How Do I measure up? WOYWW

This Wednesday, My work area is in several areas, much like me. I seem to bounce from one project to another so have several things going at once. Today I am working on a quilt on my long arm machine.... ahemmm..... or am trying to. As you can see, I have my apprentice here who seems to know more about these things than I do. This is Boa, (as in feathered boa) who is so soft and fluffy and likes to curl around your neck. AKA " snaggle puss" as he is always trying to grab out for you when you walk by as if he were playing tag. O.K. Boa, you have had your 15 min. of fame so I am off to show what else I am working on.

Well as I was saying, I am taming a quilt on this monstrosity machine.

The pattern is a busy one, so you aren't seeing really as much work with the thread, but it really is there! You can however see it more on the solid fabric.

Lots of thread and lots of choices hanging on my wall. These are just some of them.

Meanwhile, at the worktable from last week, I have tiddied up a bit and since then gotten some mail art in. Remember the hands from my earlier post that I did? Well, I had gotten in my trades back from the mail. It was suppose to go into a hand journal, but the hands were just so varied in sizes, that I decided to post them on my cabinet. I think they look pretty good there so that I can view them often. They are also reversable, so I guess if I get tired of one side, I can turn them over.

Note also I have my little photo album on the table that I have been filling with ATC's that I have made and have gotten in the mail too. The top shelf on my work area is a reserved area penthouse for my assistant. I love my area corner where I can pull out an extra table area (where the basket is) when I need it, but can just slide it back when not in use. Just about all of the furniture you see here, I have purchased at yard sales! The "desk" is a kitchen table I got several years ago. The shelf area where the paints are on, are actually stackable units I think that were used in closets for shoes. The cabinet on the left was actually a microwave cabinet I paid $20. for. One of my favorite functional pieces! The bottom of it has all of my rubber stamping supplies. My kitchen is huge, so I have utilized this area for more work space for me.

The black tray was brand new, still in the box from a yard sale. It was a unit that you actually were to attach to the side of a drafting table. I had it attached to the shelf and it has provided a nice handy supply area for me. They run about $25.00 and I paid $4.00!

I also have some projects going on, that are sitting at my sewing area. 6 of these are from trades while the rest are ones that I made. Rather rustic with all of those wonderful hand stitches. These are done Teesha Moore style. You can click on her link for a tutorial.

Even by machine, you can get a rustic quality! I am thinking I should add some of this in the piece too!

I also ran across some of these textures that I may put in. The two on the right, I recycled from some shirts. I am not sure where I am going with all of these pieces yet. It could be a journal cover or perhaps even a tote bag. I guess you will just have to stay tuned!

Further on past my paper working area, is my sewing area and you can see where I am posting to you from my computer. BTW the desk the computer is on was a $5.00 yard sale find, the black cabinet to the right was $15.00, the cabinet to the right of the sewing table was a thrift store $49. find. The cabinet just beyond the desk was from an auction in England when we lived there. I think the only new furniture is the Koala cabinet my sewing machine sits in and the chairs.

In the next room is more work area. The table was an old drafting table my husband had purchased at a military base silent auction many years ago for $20.05. lol It sure makes for a wonderful cutting table with ample room to store cabinets underneath it. Note, my assistant is also in the corner supervising this area too!

Looking back you can see how all of this area is tied in. As you can see my bigboard ironing table is loaded with stuff that needs to be put away!

To the right of the photo you just viewed is more storage and junk. The table is temporarily there full of stuff that needs to be organized and put away.

This is the view you see across from the cutting table. The center shelving unit came from a Big Bear store that was going out of business. I also got the baker's racks behind this unit from there too.

This wood cabinet was a cabinet I purchased when we lived in England.

The white bins are filled with fat quarter fabrics in color families.

I have had a great mail week also, as I won on Diana Boiston's blog! She sent me some silks and silk dyes and embellishments all the way from England! WOW, I am going to have fun with this! Thanks so much Diana! What a treasure! Be sure to check out her blog too! My husband is especially excited about the neck tie since it will be for him! lol I use to make lots of neck ties for him and he would pick out the fabric and pay for it. I would tell him that it was going to take 10 yards of fabric to make a neck tie just so I would have just a "little extra scrap" left over. hee hee How is that for sneaking in extra measured stash! It is too tempting to open up the packages and start playing this very moment, but seems I have a quilt on the frame yet that is calling my name that needs to be finished. Perhaps I can show some finished works soon though with all of the lovely new found dyes.

It's off to work I go, but hope you have enjoyed the shop and studio tour!