As promised, today, on this eve of St. Patrick’s Day, I’m giving away some of my Marcia Derse fabric from my 1st Maudlin-Free Monday Giveaway.
In my very first blog post I asked you: What makes you happy when you create? More than 100 of you responded, and I agreed with all of your sentiments.
Some highlighted responses:
“Creative time? It takes a bit of self-cajoling – but once I actually begin the ‘making’ process – whether it is cutting into the fabric, applying the paint, moving things around on the design wall…. it feels so good to be IN the creative process. I have no idea why it is so hard to make myself get there.”— Lyric Montgomery Kinard
“My happiest moments are when I stop ‘creating,’ take a couple of steps back and look at my work from a distance and think: ‘I made this!”— Laura Gamaleri
“I will say that I am happiest when I have my sewing room looking like a tornado hit with my stash surrounding me – that inspires me, and I am happiest when I am in contact with my hands wrists deep in fabric!”— Nancy Chaddick
“What I enjoy most? The fact that when I create (like a York Peppermint Patty) a blast of clean air whips through my brain and leaves it empty. Nothing wrong with that!”— Melanie Testa
Thanks a lot, Melly, now I’m hungering for a York Peppermint Patty.
1st Fabric Winner
Congratulations to Dixie McIntyre ! You are the winner! Please email your shipping address to me at pokeyb@quilts.com and I’ll get your fabrics out to you faster than you can say “I LIVE and BREATHE quilting!”
Taking Studio Suggestions for St. Patrick’s Day Weekend
Since tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, I am going to put on my favorite Capercaillie CD and do what I’ve been dreading. I am going to finish unpacking my studio, but I am afraid I am going to need the luck of the Irish to get this sorted:
If you have suggestions for me, I’m listening…
Have a black & tan on hand when you need a break! 😉 Happy St. Pat’s!
Hilary…good thinking!
more old furniture – bright colors on dresser/cabinet doors/drawers. spray paint heavy duty open shelf units- even the ugly ones for garage storage – so many colors to choose from – store fabrics by colors in drawers and plasticsweater boxes. I keep projects together by using 1 and 2 gal ziplock bags – keeps everything clean and together – and I dont mistakenly use that special scrap of the perfect color on some other project
Music, favorite beverage, pets for moral support, one clean spot to sit down.
Antiques are wonderful to look at out in your studio room, but you need to hide a lot of ugly stuff! Fill your closet with wire shelving, add plastic totes to hold seperated “stuff” like plastic tubs & jars for paint, dyes, etc. – maybe a couple of plastic drawer units – good for plastic bags & cover sheets, etc. – open wire baskets are best for fabrics, I found musty odored fabric when I used covered plastic – use bags to divide fabrics, but leave them open … you ARE in the south now … Watch out Home Depot (or Lowe’s) … here comes Pokey!
If I lived near by I’d come help you. I’m much better at helping others organize than I am at my own. 😉 I rearranged my studio this week and it is still a bit of a mess. I really need to get it back in shape so I can create! Good luck to us both this weekend!
All of the above, and IKEA.
Glad you are settling in. Once you get that sewing machine going you will be back in business. Just do it!
I’ll come help you organize your space if you will come over here and help me with mine…ugh! I don’t have the excuse of just moving. I think I need to RE-organize my space.
If you can do for your studio what you have done for the other spaces in your house you will have an awesome workspace. Good luck!
xoxo L
Glad to see you are settling in to your new place. It’s really looking good. I can only imagine it’s a really great job that’s caused you to move from the Boston area to Houston (where I went to graduate school in the 80s) but I’m sending you best wishes for this new direction.
In answer to your Monday Giveaway, it is always color that gets me going. If I am particularly unmotivated I just iron and re-order my fabric stash. Even better, though, is dyeing some fabric…..Color is what gets me every time!