My New Studio

When house shopping, I was looking for the Goldilocks feeling of not too big, not too small, just right and this condo was perfect with exactly what I needed and nothing extra. 

My studio is in what was formerly the master bedroom. It's a large room with lots of wall space, a beautiful window overlooking the creek, and a half decent but definitely not spacious closet pretending to be two. On the inside, it's all one. 

This turquoise cabinet is one of my favourite pieces. It was custom built for my previous kitchen but there was no way I was leaving it behind. Now, it's the perfect storage piece for the studio BUT... what a bear to get up the (sixteen) steps. The movers said they could do it, and they did, but it was definitely a stretch. I'm grateful. 

Once the flooring was removed, I painted the walls white and set up a temporary sewing space that was too noisy, dusty, disjointed to get much done. What I did sew, I can't show you just yet since it's a gift for a friend who may be reading this post. 

This past weekend, the flooring was done, the furniture went in, and I could start to unpack and set up. Just as predicted, many things came out of their boxes and went exactly where they belonged. The things that needed new homes included yarn, fabric, and patterns. 

The antique oak dresser in the far corner is the only piece I bought mid move hoping it would work in the new studio... for patterns. It works... not for patterns. Instead, purse making supplies and some surface design supplies are in there along with a half drawer of office supplies. The oak desk at left matches perfectly and is where I put my jewelry pieces together. In this image, the wall above is blank and in...

... this one, four shelves have been added to hold jars of findings, beads, and cabochons. Considering the relatively short time that I've been making jewelry, I seem to have collected quite a stash. This isn't everything. Over the next year, when we are still more home than not, waiting for whatever normal will look like, these supplies will come in handy. There are no local sources and I'm avoiding on-line purchasing as much as possible. I like to use what I have and I like the stretch of trying to make what I have work rather than popping out to buy yet, still, another thing. And, sigh, being completely honest, I do like shopping, especially for potential. I am addicted to potential. This is, maybe, not a good mix. 

The painted desks look fresh. The white wall behind them looks blank. As soon as I figure out where all of the stash goes, I'll start adding décor to pretty it up with colour. When asked, whenever I told someone I was painting everything white, they'd look at me rather stunned and gasp white with a great deal of shock in their voice. I have become known for my rather eclectic mix of colour and apparently - LOL - that's not supposed to change. There will still be colour, differently, and later. 

My sewing machine is a Bernina 1020 that I bought used and have had for a really long time. Before I moved, I took it in for a tune-up and then picked it up again once the studio was ready. It came back with a note attached saying that a new control foot would be about $200 online which was rather confusing since I didn't need a new control foot. Except I did. When I set the machine up and plugged it in, nothing happened. Somewhere between when I packed it up and when I picked it up, the foot died. 

I've ordered the new foot from a shop an hour away, on a day with horrendous weather, when it would have been irrational to drive, but I needed to know for sure that I had a foot, so I ordered it. It's coming in the mail which appears to be slower than a turtle moving backward but really is an old system simply and completely overwhelmed by Covid's impact on online shopping. 

Waiting is not a problem except that it's put the project I'm sewing for my friend on hold. I have the correct presser foot for the Bernina but no control foot and I have a control foot for my back-up machine but not the correct presser foot. And, so I wait. I did send her some swatches as a teaser. They may or may not arrive before the gift... depending on the mail. 

In the earlier pictures, you could see the sun shining into the studio. That's how it looks in the morning and into the early afternoon on sunny days. A few days after those images were taken, the trees had this lovely coating of snow. Both are beautiful, especially when accompanied by the gurgle of the creek below that doesn't seem to freeze over. My window will be open often.

Practicing the new studio layout in advance did make the transition much easier. Occasionally, I open the wrong drawer or walk in the opposite direction of what I'm looking for but mostly, it's good and I'm adjusting to the new flow. The space is lovely to work in - not too big and not too small - and will be just right as soon as I figure out where to put pieces in progress now that the edge of my computer desk is no longer available. I'll find a system/surface as I work in here more and more. It is good. 

If you move frequently like I have, do you shop for the house or the studio first?

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - my new studio set up with the stash out of the boxes, onto the shelves, and available.