Tag Archives: studio

studio reshuffle

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It’s that time of year. The studio needs to be cleaned and the Stuff needs reorganizing. I try to figure out what I am actually using and make it easily accessible. I also try to go through all the fabric regularly, getting rid of things I will probably never use. I call this turning the compost. It’s only kind of a joke. I now have three bags of fabric that I’ll be taking to my crafty meet-up next week. Give-away time!

Here are some in progress photos because it’ll be a while before everything settles into place again.

It all started with a large bookcase that needed to be moved out of another room. I always need more shelves so I took out the measuring tape to see if I could fit it into my studio. The reshuffle began! I moved the bureau towards the window (of course there was already something there- out into the hall that stuff went). The bookcase that was already in my room was emptied and moved across to it’s new place by the closet.

It is now filled with books, tea cups and cotton fabrics, mostly toiles and other tattooed people components.

The new (to my room), bigger bookshelf fits perfectly. I’m filling it back up with the books that were in the other bookcase plus other things of course.

Then I decided that I needed a new way to store all my other cotton fabrics. I have been using them a lot more this year and the bins under the table system was just not working. One trip to Ikea later and you can see my new drawers. Here is a better photo-

This is great! I can see all the fabric easily and there are enough baskets to put all kinds of goodies that have been in piles or in bins that I trip over every time I walked through the room.

The plastic drawer bins and the small wooden bookcase on top of the fabric drawers used to be where the bureau is now. Are you confused yet?

I have had this little set of metal drawers sitting on the floor for about 1 1/2 years and I now finally have a place for it. I filled it up with beads, charms, sewing notions I’ve collected for robots and papers for making tiny books.

There are lots of little problems that I haven’t quite figured out yet. An example is my thread rack- I like it where it is but I know it will slide right off at the worst possible moment so I need to figure out how to attach it to something. And then actually do it.

And some real life desk pictures. I started working on some tiny worlds. Then I moved on to something else. Yep, I just piled them up, as much out of the way as I could push them without bothering to put them away. Because I’ll get back to them any minute, right? Okay then.

And that poor tattooed lady. I have a ridiculous number of unfinished dolls in my studio right now. I should try to focus on finishing them up. Somehow it is sad to see them all waiting for me. If I just worked on finishing things I would probably be busy though February at least! It’s good though too- it is an easy way to start in again because a lot of the decisions are already made. So, time to get back to work!

 

in progress…

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This is one of those weeks where there is a lot going on and not much gets finished in my studio. I’ve got things started- things that I hope will move forward with short periods of focus. There are 9 babies started-

After I’d cut them out and sewed them up, I realized that I only had one roll of wool stuffing left (2 1/2 lbs). Uh-oh! I had to call up and order more stuffing, first thing on Monday morning.

And,  a pile of fish. My idea was to sew them together and then I could trim them, turn them and stuff them as I sit around with family over the next week or so. My daughter has arrived today and as of this evening, I have them trimmed and turned.

So, between the shopping, the cleaning, the cooking, the extra people in the house, I am hoping to get a little bit of work done and not feel too crazy by next Monday.

studio photos

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Yesterday morning-

I feel like I am running in place here- lots of things started and I am not sure what direction to go in. I am working on the Luv-able and Hug-able pieces in a very different way then usual, since I am making one of this and one of that- not my usual practice. I should be back on track soon though. And back to the pattern. Well, as soon as I’ve gotten over this bad cold. Then I’ll see if I can figure out how to use the new scanner.

Here is my desk today. I am making a kitty with a skirt made of the vintage fabric in the bottom photo.

Amazing, isn’t it!

I have one piece almost finished but with my head feeling all fogged in, I can’t decide if she is good yet. I might have to change her face.

buntings, or garlands or whatever they are called

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I’ve started a carry-around-project bag to stick in my purse. I seem to have a number of appointments lined up on the calendar and I like to have something to work on as I sit in the waiting room. I am cutting out circles.

This is a garland that I made in the first batch, before I went to Renegade Brooklyn. You can see it hanging in my tent, here.

I am trying out some single hue strings- pinks

blues-

reds-

Which do you like better?

They have 100 dots per strand. That is about 12 feet.

My studio is once again a complete disaster. I’ve got way too many things going on right now. I am cutting and sewing a range of dolls (with the help of Sage) and will then finish them over the course of the Autumn. The result is stuff everywhere, every surface covered, entering the room is a challenge…  but hey! I am getting lots done. I’ll clean it up another day.

busy times

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That week flew by. And now a new one begins. Happy Mothers Day!

My tree peony bloomed- always a treat.

We’ve had some crazy weather in the few days since I took the photos- wild thunderstorm, torrential rain and now some very windy weather. The plant is looking a bit tussled today. The flowers rarely last more then a week so I appreciate them while I can.

On Friday night I went to the MassArt Senior Fashion Show: Current 2010.  I was offered complimentary tickets (not sure how I got on that list!)- it is not something I would ordinarily think of going to. Well, it was so much fun! I have never been to anything like it- there was the runway, the models, the collections. I tried to find photos but there wasn’t much. I did find this one of my favorite dress of the evening. I hope I can go next year- it was a blast!

Saturday, doll club. We did needle felting. I will not be changing over to needle felting any time soon. Sorry about no pics- the photos I took were too awful to post.

And today. Working on- gladiator sandals.

Maybe too much fiddly work. Piled on the table are men in progress, paper pattern pieces, fabric marking tools, trims…

And the desk, looking cleaner then usual.

This coming week will focus on finishing those guys and then I’m off to Minneapolis on Thursday for J’s graduation. Life seems to have suddenly shifted to high speed.

desk- 1/27/10 morning

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This is how my desk really looks when I am working.

Can you see? Yep, I am making some new tattooed men. It has been more than a year. I spent the whole day trying to organize my accounts so they haven’t progressed yet today. Except that I took the hair off that one guy. You can see this photo BIG over here– and click on all sizes.

more studio photos

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I want to show you what I did with the used flat file I bought last March.

The top two drawers are where I store my crewel wool. Son Julian made me those cardboard dividers when he was home last summer.

The third drawer down has misc. embroidery threads- ribbon embroidery, Danish Flower threads, crochet cotton, other random stuff. I store my floss over here.

Fourth and fifth drawer- all my delicious wool felt.

Then comes the buttons- drawer six-

and drawer seven. I just got these 2 drawers arranged after Christmas.

The bottom 3 drawers have papers and things that I stuffed into them when I moved- ie more potential goodie organized storage space. This flat file organizing is working well for me. It helps me see so much of what I need to choose from at one time.

One last thing to show you- my roll of paper. It hangs right above my desk, always handy for when I have an idea or am making a test pattern.

studio work

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I’ve been working away at some dolls and also my studio. I am see some progress in getting the studio feeling right. Here are a few peaks-

When I decided to move my studio downstairs, I knew I wanted to do this-

wall

I think of this as my internet connections altar and I posted a fully annotated version here on Flickr. These are all things that I have bought, traded, or been given, from people that I have “met” through the internet. Some of them I have also met in real life. It is a tangible display of the richness that the craft blog world has brought into my life. Sorry- gushing!

This is the pin-up board over my desk-

wall2

So many goodies, including a sweet little monster by Elsita. Yep, right next to one of my Peewee toys.

Today, I hung my ornament dolls from my display shelf. They are now flying over my desk.

wall3

And, some ladies in progress. I thought I’d get one of these finished today but instead got distracted by the organizing/puttering.

faces

working away

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Things are very busy- so much that I am getting behind with posting the finished dolls- and that is usually the most fun for me! That is what happens when there is a show around the corner.

Everything, everywhere in the house is covered with my projects. Some studio photos-

table1

desk2

ironboard

I don’t know if you can see, but I’ve set up some photo postcards of the swaddled babies on my shelf to keep me inspired. I made several sets of photo postcards to sell at the show this weekend.

My other exciting buy is some fabric from Spoonflower– I am SO excited about this!

spoonflower

Right now I am trying to get some ornaments put together for the weekend. I will post photos when I figure out a way to put them together that I like.

This morning I snipped my finger with my shears- ouch! That was a sign to me- Slow Down! Of course it is also a sign that I have nice sharp scissors- lucky me :)