Friday, June 18, 2010

Where Bloggers Create......Party!

Welcome to "Where Bloggers Create" blog party. With over 450 participants, this party promises to be full of inspiration, fantastic spaces, and just plain fun. To visit the other blogs and see how it all works go over to My Desert Cottage for a visit with Karen (or click on the button below).

I am also linking to Pink Saturday, to see more pink posts visit Beverly @ How Sweet the Sound or click the button.


Note: If I have not made it to your blog yet to see your studio, I will. It is June 28th as of this note and I am in the "B's" so as you can see I am taking my time and absorbing each space.


Ok, now to the party......................................

First up........my sewing area. One of the things I like to do is quilting. My sewing area is still in the master bedroom. Two years ago we made an addition to the house, going from 800 sq feet to 1700. This addition includes a new studio on the second level. We are not finished with it yet (we are on the pay as you go plan), so my sewing area is still down stairs. I do have an awesome view, and a bay window to sew in. No fancy sewing table here, but one of our dining room tables.




















I wanted to introduce you to one of my sewing helpers. This is Missy Moew. She loves to help sew, she is inspecting the sewing machine to make sure everything is working right and the thread is in the needle.


















In this same room I have book cases holding my supplies. The one below holds some fabric,
embroidery threads, laces, patterns and whatever else lands there. I admit I cleaned it up a bit. My sewing table is in the lower corner (just so you can see how things connect).























A close up of my embroidery thread storage, it is intended for use in the garage for nuts and bolts, but works wonderfully for threads and small items. The other containers have smaller containers inside, that I keep my beads in. Also I use several TV dinner type containers (plastic with 3 sections) to hold embroidery supplies as I work on a project for my Crazy quilting. Remember to click the picture for a closer look.
























On the top shelf I keep some of my pincushions, laces, ribbons and a picture of my daughter and I.


















See, honest it is in the bedroom and I use the bed for a staging area. The white thing standing up in the window is a magnifying lamp. I must remind you if you have one of these lamps to keep it out of the window when you are not working. The sun beats in this window in the afternoon and magnified thought the lamp glass and caught one of my finished quilts on fire, thank goodness I walked in the room and smelled it, what if I had been gone? Very dangerous.


















Is it break time yet? All this sewing is making me tired...........


















The other, of the two, bookcases in our room holding my sewing things. I won't know what to do with all the room once they are moved to the studio. This holds more lace, ribbon, buttons, beads, patterns and a bunch of other stuff, including Calgon.......which I will use with some dyes for fabric. Now if you will go through the door there, we will head upstairs to the
studio.
























A collage of some quilts.
















As we enter the studio, I need to introduce you to Me Moew. He is enjoying some sun, we have had alot of rain this spring so the sun is very nice.


















This room is not finished as you can see....but it is usable, so why not. First up, is my cutting area (well it will be once I move the sewing up here). This used to be in my kitchen, I have now re purposed it. It has good storage space and a nice size cutting surface.


















A wider view of the room, over in the corner will be a wood stove to keep things warm (it gets to -25 around here), next to that under the window will be where the sewing area goes. Tile will go on the floor in front of the door. If you'd like to see the building of this room and the rest of the addition visit my Wyoming blog here. This link gets you to where we began on the addition.























A hutch I refinished to use in the studio.























My longarm quilting machine. This room was built with it in mind, it was housed at a friends for two years, so good to have it home.


















The back side of the longarm, with drawers underneath for storage.



















Looking at the room from the other end. Way over there is my scrapbooking area, we will come back to that in a bit.


















Going back downstairs,............I guess, sewing was very tiring for Missy Moew.


















Missy Moew is asleep in my chair where I sit to do my embroidery.

A collage of some Crazy Quilting and bead work.
















My stitching area, when it is not being used for a nap. To the right are the stairs that lead up to the studio, in fact lets go back up to see my scrapbooking area. After you......


















Do you scrapbook? Here is a collage of a few of my things. Don't you just love the word albums, and what do you think of the dog food cans, re purposed and decorated, to hold pens and such?























My work area, an old school table, provides alot of room to spread out. The opening on the other side of the table, is the staircase we just came up, in the background is the longarm and sewing area.


















Back downstairs in the dinning room you will find my jewelry area. Inside this desk, with the grandchildren overseeing the work.























Open the door, and you see the goodies.























Lastly a few of my pieces. Jewelry making is new for me.














































I hope you have enjoyed your visit and you have gained some inspiration. Thank you for coming by, I hope you will come back again. Please leave me a note to let me know you came by. I am posting this to my quilting blog Big Horn Mountain Creations as well, if you would like to see more of my work I invite you to pop on over.

God's blessing to all.















































18 comments:

Lisa said...

Oh my what great spaces! You have so much room. You look like you are enjoying even before it is finished! Thanks for letting us in, and introducing us to your helpers!
Hugs, Lisa

Char said...

Your creative space is perfect. I love the view from your machine to the great outdoors. Of course, you have to love your special helpers...so cute. The hard wood floors and the ceiling are gorgeous. I could have lots of fun exploring there, Char

Monica said...

Hello Gail! I SO enjoyed the tour of your studio!!! The longarm quilting machine is totally new to me, it was so special to have a look!
What an amazing and HUGE working space... it looks so airy and cozy and inviting. I'd definitely love to work in there!
Lovely companions, too, so sweet!
Happy Party! And thanks for stopping by!
Monica.

Theresa Plas said...

Gail! You have such fabulous spaces and quite the meow mix! I adore that red hutch...just gorgeous! Your quilt work is amazing! I hope I never get addicted and feel like I need to acquire a "longarm"...that could call for a new house! Your embroidery crazy quilt work is so beautiful...one of those things I keep "reading" about and plan to practice sometime soon. Thanks so much for sharing and stopping by my studio today!

The Quintessential Magpie said...

What a very neat space! I am assuming that a long arm is for quilting??? Forgive the ignorance of that comment, but I have to ask to know.

Love your quilt you are making, but I particularly love your helpers. But goodness, looked like you worked poor Missy to death! ;-)

Thanks for sharing, and that space is fabulous!

Happy Pink Saturday!

XO,

Sheila :-)

My Grama's Soul said...

Thank you so much for showing us around your studio.

My....oh....my, you are one serious quilter. I am not much of a sewer but I so admire the ladies who do.

XO

Jo

Catharina Maria said...

This is a very great work space a think .
Love cats !!
Have a nice weekend with love from the Netherlands ♥RINI♥

Betty said...

Wow oh Wow! How nice that you have a room for your long arm quilter. I want one of those soooo bad!

Simply Debbie said...

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY GAIL,
YOUR CREATIVE SPACES ARE AWESOME.
I WOULD HAVE NEVER DREAMED ONE OF THOSE MAGNIFYING GLASSES WOULD CAUSE A FIRE. PRAISE THE LORD THAT NOT ONLY YOU WERE HOME BUT AWAKE.
I ADORE MISSY MEOW AND HER DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE YOUR SEWING MACHINE WAS WORKING PROPERLY AND ME MEOW IS LAID BACK...EVERYONE IS WORKING FOR HIM. I LOVE CATS SO MUCH AS WELL AS DOGS.
HUGS
SIMPLY DEBBIE

suesueb said...

All your creative spaces are wonderful but I'll bet you can't wait for the upstairs to be done so you can create more beautiful things! I love the wood on the walls and the floors. Me Moew and Missy look like such sweet company. I'm going to visit your Wyoming blog now for more inspiration!! Happy pink, creative week!

Self Sagacity said...

Always wanted to make jewelry, but now is not the right time for me. Love that you are able to have such a nice space for your crafts.

Roberta said...

Wow your new studio space is just wonderful and can't wait to see it when it is all finished. I also love the "word" memory albums and I did one last year for "travel" and have "beach" and "believe" in my stash. Your quilting is beautiful and that monster machine does need it's own space. Like you, I'm in a very small space, 687 sq. ft. so I know how the space all over the house serves multiple functions. So glad to see so many of my Pink Saturday ladies participating in Where Bloggers Create as well! Have a great week, fondly, Roberta

Anonymous said...

Oh, my gosh..I'm visiting too late again, but I'm here..that's what counts doesn't it? So, Happy Belated Pink Saturday to you and I hope you'll visit my PS-post and enter my give-away! Love, Esther XX

Alexa Lett said...

You cover some space. It is so interesting to see how many creative folk have area of concentration. I have never been able to subdivide it all....it's just in one big pile. Kudos to having that much square footage! Loved your rustic style home! Thanks for sharing!

Karen said...

HOLY COW! Who cares if you are on the pay as you go plan! What an AWESOME space! And my Dear - I have never seen a quilting machine before! That is quite a piece of machinery. The only quilters rack I've seen is the one my grandma used to use, and if it had a quilt in it - it took up 1/2 her living room. I remember many an hour gathered around it with my grandma, my mom and my aunts. FUN TIMES!
And then you have the entire scapbooking area too! And a sewing area . . . you are SPOILED GIRL!
How very fun! Thanks for sharing!
And I snuck a peek at a certain PICTURE of "sisters" in your scrapbooking picture! WHOO HOO! Friday will be here before we know it!
HAGD! Karen ~ Some days are diamonds

Anonymous said...

Visiting from Where bloggers Create Party, love that big new room you will have to stretch out in with your quilting machine. Awesome work I saw in the pictures.
I'll be back for Sorority Sisters.

Anonymous said...

Your space is gorgeous! I especially love your cutting table! Of course your kitty is adorable too!

Sherry said...

Your new space is wonderful. I love how you have made good use of the other spaces in your home while waiting to finish your new studio. You are so organized. Your work is lovely, I love the crazy quilting. That is something I would love to do more of. Thanks so much for sharing your home.