crafterhours

sleeping babes. crafting moms.

Making Space for Crafting

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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?

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Comments

  1. Belisse Designs says

    I am lucky enough to have a equally crafty friend who is forever inspiring with her ‘anul’ qualities within her own craftroom….our collections are soothing to the soul..though we both spoke the other day how much we have accumulated over the years, but each of us come up with new ways of coordinating our craft rooms to inspire us further(and to fit more in LOL)

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  2. The Cottage Mama says

    Oh, I just love this post – so many pretty colors. I just purchased a ton of embroidery hoops from my local thrift store – what an awesome idea to put your favorite fabrics in them for decor. Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply

  3. Bobbie says

    That quilt I just used for an inspiration for a blanket for me! It is just so darling…it was a bit harder than I though cause I wanted mine bigger but still super cute!

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  4. Stacey says

    I was just wondering the other day about how to go about organizing my thread collection (which is not nearly as colorful as Adriannas). Right now they are all thrown into a basket and I can never find what I want. Gonna have ta get me one of them.

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  6. CraftLadyof Steel says

    i’m a fabric lover, so an idea to display the scraps really apeals to me. thanks for the idea, it’s like a photo album b/c each scrap reminds you of what you’ve made. maybe she could eventually make a quilt out of the pieces.

    Reply

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