Friday, July 22, 2011

A Tour of my Studio


It is my habit after I've finished up a chunk of project to spend a day or so straightening my studio back out again. I am not the neatest person when I am creating (ok, I'm just not the neatest person, period), so every now and again I need to find the surfaces again. I have so much stuff crammed into my little room that I really need to put one project away before I can bring out another one. But, since this is probably as neat as it is ever going to be, I thought you might like a tour of the studio. Come on in!


Ok, you've walked through the door, and are standing in the center of the room looking back at it. Behind the door is tucked the ironing board, along with a broom, rolls of craft paper, driftwood sticks from Canada trips, a reed mat for rolling felt rugs, and walking staffs. The walking staffs are more for squishing scorpions than they are for walking. Scorpions may be a natural part of the ecosystem...but they don't belong on my walls. Turn a bit to your right...



This is my storage wall. My husband built this custom set of shelves. Fabric rolls on the left, tools on top, two shelves full of weaving yarn, pull out baskets for smaller items, and large bins down below for fabric and such. The white table pulls out, and folds out into my cutting/crafting table.


 Turn a bit more to the right...
And here is my computer wall.

Up to the left my shuttle collection is displayed on the wall. Fiber tools can be works of art in and of themselves. I like to look at them, and then pull them down off the wall to use them when needed. Functional art.
Here's my computer desk, where I spend entirely too many of my waking hours. And my fish tank, and my lunch. (That is home made egg lemon soup, from home made chicken stock. Yum!)
To the right is a second desk. My bead stash is tucked away in those bins in back. In front is my antique sock knitting machine, with the next set of sock yarn all wound on the bobbins there, ready to go.
Above my computer desk are shelves full of research books. I've run out of shelf space. Too many books? Nah! Not enough shelves!!






Turn to the right again, and this is my loom wall.


 Tucked behind the loom is my rack of sock yarn, waiting to be cranked into nice warm wool socks.
But my pride and joy is that loom. I got it at a garage sale for $20 (it is worth much more than that), and that find started this whole path I'm on. Above the loom is a window that looks out on my herb and flower garden, shaded from the AZ summer sun by my hand woven curtains.

One more turn around...




 ...and we're at my sewing and large item storage wall.

 My sewing machine is tucked in the corner there.
 Up above are shelves and shelves of old friends. This is my science fiction and fantasy collection. They probably belong elsewhere in the house, so I could make room for more research books and storage for finished product. But...they're mine.

This is my large item tangle of storage. In that pile there is a dobby loom, a warping mill, a standing inkle loom, a serger, a clock reel, a spinning wheel, a heater, and bags and bags of fiber to be spun. There is usually an easel tucked behind there too, but I pulled it out for my next project already.


And of course, smack dab in the middle of the floor, on top of my hand made felt rug, there is always an animal or four keeping me company.


Thanks for stopping by!

16 comments:

  1. Nice studio! I want to have my own studio one day. Have a wonderful Friday!

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  2. I got stuck on the scorpion remark, yikes! Your studio nest looks lovely.

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  3. I love your creative space! Your shuttle collection is wonderful too!

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  4. What a beautiful studio! I have a great workspace too but all I need to fit into it are a few yarn cases and 2 mannequins. I can't imagine the clutter I could make with all of that stuff :)

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  5. Scorpions?! Just... in your house?! Eek!

    You have an impressive amount of stuff in one room! Great use of space.

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  6. Your studio is fantastic! I love the 'tools as art' and all the beautiful things you make. I'm very much the same way. I can either clean or create...create usually wins.

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  7. Wow you have a lot of books! So awesome!!

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  8. I really enjoyed the tour! I love SF&F too - you have quite the collection. It looks like your work space has a great energy. All the shuttles on the wall were beautiful.

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  9. YES! I have too few bookshelves.I now know my problem, you can never have too many books. maybe I can put lot's of hooks on the ceiling for bulky stuff and the tools as artwork. The art becomes a work in progress.

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  10. Looks like my studio/storeroom (minus the scorpions!)!! ha!!

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  11. Thanks for stopping by, all!!

    Yes, scorpions. Welcome to the Arizona desert. :) We don't get quite as many these days, but when there was construction in the area they would get nudged out of their natural habitat and into my habitat. I lost all sympathy for them when I woke up in bed to one crawling on me, on a rather sensitive body part. Mind you, I probably wouldn't have gotten stung, but in my three quarters asleep state I grabbed it and threw it across the room. Now, if they're in the house they get squished on sight. Luckily they're stupid enough to just sit there on the wall and watch the staff coming at them.

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  12. I love your studio and I love your book shelves. Looks like a real creative space. And I also am quite fond of your little helper on the rug.

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  13. Really beautiful, and no studio is complete without a furbaby or two, or four...

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  14. Wow, Tangible. If I wasn't so put together (and I am so put together) I'd be jealous of that lovely studio. You are quite the renaissance artist. I love writing poetry too.

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