makes the button holes too long so I just put a smaller button in the attachment and it does fine.  The computerized stitch codes are a little intimidating sometimes but I keep the instruction book within arms reach at all times.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor?  Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!
I bought it on a lay-away plan and it took me about 7 months to pay it off.  I sewed like crazy, selling boutique clothes on ebay to finally bring it home.  It was my gift to myself but I really worked hard for it and when I finally had it I was so happy (still am!).

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?
Yes!  I'm very happy with the Elna brand and it's a smooth humming machine.  It's easy to use and solidly built and I hope to get 20 years out of it before handing it over to my future granddaughters.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?
Quality, quality, quality!  I always recommend people buy a used high quality machine over a shiny, new cheap one.  I think it's always smart to buy from a local dealer because they usually have classes and quick turn-around time on tune-ups and repairs.  I also think it's good to support small business owners (Walmart and Sears will get by just fine without a little of your business).

Do you have a dream machine?
I wouldn't mind having a totally pimped out Bernina but frankly I'd pay 5 times what I paid for mine and still wouldn't use all of the options so I'm very content with my machine.  I can justify 1300.00 to my husband but it might be a stretch trying to convince him I need to spend 8000.00!

And I finally put together a quilt block for Kathryn!  It took me about 2 months to get around to it and about 45 minutes to create it from start to finish.  I'm pathetic.  Anyway, I think it's cute (I hope she does!) and I'm really happy with the snip snip print in the middle (I think every quilter needs a little of that print).

And I received the ingredients for Sarah's block this week.  I really love all these spunky prints and she asks us to add yellow or white if we want to add a little of our own.  I think this Fiona print by Anna Griffin might be nice because it's soft enough looking to not clash with the prints in her stack (if I'm careful to not use too much of it).

She lives up in Scottsdale so she wants me to hold onto it until we can exchange our blocks in person.  That will be fun!!  I love meeting up with bloggers in real life!

Lots of good stuff going on! 

Back yard bliss

We've been enjoying some great weather here in Arizona this past week.  While the rest of the country has been cold, we've been about 10 degrees cooler than normal.  Usually it's well over 100 degrees in June but it's been holding steady in the 90's and the evenings and mornings have been cool and breezy.  And yes, it is a dry heat.

So we've been doing some major back yard spruce ups and I'm becoming blissfully happy back there on my porch swing.  Joey ran some pipes along the back wall so our newly bricked garden will be easy to irrigate and he even placed a hose bib in the back corner of the yard (which I think is a genius idea).  (Ack!  The kids just killed a baby scorpion downstairs in the family room!  That is seriously putting a dent in my bliss.)  Anyhoo......we've built a flower bed along the back wall and I'm planning on putting lots of roses in it.

Here's a picture with the new flower bed and Peety cleaning up the paint supplies after painting a table Joey found in a neighborhood bulk garbage pile.  I love the fact that he saw an unpolished gem in the junk pile and I love the fact that it has a hole in the middle for an umbrella stand (and I love the fact that Peety cleaned up after herself without being asked most of all!). 

Here's a better picture of the new color.  I really love it.  I'm thinking of painting my kitchen this color.

And Joey built these "square foot (and 1/2) gardens" which the kids are quickly filling with plants and seeds.  We even have brussel sprouts planted.  Don't ask me why because I had no say in that decision.  These were very cheap and quick to build.

I'm amazed at the variety you can fit in these boxes.  Basil, rosemary, peppers, squash, strawberries, lavender, radishes, cilantro, tomatoes, and marigolds right there in the full box.

And here's a busy worker man taking a yogurt break in a shady spot.  No, I haven't potty trained him yet, but I have good intentions.

I made a cute skirt with the Lantern Bloom fabric over the weekend and I'll get some pictures up in the next couple of days (I'm very happy with it).

And I just found out Full Bloom will be shipping next week! It looks like Whimsy, Mezzanine, and Summer Soiree all ship out around July 6th so that will be a crazy week around here. I want to give a huge thanks to those of you who have been shopping during the sale I've been having! I've got much more shelf space and hopefully you've enjoyed some great deals. The majority of the sale prices are clearance prices so they will stay low until they're gone but the Pop Garden, Darla and Ava Rose will only be on sale until this Saturday (and the patterns too). The Darla supply is definitely dwindled but I plan on restocking it sometime next month (after everything else shows up) so if you're in the middle of a Darla project don't fret, she'll be back.

Have a great week!!  Try to get some sewing done.  It will make you happy!

Fabric...like crack, only better

Oh my gosh.  I'm kicking myself for that brilliant idea of having you write your comments on my last post in the form of a poem.  Over 140 poems!!  Never in a million years would I have anticipated that.  Now I feel like a jerk for just picking 3 winners.

I laughed, I cried, I scratched my head in confusion.  It was all there.  But here are the 3 winners I picked (please don't hate me if you're not on the list!):

1st place goes to Jennifer who's poem hit a soft spot in my heart and made me cry:

Because my womb
has been barren
I started sewing again
to beat the gloom.

Your fabric store
held my heart
and I loaded my cart.
Some fabric has not left my stash
For I can not part.
Fabritopia lit a spark
and stole my cash.

Thank you for your encouraging words
and super fun patterns
I'm alive again
and sewing...

~jennifer xoxo

Joey and I always wanted 5 kids.  We never imagined it would take so much effort and pain (procedures, drugs, and 10 miscarriages) to get here.  It can be so easy to wallow in grief and I admire Jennifer for keeping busy and optimistic and enjoying other people's children even when her heart is aching for one of her own.  Crying again here so I'll just move along...

2nd place goes to Tom:

I'm one of "those guys" that sews.
Of course none of "the guys" at work knows.
My daughter says, "My daddy made it!" full of pride,
I on the other hand, sometimes want to hide!
"You made that?" They say with a raised brow,
I say, "Sure did!", They say, "Holy Cow!"
Beautiful fabrics adorn my shelves,
If only I had more time, Where are those elves?
Jennifer Paganelli, Tanya Whelan and Heather Bailey to name a few,
They are my heroes, since I found you!
Keep up the good work Jona, and many more years to come!
I will keep buying your fabrics as long as my machines hum!

You have to be impressed with a guy who loves to sew (I know I am)!  Not only does Tom sew but he's amazing at it and even made a beautiful Easter bag for his wife (with a zipper in it!).  His daughter is the best dressed girl in his town I'm sure. 

3rd place goes to Mary R.:

Leonard's sewing shop closed months before
And now Jona's own shop would open it's doors
She had fabric and patterns and really good pics
But like Harry Potter would they "order in Phoenix"

She announced on her blog that "It was alive"
and took her web fabric store for a test drive
Jona had talent and style but did she have sanity
For starting a shop in this poor economy

Ask Schnelly or Diamond or even Marmalade
The prospect for profit had become retrograde
But she proved that is was far more than rhetoric
Jona was offering fresh fun fabulous fabric

The deed was done, all set in motion
But I'd still like to know where she got the notions
Her Laces and Trims and Fabric delights
Dots and stripes, whet one's appetite ...

Jona knows many of the "stitch and famous"
not just crafty mama and Paula Prass
But Jennifer Paganelli's sis boom is in the room
With "Flower Power" and Laura Gunn's "Lantern Bloom"

She's got Anna Tatum in the "House"
And Anna Marie Horner in her corner
There's Heather Bailey in the "Garden"
And Patty Young on the "Mezzanine", I beg your pardon

Oh, and Mary Engelbreit's "Jolly Fabric" or Tanya's "French Hatbox"
Would make a lovely dress for Lucy and her golden locks
Jona says she's getting Pillow and Maxfield's "Whimsy"
Just in time for her Happy First Anniversary

I needn't worry about my over forty presbyobia
The fabric choices are big and wonderful at Fabritopia
If you don't like the rhyme I'm makin'
You asked for it, Fabric Girl, "Kwitchyerbellyakin"

I think Mary's poem is amazing but mostly I think Mary is stalking me because she mentioned the names of my pets, my sewing machine shop owner, and even knows the quote from a cross stitching on my wall ("Kwitchyerbellyakin").  In fact I have reason to believe Mary has been in my house and I've watched enough made for tv movies to know that you never upset a stalker (oh and she gets extra points for using the word "presbyobia" which I need to google). 

Jemellia gets an honorable mention for using the word "nipple" in a poem (or maybe she should get the booby prize, *snicker*) and Scott's use of the word "gastric" was nice although I don't know why he didn't rhyme it with "elastic".

I'm so sorry I can't give out more prizes but with that kind of poetic talent my shelves would be emptied!  Thank you all SO MUCH for playing along.  I'm completely floored by all those poems and by the sweet words from so many of you!  Have a wonderful weekend!!

Fabritopia...living the dream (one day at a time)!

Well today is the first anniversary of the day I actually hit the "Publish website" button and went live with Fabritopia.  I was scared to death when I pushed that button.  I had been sitting there tinkering with, paying for, and shrinking back from the site for months so it was quite a leap of faith for me.  My fears were realized when the 2nd order was for a whole bolt of fabric (I didn't have that much!).  I quickly realized I needed to figure out the inventory page.  It turns out I needed to figure out a lot of things (and still do!).

I have to say it was a strange year in which to open a business and I'm so glad I didn't over-think the whole thing because I may have ended up scaring myself out of it.  Everything started out great and then when the stock market started tanking in October so did Fabritopia.  Turns out it wasn't just my fabric store that had a little set back, every store owner I spoke with was dealing with the same thing.  But in November everyone decided they still loved fabric so I breathed a sigh of relief and kept on ordering.  So far so good.

I want to express my gratitude to all of you who have supported me this year by buying fabric, giving me great ideas, sending wonderful notes of encouragement, and just being friends.  I stand by me belief that people who love fabric are the nicest people out there!  Thank you for being patient with me too and realizing I'm just one person here and not a mega store with a mega staff.  I wish we could all get together in person some day and just chat in real life.

I put together some goodies as an expression of my thanks and a celebration of Fabritopia's first birthday.  I wanted to put together the sort of things that would make a shopper leave a fabric store with a big smile on her (or his!  I know you guys are out there too!) face.

So I have 3 delicious stacks of sweets.  I'm going to pick 3 winners.  First prize gets first pick, and so on....  I'm not letting random.org pick this time.  I'm going to pick the best comments based on my own personal preference (make me laugh, make me cry, confuse me, whatever, just be impressive).  All I ask is that your comment rhyme.  Yes, it has to be a poem.  I don't care if it's 2 lines or 16 lines.

Each stack is loaded with fabric, wrapped with a lovely ribbon, and includes a super cool pattern.  I'm also including a copy of Go Gilbert! which is our local magazine.  This issue features an article on Heather Bailey and it's just beautiful (I grabbed a stack of them at a local restaurant).  Heather is my friend and neighbor and has been such a God-send to me.  She is a warm, funny person and lets me peek at the designs she's working on (I love that part!).  Little did I know that day when I left a comment on her blog saying "I'd love to help with your project.." that it would lead me into such a grand adventure.  So always be sure to leave comments, you never know what will happen!  ;)

Okay, stack one:  Fat Quarters of the entire French Hatbox line by Tanya Whelan (who's fabric designs are as sweet as she is!).  Also, one of her Stella Apron patterns (which is guaranteed to make you feel cute while you're baking a pie, it says so!).

Stack two:  Fat Quarters of the entire Lantern Bloom line by Laura Gunn.  This line is hot off the presses and I'm hoping Laura is already cranking out another one because her style is unlike anything else out there (and she's a sweetie too!).  The pattern is Kay Whitt's lovely new Sylvia Sling pattern.

Stack three: 24 Fat Quarters of Tanya's beloved Darla line.  I know this one's been out for a few months but people can't seem to get enough of it so I had to include it.  I thought it would look beautiful with Heather's Happy Stacker pattern so I've included it.  Doesn't this look luscious?  Yes!!

THANK YOU!!  TRULY, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!

(I'll pick the winners on Saturday!)

T-shirt quest, part uno

I'm so tired of trying to find the perfect t-shirt that I've embarked on a quest to make my own.  The ones in the store are either too loose, too tight, too low cut, or too high cut (I'm seriously not as picky as I sound, I just want a comfy shirt that fits!).  I found some 100% cotton knit fabric at Hobby Lobby (5.99 yd and about 56 inches wide) and some dye with my goal being a decent grey t-shirt.  I'm using Simplicity 4076 which is a terrific pattern and was voted "A Best Pattern" at Pattern Review.

The shirt went together pretty quickly since I already had the pattern cut out for some tops I made a couple of years ago.  I decided to add a little decorative stitching with my machine and I like the effect.  I'm leaving the sleeve edges raw but I added a little zig-zag to make it interesting.  I really like the gathers in the front.

Okay, so here it is after dying it and I'm really happy with this shade of grey (I used half of the bag of black dye to get this shade).  I think I will make the dye a little more diluted next time and stir it in the bowl longer.  The over-all color came out a little mottled but I didn't want to leave it in too long.  The neckline is crooked (see how it's lower on the left) and I think I'll make it just a smidge higher next time (maybe 1/2 inch to give me coverage when I bend over and move around).

I will definitely use a ball point needle next time too since I ended up with a couple of pinholes around the neckline.  I'm happy with the sleeve edges, it looks kind of fun and casual.

Okay, here it is on me.  I'm going to take the pattern in at the shoulders and upper body part because when I made this the first time I was nursing a baby so I needed more room.  Not an issue anymore.  I kind of like the way the bottom curls up so that's an option I may use again.
I'd like to find some fabric with a touch of poly just to cut down on the wrinkles but I really like the weight of this fabric.  My goal is to get this pattern down to a great fit and then do a few neckline options like a square neck and v-neck, and maybe some sleeve options too.

I had fun trying this out and although it's not perfect it'll be fine for around the house.  The next one should be much better and I'm dying it teal so that will be fun.  If I can get this figured out my hope is to have a closet filled with nice fitting t-shirts in great colors that coordinate with some of my favorite fabrics.

Jessica Levitt has a fabric announcement over at her blog and it's a good one.  I was lucky enough to get a peek at her designs at quilt market and her collection (named Timber) is going to be beautiful (great colors and seriously original designs)!  I can't wait!  Also, Heather has her next collection's strike-offs in hand so it won't be long before she releases another stunning line (yippy!).  No she's not sharing peeks yet but c'mon, she's Heather Bailey!  You know it's going to be amazing!  Oh, and Sandi just received her latest strike-offs too (and you know that's going to be gorgeous) so things just keep getting exciting around here!

I hope you're having a great weekend!!

The knitting man strikes again

Joey finished another hat and this one is a perfect fit!  He did most of the work while we were flying to and from Pittsburgh and I think he got the checkerboard idea while we were on the plane with Kaffe Fassett.  Mr. Fassett must've been sending out some strong knitting vibes or something.

Checking his belly button for lint here.

Here's the back.  See the trench Joey is digging for more irrigation?  He's got some big yard plans for this summer so I'll take pictures as we progress on it.

Okay, here Skate is blowing some kisses to his sister across the patio from him.  He's just darn cute.

He finally allowed Peety to come over and get a real kiss.  He's nice that way.  Now I'll go put that hat away until December.  Sigh.

I'm having a massive clear out sale at the store in order to free up some space and get rid of some straggler bolts (all the info is on the front page).  Even patterns and lace are on sale.  And I have started carrying some magazines because it occurred to me that not everyone lives near Barnes and Noble and sometimes I'm showing off these great magazines I got and maybe you might want it too.  And besides, I'm pretty much addicted to Mark Lapinski's Quilter's Home magazine even though I barely quilt.  He always has at least one article that makes me cry (stolen quilts, adopted babies...sigh).

Oh, and you must go here and check out their competition.  It's called "The Secret Life of Jona" and I totally think I'm honored by the attention.  Either that or I'm scared.

Anyway, I'm working on another skirt (trying to develop my own perfect fitting pattern) and I'm using Laura Gunn's Lantern Bloom so I think I'm going to love it (ruffles!).  I washed and dried the fabric and it is soooo incredibly soft I may be tempted to make a blanket.  I hope to get some pictures of it tomorrow.  Hey, tomorrow's Friday!  Have a great Friday!

Home Dec? Perhaps, but I don't think so.

My Essential A-Line is now a book!  With the pattern included!  Details here!!

Yay!  I tackled this skirt today and it's the bomb (or the shizzle, or whatever the word is now)!  I used the Olive Oil Stripes from Vicki Payne's For Your Home line and I can't wait to make more things with this collection.  It's home dec weight and I really wanted to give it a workout to make sure it holds up for wearing so I put it in the washer and the dryer and it came out great.  Normally I would just wash and hang to dry but I never know if my kids are going to throw my things in the dryer when I'm not around so I just ran it through the whole process so it's as pre-shrunk as possible.  It shrunk about 1 inch for every yard washed which is not bad at all.  The colors held up great and it ironed out quite nicely.  It lost a tiny bit of the sheen but who wants sheeny clothes?  Not me.

I used the Butterick 3597 (pictured below) pattern which is out of print but it looks like the Butterick 4461 is a fairly similar a-line pattern if you go looking for one.  I made a few adjustments that I'm happy with.  I cut the back out in one piece instead of two pieces with the zipper in the middle.  I just folded the whole straight side of the back pattern piece under 5/8 inch and then put that edge on the fold.  I installed the zipper on the side which I like much better.  Oh, and I flared the skirt out a little more towards the bottom so it doesn't go down as straight as the pattern but has a more extreme a-line look.

And here's my little interuption.  I'll bet Christie Brinkley never had to put up with this while modeling.  I'm smiling but inside my brain is yelling "For the love of all that is precious...don't touch the skirt!!"

I'm so happy with this and I really love the nice weight of the fabric. Kind of a cross between a twill and a lightweight denim. Oh, and I lined it with a nice cotton so no slip necessary (few things are worse than a polyester slip in the Arizona summer).

Laura Gunn's Lantern Bloom is arriving tomorrow (yippy!).  I'll put it in the store tonight.  I can't wait to make something out of it (that's next)!

Happy June 1st (can you believe it's here already?)!

New week, new month,.....new winner!  The winner of the May Giveaway prize is Terri H. who said " whoa what a great apron. I am obbsessed with heather ross but I probly wouldnt make an apron with it. So I will say anything by free-spirit. MY FAVS!!!  Thanks for the chance to win" at 8:21 am on 5/27.  A huge thanks to Kristin and Beth at Sew Mama Sew! for arranging another great event!

I had so many visitors (470 comments!!) and I really enjoyed reading about everybody's favorite fabrics (so what you're saying is you really like Amy Butler, right?)!  I'm going to get the May Give-away prize in the mail here as well as the others from the prior week (sorry, playing serious catch up here again).  Please check to see if you're one of the winners from the previous week since I have a few folks not responding to the emails I've sent.

Well, I received a number of comments about my cutting table after I posted a picture last week so I thought I'd share a little info on it. 

We put this together ourselves after taking a good look at one the Baileys made for their warehouse.  Ours looks a lot more homemade than theirs (Isaac builds amazing stuff) but it's the perfect fit for what we need it to do.

We got the metal shelves at IKEA.  We bought four of them (the 36 inch long ones) at 39.99 each.  You can set the shelves at the height you want but it's a little work to re-adjust them (but definitely do-able).  We then bought some press board from Home Depot (I think it's 1/2 inch thick) and then put a layer of that glossy white board on it (I'm not sure what it's called but it's thin and kind of like a dry erase board).  We had the press board and white board cut to size at Home Depot so that was nice.  Joey then glued them together with Gorilla Glue (great stuff that!).  Then he finished the edges with wood trim.  We screwed the yardstick to one end for measuring fabric.

So there it is.  I think we ended up spending less than 200.00 on it and it's wonderful!  It has a lot of storage on the shelves and also underneath in the middle where I stow my boxes filled with my own stash (well, some of it anyway).  It's big enough for my large cutting mat and it's strong enough to climb up on (for changing lightbulbs and stuff).  It's also a great height for laying projects out but I do have to remember to turn the fan off or it blows all my pattern pieces away.

I'm working on my patterns and I must confess that I tried a dress on my 2 year old son for size.  You've got to use what's available, right?  No pictures of that (in spite of his sisters pleading).  Anyway, everything's looking good but I may stop to make myself a skirt out of this fabric.  I actually wake up at night thinking about it so for the sake of getting a good night's sleep that's my next project.  Oh, and I did end up making a dress using the blouse pattern here (Butterick 5487).  I'll post pictures in the next day or two!!