Windows and Bees // Quick snaps!
The room is a mess, but I am making progress!
I took down the old blinds and put up the window cling. I went with Artscape Old English (https://artscape-inc.com/products/window-film-leaded-glass-old-english) becuase I could not find anything even close to what I actually wanted. I wanted a solid olive green frosted look, but the only company that makes such a thing produces it as an adhesive film and not a static cling one. I didn't want to be sticking goopy sticker on nice 1890s windows, so I went with the best option of privacy-plus-vibes in this faux leaded glass. I do think it is surprisingly good in person actually! Hard to photograph bright windows though. The darker photo does at least give a better idea of what the wall/frieze looks like when not lit up by large work lights which is nice.
I also added the bee wall fill in one corner ✨I had always planned these as part of the design, as some sort of smaller repeated motif in gold like this is very common in Victorian wall schemes, but losing steam here I almost skipped it. Luckily getting these bees up is about a million times easier than doing the frieze work, so I got this whole corner completed in its gold metallic glory last night! I hope to cut fresh bee stencils and do some more today. I also want to get as much of the next section of frieze done as possible, hopefully the background layer at least, just to finally get a real idea of what the room will look like when it's all done.
Lastly, I have been working on the blue table of doom, which drumroll please, is currently...green! That's right, I just couldn't go for dark brown, because as nice as it would be in the room, the table is the background for all of my pattern drafting segments on video, and the brown was going to feel too dark and too contrasted with the pattern paper. The table top (aka large sheet of plywood) is currently both stained and painted green, as the green stain was slightly too blue in tone so I used a watered down wash of the wall green over the top to tone it properly. I still need to trim out the edges of the table top so it feels a bit thicker and more finished before I lay it down on top of the central island of worksurface. Close but still not finished...
I'm already flicking through vintage designs to replicate later this month for you here on Patreon though, a sewing video sounds so nice compared to stenciling right about now!
Thank you for sticking with me, I'll go cut some more bees now 🐝
Comments (63)
dear Bianca, i adored the last youtube video. been watching in spurts to get myself motivated to clean and redo my own craft room :) i was wondering if you were planning on getting a taxidermy or faux taxidermy alligator like your inspo set of the apothecary shop in Outlander? i have to admit ever since you mentioned it i have been dreaming of adding my own mini alligator to hang from the ceiling 🥰
Thank you Emma! I wish I had anything that cool in mind. I'd certainly love to have taxidermy birds (an owl especially) someday, but for now they are simply not in my price range 😅❤️
I would like to know, if you have a Po Box, or planning to have one. I have been gifted a metal belt, built with moths/buterflies, that I can’t see myself using, and would therefore like to gift it to you. 🦋
That indeed sounds most wonderful! Sadly I have no plans to open a new PO box though 😅 It is an extra little expense I just can't add in until I settle far further I'm afraid!
Having watched the whole video now, I am in awe of your vision, talent, perseverance, and patience. It looks so good with the bees and the cabinets filled. I am slightly concerned about the effect of sunlight on the edge of the fabric (and books) but I'm sure it won't be too long before you find a use for them. I was wondering if you were going to make covers for the radiators, over here (UK) you can get pre cut MDF for this, but if you can find a local Maker Space with a laser cutter (or someone fairly local who owns one and is willing to help) you could make your own custom design as you already have the image assets.
Thank you Alexander! I promise this room only gets direct light for like ten minutes a day during sunset, so it shouldn't be too bad. Plus it's looking like for video lighting purposes I might need to hide blackout shades behind my lambrequins to better control things while I'm filming, and then I can leave them down too when the room is not in use ✨
Hi, still ill a d on mytablet, so I'll ty tokeepit short. The blue table of doom being green. It doesn't roll of the tongue the as the blue, but I admit that I'm a bit gruumpy. The younger audience will know, and they seem to like it, who am I being a stick in the mud? A green patterning table of doom will be a welcome fixture hence forward, of course. At least if you don't change it in the future. Have a good day, or whatever time you see this. As always try to empty your gas tank completely. Getting some rest is not a forbidden thing. That being said out loud... just keep your eye on your spoon drawer, please. And if you do that, I really am lookin forward to a sewing video, but in due time. Yours, Ann
I love the windows! I am also glad you went with the clings, because some day you may want to not be protecting yourself in videos but looking outside at pretty butterflies in flowers and adhesive in the sun = PITA!
Thank you Melanie! I was strict about wanting static, I'm not dealing with glue on nice old wavy glass 😅✨
Oh the Bees! So lovely ❤️ and I love the window cling!
Thank you Meg!
WOW!! The BEES!!!😍😍😍 Bees and window look amazing!!
Thank you Marcia!
https://www.spotlightstores.com/sewing-fabrics/dress-apparel-fabrics/woven-apparel/cotton-poplin/tara-reed-night-moths-112-cm-cotton-poplin-fabric/BP80628780 anyone wanna cosplay Bianca? - or her house? 😉
The bees 😍😍😍
The BEES!!! ❤️❤️ Love them! The room is … ahhhh, absolutely GORGEOUS! Even messy. 💪🏻🥰 Well worth the wait … and kind of hoping you will keep sharing renovations, because this has been SO much fun following along! 🥰
Thank you Lynne!! I will continue to show new renovations as they happen, next on the list this year are the shoe closet and then the office/lounge ❤️
The bees look awesome and you’re making great progress!
Thank you Eva!
AMAZING!!!
This is amazing. I’m so in love with your sewing parlour. It’s fabulous. I found a really cool pattern from 1947 and I’ve been trying to wrap my head around how to do it. If I can figure out how to share a photo with you I’ll share it. … It looks like I can’t send you a photo. It’s asymmetrical A line skirt with a gore that starts at the under arm on one side connecting to a diagonal waste, V neck, partial wrap front with 2 tucks across the bodice on each side. Vogue 2354 from 1947.
Thank you Tiana! I think to make that dress it would be best to think of that weird central piece as a waist piece really, and start from a torso block like I had to do when I made this dress https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvs2hsTl_rY&t=523s I promise I hope to make a video about torso blocks later this year on the channel!
It’s looking so good! I forgot about the bees and I love them! Q, are you planning on painting the window frames black too, or leaving them white? Also, what is that amazing giant square sequin fabric I spy!
Thank you!! The windows are the original wavy glass and wood windows from 1890 that have been painted dozens of times over the years. They are currently painted shut and stuck and are just generally very sad. They need to be fully restored. I can't afford to do that right now, but I didn't want to add to the problem is all 😅
Amazing! The bees look so good! The patience you have getting all that so precisely lined up on those very much not flat and square walls! I guess there's maybe some overlap with pattern drafting brain. ❤️
Thank you Sarah! Can confirm that the walls are indeed not flat 😬😂
Keep swimming Bianca!! (Nemo reference haha)
That’s beautiful. Your vision is coming together and it is amazing.
Thank you Jennifer!
Love the bees! Very Napoleonic.
Thank you Beatrice!
I love the bees, and I am so impressed by your perseverance in this lengthy and difficult pursuit. This is all more beautiful than I even imagined it could be .
Thank you Michella!
The bees look so good!
Thank you! They were so much easier to do than the rest, it was a joy 😂
That wall looks brilliant with the bees on and the whole room will look fab on your videos in the background x
Thank you Lesley!
The bees are amazing! You know it's going to look good when it's descibed but then you see it and WOW!! Really love the window cling. I have a window I've been wanting to do for privacy. Lovely!
Thank you!!
My ‘fear’ is that … you will put SO much of your time and energy into the Sewing Parlor (and … well, who DOESN’T want the MOST scrumptious looking place to work in???) that you’ll run out of steam when it comes to decorating your living areas. Frankly, a beautiful place to LIVE is just as important as a beautiful place to work. You, my dear, have knocked it out of the park!! It’s simply gorgeous!!
Don't worry, I've got all the ideas ready, I just need to save up the money to do the other rooms 🤣
My god you've done an amazing job! I'm really impressed. I like Anita Herbert's idea of a bee border on the BPTOD, although that adds just another job for you to finish. I've used windows cling film to give me privacy in my bathroom and it's worked surprisingly well, and yours really fits the theme. I'm also really excited to see some sewing!
Thank you Janet! Sewing finally comming soon!!
Covered in BEES - (Eddie Izzard reference for those in the know)
OMG I love the bees 😍. Now I can't imagine it any other way. I'm sure your poor hands (and back?) would have been glad for the break, but it really looks amazing. I'm a green girlie, so I'm very here for the green patterning table of doom. Whatever color it is, it will produce beautiful clothes someday. Much to look forward to.
Thank you Elizabeth! There will be no shortage of green in my house 😂💚
The window cling reminds me of honeycomb! It looks perfect with the bees 🐝. A fantastic busy hive!
It's beautiful! Love seeing the transformation 🤩
Thank you Heather!
Amazing!! This is going to be such a gorgeous space & I’m so excited to watch it come together!!
Thank you!!
The space looks amazing. I cannot BEE-lieve how quickly you've pulled this all together!
Thank you Kirsten! It felt like ages for sure 🥵
I love the bees! Also, can't wait to see the green table. The windows look great, too :-) it's all coming together nicely.
Thank you Karen!!
I am not even lying when I say I am unreasonable happy the new table is geen!!! I love green an unhealthy amount. But please, like you said before. Keep calling it the blue patterning table of doom. Those walls are turning out insane in the best way possible. I showed my mom a picture because I thought it was so cool and she didn't want to believe me that it wasn't wallpaper until I showed the picture of you stencilling so job well done I'd say. You really make me dream of having my own house one day so I can do crazy walls. Who knows if that would happen, maybe when I'm 50
I feel like I waited all my years to go nuts on some walls and this was the result of that pent up decorating angst 😂 Thank you!!
I LOVE THE BEES! *Ahem* Sorry, I got a bit excited there. I think the faux-leaded window cling looks pretty darn good, and the hexagons do tie into the bee theme...
I love your bee logo, id like to see it more often, like on the BPoD as a border flourish perhaps...i guess that then it would be the Bee Patterning Table of Doom!
I am still completely blown away by the way the room has changed already. Even though I adore your home updates I'll be excited for more sewing vids as well
I'm hoping for a mix starting...now! Whew 🥵✨
OMG I'm so jealous!! To have a home and such a beautiful one at that. You worked hard for this.
Thank you Candace!