Saturday, October 24, 2009

A Productive Saturday

No news from the realtor which in my mind means that we won’t be moving any time soon.  Unlike last Saturday, today it was very windy and it rained all day.  Great weather to stay indoors and do something creative.

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I’ve been wanting to rearrange my studio for some time now and today seemed like the perfect day.  All our outdoor garden work is finished so we decided to tackle both Mr. Painted Quilt’s office and my studio.  We started moving things around which allowed me to vacuum and dust in hard-to-get-at-places, emptied out some cupboards, traded book shelves and made piles for trash, donations and recycling.

Three hours later, we were done!   Come with me and I’ll take you on a tour.

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This is the farthest right corner of my studio. 

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As we proceed counter clockwise around the room, you can see my sewing station next.

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Both the cupboard in the corner and the Hoosier to the left of it are filled with fabric and supplies.

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Next and to the left of the Hoosier is my Featherweight station with more fabric and wool stored in the bins below.  The white magnifying lamp on the right side of the table is a life saver  for those small stitchery projects.  I used to use this for the tiny detailed work in my paintings.

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This is my computer station where right now I am composing this post on my new laptop.  Can you see me waving at you all? 

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Next is my antique treadle machine along with some of my favorite sewing memorabilia displayed on and around it.

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And here we’ve come to where we started.  This pine cupboard used to house our television but now it’s storing more of my fabric and wool.  The shaker table that used to be in my studio is now displaying Mr. Painted Quilt’s favorite toy…his television…and of course, remote control.

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And there you have my newly rearranged sewing studio.  The color in the photos is a little yellow because they were taken at night and without any natural light.  It is actually very bright during the day.

I don’t know about you but I always feel so inspired after a good tidying up and reorganization.  I did manage to get some stitching in this afternoon as well.  I’m working on December’s FFF (First Friday Freebie) which I hope to finish tomorrow.  November’s is already done and is ready to be released on November 6th, the First Friday of the month.  I think you’re going to like it.

Now I’m going to make myself a cup of tea and enjoy the rest of the evening.  Thanks for accompanying me on my tour.

Happy stitching!

Kaaren ♥

 

46 comments:

Julie said...

ooooh, i think i would be like a kid in a toy shop in here! lots of yummy goodies to look at.
nice job, all ready for you to tackle your next project.

hugs,
julie x

Linda said...

What a lovely studio you have there!
Thanks for the tour. That is exactly what I had planned to do with my over sized TV cabinet someday when I can replace the TV that it houses now! Looks like it can hold a lot of fabric.
Linda

Darlene said...

Oh my goodness thank you so much for the wonderful tour - now can I come help you make a mess? teehee!!! I promise to help clean it up before I leave! :-)

Jocelyn said...

Lovely, lovely sewing studio. You have given a wonderful tour. And I would love to join you for a spot of tea :-)

Country Whispers said...

Oh how I wish I had a big space to put all my craft and sewing must haves.
A neat and tidy area like that would make me want to just dive into a new project.

Lurline said...

Thanks, Kaaren - a little tour of one's home seems to give an insight into one's life - yours seems VERY happy and comfortable!
Hugs - Lurline♥

Linda said...

Sometimes no news is good news, so hang in there. Love the studio. I have started to have withdrawls not being able to sew. My room is now packed away. Went to Ailsa Craig with a group on Wed and Thurs and took in St Jacobs, Exeter and some other small towns. The quilts were amazing. I'm here with you having a mug of tea before turning in. Enjoy tomorrow for its to be sunny.

Becky said...

We had an open house today. And nothing. Had an offer on Monday for 10k under asking and we are already priced at what we paid for it. It is tough right now. I really wanted to be done with all this by christmas and let the girls do their typical decorations...Lord willing we won't lose the apt. I will be praying for yours as well!

Sandie @ crazy'boutquilts said...

What a lovely tour! You have a very nice work area. I love the big cabinets for fabric/supplies... and the vintage machines! :-) Have a happy weekend!

paulette said...

What a gorgeous sewing room! Too nice to mess up with bits of wool and fabric...YIKES!
Take care and can't wait for the first Monday of the month!!
Paulette

Rumi said...

I wish my sewing room was neat and tidy like yours! Even when I do clean it up, it takes no time at all to explode again!

paulette said...

OOPs I mean first Friday of the month!
:o) Paulette

paulette said...

OOPs I mean first Friday of the month!
:o) Paulette

By Hoki Quilts said...

What a fab tour, now that you are so experienced at organising how about a quick trip to NZ to tackle my 'busy' (aka messy) studio? The sun is out and it seems wrong to be indoors doing it.
Good on you, a great job.
Miche'le

Nancy said...

Gosh, a dream is still a dream in your heart. . . sorry to hear you wonderful dream home will be out of reach for a bit . . . I know, let's make something beautiful and perhaps the dream will happen in a better location . . .
Thank you for the lovely studio tour . . . love the Hoosier . . .
Nancy

PiecefulChaos said...

You have a lovely sewing room with some beautiful pieces! I can't wait for your next First Friday project.

Carin said...

Kaaren yous studio is lovely!

Unknown said...

What a beautiful studio Kaaren. I love your furniture and what a neat idea for a tv cabinet. My friend has one and it is full of finished quilts!! I wish! Good luck with the realtor.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely studio....are you available to come make sense of mine?
Enjoy your tea and the rest of the weekend. I look forward to the next FFF.
Hugs, Barb

Allie said...

Your studio is beautiful! I love a good tidy and re-arrange too - makes me want to mess it up again with a new project, lol. Thanks for sharing your lovely space!

Béa said...

You have a very nice & comfortable studio, a dream !
I look forward for the next FFF.
Kiss

Janet said...

Thanks for the tour of the studio, it's a lovely place. How nice to have it all organised and tidy, a job for me this next week I think.

Carol said...

Thank you for the tour...what a wonderful studio...

Abby and Stephanie said...

Warm, cozy, perfect for sewing. Yes, a good clean out and organization gets my creative juices flowing. Happy Sewing.

ranette said...

Thank you Kaaren for the wonderful tour of your creative space. Love the antiques and cozy, comfortable feeling in your studio.

My Grandma had an old treadle machine just like yours...sadly it went to the other side of the family.

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed the tour of your studio...and you've got some lovelies! Now if I could just get myself to your place to help mess it up a wee bit...all in fun of course!
Enjoy your Sunday!

Jilly's Space said...

oj *swoooooon*. Just beautiful Kaaren! What a beautiful space to be inspired and create in. I miss my little sewing room(didn't even compare to you) and finding it no so inspiring being in my bedroom...but I have to deal with it for now.
Thanks for sharing :-)

Mimi said...

That room is too pretty to make a sewing mess in. You really do have some nice things to look at and inspire you while you sew. Yes, a cleam room wants me to get in there and sew, too. Happy sewing.

StitchinByTheLake said...

Kaaren this is a wonderful place to spend time. I'm jealous that you've gotten yours all cleaned and organized and mine is a mess right now. This winter I'm going to do what you did - move it all and clean and rearrange. I can hardly wait. blessings, marlene

Anonymous said...

what a fab studio u have - i can only dream of such a place to do my crafting :)

Kim said...

A bit of rearranging, a tidy up and a clean slate helps the inspiration flow. Time to dig in and make a mess now. :-)

The house of your dreams may still come around if circumstances change for the sellers. You never know.

Darlee said...

Thanks for the tour!! And, I definitely agree that an organized space inspires. And keep a clear image of the house as being yours even if it seems like it's been too long for an answer.

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...

Oh I so enjoyed your tour. What a warm and cozy spot to create.
And no news on the house may not be bad, hang in there. It still can happen!

Teresa said...

Wonderful photos Kaaren.. I think I want to move in.. It looks perfect xx

Beth Karese said...

Your studio is so warm looking and welcoming, Kaaren! You've surrounded yourself with special treasures. I love the Hoosier. Okay, I give... where's your iron? (wink)

Heidi said...

Hi Kaaren! I love you studio (I call mine that too) and cannot believe how much space you have. So move or not, you are blessed with this beautiful creative space. And I am jealous that you own a featherweight. Lucky you! I just cannot seem to make the room I now use as my studio my own. I moved it to the back bedroom as the front one had too much light being on the south side of the house. You are also blessed with being able to place so many stash cupboards in the room. That is just great. It helps you to stay organized.

Have to run upstairs and get ready to go to the hospital. Will be posting about it later today on my blog. See you there...

Hugs ~
Heidi

By Hoki Quilts said...

O.K. so you got to me, I spent a day thinking "I really should clean up my space", and blow me down, I did! That was a few hours ago and the pleasure of going in there and pulling out fabrics to audition for a new project in a tidy, clean room was just lovely. Now I have to go back and return all the fabrics that didn't make the cut, however I have started my William Morris block.
Thankyou for a moment of calm.
hugs
Miche'le @ By Hoki Quilts

Micki said...

What a lovely sewing studio. Thanks for the tour of it, and it is truly beautiful!
Micki

Shakerwood said...

Thanks for the tour! I just love going into a clean sewing room! You are right, it is very inspiring to start anew!

Karen said...

Oh, you have a Hoosier cabinet. We have been looking at those for years in antique shops. Never splurged, though. A good use. And using the television cabinet for fabric is a good idea, too. I have been wanting to get rid of the tv in the living room as we don't use it. It is in a cabinet like that.

Stina Blomgren said...

What a fantastic room to be creative in.. love it!!!!
Just love all the old furniture!!! :o)
And yes I saw you waving..lol...

Carrie P. said...

What a great place to create all the cool designs you come up with. I love the rug on the floor too.

Patty said...

Very nice studio, thanks for the tour. You have a beautiful house and a real knack for decorating.

Candace said...

I may have to have you come and help me decorate my new Squash House studio, Kaaren! Your Studio looks wonderful - such great organization! Can't wait to see November's FFF!
Cheers!

Kiwifruit-Shiree said...

hi Kaaren, thanks for the tour, I really love your pine cupboard, it is gorgeous!... and hang in there, the Realtor will be bringing good news soon hopefully! AT least your studio is organised now then...

AnnieO said...

What a great workspace you have--nice to have things separated into sections so you aren't unpiling your keyboard every time you want to blog! I love my Hoosier cabinet and boy they do hold a lotta quilting stuff, don't they! Nice job on getting things shifted just how you want them.