Studio Renovation, Part One 🛠

Posted byneonkittyquiltsPosted inStudio Renovation

  
My studio is located in a loft space in our home- cozy, lovely, and a spatial challenge!  By changing the configuration, editing out pieces and building/adding 2 crucial new pieces, my sweetie has turned it into quite the perfect space :).  

Let’s look at the “before” picture…the biggest challenges were:

  1. My long arm took up too much space…and the wrong space–right in front of the set-in shelves that hold my stash and many notions.
  2. The ironing board could never find its right place, and would usually block entrance to the studio area.
  3. There was a great deal of poorly-used storage space in the recessed, sloped-ceiling area containing my (little) sewing machine table.  My workarounds of small sewing table + side table + rolling storage + other stuff = MESS.

  
(Incidentally, I did find that this very low-tech tool of graph paper came in handy ;).)

My long arm table was set up as 8 feet…and I had originally positioned it so that I could access the back of the machine. This location was terrific for my longarm work but I had to crawl around the table to reach my fabric, as you might be able to see here:
  
As time passed, I realized I was never ever going to use any of the functions requiring access to the back (eg pantographs)…and that my focus on art quilts meant I really didn’t need an eight foot table.  Fortunately the table is built in modular form so we were able to size it down to 6 feet…and roll it to a different spot.  By switching places with my cutting table (less depth than the long arm), we were able to create MUCH better access to those shelves.

  
So far, so good!  Next, we considered the ironing board…

  
Piles of UFOs sliding off…tiny folding bookcase in corner insufficient for my quilting book collection…suboptimal pressing area for quilting.  Yup, the ironing board needed to go…and so orders were placed for the rolling pressing station/shelving unit.  Part 2 will cover the construction of this fabulous piece!

  

Published by neonkittyquilts

Laurie is a fiber artist who combines her passion for animals and quilting by producing pet portraits though a technique she calls "Pet-lique." A frequent teacher at IQF's Open Studios and The City Quilter in NYC, she has been published in Quilting Arts magazine and The Canadian Quilter. Her art quilts have been juried into special exhibits in Houston and the National Juried Show of the CQA. She sits on the board of the Quilt Alliance and is an enthusiastic member of SAQA. Laurie lives in NYC and Connecticut with her husband, their two angelic German Shepherds and three mischievous felines.

4 thoughts on “Studio Renovation, Part One 🛠”

  1. I was looking for your furry helpers…they still have a special place don’t they? Can’t wait to see part 2!

    1. Oh they absolutely do ;)! Sweet Jesse has his Minkee bed under the Ott light on the longarm table and my handsome canine quilting assistant looooves his bed under my cutting table 😉

    1. Hi Yvonne! If you google “metro shelving” you will find a number of online sellers…there were a number of them, the only challenge was finding the shelves in white instead of black or chrome finish

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