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Thursday 16 February 2017

Fabric sorting

I have spent the last couple of weeks sorting out my sewing studio. Did you notice that I wrote sewing studio instead of sewing room? That is the term I am supposed to use apparently, actually I should use the term studio not sewing studio if I am to be taken seriously as an artist!

We will see how I go with that. I am sure if I say my studio to the family they will not know what I am talking about however my son in his 20's talks about his music studio all the time and nobody bats an eye.

Anyway, since coming home from the Nancy Crow classes I decided to change things around. It took ages and I got into a terrible mess.



I sorted out the fabric that I loved and wanted to keep. I packed up fabric that I loved but knew I wouldn't use again and gave it to the Waverley Patchworkers Gift quilts program.

I packed fabric that was not in the more modern style and colours but still liked into boxes and stored them out of my 'studio'. I know where they are if I want them again.



Then I got out all my plain and more modern fabrics and sorted through them.



I decided to try sorting them into values instead of colours, the way Nancy had suggested. I am not sure if I will keep them this way though. Time will tell.

I've got my lightest lights and lights separated into two drawers.


Then I have my light mediums, mediums and dark mediums.



You can see by the photo above that I am very short of light mediums and finally I have my dark and darkest dark.


Having the fabrics sorted this way makes it easy to see what I am short of but I still am undecided if this will work. If I had a green drawer for instance I could still sort them in values but they would all be values of green.

Here are my cupboards nice and organised with all drawers and plastic tubs labelled.




I didn't just sort through fabrics though, I also changed my room studio around so that I can press the seams without getting up from my machine.



So far it's working well, now I just have to get on with some sewing and find out if I am really going to like my new style and what sort of quilts I am going to make this year.

I have been buying more fabric though and I am finding it so exciting and refreshing to be bringing home some new colours.


Bye for now,
Linda

6 comments:

jude's page said...

YOu must feel pretty good after sorting through all that, although it is a time consuming thing to do. Looking forward to your first creation.

Linda Steele said...

It was a huge job Jude, but I love it now. You're right, now it's time to sew

Sharon said...

Linda, I looked at your makeover from room to studio and I thought to myself - whoever came up with the idea of those plastic tubs should be knighted - what would we do without them??? When ever I see glimpses into other people's stash/room/studio no matter where ever they live in the world the common denominator for storage is plastic tubs... I can appreciate your re vamp and clearing and what a big job it is... It is the letting go of the "old" and allowing the "new" to seep in and fill the space which can be the most daunting... I still have a piece of dress fabric which belonged to my Mum - she was going to make my "now in her forties" daughter a dress when she was the same age your grand daughter - as I hold it I hold those memories too...
But I also have a tub (hem, a rather largish tub) of fat quarters that "I was going to do something with" mostly bought because of their design and a dream "when I have more time in the future" Now I have more time and well, you would probably be able to fill the gaps here with reasons why I haven't done anything with them...
From what I am hearing you say I can see a whole new horizon in front of you coupled with the new adventures that that will bring... All the best and I look forward to seeing what comes forth from your studio...

Sharon H

Robbie said...

Well, I'm impressed!

Linda Steele said...

Thanks Robbie, when doing a big clean up there is always a time in the middle that you have such a mess but there is no going back and you just have to keep going.

Linda Steele said...

Thank you for your lovely long comment Sharon. I agree about the plastic boxes, we would've been rich by now if we'd invented them. I have many things that I keep for sentimental value but as I get older I realise that my children do not have that attachment to them and they will find them a nuisance when we are finally gone. I have heard of people that take a photo of the sentimental item and then get rid of it. Probably a good idea.