Disappearing Design Wall

We have settled into our place In Key West.  We are staying a while, and of course I have certain projects that I need to bring with me.  I did bring lots of various cottons to make some scrappy bed quilts.  But there are a couple of more serious projects that I want to work on. My dilemma was that our place is mall and there is no place to put up a design wall and I really need that design wall.

  (Isn't it amazing how spoiled we get?)

My hubby was ready to buy some of the sheets of hard foam insulation  But the problem was, where would I put them.  I didn't want something else to trip over, because I do that a lot and I definitely did not want more clutter.  One day, I had a brainstorm and the solution was at Home Depot.  And although there aren't a lot of chain stores here in Key West, there is a Home Depot.  

This is the wall where I wanted to place my design wall.

Here's another view.

My idea was to use a "bamboo" roll-up shade! Mine cost less than $20.00 and it measured 72"x72".  

I did not have a wall that was wide enough, but it did not matter.

 It was hung with 3 hooks above the door jambs.

.  Two of the hooks were screwed into  studs. 

 The hooks were put in as high as possible because I planned on leaving them in place for next year.

 This is the plastic bamboo shade completely rolled out.

It covers part of the sidelight of our French door, but that's OK.

I covered the slats with black felt that I brought from home.  

First I tried spray adhesive, even though I find it very messy.  It held for a day or so, but then slid off in the middle of the night.  So then I hand stitched the top and bottom in place with a whip stitch around the slats. It sounds harder than it was.

 I started using my new design wall right away.  

The blocks sometimes did not stick as well as I would have liked.  So sometimes I need to use pins.
Addendum:  These blocks must have been just too heavy. 
 I have not had to pin at all when I have put smaller blocks on the wall.

At the end of the day, I can reclaim my dining area, by rolling up the shade - blocks and all.

 Until everything disappears, except for this unobtrusive white roll 

at the top of the wall near the ceiling.

 In the morning, I roll it down again so I can begin to work.

When we are done with our stay, I will remove it from the hooks in the wall 

and either take it with me or store it for next year. 

Money well spent.