Sunday, August 6, 2017

Organizing the studio space

They say that when you are stressed out or overwhelmed, organizing anything can restore calm.  Work has been a bit crazy, but it usually is, so not sure if that instigated the studio overhaul or the fact that Columbus now has an Ikea.  Ikea browsing inspires rooms that flow with organization, there is a solution for every problem or concern, you just have to go to the self serve area, find it and put it together.

Last Sunday, I dragged the hubby to our new Ikea and bought a small cabinet for fabric, this will prevent me from being buried alive in a fabric avalanche. /Hemnes Cabinet with two doors


Which I then added new pulls from Hobby Lobby, and promptly filled it up with fabric and projects. Amazing how that happened!    I do love the way it looks though, and placed my tapestry loom from Stephen Willette, on top as well as my small collection of handcrafted pottery yarn bowls.  I find those hard to resist, when I see one that I really like.  

I honestly don't use them when knitting that much, but love the display aspect as well as the organizational.  Each holds a small project with the needles that I'm currently working on.  I'm looking forward to getting that loomed warped shortly.



Next up, I have a magnetic bulletin board that I also bought from Ikea several years ago, basically a white metal box, with black and white round magnets.  Did not match the natural aesthetic of the room at all, but used quite often.  I bought some linen fabric at Ikea, covered the board, using spray adhesive and a hot glue gun.  So far so good, the magnets still stuck securely. I also then covered the magnets themselves with Krylon Hammered Copper Spray paint, which puddles a bit as you spray, giving a textural element to what ever you are painting.  I'm pleased.  The silver containers are also from Ikea and hold beads, wire etc. for beading and jewelry projects that I am working on.  The room will ever be ongoing, but as long as I can work in there and reasonable find things I'm looking for, I'm happy.


My daughter and I have been taking a four part series of classes offered at the Franklin Park Conservatory on herb gardening, and we are enjoying it immensely.  My garden has been producing wonderfully this year, vegetables as well as herbs, so i've been busy making various herbal concoctions and just drying herbs for winter use.   Shown are red wine vinegar, with thyme and white wine vinegar with chives and basil.  Both are tasty, I used the red wine one on a quinoa salad yesterday to take to the Ohio State Fair and it was great.  I and a good friend demonstrated spinning and knitting for the Central Ohio Weaving and Fiberarts Guild.  She is much better at demonstrating than I, but it was an enjoyable morning.  We both resisted buying any more fleece!  I think I have three bags full ( just like the nursery rhyme) to spin and we will be picking up a fourth from Zeilinger's Wool Company at the Michigan Fiber festival.   




Sunday, March 5, 2017

2017 Sewcial Event in Novi Michigan.

So it isn't May anymore, and I've decided I really need to either post on this blog or give it up.  I'm going to keep posting.  In February, I traveled to Novi, MI. about 3 1/2 hours north for the Sewcial event.  It was wonderful, and I went by myself, which was more relaxing than I thought it would be.   https://www.facebook.com/sewcialretreat/.

I won the early bird drawing for a Reliable iron, and at first thought, oh that is nice, I'll keep it around till my current iron goes.  After using Reliable irons at the event, I got it out right away when I got home. I love that you get absolutely no spitting of water when pressing, and if you shut off the steam, it is off, no spitting.  It's fantastic.

I arrived on Thursday so had some time to relax and with the shopping trip to Habermans leaving later in the morning on Friday, I didn't want to risk bad weather and arrive late.  I stopped at a yarn shop that looked interesting and then headed to the hotel.  At breakfast met a number of wonderful fellow attendee's, such a really interesting and friendly group of people!

Haberman's was wonderful and I enjoyed shopping around with another attendee from Boston, the kind of person you wished lived closer, because we would probably go to a lot of sewing events together. She was very creative and interesting and fortunately we were in the same group the whole weekend.  I had a blast at Haberman's and will make the trip up north at least once a year and especially when I need fabric for my daughter's wedding.  They had wine and lunch for us too, which was nice.

Friday night was an opening social event, and the exchange of the gifts.  They had sent us all yardage from Free Spirit Fabric with the idea that if you wished, you created a gift to exchange at the event.  I made a bag:



One of several i've made over the fall.  To my surprise, Linda Lee of the Sewing Workshop received mine, and she really liked it.  I've made a number, including this one, that I did for my daughter, and so now I am being encourage to open an etsy shop.  I'm leaning that way, because I really do like making bags. 

But back to the Sewcial.  Saturday and Sunday were all day classes, both were wonderful.  Linda Lee, The Sewing Workshop,  was Saturday with the Tremont Jacket.  I've got mine complete, save the button and buttonhole.  It is nice, but too plain, so will be adding some stenciling and sashiko stitching, channeling Diane Ericson.  I think i've worked out what I need to do.  The second class was taught by Janet Pray, Islander Sewing System, which at first I wasn't as excited about, but was so impressed with her techniques and the use of the semi industrial sewing machine by Babylock, the Jane.  (which somehow followed me home).  I haven't finished that yet, but will after this week.  I have a large meeting at work this week, as well as teaching a class on Sashiko on Sunday, so busy getting all that done first.  

I did finish up a new jacket to wear at the Sewcial: The Chateau coat, which was a pretty quick and easy sew.  I used a printed lightweight ponte, and work black leggings, and a denim 3/4 colored t-shirt under.