Week in Review 2018 - 05/25

 Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

My last posting was February 2, 2018. The subject was my Appleton, WI studio swan song. Since then I have been busy doing anything but working on my art. We officially moved into our new home in Cohasset, MA on May 7th. Once the the basics of master suite, kitchen, shared living space, and office were set up, it was time to focus on the studio. Although I don't have one large room this time, I do have the second story of our home. To quote our realtor when we looked at this house, "You do realize this is a quirky home, Gwyned, don't you?" To which I replied without missing a beat, "Yes, that's its appeal." As you will see the aesthetic details are quirky, and so is the layout.

My office and studio space were originally designed to be a guest suite. They include a full bath, guest bedroom (my office), a sitting area (hand sewing), loft (studio), and galley kitchen (wet studio). 

This is the sink in the guest, now studio, bathroom. I can access it from my office, via the walk in closet where I store my fabric, or directly from the studio sewing area. The guest bathroom on the main floor also has a decorative sink. That one has a gnome couple in a woodland setting. The prior owners used this couple as their personal talisman/logo. 

This is my commercial fabric stash. Catty corner to this, in a similar open shelving cabinet, are the fabrics I have dyed, painted, stenciled or altered with a variety of surface design techniques. 

My reference library of fiber art books, computer manuals, and few office supplies are in the office. 

Turning right after exiting the double glass paned doors into my office is the sitting area. I have several cabinets in here to store tools, supplies, and embellishments. One cabinet makes a nice stand for my thread collection.

The house is a contemporary (8 years old) victorian style with two turrets, resulting in 3 half hexagonal areas, 2 on the main floor, and this one on the upper floor. I will use this for hand sewing. It overlooks the marsh across the street. Remember my swan song in Appleton? There are swans who come to this marsh.

Exiting the sitting area across from the office is a the galley kitchen/wet studio. Here is just one of the cabinets filled with paints and other surface design equipment. Although I am determined to keep purchases to a minimum, I knew I must have an electric kettle. Every studio needs a way to provide a nice hot beverage right?

This is the same paint cabinet closed. Aren't the knobs fabulous?

Finally, the studio itself. There is just enough room to line up my ironing table, Bernina table and George. The two sewing stations are on casters so I can move them around as needed. The palladian window is over the main entrance and overlooks the back yard. It provides natural light to what would otherwise be an interior room with no windows. Check out the lavender ceiling. 

I still have a few more things to set up with my husband's help. The design wall will be in the studio where I stood to take the picture. There will also be a pegboard to hang scissors, rulers and other everyday essentials in the hallway leading out to the sitting area. 

For those of you who read my blog for Lola, my studio cat, sitings, never fear. She has a cat condo located just to the left of the ironing table and another one in the office. 

Lola opted to hide while I unpacked and organized the studio. Do you think she was trying to get out of helping?

I am linking up with Nina Marie's Off the Wall Fridays.