The Quest for Tidy Continues

I think I neglected to mention here that my Etsy shop will be taking a summer vacation. My sewing machine desperately needs a tune-up and I'm looking forward to spending time with my family, including my husband, Chris, who is finishing up a 2 1/2 month gig at the Old Globe Theatres in San Diego. I'll reopen my shop in July with a (hopefully) re-energized machine and brain.

One thing I'm doing during my hiatus is my on-going quest to tidy my work space. I've seen so many inspiring studios on other blogs, including Jenn Maruska's recent studio updates, that I've been anxious to get mine in order. And yesterday, I got a terrific book, "Creating Your Perfect Quilting Space" by Lois Hallock from the library.

It is filled chock-a-block with ideas but one really stood out: "Keep all thread, machine feet, pins, and scissors nearby." By "nearby" she means within 16 inches when you are seated and I had my supplies strewn across my long sewing table. So last night, in a fit of mad organizing, I cleaned out the top drawer of a filing cabinet I use as a cutting station and filled it with my bag making supplies. Here's the result:

Everything at my finger-tips!

I wish I'd had the forethought to take a "Before" picture, but just imagine ugly stacks of random paper and unused hanging files and you'll have it. The beauty of this drawer is that it pulls out, making it so efficient to get stuff and then stow away.

I love this little area with my snap whackers (I use a quarter for an anvil since I think my original anvil ended up in a wristlet I sent to Michigan), wallet innards, marking tools, extra machine needles and my glassbeach labels by RohmCustom. On the right is a lovely bowl made of wire from Africa that my dear mother-in-law gave me years ago.

I'm seriously crushing over my new drawer. I'm very pleased with the improvements I've made in my studio so far. I haven't made anything prettier, yet, but I've made some things tidier!

ps. I posted the first pic on flickr with some more notes.

The siren call of a fabric store

I have a very difficult time driving by a fabric store without stopping. Some of my all-time fabric stores are Pacific Fabrics, a locally owned Seattle chain. Not only do they have a terrific array of fabrics and yarns, they also have lots of fun and useful classes. I took an upholstery course and transformed two chairs from scary 70s to retro 40s (I also got to use an electric staple gun which is always an empowering experience).

My latest visit to Pac Fabric garnered me some pretty fabrics that resulted in this:

The color combinations on the diamond fabric are so crisp and fresh. And I like the old-fashioned quality of the calico lining.

Where do you like to shop?

Tools of the Trade

One of the wisest things my husband has ever taught me is “Tape is cheap.” He’s a music composer and sound designer for theatre and back in the antiquated days of analog he used a lot of reel-to-reel tape for his recordings. Basically, I think he means it’s worth the investment in tools (in his case, tape) to get the best end result possible. This little catch phrase is so applicable to other areas of life – I just recently applied it to my sewing studio. First, I invested in a sleek pair of Gingher scissors. After years of hacking away with an old pair of shears, cutting and trimming is now a new-found joy. Next, I purchased a soapstone marking pencil. Now I can actually see and remove my markings without glaring sunlight and a pink eraser. Finally, I found a lovely and sizeable handmade pincushion, made by loosestring at Etsy. It’s just the right size to fit in front of my machine and it can hold pins galore. I’m finding that great tools add as much joy to the process of making things as finishing them.