Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Part Two of My Studio Tour

 Thanks to Karen Valentine at My Desert Cottage for this wonderful gathering of studio artists.  

My South Dakota prairie home seems like it is at the edge of the world sometimes, but thanks to her tour I am thrilled to share my studio with you.  It is used for quilting, antique display, genealogy, linens and lace.  

It consists of two large 18 x 20 foot rooms which adjoin my mother's apartment in the second floor of the Art &  Antique Gallery.  

 The second room of my upstairs studio  contains at least 15 suitcases filled with jewelry, patterns, crocheted lace, linens, vintage clothing, and sewing tools. 



 My desk holds family history and photos.  My filing cabinet with its freshly decoupaged finish holds notebooks and binders and writing supplies.   


The Victorian dress form extends to full height for the floor length dresses that were the custom of the day.  The body shape is most unnatural and assumed that a strong corset was the foundation of every garment.


My little work table is another base cabinet on wheels with a salvaged piece of blackboard slate for the top.  It seems there can never be enough horizontal surface in a studio but it is a struggle to keep it cleared off.


My generic to-do list--game pieces glued to magnets
on a metal cookie sheet.
A lady's train case that happens to have my mother's initials
stamped on the worn exterior has become my jewel case.
Here's the top layer, compacts, broaches, etc.

The bottom compartment of the jewel case with four trays full.  I sew pillow cases out of knit fabric for
metal lunch trays to hold the jewelry.
I hope you will step into the other room of my upstairs studio in the next blog.  Please leave a comment to let me know you were here.  I am so excited to see everyone else's places and get new ideas for mine.   Keep smiling and creating!

16 comments:

  1. I love your header ! I spin & weave the wool from my flock of sheep, and also make rugs. I love seeing how you've set your studio's & workspaces up. Fiber art and wool working require not only a place to work, but a place to store all the wool and crafting tools needed.

    Your mom is amazing.

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  2. Thanks for visiting Kathy. I also love spinning and weaving, but have put most of that away due to time constraints. We raised lovely, fluffy angora rabbits when my kids were young and I added their pluckings to wool fleece for knitted caps. I plan to make that a topic for a future blog. I am intrigued by your locker hooked rugs and plan to join your blog as I think we have a lot in common.

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  3. Two rooms of studio space - ohhhhhhh - and how wonderful to store them in all those old suitcases. Love the shoes! Cheers from Singapore!

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    1. So glad you could visit from Singapore! Party on!

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  4. Simply delicious Kathy, I loved the tour! It's been quite a while since I did any spinning. There was a time I would gather the wool from the sheep, wash it, then card it and finally spin it. Thanks so much for the lovely tour of your studios.

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  5. Wow how do you keep track of whar is in which studio...LOL. I love all of your rooms and the suitcases are a wonderful storage idea! Keep having fun creating.

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    1. The messy or wet stuff is in the downstairs studio. The clean and dry stuff is upstairs. Both studios have basic tools, but I still forget something once in a while and have to make an extra trip. Then I get to count it as exercise time--21 steps up and 21 steps down. LOL.

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  7. Suitcases are such a wonderful option for storage...I love the assortment you have! Is your "to-do list" a cookie sheet? That's a neat idea. Nice and big and easy to see!

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    1. Yes it's a metal cookie sheet and the letters are from an old game. I put magnets on the back of each one, but it's a permanent to do list--no specifics so I don't plan on changing it.

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  8. Love,Love all your collectables and antiques! So fabulous!

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    1. Thanks for your packing tape tute. So cute. I have just the place to use it!

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  9. I love your collections also. Wonderful rooms. I envy you your suitcase collection.....I'm only at 2 cases but I'm looking.

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    1. Thanks for visiting. I love your studio with its beautiful hat boxes. That might be my project for today. I have several hat boxes but they need refurbishing. Better get to that before they totally fall apart.

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  10. All three are great spaces (looked at your gallery space as well), you sure have room to do a lot and that's wonderful. I like the vintage suitcases and the dress form, also that you still have your Grandmothers boots, are they ever in great condition still and what a memory for you to have of her.

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  11. Loved your train case! I adore my mom's train case for my finished jewelry as well. I'm drooling over your collection of vintage jewelry! Such a smart cookie for covering trays with fabric to display with!

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