Making Space for Crafting

I've been enjoying this series lately. And by enjoy, I mean building up jealousy being inspired.

Have you ever traded spaces with another artist or crafter? Yeah, depending on where you live and who is nearest to you and whether you even have any crafty friends in the real world and how many hours you work or are committed to other things in a week, it can be difficult. When I was in school and taking art classes, we got to work alongside each other and occasionally in each others' "space", but that was a good while ago.

On occasional good days, or on rare movie opening nights, I get to go and work at Adrianna's house. If we're lucky the kids nap and play with reasonable peace and we get to talk about our ideas and families and fabric likes and dislikes and possibly work on some of our blog posts and maybe even talk about how one day we might do something in the crafty realm that could earn enough money to buy a spool of thread or two. That's really not the focus of our blogging and creating right now, but someday, we dream, it could happen.

There are a million things I love about working in a new space, and a million more about working in the space of a good friend. Adrianna would probably not eeeeever write a post about her work space exclusively, but... I snapped a few photos while I was there today. Because there are some really lovely bits that I'd like to share. She has a smooth, uncluttered style that I love {edit: Adrianna laughed out loud when she read this}. And her house is babyproofed. That's key.

Not pictured:

• the deeeeelicious Caramel Corn she made
• the coffee that was ready when I arrived
• her Huskystar sewing machine that I dearly love
• Adrianna nearly passed out on the couch at the end of the day from who knows what kind of cold or flu she's fighting off
• our oldest two pottying synchronously
• our youngest two stealing pacifiers from each other and thus sharing whatever snotty germs they're carrying

These embroidery hoops hanging over her ironing area are filled with some of her fabric favorites.

She hangs scraps of her favorite projects on a line under her bulletin board. I think the original idea was that she'd hang a scrap from each and every project, but I'm thinking she may not have kept up-- she doesn't have as many fabric scraps hanging as I think she's used. She's crazy productive in waves.

Quilt inspiration, garment inspiration, her first freezer paper stencil, notes, business cards.

I think she's previously mentioned her excitement over the upcoming Wonderland reprint.

Her pattern basket. As if Oliver & S patterns weren't useful and cute enough as-is, the paper dolls on the front are lick-em-up delicious.

Part of her bookshelf and part of her stash. Both enviable. Yet not wildly overdone.

Her button jar. I'll be turning this photo into a screen saver soon.

And her thread. Both displayed and at the ready. I don't have room to do this in my space, but when I do... it's just yummmmy. And somehow her kids don't run by and grab five spools and take off at top speed trailing thread behind them and threadburning each other like I am aaaabsolutely sure mine would.

So, there you have it. A bit of crafty voyeurism. For the good of all craftkind. Since you can't run on over and climb in as easily as I can... at least on the days the kids cooperate. How many folks out there actually get to craft space swap or share with friends?