OK, I'm a little behind…. I finally am feeling like I am getting myself ready to begin the new year…. My first goal was to get my studio cleaned and organized. It has been a long time since I did more than a quick, pile things up clearing of my cutting table. This time I did a full scale clearing and organizing of everything that was in the various piles.
I had to take photos of my studio, so that I can remember that I did get things under control. This is a photo of the studio from just outside the door, in my office. My cutting table has somehow ended up blocking more than half of the doorway. It is on wheels so it can be moved when needed to access shelves and the electric panel.
This is an extremely rare sight– a clean cutting table!! The only things on it right now are cutting rulers and a pottery vase my son made in art class full of various pencils, pens, markers and scissors.
The view just to the right inside the door…. This shows my favorite things for storing supplies, fabric scraps and more– plastic drawer units. I have many of these- here they are on top and under the counter. I just raised the pink units up off the counter so that I can still open the bottom drawers even after the counter clutter returns. (I am being realistic, here) I now have a space to stash notebooks of ideas and sketches. I collect glass, and love to use little glass bowls and coasters to hold various little things on the counter.
Here is the North wall with my ironing board and machine. the window faces out to a garden and an open yard area- a great view. On the wall over the ironing board is a piece of foam covered with fabric for pinning up various inspirations, photos, and other things. The design wall is on the end wall- left in the photo. I now have a 4×8' sheet of 2in thick foam with batting over it for a great pinable wall. Hidden behind the foam is my original design wall- a 4×6' piece of plywood covered with flannel on a hinge over the shelves on that wall.
The pride and joy of my studio– My shelves! OK, I didn't totally organize my fabrics, but they are on the shelves or on hangers instead of in piles. My husband built these for me, he actually made them the way I wanted them! They cover two full walls to 6' high. This photo shows more of the design wall. I randomly pinned things that caught my attention as I was cleaning. Not sure what willbe worked on first… Also behind the foam wall and hidden plywood wall, is more shelves and the electric panel- not very handy- The foam has to be moved, the plywood hinged out, and shimmy in to get to the panel- thankfully we don't need to access it too much. The wide vase with the pencils, etc. was made my my son, Nick in an art class his senior year of HS. A great size to hold things handy.
This was taken while standing next to the ironing board. The pile on top of the serger is a batch of WIP that I would like to work on. I still thinkI need another of the small drawer units to get the yarn pile under the counter under control. I also didn't totally organize what is inside the drawers… Things are in their proper drawers, but a bit jumbled. Considering that a week ago I could not see out this window because of the tower of stuff, I really got a lot done!
This photo shows the doorway from inside. As you can see, I have more plastic drawers in my office. There is a unit on top and one under the big wooden desk. One of my computer tables with plastic boxes of quilt sandwich chunks and hunks is seen in the doorway on the right.
This is the computer table that was just peeking out in the previous photo. The right end of this has the plastic boxes stacked on it. The black shelf units are new for raising up my laptop for easier use, and more room for stored fabric scraps and projects. Under the desk is the keyboard for the computer in the corner which was being used to print note cards when I took this. The pink is my new rubber roll-up keyboard for my laptop- I can now use it like a desktop with less neck strain. I do have to remember which machine I am working with- using the wrong mouse won't work….. Note the steps to the living room in the lower left of the photo. Above the desk is more shwlves to the ceiling for storing fabric, batting, and office supplies.
Hopefully I will be back to creating and will have some new things to show off, soon.
I am a former textile artist and new pattern designer with a degree in horticulture, wishing to share my love of nature, flowers and gardens with everyone through my photos, sunprinted fabrics, and now pattern designs. Chronic Lyme Disease has caused major changes to the direction my life. I have to limit the amount of time spent digging in my gardens, and quilting has become more difficult. I discovered pattern design as a way to get art back into my life. I now use my gardens and photos to inspire designs that can be used on fabrics and print on demand items.
What an amazing use of space! I will never, never, ever again complain that my studio is too small. You are amazing!
I dream of a larger space, but for now I have to make do…. I do have extra "stuff" in just about every room of the trailer here, though. My husband is always complaining about all the tubs and other things blocking doorways. He is making a new crawlspace door to access under the trailer from our little greenhouse… There is one on the other end from outside, but the one behind my design walls is the one he uses most, and it is a major project to get to it.