My new studio!

I have a new sewing room/studio in my house. Its really nice to have the extra space as a lot of my 'stuff' has been left stored in the little room I had previously. Hopefully both sons won't want to come home to live at the same time as we now only have one spare room.

Anyway, to celebrate the new room I have started teaching private beginners patchwork, collage/ appliqué and machine quilting classes. I also hope to run some very small classes during the week and some play days for small groups who want to try out different techniques. I'm also happy for people to do 'studio visits' (just ring first) or can arrange a short private class for overseas visitors who want to make a memento of New Zealand. Just get in touch to let me know what you would like.

The first small group play day is Indigo dyeing and shibori.

If anyone is interested in indigo dyeing while the weather is warm ( indigo likes warm weather) . Possible dates are
Saturday 20th February
Friday 18th March
Saturday 19th March (nearly full)

Email me at smith_c*actrix.co.nz for further details or reply to this post.

Note to Chyfly who commented on my previous blog post, I'm sorry I don't seem to be able to answer your comment so I left a message in the previous post! Thanks for letting me know about the tatters in relation to the barge-man's clothes, that was very interesting and I'd love to know more but couldn't find anything on Google.

Making an ironing table

I've started to notice that quite a few quilters are making themselves a larger ironing surface either by adapting their ironing boards or putting a larger top on a bookcase. I had a small cupboard that can be rolled around on castors, it's 45x60cm. It used to be my mother's microwave cupboard. I had a board cut to size at the hardware shop, I wanted it to fit into a space 110cm long when I'm not using it.

I attached the board to the cupboard with screws, countersinking them so they wouldn't affect the ironing surface.

I covered it wth two layers of tin foil. I'm not sure if that was necessary but it should help the board to resist steam from the iron and might help stop it getting too hot.

Then I added a layer of cotton batting but it was a bit bumpy so I added a layer of wool coat fabric on top. I turned it upside down to staple down the padding.

Then I covered it with some blue cotton drill that I had in the cupboard. I might order some of the ironing board cloth from Amazon but this should do in the meantime. I only safety pinned it on, so I can remove it easily.

Then I noticed all the wasted space under each end and used some racks which we had in the garage left over from a previous project. They hold all the ironing paraphernalia. The baking paper, Teflon sheet, spray bottle, fluff remover roller.

So now I have a mobile ironing station in my new studio and I love it.

Out -takes

The turquoise fabric needed to be ironed before I covered the padding, but my ironing board was covered with tools and nails, then it occurred to me - DING- I could use my new ironing board.

My new studio

I've been working in a long thin room which has become so full of 'stuff' that I have found it harder and harder to find a space to work in. Recently I have been working in a 50cm square spot on a 4 metre long bench because of a lack of storage space and an inability to organise my stuff. 

We have just done major renovations across the whole house. These were long overdue as the kitchen was a 1970s brown horror. It was so authentically awful that it was used as the set for the movie 'Via Satellite' when we rented out the house while we were overseas back in 1997. It has taken until 2015 for us to brave the disturbance of kitchen renovations. Anyway after months of painting walls, waiting for tradespeople, moving furniture around so we could recarpet etcetc, we moved to the downstairs part of the house and my husband kindly vacated his office ( he moved into one of the kids bedrooms as they have left home) so I could  have a bigger studio at the front of the house. I will have a space to teach a few students or have a few friends over for crafty 'play dates'. I should have enough space to make voluminous theatre costumes in there too.

I have painted the walls and ceiling, ripped up the old disintegrating carpet and had 9 new lights put in. Yesterday I had new Lino installed, tomorrow Lisa Call is going to help me put up a large design wall, and I should get the bookcases and cutting table set up by next weekend. I'm really looking forward to putting my books in place. The books have been moved 4 times already, as each room was cleared for recarpet game or painting. I am so over moving books.

Nasty brown floor is transformed by instant plank like Lino.