In the Fall/Winter 2008 issue of Studios I shared several tips on making art without a designated studio. Right after that issue hit the stands I moved and set up a new studio…and it’s in my bedroom again. The layout is such that I can now have a defined studio area with one exception. My dresser is on the studio side. It took me three months before I realized that I didn’t need a dresser top. For years it had just been a collection space for anything and everything. One closet door later and I now have an 80″ x 3′ workspace.
It’s a higher than usual table, but I work standing up so that’s no problem. For extended sewing, I purchased a drafting chair and a footstool for my foot pedal. For quick stitching, I just walk up to the machine and stitch.
Inexpensive hollow-core doors are available at the larger hardware stores and make a nice smooth work surface. I put the side with the doorknob hole against the wall. The cord from a power strip on the tabletop goes down through the hole to the outlet, keeping my workspace cord-free.
My downsized fabric stash is contained in three wheeled, wire baskets that fit perfectly in my new closet, below my clothes. I no longer buy any fabric, but I am increasing my stash and designing my own by dyeing and adding surface design. I’m pretty sure I will soon need another downsizing of my commercial fabric stash to keep fabric creep under control.
