Today I'm joining in the "Where Bloggers Create" party hosted by Karen Valentine at her blog "My Desert Cottage." Be sure to visit Karen and check out all the great creative spaces, but first I'd like to welcome you to my studio.
My name is Donna and I'm a quilter, sewer, scrapbooker, cardmaker, and blogger. I've been in my current studio since September 2009. Before that my sewing room was wall-to-wall stuff in a 9x9 extra bedroom and I was happy to have that. Then my husband decided to build a garage and asked if I wanted space for a bigger sewing room in the new building. Of course I said yes and the rest is history.
Last year, my cocker spaniel Rory, welcomed everyone to the studio. This year, Baxley is doing the honors. He loves spending time in the studio with me.
As you enter, on the right is my scrapbooking area with bookcases full of papercraft and quilting magazines. I recently bought the green metal cart at Ikea and use it to store 6x6 paperpads, paper scraps, photos, and envelopes. It's handy to be able to just wheel it around when I'm sitting at the desk. The black metal organizer (from Harbor Freight) on the desk holds various Project Life cards and stamps.
This corner of my desk has my cool blue vintage typewriter, a metal three-tiered container that holds my stamp sets, and another one that contains all my stamp pads. You can also see a corner of the shelves my dad built to store my rubber stamps.
This is where I spend a lot of my time; at my desk in front of the window that looks out into our yard. Under the window are some Ikea rods that hold all my punches and containers for pens, pencils, and scissors.
This cupboard holds craft supplies and also my new Silhouette Cameo, which I'm still learning to use, but am loving it so far. To the left is a bulletin board full of bits and pieces that might one day make it on to a scrapbook page or spark an idea for a quilt.
As you can see, there's a long counter along this wall, with space for three people to sew so my sister and mom can join me in the studio. Right now it's set up with my sewing machine and a quilt block on the portable design wall just waiting to be pieced together. Next to that is my serger and at the far end is that most important of appliances - the coffee maker!
Across the back wall is my long arm quilting machine. I've had it about a year and love quilting my quilts on it. I was lucky to inherit my Grandma Skog's treadle sewing machine and was happy to find a spot for it in my studio. Above it are some of my fat quarters on another shelf built by my dad. The quilt on the wall is made out of 15 year's worth of tee shirts from the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.
My niece enjoys taking the quilting machine for a spin whenever she visits.
Here you can see my design wall surrounded by Ikea cupboards full of craft and quilting books. Above the design wall are some of my childhood dolls.
My cutting table is actually my Grandma Zangl's dining room table that traveled all the way from Wisconsin to Washington in the back of my dad's truck one summer many years ago. This table brings back happy memories of playing cards and putting together puzzles in Grandma and Grandpa's basement. My Grandma sewed and tied quilts, so I think my she would approve of its current use.
This table is a great place for me and my sister to sit and drink coffee and look at quilt books as we plan our next projects.
Well, we're at the end of the tour. I'm so glad you stopped by and I hope you enjoyed the little peak into my studio. Don't forget to stop by My Desert Cottage and check out more great studios. Come back soon!
