Ok so I have 5 kids - 4 still at home (2 of those 4 leave this August) - no I'm not sad yet and if you ask my standard answre is "I'm not sad today about them leaving" :)

Anyway - needless to say our 3 bedroom house has been quite crowded....my sewing area is about 3 feet wide by 6 feet long and actually is the hallway entrance to the living room....my camera battery is dead so I'll try and post a picture tomorrow!

Once the twins leave my two younger kids will still occupy the rooms as one is a boy and one is a girl.

More background - bare with me....about 6 years ago my husband bought a 1966 Mustang - he was going to fix it up and drive it around and I don't know try and get some young thing to smile at him (or laugh)...anyway this car has sat in my garage for 6 years...he is not a mechanic - he is a lawyer I have to hire someone to change light bulbs (ok not really but I'm making a point)...so the car sat there until tonight. Someone bought it....yes he acted like a big baby but we need the money because both of the girls will have to have a car when they go to college as they are both going to metro area's.

So I - silly me - make the suggestion that if we put up some plywood to close up the attic; take out the garage door and put up sheet rock - get an AC window unit - I can turn my newly cleaned and empty garage into a sewing room...Plenty of room for work tables; plenty of electrical outlets (some in the ceiling which is great for keeping cords off the floor)....washer and dryer right there....tons of shelves (lining 2 walls) to store stuff in. Put my computer and a TV out there and I'll be all set and out of everyone's way and they can watch TV without the whirl of a machine or two going off all the time! Then we can have our living room back and our bedroom and our front hall and front hall closet and bedroom closet and under our bed back for other things!

Great idea right? I mean kids are growing and we don't need the bikes or the toy box of sand toys or the boxes of hand-me-downs or anything else that has been in there.

So what does he say???? "I don't think we can do it...you'll need heat in the winter and with all that material you can't have a space heater in there!"

I am still sitting here in awe at 1:30 a.m. - HEAT???? HEAT???? We live in South Texas....aside from our 2 week fluke of a winter storm this year in the 20 years I've lived in Corpus Christi, I have barely ever turned on the heater in the house...I don't even own a winter jacket....HEAT????

I am just stunned! So tomorrow I'm going to finish cleaning and start rearranging and I may take some of his Mustang Money to go buy plywood and sheetrock - or maybe just a hammer to throw at him! HEAT!!!!!

LMBO, I don't think he wants to do it..and I have a space heater in my room even though we have central heat and air, no need to heat up the whole house, when I'm cold, hubby always hot. But any way I havent had any issue with a space heater, I always turn it off when I'm not around...

I say go for it! My sewing room in this house was the garage. The landlord turned it into a bedroom. It has an a/c unit in it and does have a heat duct, but doesn't work that well. The heat, that is. Anyway, I went and bought a little $25 heater that sits under my table and when it gets too chilly in the room, I just turn it on for a bit. Works like a champ!

Don't worry about this, he'll come around. It's just that he must still be in mourning for his darling dream......of driving around with the wind whistling through his hair and lovely young ladies smiling at him...with men, reality doesn't seem to set in till old age is staring him in the face. Just remind him you love him..and remember, always smile at him when he comes home and love him. That's mostly what men need and want. Love.

As soon as he comes to grips with his loss, then start telling him how nicely he can do the garage...no, you said he was not a handyman, so keep reminding him how smart he is and how you love HIS idea of selling the car, and how smart he was to get a house with a big garage that could be made into a sewing room so he can watch TV in peace and quiet, and actually hear it.

Think that would work? It used to with my own DH.

I find that when my husband thinks something I want to do with regard to home repairs/upgrades etc. "isn't a good idea"... what he really means is "that sounds like a lot of work and I don't want to do it!"

I suspect in the not too distant future we will be seeing posts of your spacious new sewing room. Good luck!

That's my husband all the way! Lol

I'd hire someone to do the work while he's not there, then presto it's done and he can't say anything bad about it. Good luck! :)

I'd say that you deserve to have your space after being cramped in the hallway.

do what you have to to make your room he will see sense once it is all done tho he may blow a steam valve or 2 while you are doing it :lol: :lol: :lol:

He has an office! You need an office. I have one my sewing just happens to be in there too. Does he worry about it being too cold when your doing all that laundry out there. Besides you need "stuff" to keep your nest full. You go girl!!

I love quilters! We can sew anywhere and do it well... go for it.. I know quilters who have converted sheds and have even built their own little houses for their quilting needs..! We are amazing .. If you have to hang the drywall get those kids to help explain to them that you will be happier and that leads to a happier home.. :) So my advice for what it is worth ... GO FOR IT!! Happy Quilting!
Hugs
Quiltinmama
ps send pics of the garage during and after renovations!

just tell him "a Happy wife makes a happy life" and give him a hammer :!: :lol:

To me it sounds like he doesn't want to give up his garage. I am sure you will turn him around or at least you will get the job done while he is out cold.

if he is like my husband....he just doesn't want to do it because he doesn't know where or how to start...Rebellious woman that I am...I say Tawanda!!!! That is a reference from the movie Fried Green Tomatoes...take a break and watch it to see what I mean...it will be inspiring.
Have a great day hammering and shopping at the Depot! A hammer helps relieve frustrations!

Go for it. You know that hiring someone to hang and finish sheetrock is the cheapest labor you can find. They can hang and put one coat of mud on it before lunch time! Now framing in the garage door is another matter. You have to consider the outside to. Might be best to leave the door for now. JMO... :)

Suggestion, If you leave the garage door and a space for lawn mowers and other garage stuff, then frame and sheetrock behind that it would save you the $$ it would take to match the outside of your house, give you garage storage and you could easily convert it back into a garage if needed in the future. If you ever want to sell people want an attached garage.

I too have a space heater in my sewing room when we don't need the central heat running.
go with your idea on the garage, but leave the garage door up.

Check the chamber of commerce for references to get someone to hang your dry wall.
Go for your dream of your own sewing space.

Go for it....

I use a space heater with no problem...I say GO for it! As for your garage idea, if that had been my husband, I would have to plant the seed in his head, and then wait a while for him to think it was his idea and then It might get done! Good Luck with your new room!

GO FOR IT! He will be happy when he sees how happy YOU are with the finished room! :lol:

I had such a big smile while you told your story.
Wonder if you can buy more than one hammer and get
those 'kids' working before their August departure!
Sounds like a good plan to me.

Ditto from me! Hubby turned our garage into a woodshop which I had previously been using as my office. I'm a travelling computer/printer technician so have lots of inventory that moves in and out as well as a company vehicle which was all nicely contained in a garage stall until hubby decided to be a woodworker. Now I have to inventory outside in the cold, rain, heat, etc. but the reason I gave up my garage office was because I have a very large bedroom converted into my sewing room and felt guilty about having 2 spaces and he was having to constantly shuffle stuff around on his side of the garage to do his wood working.

Good idea, but make sure it is well insulated. Moisture will mildew your fabrics and ruin your machines.

But he has a shed out back for all that stuff!

Besides I thought about it and leaving the garage door is better - even though we will never leave this house on the off chance we ever do (yes somedays I equate my life to an episode of LOST - never getting off the island)....

I will have to close up the attic though - when they built the house they left it open in the garage - not sure why but they did - that will have to close off....I figured a budget last night...

I'm going to try again tonight over dinner and see if he will go for it now that I did a budget - you know:

Throw rugs = $100
Coat of paint = $29.99
Plywood = $200
The woman you have been married to for 20 years being happy = PRICELESS

I really think that if I leave the garage door up I can do it for under 400.00

I LOVE Fried Green Tomatoes - and knew the quote as soon as I read it! TAWANDA!!!

He is still pouting this morning over a car he didn't drive but about 8 times and that has sat in the garage acting as a shelf and gathering dust.

I don't get it...I'm selling my embroidery machine - I have spent hours and hours with that machine...I actually used it and I'm not crying or pouting...Ok well he is not crying but he looks like he might.

What is it with men and their cars?

Give him a little time. He is still mourning the loss of his Mustang. Tell him if he doesn't want to give you the garage then he can build an addition to the house for you.

I worked a deal with my husband. He bought a Saleen, which is a Mustang on steriods, and wanted a garage for it. I told him the only way he could build a garage would be if he built me a sewing room. I got a great sewing room and he got a 3 car detached garage. Win Win.

My husband built my first sewing room in the garage. I had a space 6' X 8' and it was perfect for me for 10 years!

I had a small AC, a space heater, and a stereo. One whole wall was a table he built for my sewing machine. He cut a hole for the machine so the table and sewing surface were even. The wall in back of me was floor to ceiling shelves to house my fabrics. Hanging shelves over the table gave me room for all the other items. I loved it!

I have since moved into the house, because the last child was gone, and DH decided he wanted my room to store his stuff.

I have much more space now, but I really did love my little room...

Linda

I always flash back to this movie when someone steals my parking spot. It's all I can do to restrain myself from copying Kathy Bates--I'm older and I have more insurance!

The hammer sounds like a good idea, just kidding.

when I'm irritated by drivers I say this - my kids just shake their heads! But I LOVE Kathy Bates

My sewing room is at the end of the house furthest from our heat source so I have one of those little oil filled radiator looking heaters in there. I keep it set on the lowest setting so it only comes on when needed. I feel it is safer than a space heater because there are no exposed heating coils. It takes a while to get the room warm when it is first used but after it gets the room warm, it keeps it nice and comfy!

ok..had to laugh...HEAT...hehehe

that is my problem here in northern OK...but I am still working on that getting two car garage turned into my sewing studio!
I mean really.....we just use it for storage and laundry now...why not??

Exactly, so I will start it and then I guess the hubby starts to feel quilty and then helps! LOL

If hubby had the '66 mustang in the garage sitting for 6 years, I say you get equal time to build and sew in your garage, too.

Pam--I feel your pain. I was supposed to get a large "Sewing Studio" but that is not going to happen now--thanks to our builder friend--I should say my X-friend. I had done up plans for "OUR" remodel with an enlarged garage to fit both cars. I love my house but the 2-Car garage is small. Anyway, the builder finally said he did not want to spend my husband's money--WHAT??? It is my money too. My next plan was to do what you want to with our garage and build a seperate garage for our cars and his tools, etc. Now my husband says he is getting too old to even do that.

The main reason for me wanting to do this is I have an online business that is growing--thanks to this wonderful group and I need more room for more bolts of fabric ;-) Right now everything is in our walk-out basement and I am taking up my computer room, Great Room, 1 guest room and under the stairway. It is difficult for me to have customers come out the way I am set up now and with the Quilt Shop in town closing it would have been a perfect opportunity for me and would have been very nice for the town's quilters.

Good luck--I hope you are able to do what you want.

I think it is just his way of saying "Hire someone" "if you wait for me it will never get done". Go for it! It's your space too!

Well I started the process....

Mustang is gone. A 20 yard dumpter is on its way to my house to clear out all the trash and junk in the garage and on the side of the house and hopefully the 20 years of stuff in our storage room will fit too.

I KNOW for a fact that the comment was because he doesn't want to do the work so I am taking another tatic....I called my oldest son and he is coming home this weekend to help Mom! ha ha - if it works he will jump on board with this project - if the guilt doesn't work than I get to see my son!

Perhaps he wants it reserved for the future mustang?

So are you listed as a business here or are you just selling fabric at the 40% discount in the forum classifieds?

Pam--that is great. Good Luck with your project.