Not Afraid of Color

I've been working in the studio building a design wall, as well as making a few decorative items.

I have less space in this house than in MD but am trying to decide how to set up work areas around the house to free up sewing space. For instance I plan to bead, paint and draw downstairs in the LR/DR area. It takes time to re-organize a working space.
And I'm tired to the bone.

Other people go to Home Depot and purchase homosote or foam insulation in 4' X 8' sheets and cover them, attaching them to a wall. I didn't want to attach anything at the moment as I quite like the color and texture of these walls. Plus wrangling two enormous sheets of insulation and storing them in the garage to out-gas wasn't appealing at this time.

I went to Joann Fabric and found foam core boards 20" X 30" on clearance and bought 12 of them to make a 60" x 60" wall. So my base isn't as expensive as the foam and not quite as large but might suit my purposes right now.

two 6 board units on top of each other

I used painters tape to put the boards together into two of these units. Two for stability and depth. Don't want a pin to scratch the wall. You can find larger foam core pieces but I got these on clearance for a fraction of the price, and the size is manageable for me.
I taped the two big units together turning the second one the other way, so that the joined units were opposite to each other for more stability, and then moved on to a cover.

I found light gray felt on the bolt half price, plus an extra 20% off. Perfect at 72" wide. That is til I miss-cut and had less to pull to the back than I wanted.

I washed the felt and dried it. There are chemicals used in processing fabric one doesn't want to breathe in every day. It didn't shrink at all. Laid it out on the floor, placed the two taped sections on top, and treated it like an upholstery project using this
perfect for the job. I'd pull the felt to the back and staple, go to the other side and repeat. Just to keep it all even. The felt had pulled in just a bit with some wrinkles so I was actually able to pull it to the back all the way around, which smoothed out the wrinkles and left me with a wonderful looking wall.

My snooper-visor helped the whole way along. 
I could put it on the wall with command tapes now, but I want the flexibility to move it if I like. The felt grabs little pieces of fabric without pinning and I think the gray will be good for photos for competition entries too. I may want to take it outside for that. I have some foam core boards left, and some felt left to cover them with, and think I'll do a two board unit, 20" X 60" that can be put above or on the side for larger projects, or used alone.

To put it a bit higher I placed the wall on fabric bins for now, leaning it against the wall
I could throw fabric in them as I work, as we all know not all fabrics make the final cut!

I can easily cover this with the piece of fleece I used at the rental  if I want white for design-work

So I solved the problem for my particular space and needs. This is solid, very lightweight, useful in several ways. It's not large enough to design a king sized bed quilt but I'm working on wall quilts these days anyway. I can easily move it if I wanted to put up a larger design space.
I'll show you my system for organizing books and supplies next time. And see that top shelf next to the machine table? It holds some boxes I decorated for storage, which I'll show you later. Lots to do to make this a working studio.

The second room next door that will hold fabrics and supplies

After working at my dining room table in my little Tampa house, working in a tiny cell of a room at our first MD rental, then working in a larger first floor studio in our MD home, next up a great loft space in the first CO rental, now these two little rooms,
I think I know how I work, and what I want from a space.

Originally I thought I'd have the cutting table in the middle of the room

Originally I wanted the layout like this, but realized I like to have my rulers sitting up in the holder, within reach,  on the edge of the cutting table. They might have fallen this way. Plus it wouldn't look nice to see it all cluttered the way it gets in the middle of a project.

As it is now I'll see the design wall from entering the room, photo at top shows that.

  I'd love more space, and higher ceilings (our downstairs has high ceilings but the upstairs not) and a large walk in closet but I'm lucky to have a home and will make this work. Luckily my husband has his own office downstairs, and doesn't mind if I spread out upstairs a bit.

The actual stairs are steep and should keep me fit going up and down. Or if I'm up they should be a deterrent from going back to the kitchen to snack.

Linking to
Esther's blog Wednesdays 
Let's be social Wednesdays 
Midweek makers wednesdays
 Free motion by the River Tuesdays    
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
oh Scrap Sundays 
sewcanshe Saturdays
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays 

It's a start... can't keep a good artist down forever. 
I spent this week washing the bits and bobs I've accumulated over the last few weeks.
Someone gave away the 2" squares, so I put them in a mesh bag, washed them pressed them and I'm ready to play a little
No design wall, so I took a piece of moving cardboard, put washed batting over it and started. 

 I forgot. 
I forgot how enjoyable it is to quietly place color next to color. 
I thought I'd do a table runner with these, and only these, the ones given away. 
As I worked, on a quiet Sunday morning, listening to the washer doing it's job, listening to the good husband vacuuming up dried grass Milo brought in, my growing panic at not selling our home in MD began to recede.
Color next to color. Slight variations in pattern. Move a piece, exchange a placement. No real thinking other than create a light center oval and work outwards.

I think a spring tree in the center with buds... budding hope, that's it.

Simple.
Just play, keep playing. No noise, no music, no lights except sunlight.

I found these
and bought these

I also bought these, in good faith.

I washed them in their own little mesh bag, even through as I looked through them I counted them and the company shorted me four out of 42.

What? Aren't pre-cuts expensive enough without getting shorted?

Anyway,


I found this too... I love the process of making, don't you?


linking to

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays 
Esther's blog Wednesdays 
Let's be social Wednesdays 
Midweek makers wednesdays 

my quilt Imagine hanging in the entry to the studio

I forced myself to go into the studio this week, and realized you can find the Muse while finding your stuff. 
 Is anyone out there as messy as I am??? We are in the Pilot program, pile it here, pile it there.
I had created an archeological dig in the studio. Just keep throwing bags in, PIGS (projects in Grocery sacks), new fabric and beads, books, etc. I was barely able to find a path in.


This week, after coming to acceptance... I decided to be brave.

AMAZING!  I found things I thought were lost forever, or accidentally thrown away.
(AS IF I would throw something away lol)

I found this bag, this magical bag full of finished and nearly finished beaded projects and tons of beads! Yea!

I found supplies I've looked for for months!
The shiny packets are some iron on baguettes (beads), some piping, some labels.

I found scraps given by friends, and made some items as medically necessary sewing

These were from some scraps given me, some odd strip sets. I cut them into 9-patch size, and resewed them. It might become a table runner with some sewing room fabric borders. Or a valance.

The point is, it got me sewing.
Sewing is calming.

It's a good thing. 








I also sewed together some floral scraps given me... these things are good to do when you need to sew but your brain isn't firing on all cylinders. I'm making a tote bag with it, stay tuned as it's turning out so cute!



This is September's calendar page

It says, "the world is not going to come to you.
The sooner you realize that, the more time you'll have to pack"

Hmmmm

We have had changes befall us recently, and there are some changes we need to make. There are even some changes we WANT to make.

Better get going...

no dents in the number of strings here 
plenty to use for paper piecing
lots of watercolor squares


It's a phenomenon... I pull out a bin, use lots of fabric, and it won't close after.
They must be  breathing in! 

Then again, I just washed a bag of scraps some friends gave me yesterday... lots of new green strips to push into an already overflowing bin.
A non-ending overflowing container.
A font of fabric!

The fountain of youth...Fabric edition!

When I open it to use, pull out lots of fabrics, it  inflates like a life raft!

My life is an I Love Lucy episode!

Stored by color

 I might not view scraps like other people. To me they are pattern, color, texture. When you see a bolt of fabric you see the whole design. It colors how you decide to use it but quilters usually cut it up. 

Designs change when you cut them into smaller pieces, like cropping a picture. When I dig through my scrap bins, the cropping has been done, and I view fabric differently. Luckily my friends see little value in scraps and happily pass them on to me. 
More posts under the label organization and Studio

My calendar: the words say,"I'm officially declaring this Mimosas and kites month"

A friend of mine came to my latest lecture. She commented later that what I talked about resonated with her and she is still thinking about it all! What a compliment, Judy. Truly the kind of connection I seek when I speak to a group.

She shared with me, that she basically  just likes to sew, nothing earth shattering, nothing original or artsy. She defined herself while listening to me. She is also a morning person (I can't relate) She makes donation quilts, which makes her tops in my book. I admire her generosity and loving spirit.
She just wants to sew.

Another friend is going through some hard life changes and dealing with loss. She says she can't seem to  think creatively at the moment, can't deal with the studio and it's "care and feeding" or focus on creating art.

It brought home the fact that so many of us cope with life by sewing. I express myself with my artwork, and these days my artwork involves fabric, but there are times I just want to sew.

 I need to sew. I feel unsettled if I don't sew each day.

I mostly do original work, and find it has become almost hard to follow a pattern . I have so much I want to express, that there are just not enough hours in the day to "make". And I'm a fast sew-er. But I also have times, and am kind of going through one now, where it's hard to go sew. However...

Even if I must drag a machine out to the family room where there is more room  to sew, or do hand sewing with hexies, I need to handle fabric. It soothes me and using color revives me.
The problem is the studio...

After months of careening from one deadline to the next, one project to another, through fabric acquisition (I'm part of  FAT =  Fabric Acquisition Team) etc, the studio is now a heap. It's in a state of disrepair. It's become an archeological dig in the making. It could be dangerous as piles may tumble over, or a person might step on a ruler or worse. My files are all over the place, ideas and hand-drawn patterns to complete. I would have started on my guild challenge today but can't locate the fabric.

A fat quarter can hide easily in a stash like mine.
Let's see... it should be near the surface... wasn't long ago it got washed...

Anyway it can be overwhelming to look at a mess even if it's your mess. And it takes space to drag stuff out in order to sort and put it away, like with like. I know how to organize and  it usually is organized. But...

 Life got in the way.

For months I have coped by pushing a stack to the side, so I could make something, Tomorrow I will do that because the leash caddy I designed and made is worn out and needs replacing. I don't remember where I filed the self-made pattern. I'll have to design it again. The eye drops and alcohol wipes are falling out of the old one so I must enter the studio, push the stacks to the left and make a new caddy. Tomorrow.

"Walks" stop for no man, and no woman with a messy studio.
Can you relate?
At least I'll be sewing.
LeeAnna

For other Creativity Roadblocks see the link over there ==>

It's cloudy with a chance of snow today. Again.

I run on solar batteries. When it gets too dark and depressing I flee to my studio, where the full spectrum daylight spotlight bulbs know my name and welcome me.

And all those hoarded supplies are available if only I can find them!


Today I would like to share a portion of my sudio.


I love words. I love them, I love reading them, I love hearing them well spoken, I love their meanings and the look of script. It's a long time love affair I've had with words. Me and words, we're like that (holding up two fingers close together)     There are words all over the studio.

 This is one of two calendars. I just adore this artist's use of image and word (CurlyGirl). She is an inspiration to me and this calendar faces me when I sit at the machine. So does the poster of Betty Boop, which my little niece said was kind of scary with that round face. Again, I love Betty Boop from childhood cartoon films shown in our house on a  reel to reel projector. So she is here too.
One row of books, with Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, my favorite movie,  inspiring, comforting and scary to me as a child. The moral was shoes are really important.

The pin cushion mouse says Embrace Imperfections

A subtle reminder not to even fret over choices.

This tiny little embellishment hanging off a quilt I made last year reminds me to take Risks. 
Another calendar. Erin Smith Art.
When they went on sale, I couldn't resist.

There are some more months I'll end up sharing with you too as they make me laugh!

Laughter is good in a studio, right?

We should enjoy what me are doing and what we make. It's called work, and there are times when it's frustrating.

 I must say, wrestling to put together the heavy bed quilt sections right now is physical work.

For me, I am more creative when I'm feeling something. Right now I need to feel happiness.

These two posters were among the first to go up in the studio. Click on the image to read them, it's worth it.
Greeting cards are especially inspiring to me. I collect them along with supplies. And stories.

This one speaks to my core, and without over-sharing here, my childhood wasn't idyllic. I have spent a lifetime learning about self worth and the role self esteem plays in accomplishment.
One of my basic tenets of creativity is that we must share ourselves in our work.

We are the only ones who can.
Love, LeeAnna

More Studio posts and pics HERE!  and in the tab at the top

I am in the process of re-washing my batik fabrics. I love batiks for their painterly effect but the chemicals used to process them give me big allergy problems. I know people who cannot even touch them in a store, in fact I have trouble walking past the row sometimes. But I want a piece of all of them.

These neutral batiks were washed once already but I can't piece with them because when I press them I get sick.
So I took out the drawer and it took two loads, two HOT water washes each, to start over. 
I thought, there! Three hot water washes! That should do it!
I still smelled about 6 of them while pressing.

WHAT does it take??

This is why I have trouble in classrooms. So many people do not prewash, and if the batiks still have that smell after three washes, imagine my reaction when someone is piecing with unwashed fabric.
Also a note: Check out how massive that pile of fabric is! It came out of the drawer on top of it in that top picture. This is the reason my drawer stays full no matter how much fabric I use!
The other note: After refolding it all went back into the drawer like this
It's only one of my four batik drawers. While folding I wondered how many yards are in here. YIKES!
(dh stop reading right now!) It might be about 70...although some might not be whole yards.
 I've been collecting fabric since 1985! I also seldom turn down fabric given me by friends.

I sure hope I can use them now that they have been washed two more times. Anyone else have sensitivities?
How do you deal with them? Is there a special soap? I already use unscented.
LeeAnna

this is a portion of the quilt

 I am still working on my State challenge project. I am finished with the quilting after yesterday's marathon ending with the title quilted into the top border. Love it! It may be subtle but it's there. I had some questions about density of quilting. The past few years have seen wall quilts becoming so densely quilted that they resemble tapestries, if some is good, more is better! 
You'll see the areas I chose to leave puffy in design when I post a finished picture on Monday.
In order to work on this large 35X46 inch quilt, I had to clear the surfaces of my sewing and cutting tables.
 What a difference it makes! Why, it makes me want to actually sort and clean the whole studio finally! All that cleared off surface is enticing, no??
Thought I might show you how I approach a big challenge project. After I decide on a design, draw it out, gather fabrics and start the top, I move on to the exciting bits, the embellishments! Whee!
As I consider beads, sequins, trims, fonts, etc, I pull out one of my empty drawers and use it to corral the possible finishing trims. It holds bits of fused pieces, patterns, threads, etc  until the quilt is finished. It keeps them together and allows my mind to move (moooove) on to the task at hand. Compartmentalization in use.
In this bin is some discarded bias, some wooden fish, some flower beads, the font I used to cut letters for a-moo-ha.
Back to binding choices. Then the embellishing begins!
How do you keep things in order while you create? 
LeeAnna
to see other posts on the hibiscus method (click here!)  and the sun in the beginning (click here!)

This is the view from the door, turning left. I keep a quilt hanging in view as you walk in the room, and there are shelves there holding my paints, inks, and brushes. I didn't take a picture as I'd rather save that for another day.
I have done studio posts before, check the page at the top for a few pictures look here, or detailed  posts under the label at the side check it out here! 
 The yellow shelves on the left hold trims, zippers, tools, sheers/ organzas, the ocean fabric collection and work folders for teaching/lectures. There are 3 magic wands, as who doesn't need a bit of magic?
As you enter the room, my sewing cabinet is next to a window ( again there are pictures of this under the label studio) and I love my Horn sewing cabinet as it allows the machine to sit down level with the top. The cabinet opens up to support a large quilt, and it's opened at the moment. Being open takes up real estate, but is so very convenient.
This is a REAL studio party right?? This is a REAL hot mess as I'm in the middle of  reorganizing, putting away new supplies, and fabrics from the last three projects. It piles up, doesn't it? I even imported an extra table to give me some sorting space. The cutting table is wonderful, and the cutting mat covers the whole top. My ironing board sits on the end of the table for quick press before cutting, or after sewing. The design wall is a large cotton batt pinned to the wall. It's over another one holding a long term project. I needed to keep the first one up, but also needed current working space.

This cabinet, from Ikea holds my vcr/dvd player, TV on top, magazine holders that hold paper... the bits you cut out of magazines, the pictures of flamingos, the pictures of cows, etc. It also holds patterns in the blue boxes.  Beads are on the bottom two shelves, and that detail of storage will be for another post as well as the book shelf system. My systems really work, so I want to spend more time showcasing them later.
There is a multicolored shelf next to the cutting table that holds my rulers on top, the remote controls, all pencils and pens, and paper piecing printed sheets for when I want to sew but don't know what I want to sew.  This system will be shown in more detail later as well.

I have shown fabric storage in previous posts, both yardage and scrap containment systems. Go see them if you get a chance.

He-who-guards-the-fabcic

The room isn't large, and is even smaller when there are piles of stuff everywhere like there is at the moment. But it's all mine, on the first floor near the kitchen and powder room, there are two closets, and I lose track of time when I go in there to play.
I asked DH to call before coming home from work, so I can try and disengage. There were times he came home, and I asked what he was doing there, and he said, well it's 7 o'clock! I had no idea!
Hope you had fun, feel free to come for a visit sometime. Call first...
LeeAnna
Linked to Vicki's REAL studio tours party, go check them all out   HERE, FOLKS