Saturday, January 31, 2009

A Change of Pace - Another visit to my studio


This is an overall view of my studio taken several years ago. You see the design wall which is about 30 feet long. It is covered in flannel (queen size sheets) and has 4 movable sections.

This is the fabric storage with the center two doors open. The photo was taken soon after I moved into the studio. The shelves are 12 inches deep which accomodates fabric folded into 4 thicknesses across the width. As you can see there are also sections that accomodate larger pieces of fabric. I arrange my fabric by color.


This is a photo of the same area taken today. Do you notice how I changed the distance between the shelving so now I can store the fabric vertically rather than in piles. This has made it much easier to see what I have, take fabric out and replace it. I periodically rearrange my fabrics getting rid of those that no longer fit my needs.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS PHOTO WITH ANYONE WHO CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU NEED ALL THAT FABRIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I couldn't do what I do and create the quilts I make without this palette to work with.

When I first moved into the studio I realized I hadn't made any accomodations to store finished quilts. I used to keep the larger ones on the bed in the guest room and ceremoniously remove them as my guests got a quilt show and Oh'ed and Ah'ed!
This got old fast and I realized I needed a better system.
I had purchased this 3/4 antique East Lake victorian bed years before for a pittance at an auction. My husband refinished it and we put a mattress on it. This is where I store my quilts. You see the top quilt here, but there are probably close to 50 quilts under it.
The smaller quilts are stored on two trolleys that pull out from under the bed. This has proved to be a great storage system as I am able to store them all flat.
The art you see on the wall is not a quilt but a painting by Frank Salcido, an Indian artist who's work I love. On the design wall you see several pieces of silk I dyed. I intended to make a unstructured jacket from this fabric to wear for the opening of my show. When I realized what the weather would be that day I changed my mind!

Tonight's puzzle is a view of the bed with the quilts taken from a different angle.
Click to Mix and Solve

8 comments:

Judi said...

What a wonderful studio and shelves for your fabric. I love it, great way to store quilts as well. Now to do the puzzle.:).

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

Your studio is huge! I only have one wall in the house that is 30' long and it has a picture window and 2 side windows in it.

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I agree - what a large room to work in! and those shelves! love it - I wish I had a room like that to work in.
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/

Winter Wanderings said...

What a wonderful space! Thank you for sharing ... now I have a better idea of what to do with my own collection!

Norma Schlager said...

Wow! I'm impressed. What great fabric storage in what must be a HUGE room. Please show us your work, sewing, pressing areas.

Kay Koeper Sorensen said...

If you go to the right hand column of this pafe and select studio you will see some other parts fo the studio.
K

Irene said...

What a wonderful studio Kay. You have given me a great idea for storing fabric sideways rather than in piles. This is where I get into trouble as I'm always pulling from the bottom of the pile and somehow it just never seems to get straightened up as neatly as it was before. I love your bed idea too.

Roberta said...

I now have studio envy! What a beautifully spacious place to create. You are one fortunate quilter!