Dreaming of a move

My 'baby' boy turned 18 recently, and he graduates high school this year. Now, when my (now 20 year old) daughter first started school in kindergarten, we took a pact to try to remain in one place and one house while the kids were growing up and in their school years. We wanted to give them a time of stability and continuity as a foundation for going forward. So we found a lovely house in the Phoenix, AZ suburbs, and it has served us well.

But...my baby boy is graduating this year, and heads off to join his sister at college next fall. That means, should we choose, that we are no longer tied to this house. For the sake of jobs and local family, we'll still stay in the Phoenix area. But sometime between when we moved in here and now, the powers that be put a big mucking football stadium within walking distance --and earshot-- of our house. I'm starting to feel kind of closed in here, as what used to be farmers fields in the neighborhood are filled with arenas, outlet malls, and apartment complexes. It is almost time to move back out beyond the borders of the urban crowding.

So, I've started looking and house listings, and dreaming. And you know one of the things that excites me most about this possible opportunity? I just might be able to find a place where I can expand my studio!

I currently use what used to be our guest bedroom. It is jam packed with looms and sewing machines and bookshelves and storage totes and cutting tables and...and... And I just don't have enough room to work on more than one project at a time. If I have the loom unfolded for a weaving project, there isn't enough space to open up the cutting table to do silk painting. If I have the loom folded up and shoved over so I can get to the sewing machine, I'm blocked from getting in to the sock knitting machine. Etc. Wouldn't it be awesome to find a place where I can spread out, and really flex my creative muscles?

I looked at one house that had a separate apartment down in the basement. Hmmm...main room for the looms and such, a bedroom for storage, and a complete kitchen where I could do the silk painting and dyeing. Very intriguing!

Then I found another listing that had a whole separate 1 bedroom house tucked in behind the main house. Imagine the fun of taking over an entire house for playing with creativity! And if I was in a separate building, I could set aside the fact that I really 'ought' to be doing laundry, or dishes, or vacuuming, or... I'd be away, and at work. But still close enough to trot across the yard home when I needed to. Which means I could still be doing 1 am weaving projects. Love it.

So many possibilities...

After my son graduates. It will be next summer at the earliest, and then we'll see what we can find when.

But...it is a fun mental game. I don't take to change easily, so taking 8 months or so to mull the idea over in my brain means that when the time comes, I should be able to leave here.

So...what would be my ideal studio...?

weaving and slippers

I realized that I hadn't posted the finished picture from my most recent weaving project. I had made a hand painted warp, and then used three different weft colors to make three different garments on the same warp. On the left in the picture above is the dark greyed blue weft. In the middle is the maroon. And on the right is the light blue. I love how the colors blended to make three different looking fabrics!

The fabric on the left has already been cut and sewn into a ruana, and is out the door and sold. The other two are sitting on my loom staring at me, telling me to get back to the sewing machine already. They want to be finished, so I can start on my next batch of fabric. But I have been down this whole week with a nasty cold and a persistent case of the Idon'twannas. Next week. I'll get back to work when I can see straight.

In the meantime, I'm going to kick back, put my feet up, and enjoy the fact that the weather is finally cool enough to enjoy wearing my hand felted wool slippers. Ahhhh..............

Weaving sun beams

I love weaving in the afternoon, with the lowering sun streaming in through the studio windows. I took a picture while I was sitting there, and loved it so much that I had to share with you all.

I just switched to my third color of weft yarn, so I should have this woven off with about 4 more hours of active work. I am really, really loving this fabric!

Now, off the computer and back to work.