The Calm After The Storm...

 Rebecca sits at the top of my new shelf unit. She's calmly stitching away having

witnessed the storm that was "Me", cleaning and rearranging my creative space.

This is the first thing I see whenever I enter through the door of my studio.

 My cutting table is clean and waiting for me to start the next project.

All Most of my laces are arranged on tubes and hang from the tension rods

I placed between the legs on my table. In this place, they're handy and ready

to use without sorting through loose pieces in boxes or drawers. I need to roll

a few more pieces I found while cleaning, but this is what's sorted so far.

 When I'm in the studio, I look to my left and see my machines, ready and 

waiting on their tables. Miss Ellie is set up on a larger table so I don't have

to move her to use the embroidery feature anymore. I just have to add the 

embroidery arm, set the design, thread her up and go. Handsome picked her up

 to move her out of the room during the "storm" and commented on how heavy

 she is. I'm infinitely happy that I can just leave her on the table to use now.

 If I stand behind Prissy (my Babylock Espire), and look back toward the door,

you can see what I see from here. My stand, holding a little more fabric (I know),

my storage cabinets on the right and my cutting table on the left. My acorn ornaments

all hang from a tension rod suspended in the window, and a few of my favorite pieces

of needlework hang on the walls. (Those are my completed "Sweet Stitches" panels

hanging on the door.) You can also see some of my small quilts hanging in the hallway.

 I've organized future projects in their own plastic storage boxes under

the cutting table. This way, they're kept together, clean and organized.

 These are my storage cabinets. I'm not going to open the doors because one

of you might fear for my sanity and call the authorities. I have fabric on bolts

behind four of those doors, and more plastic containers with current projects

inside the last one. Each one has the project name on it so that I can just pull the

one I want instead of having to sort through every one to find what I'm looking for.

 Each shelf on my new wall unit has a display of some of my favorite things.

This shelf has British tins, a small English figurine and, of course, a corgi. It was

a sweet gift from a generous blog friends TerriBoog and her dog, Bittabit, who

sent along a few other corgi things (see post here to see all the goodies she sent).

 This shelf has a watercolor painted by Sharon Chapman; a tiny treasured bear

handmade by a dear friend in Wisconsin (which sits on another gift from a Florida

friend about twenty years ago); a small creamer with beautiful little violets from Mom

(Grace); and one of my two Susan Pilotto creations (Mouse Droppings Fine Folk Art).

 Another shelf holds my own "Harris" the Tweed Rabbit pincushion; another

gift (the sweet, heart-shaped dish) from Terri; the incredible needlework beetle

I won from Lee from Notes From Under The Mountain blog; my own button

heart art piece; a crocheted floral mat from a friend who no longer sells them; and

my beautiful card from one of my family members in England. It's my "sweet" shelf.

 Pincushions and wool animals are front and center on one of my shelves.

That top pincushion with the lace and seam binding was made by dear friend, 

Dawn Edmonds of The Feathered Nest. She really has a way with canvas,

and seam binding. She's creates the loveliest sachets and pincushions.

 Of course, you knew I'd have a shelf dedicated to acorns, didn't you?

The leather case in the back hold a pair of antique binoculars. I hope to

someday create a steampunk piece with an embellished bird sitting on

top of those field glasses. For now, it looks just right with my acorns.

Today, I'll be in the studio. I have a little catching up to do, now that I'm all

reorganized. I have two class models to make for the shop in Venice. It was

nice to enjoy the calm after the storm, but no time to sit around on my laurels.

You'll want to be sure to visit tomorrow. 

I'll tell you all about my 1600 Post Giveaway!