One More Coffee Club Date and Studio Progress...

Empty Shelves and Good Friends. (l-r: Brenda, me, Kathy, Fay, Nora and Joni)

I have more photos of the progress in the studio below, but first I want

to mention that today is our last Coffee Club Saturday for the foreseeable

future. Today the shop will close its doors for good and Kathy and Nora

are going "on break". They've devoted a lot of time and energy into their

quilt shop venture and they're ready to spend some time doing fun things

with their families. We'll still see each other at guild, but no more Saturdays.

All of us in 2012. (l-r: Flo, Joni, Nora, Fay, Kathy, me and Brenda)

When I think about all the fun we've had together on these mornings, I know it's going to feel weird not getting up on Saturday to go down to the shop. We got to know each other better and we shared a lot of laughs and more than a few tears. We mourned the loss of loved ones and we've celebrated life. Now it's time to start a new chapter. I know we'll all keep in touch. Our visits will just be at different  times and in different places. Change is inevitable. We'll embrace it. We're all wishing Kathy and Nora wonderful new adventures. No "goodbyes".  Just good wishes.

 I know you're all waiting for a studio update, too, so here you go...

 We finished the floor before 5 o'clock yesterday. Trim pieces were installed 

behind these Koala furniture pieces, but not where shelves will be installed. I 

don't want to remove the baseboard from those areas, so we left them all in place. 

This picture is from the doorway into the room. My computer will be in the 

corner straight ahead and my serger table is right next to it. (Pardon the lamp. It's 

temporary and ugly. I just needed it for light until I decide how to light the space.)

 This is taken from the opposite corner from the door. Shelves will be installed on

 the wall behind me. The shelves with the partitions are part of my "tower of fabric"

 from the old studio. I placed it here for a preview. They'll be stacked and secured

 to the wall before I put all the folded fabric back. I can't wait to see it all in place!

 This door goes to the shared bathroom between the studio and the other

guest room. I'll be placing the cutting table under the window on the left.

 Shelves here for bolts of fabric. There will be a total of 129" of shelves on

this wall and the section of wall to the left of the window. There's one more

26" shelf unit that will be next to the bathroom door for a few more bolts.

I'm envisioning a riot of color on those walls, which is why I chose the soft

color for the wall itself. Which leaves only one more area to reveal to you.

The studio closet! I'm really proud of the way this entire floor turned out, but I  think

 the way I (perfectly) pieced the boards around the door hardware and into  the closet

 is my favorite part. I got better as I went along and was almost a pro by the  time I came

to the part that would be behind doors. It's a shame it will be hidden more often than not.

 Before I quit for the day, I moved all my drawer units into place, along with 

the large rolls of specialty fabric I have. Some of it is decorator fabric I have for

projects I've been thinking about, and then there are a few vintage bridal laces

I purchased for future garments. Now, they're in a place where I don't have

to worry about them falling on me like they did whenever I turned on a light

in the old studio. Clean, dry storage for my finer fabrics. I'm happier already.

 There are also drawers containing my wools, bindings, adhesives, ribbons, charm

packs, fabric set aside to finish more napkins or table runners and a lot of other good

 stuff. I also have my specialty papers (printables, etc.), rubber stamps and jewelry

  findings in the other drawers. There's a lot more here than meets the eye, but I know

 what is where and am happy to have it in the studio rather than in closets in other

 rooms or otherwise scattered around the house. Handsome is happy about this, too.

There's still a shelf above all these drawer units that I'll use for my baskets of batting.

 That should just about complete the available closet space until I sort and purge further.

I'm off to Coffee Club and then back home to get those shelves ready to install.

I know one thing is for sure...I'm finished working on my knees for the rest of

this project! My hands and knees are officially on break. Now it's only fun stuff.

Tomorrow is a new Sunday Scripture and I'll be back with lots of pictures Monday.

 Tag and Handsome can't wait until this is all done, so I better get back to it.