Friday, December 13, 2013

Friday so Soon?

Thanks to elle for reminding me that I have to weigh in on my fave means of storage in my sewdio today...as part of Week 2 of The REAL Studio Tour...

And thanks to the snow, falling steadily since 9 a.m. (it's now almost 3 p.m.) and now thicker and blowing a bit...for keeping me home from work (43 km or about 26 miles down a narrow rural highway, now snow-covered so you can't tell where the shoulders end and the adjacent fields begin) so I have time to post this quickly before I get back to Christmas gifts!  :-)

My "official" studio is in the largest bedroom of my 1050-square-foot home, which is to say the room is approximately 10 feet square.  It's rather full of furniture, including storage facilities.  I'm mentioning only 3 of my favourite storage items here:

1. Behind-the-door hanging shoe-keeper...for sock yarn:



2. Sears standing cabinet: cupboard on the bottom (not pictured) contains fabric and kitted projects; the top is another shoe-cubby-type cabinet...for more yarn:


3. And my very favourite storage item -- the edge of which you can see peeking into the left side of the above photo -- was a rack, baskets and hooks system I got from a fabric store when it closed (owner retired and wound up the business).  This rack spends most of the year in a triagular stand with wheels, but when I have a booth at an art show/sale, it doubles as a display rack:


What you see above is two sides of the triangle, laden with baskets that hold fabric and batting.  Across the space between the two sides I've hung a caddy for my threads.  On the tops of each side you see the hanging hooks for bags of ribbons and trims, threads, etc.

And here's what it looks like -- sans baskets and hooks -- at an art show -- in this case, the Lacombe Art Show and Sale in April of this year, in which I shared the booth space with my photographer daughter.  We hung pieces on both sides of the 3-piece stand, and I used a basket for my miniatures, each of which were in clear plastic envelopes.



In addition to these three facilities, I have several stacking plastic bins (with drawers), 3 under my cutting table and 1 next to the above-mentioned Sears cabinet.  I also have a barrister's bookcase (the kind with lifting glass doors) and an open bookshelf for my books.  Magazines are in magazine holders (cardboard), labelled.  For easier access, I took off the old sliding closet doors and had their track covered with a solid piece of wood.  In the closet space are two dressers -- one solely for yarn, and a smaller one for fabric and embroidery linens and kits -- and the shelves hold another cubby with yarn, several of my project/online class binders, more magazine holders etc.

And living alone, I'm able to have small 'craft centres' throughout the house -- largely baskets with knitting, and one corner with my wing chair and a side table that holds my embroidery lamp-magnifier station. I haven't even talked about my work table and counter with cupboards in my "back room" -- where dye and paint and other 'messy' supplies are stored...

So you see, I have my choice of fibre fun wherever I choose to spend my time!

7 comments:

elle said...

Pant,pant! lol I know that feeling. That is a wonderful rack. My room is 12 X 12 and most of it holds my big cutting table but it is amazing what one can stuff in cubbies, etc. under and around it. ;) No snow here but narrow snow covered roads are NO fun. Be blessed with cozy spots and projects ready! :)

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Your lovely shelving holding your yarn is art in itself! Wonderful to be able to have your yarn on display for inspiration.

Vicki W said...

What a great buy. That wire rack and basket system is awesome!

Gene Black said...

I need a shoe keeper to hang behind a door for my weaving yarns. It would be a great solution for me.

Sharon - IN said...

Shoe organizers are becoming very popular with crafters. You have wonderful storage ideas here!

Cathy Tomm said...

Great to see some of your work space. I laugh at the other craft corners. I too have other work spaces, my chair area, my laundry room, More in storage.

LA Paylor said...

I love that you've taken over the house with your supplies! I kind of did that, unofficially.
LeeAnna Paylor
lapaylor.blogspot.com