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Thursday 3 February 2011

Corners of My Studio

Being a Proper Nosey Parker, I really love to see other people's working spaces, especially when they're annotated with little explanations. So I thought I would share mine, in the hopes that you lovely Blogland ladies are minded to show me yours. Oo-er.


I've finished a couple of projects recently - bedding for Charlie's new bed (pictures to follow) It was time to have a clear out and reorganise of my studio. I'm a messy worker and need to be strict with myself between projects otherwise everything very quickly decends into chaos. So here you are, whilst it's looking pretty neat.


My Storage System


My storage system


This is my storage system. I've posted a similar picture before, but that's because this area of my studio is so important to my creativity. When you're in the middle of a project it's great to be able to put your hand right on the thing you need, otherwise you lose the flow of ideas.

From the bottom up, left to right this stores:

rolls of fabric, my scrap bag, my business cards, postcards and stickers, ribbons and odds and ends of bags and other wrapping.

Next shelf: new yarn boxed by colour, my journals, cotton, buttons and other findings, embroidery threads and hoops.

Top shelf: Odds and ends of yarn from past projects. They're all sorted into similar colours in bags within. I use this for patchwork mainly. Then tins in which I keep postal receipts and things of sentimental value (usually cards). Finally is my overspill box. This has yarn and buttons that don't fit where they should. Ideally this should be empty, but it's quite full with cheap yarn I bought last winter. I thought it would make good business sense to keep my costs down. However, experience tells me that most people don't like handmade products made from cheap materials, and I don't like working with them. It wasn't an expensive mistake really, there's probably less than ten pounds worth of materials in there. It was, however, a bulky mistake and I don't really want to give them to Freecycle just yet, in case I can think of a project they'd be perfect for ...


 


The Top Desk Drawer


My Top Drawer


This is the top drawer of my sewing desk and when I am working, I'm in and out of this like a fiddler's elbow. In fact, to be honest, I tend to sew with this drawer open so that things are more easily to hand. In here are the following:


Bobbins and tape measures; nice pens that the children are NOT allowed to have (mwahahaha. This does take some policing, though); sewing machine needles; scissors, pom pom makers, Mrs Bee ribbon, pins, templates,fabric glue, a bias binding maker (that I've not yet used); one of each of a metal, wooden and plastic ruler plus a sewing marker that fades, and one that sponges off. I prefer the fading one.


 


The Bottom Desk Drawer


My Bottom Drawer


This is the bottom drawer of my desk. The desk was rescued from a school who had dumped it in a skip. It's not the sexiest desk in the world, but it does what it needs to. And it's recycled, so it makes my heart happy.


The bottom drawer includes:


My knitting needle tips - which are bloody brilliant and have been a great investment (see Knit Pro - mine are metal)
Elastic
Bias Binding
The quilting arm for my sewing machine
Quilting templates, from Freecycle.
My glasses (they're broken, I sat on them and snapped off the arm)
Sewing patterns which I bought last year to make my own clothes. Total so far: one top.
Bicycle clips. I read online that this was a nifty way to roll up your excess quilt and keep it in place whilst you're machine quilting. I am not sure if that's true as I haven't used them yet, but they were 99p from Ebay so I thought it was worth the risk. I'll report back.


 


The Bobbin Box


My Bobbin Box



The more astute among you will notice that this is a Ferrero Rocher box and I can confirm that this is the PERFECT receptical for bobbins. They don't roll around and shed strings and you can see at a glance what colours you have got, and where your empty bobbins are. Within this handy system I also keep my measuring tapes (which also have a habit of snaking open in a messy drawer), my thimbles and a system for making covered buttons. I've not managed much success with that yet. but I think it's a thing of practice.


The beady eyed amongst you will notice chromatography paper. That's for an upcoming project <taps side of nose>


 


The Needle Case



The Needle Case



This is a rubbish photograph, even for a camera phone. However, I have taken it to remind myself where I put my sewing machine needles. This is a new home for them, as they were previously rattling around homeless in the drawer. Last Christmas I persuaded Dom that what I really needed was this gorgeous, purple leather, magnetic knitting needle case from Namaste. However, what I soon discovered was that even my knitting needle tips don't fit in here. How disappointing! Let's hope the needles make this a happier and more productive part of my craft drawer.


PS That is not a nipple ring, it is apparently a stitch marker for knitting. It's too thick to use properly though, hence it reclining in The Useless Case. The thing to its left is a device for tightening and unlocking knitting needle tips to their cords.


 


 


So there you have it, some of the corners of my working space. I'd love to see yours. If you do a blog about your working space, please leave the URL in the comments, I really want to see!


Lots of love


Claire x




3 comments:

  1. I am seriously jealous! And now desperate for even more storage boxes :D Looks fabulous!

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  2. Hi Claire, wow your studio looks tidy! mine goes through phases but it is so difficult to keep it looking lovely when you're working isn't it??!! I do try to keep it reasonably tidy though but as I'm in there everyday it is such a waste of time to do a complete tidy up every night! haha, love all your drawers for buttons and threads - mine are all in tins and boxes but I could do with a better system really! :) jenny xxx

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  3. Ooo Claire...how fantastically organised!!!You have given me some great ideas. I live in a very old house and have a large walk in cupboard in one of the bedrooms. At the mo it contains all of my 'stuff' but in such a haphazard way that I get even more depressed when I go in there. I have decided to invest in some shelving and boxes to make a neat little storage area with all my lovely yarns etc at hand...Ikea here I come! x

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