First. It’s called the studio because 1) It will function much like a studio apartment when done. It will have a kitchen and a bed and living areas. It will only lack the bathroom which is on the other side of what we’ll be calling “stephs room”. 2) When the idea for my own space started, it was way back when, before I sewed. My primary outlet for creativity has always been art, drawing and photography (a skill I’m no longer good at AT ALL), and in the last decade, painting. We always called my paint space my studio. I understand it’s a very ambitious and perhaps pretentious name, but there it is. I think next week when we have the Christening I’ll call it the studio as much as possible just to annoy my husbands brother, who will potentially harm himself from rolling his eyes hundreds of times.
So, the recent situation has been that (more numbered lists…goody) 1) Painting with toddlers – not practical. 2) Sewing with toddlers – doable. I found out that the sewing was all practical and doable when I wanted to sew diapers for Thaddeus. Since then, I’ve had a number of sewing spaces. Me? Have to put my machine “away” along with all the various crap that goes with it? No. So the spaces grew until I took over the dining room. Here are some pics of what my dining room/sewing space evolved into due to the voices in my head that make me purchase fabric.
This first one shows a long shot into our great room. You can see my empty Ikea shelving unit that used to hold my precious fabric, now empty and on it’s way down to the studio.
The unshelved fabric close up. Also my beautiful vintage machine that I haven’t used yet. She is waiting for the studio to open to make her debut. We have row #1 (furthest left) which are wool sweaters. Row 2 is fleece, stretch terry, and sherpa. Row 3 are some of my wovens, prints for diaper outers, kids clothes, home decor and well, general petting. Row 3 is all flannel.
A close up of my desk. Two machines and a wide array of storage tools. I try to keep it neat but it’s hard with Andrae always grabbing my pins and trying to design his own stuff and actually now *sewing on my machines when I’m not around* (how did I NOT blog that?).
Drawers and rubbermaid bins full of fabric.
The fabric emptying out, you can see that the table is actually quite huge. And that of course I’m sewing in the middle of this. That’s the one piece reversible sundress cut and laid out right there.
Next we take a walk down the stairs, through Toddo’s room (which will have a train table and his shooting games but no other toys when we’re done)
Through what *will be* Stephs room, maybe by the middle of next week, but definitely by after the Christening. This is taken standing just out of her room (this used to be my studio/guest room) and you can see where the studio is just past it. On the right side is the bathroom.
From in Stephs room
Okay, here I’m standing just inside the door to the studio, looking into the part that is actuall MY space.
Two pics of what is soon to be the kid space. Where the chair is, that’s where the “daybed” will be.
Creeping in to my room. Toddo built the breakfast bar, which I love, because it’s likely during the school year I’ll just do lunch down there. It’s also a good place for the kids to color or do “light homework”.
Okay, going into the actual room. This is from the little doorway, right next to the breakfast bar. From right to left I guess. First up…on the very right of this picture, lmao that blank wall space to the right of the storage closet opening, is where the kitchenette will be. The fridge is done (it’s in Stephs room lol) and we’ll just be putting in a couple of counter tops and a full sized sink (for lanolizing and most importantly, dying). We thought about doing one of those mini stoves, but we’re going to stick with a hot plate and a toaster over. I’m most excited about the coffee maker though! Oh and yes, that is Toddo down there.
Then we have (still the storage room, it will have bifold doors and also houses a utility sink. it’s about 10×15) the closet (which shares space with our water on/offs and meter) which will house solvents and spray paints behind a very securely deadbolted door. Further to the left is the nook which will have a built in desk. This will be my painting station if it works. Toddo thinks it would make a better computer station but I want that closer to the machines and breakfast bar. Also a close up of the unfinished desk nook.
Just going around the room again. This corner will hopefully house the computer and tv (up high, I know, god forbid I be without a tv). This is also the wall where the bulk of my shelving will be. Right now it will be the Ikea shelving you saw earlier in the tour, but we’ll see what I wind up with.
My side of the breakfast bar, which will have a table with most of my machines on it. Yes that is Bill O’Reilly.
Finally, when the fabric marched itself downstairs. (I wish. NEVER EVER let your DH/SO see your whole stash much less carry it up and down stairs for long periods of time. EVER. I don’t know if I’ll ever be allowed near a fabric store again LOL Well, actually I will, he’s good like that…but the whole “need” concept that had worked before is gone.)
I have a farm table that is now in the middle of the room for cutting and big painting projects. We’re leaving the ceiling open (”we” drywalled the other side, the kids side) so that (more numbered lists!) 1) I can pretend I’m in an urban cool kind of lofty space with the duct and some cool copper pipes overhead, 2) I can very effectively bang some nails into the beams and hang stuff from the ceiling without worry…I have a nice collection of candle chandeliers (seriously, like 6 that I can think of offhand) that will be lovely hanging in there and DH would freak if I wanted to install them all in drywall that he worked his ass off to put in, 3) we can still get to our pipes and duct work in an easy place if we need to and 4) do you have any idea how hard it is to install drywall over a myriad of pipes hanging at different levels? He was willing to do it but when he started talking about how hard it would be and then mentioned a drop ceiling I opted for my “chicago loft that I never got to have” look. I have considered doing some “faux” work on the walls and painting bricks onto them to make it look more authentic and intentional. I figure I’ve got a decade or two to work on it though!
I realize that this post is longer than either of my birth stories OR the one about the first time I nursed in public. My apologies but I’m super excited to have this space for me, but also for my kids. They get an art space back, a cool toy room and a happy Mama. They will be safe while I spend a little time on me (while sewing for them and our house LOL). Steph will move down to her bedroom which is right next to a bathroom that she can get to in the morning to potty and shower without Thaddeus chasing her into it and bugging her the whole time. Thaddeus gets to move into Stephs old room and with him a lot of the toys that clutter our great room. We’ve been dreaming about this for a long time! As always Steph is the wild card, whether she’s going to be happy down there, but then she’s not exactly happy up here now is she? Yay!
And my Toddo, ain’t he the man? Why yes. He is the man. I will continue to post pics as he does other burly good husbandy type things like move my desk down there and finish the kids room. All this, and ladies, he can cook too.
