A place to create - welcome to my studio!

Goodness me I hadn't realised how long it has been since my last post. This year has been flying past at breakneck speed and I have been hanging on :)

So what have I been up to? Well I have continued doing shows for Create and Craft where I get to share knowledge and tips with a huge number of people at a time. It is great fun and it is amazing how many people I meet out and about who have started stitching after watching the shows.

I have also been working on magazine projects this month - with 10 Christmas projects just completed for Prima Makes magazine, projects for Create and Craft club magazine currently filling up my work table and 20 projects for the next Linen and Lace magazine sitting on my design wall. Crikey! I feel tired just talking about it.

I often get asked how I can make so many projects and still get some sleep? Well the answer is that I have a fully optimised work space. It is a room where I can go and work, but once I have finished I can shut the door and get on with other jobs. Being able to leave jobs half way through without having to put it away saves time and effort - two savings which make a big difference over time.

So here are some pictures of my sewing haven! It is a double bedroom with en suite which is hidden away on the top floor of our house which makes it very toasty this time of year.

The long kitchen work surface hides storage behind curtains. The shelves are filled with boxes keeping oodles of sewing loveliness in check. I use a planner table for my sewing machine and main cutting mat, with another mat on the work surface for easy photography. The laptop is constantly on as I try to keep on top of the paperwork :)
I spend a lot of time in this room - and therefore the TV and the kettle (hiding behind the laptop) are also vital pieces of equipment. The quilts on the back set of shelves are samples for shows (the rest are out of site in the hallway) and the fabrics in the boxes below are fabrics from suppliers for samples and demonstrating. I keep these separate from my own stash to avoid temptation :)

So here is the real stash....

Should I be worried??? My lovely Paul helped with the thread storage and it reduces the danger of buying duplicates because all the colours are visible. Once I sorted out my threads I found I had about 20 different spools of white thread - this way I can make sure I use them before I go and buy another one.

Here is my design wall pinned to the wall behind my door. It lets me display my quilt designs as I work on them. It helps me choose quilt layouts and play with colour placement, as well as see the whole design come together in front of me.




So there you are - this is where I spend much of my days, though it doesn't always look this tidy!

14 comments

  1. Love your room Sarah, wish I could have one too. I am the quilter who has the dining room table with a corner of the room got my stash. It is building up lovely now, but fast running out of space! Will have to move house I'm afraid......lol xxx

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  2. Where I have my stash I meant to say.....

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  3. good to see where your creativity happens a great room like you in my previous house I had a long kitchen worktop which was so useful and shelving above but now stitch in the lounge but living on my own do not have to use it for any other purpose, keep up with all the C & C we do not seem to be getting much quilting etc these days but less is better thn none.

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    1. Hi Margaret. I am very lucky - but then I do spend a lot of time in there :)
      I am certainly working hard with CnC - Im doing between 20 -30 hours TV a month so doing my bit to keep the sewing fires burning . Sarah x

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  4. Thank you for sharing Sarah, I can see your Brother sewing machine is the other on the table a Janome? What a lovely stash of fabric

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    1. Yes I have 2 brother sewing machines - and a Janome Memorycraft 660 (which is on the table). Well spotted! I dont use it much these days and will probably put it up for sale eventually. It was out that day because I was giving all my machines a clean :)
      Sarah

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  5. Lovely to be so organised. I am lucky enough to have a craft room with 2 small desks on e side for sewing and the other for paper craft. I am plucking up courage to ask my husband to put some shelves up for me that will make like so much easier.

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    1. Lucky you! Definately smile sweetly and get those shelves. Then make some gorgeous fabric boxes to keep everything in and the room will look beautiful as well as be functional!
      Sarah x

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    2. I will ,just picking my moment lol!

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  6. Don't think you could get anymore stuff in that room Sarah ! Would love a room as I am using the dinning room table. Have a couple of units but they are now overflowing !! Love the stuff you do, pity I don't live near where you are, as I could get to your classes.

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    1. Hi jill
      Mine overflow too - it doesnt matter how much space you get, the stash just grows to fill it!
      BTW I dont teach much at the moment as my time is filled with CnC and magazine projects so you arent missing much :)
      Sarah x

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  7. Wonderful Sarah. You are such an inspiration. Anne xxx.

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  8. absolutely love your room, I have loads of shelves all around the bedroom, full of boxes with sewing stuff and fabrics, paper crafting stuff and a whole collection of books on all manner of sewing, craft and cooking, just wish I could get in and craft, some day soon, hopefully . keep up all your good work Sarah it is so inspiring and I love it xx

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Feel free to let me know what you think!