If you've gotten here via the Quilting Arts virtual studio tour, and even if you haven't, welcome!
There's lots going on in here, so sit back, kick off your shoes, have a cup of tea, and take a lookie-loo around my cozy little nook.
I'm very fortunate, because I have a room of my own, as Virginia Woolf advocated. I love having a space where I can go to stitch, design, cut and paste, or just relax. I have lots of treasures throughout my studio that inspire me. Photographs, art journals, stacks of fabrics, cans of colored pens. My studio makes me happy, happy, happy.
I call this Command Central. Phones. Dayplanner. Computer. Coffee. Perfect.
This is my cutting table. Best purchase I ever made. Love having a place to stand up and work. Keeps the tight shoulder muscles at bay. It's not always tidy in here, and I often have to clear my tabletop in order to cut fabric or work on a project. I know that would make some people a bit crazy, but I work really well amidst the flotsam and jetsom of my little corner of the world. Until one day I don't. And then I have to tidy up around the studio, put things away, get organized. Then I can get back to work. I've always worked this way. Lots of messy productivity, followed by a quiet period of organization and planning.
I like having little places to put little things. Little cabinets with little shelves for little jars of buttons. Little chests with little drawers for little beads and baubles. It helps me stay organized, which is a feat unto itself.
This was my dad's computer desk. It was a basic 70's brown stain. I stripped it, restained the top, and gave the base a very green and shabby painted face lift. I'm so happy with the way it turned out!
This is a portrait of my mother as a young girl, painted by my great Auntie Jean.
An antique upright chest of drawers where I keep all sorts of goodies. Each drawer is filled with vintage jello molds, and each of those holds little bits of bootie to create with. Sometimes I just open a drawer for inspiration.
This antique spool chest came from my mom's sewing room. I love having it in mine now.
Just a peek inside the drawers...
A place to stitch. Of course.
Rick rack. Yummy yum yum! The case is an antique display case for hair nets. Love it!
On my sunny windowsill. Vintage toothpick holders. Pretty, pretty.
And, oh, how I love vintage seam binding...
...and vintage ribbons.
Pretty little things on a shelf.
One can never have too many supplies! Because I'm a quilter who also loves my art journals, I need a place (and supplies) to do both. It makes for some tricky space planning, and I seem to throw it all out into the hallway and start over about twice a year. I think I've got my studio organized the way I like it now. Check back in six months.
This is one of those old mirrors from the 60's I'm guessing...the frame is plastic! It was painted cream with gold highlights...I know you know what I mean. Got it at a junk store for $5, brought it home, and gave it a banana green paint job. Fun, fun, fun!
Just another view of my cutting table. I always seem to reduce my workspace by quite a lot with all the things I like to have in front of me when I'm working. It works for me, though. Love to have my things around.
I use the shelves above my cutting table for pretty things. I found it was sort of a hassle to climb up over my table everytime I needed something there, so I re-arranged. Pretty things in plain sight. Books and tools on a shelf in the closet. (No, I'm not giving tours of the closet. You know why.)
This is where the bobbins live.
And no studio is complete without an Emergency Station: hand lotion, seam ripper, and a dish for M&Ms. Oh, and an Eiffel Tower eraser. Naturellement.
Thanks for visiting my little studio. I loved showing you around. Come back and see me any old time. Cheers!