I've been working on my art, sewing and working space for almost a year - the first few months in my dreams and since June, on the real thing. I hope that you'll join me on the grand tour!😊
Celebrating my art studio
In June, my son moved into his own apartment. I have to admit that it was pretty tough to see him leave - but, the art studio that I had been dreaming about has now become reality. Since my son is doing wonderfully well and comes home every couple of weeks, I don't feel that guilty about taking his room. The only guilt that is left is the quilt that I owe him! Hopefully the hardest part of that project will be done by the end of December, as part of my One Monthly Goal (OMG).
Welcome!
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My seasonal door hanging quilts are much
safer from the weather inside the house :-) |
Being the smallest bedroom in the house, it's not a large area. The previous owners had painted it bright yellow, and it hasn't changed. I was afraid that the yellow might not play well with my creations, but I shouldn't have worried!
Sewing space
As you come in, I have my sewing space which is about the same layout as it was in my bedroom. My trusty Jag is surrounded by all that I need to sew. When I need more support for sewing a very large piece, like my king-size bed quilt, I can easily bring my extra table and chair to help.
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| My sewing centre with my trusty Jag |
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| Support for quilting large projects |
I have a lot of things in my studio. It would be nice if it was large and airy but I've made it cozy, which is really my preference. If it was large, it would just be filled with more stuff 😀
Cutting and ironing area
One of my favourite piece of furniture in my space is this IKEA change table that I bought years ago. It served as a music centre when CDs and stereos were a thing. It has now made the transition to a cutting and ironing table, while still functioning as a small library.
For most of the cutting that I do, it's more than adequate. If I need to cut something big, I can always go to my kitchen table. I also converted a small hand-made shelf into an ironing space. I created a quilted mat this is slightly larger than the shelf and attached it with elastic. I love that it is the right height for cutting and ironing. When I don't need the ironing shelf, I just place it behind the unit. It's also great for cutting because I can get to three sides of the table (well sometimes Chevy has to move).
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| Cutting and ironing space |
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| Portable table and design wall |
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The cutting table with the
ironing shelf against the wall |
Fabric Storage Space
I though before I moved into the studio that I would have enough space in the closet - boy was I wrong! It's amazing how many things I had squirreled around the house 😊
I've had a great time finding baskets for my fabric. My latest purchases are my favourite - they are children's baskets for toys, again from Ikea. I bought the ones on the top-right shelf this spring and they contain most of my cotton scraps. Now Ikea have even better ones that are perfect for fat quarters. They are the three yellow stacked baskets on the second shelf of the unit on the left. I still have some fabric left in the bottom of my husband's closet (that's where most of it was hiding!). I should be able to bring them in soon.
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| Two units of Ikea shelving for my fabric |
Sitting & Stitching Corner
I hadn't planed for a sitting area in my studio but sitting on my computer chair for more than a couple of hours is not comfortable. This fall, we got a beautiful new chair for our bedroom as part of our plans to create a reading area. I had this older chair that has great sentimental value (another Ikea purchase over 30 years ago). I tucked it in the corner, in front of my closet. It's a little in the way but I love sitting there for my zoom calls and for some slow stitching.
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| Sitting area for slow stitching |
Art & Computer Space
This is probably where I spend most of my time - at my desk. My laptop and my embroidery supplies are all easily accessible from there. I have placed many things on large serving trays that I can easily move around, depending on what I'm working on. I had originally placed my sewing machine in front of the window but it turns out that I spend a lot more time at my desk, so I moved them around.
In the corner I have an older desk that I use for my current projects. Since I use it as a table, I have placed my mother's nightstand underneath it. There really is no wasted space in this room!
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| Corner table and nightstand |
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My desk - where I write this post, plan
my projects, watch tutorials, etc. |
What I learned
- I did a lot of research in the months before moving into this space (when my son started seriously thinking about moving out). He drew me a chart on graph paper of the space. I have to admit that none of it turned out as I planned.
- Although the closet had been fitted with a wonderful storage system, it was way too small to fit all of my supplies and my fabric. Once I started filling the space it quickly became obvious that a trip to Ikea for shelving would be needed.
- To make a long story short, almost everything in the room was moved around a few times before it got to this point. I can now say with confidence that at this time, it's the best use of the space for me. I love it!
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