Candied Fabrics » studio

It never rains, but it pours! MORE good news!

Candy — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:21:14 +0000

I got something really awesome in my email in-box Monday afternoon, and it was a total surprise: A final proof of an article I wrote about my studio, to be published in the Summer issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors Studios. I had submitted a couple of pix and a quick description to them last Fall, and they sent me guidelines for the article and picture specifications late last year. I wrote up a description and took the nicest photos I could and sent them off in late January. I hadn’t received anything back from them until today, when ta-DAH! 5 pages of Candied Fabrics studio laid out for me (and soon the whole world) to see! Combine this with Quilting Arts asking me to write the 2 articles I proposed on Friday and I’m totally jazzed!

Lisa Call just wrote about how having too much of her unfinished work on her design walls, along with piles of fabric from recent finished work was draining her creative strength. Cleaning it all up and putting it away got her back on track (and, funnily enough, she dove back in and finished a few UFO’s!). I think that I have a lot in common with Lisa, in regards to how environment affects the ability to make. Although I don’t have the space for the white walls that she does, I do know that replacing mirrored closet doors with white curtains had a huge effect on how I felt when walking into the studio…with everything neat and tidy, I feel the energy just radiating from the calmness.

I am truly blessed to have the space that I do, and beyond the built in desk that was there when we bought the house, just about everything was either built or installed by me and my husband, or were very cheap things found at big box stores, so please know that you don’t have to have a big budget to make an awesome studio – just the willpower and some handiness!

It never rains, but it pours! MORE good news! is a post from: Candied Fabrics

A Simple Way to Improve an Organized Drawer

Candy — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:44:30 +0000

Motivation has been lacking this week. Faithful readers will know that my university has been going through some tough times. Our president resigned a bit over a week ago, and our previous president (who retired from us 5 years ago) has stepped in as interim. This is hopeful because he’s brought the University through some tough times before, he’s a great communicator, and people trust him, but when all is said and done, money has to be saved. So, as I’m discovering, I turn to organizing something that’s been nagging me when I’m losing focus.

My studio is in a bit of a shambles, so I figured I’d clean it and add a bit more organization to the drawer I showed you a couple of weeks ago. I have lots of different bits of bag hardware, and I used dividers my friend Liz had given me to give them each their own separate place:

But, the dividers are just sides, no bottom – I think they’re for individual pairs of socks or something. (PLEASE note: my sock drawer does NOT loook in the least bit organized – I dump all the underwear, bras and paired socks in one big drawer willy nilly – see I’m not a wacko OCD gal, just someone who likes to find what they have! Look how easily I can now see that when I’m getting low in something!) The divider was shifting each time I opened the drawer and the hardware was starting to slide underneath the dividers and get all messed up! SO, I made some wee boxes to tuck inside each space.

Now, I LOVE little baskets and boxes. Did you see the whole post on baskets Lori Dunbar wrote today on Scoutie Girl? Love them ALL. But dude, I just need to keep my triglides from gliding around, i need to keep it simple! So here’s what I did!

The spaces inside the dividers are 3 1/8″ square, so I 1st cut some cardstock I had on hand to 3 x 3 1/8″ = 9 3/8″
Cut strips 3 1/8″ wide.
Squiggle a little glue across the center of one strip, center a second one on top – this is the bottom of the box. Let dry under books to keep flat.
Fold up the sides.
Tape them together with masking tape.
They’re not perfect, they don’t need to be!
Make more! 16 altogether!

It’s time to order more 1 1/2″ triglides!

Alright, this is not the sexiest project I’ve ever completed, but it was 1) free and 2) gets the job done!

Hope I don’t disappoint Kim over at the “I made it” blog party this week! But you should go check it out – she’s having an awesome handmade candy giveaway!

A Simple Way to Improve an Organized Drawer is a post from: Candied Fabrics

Gifts for Quilters!

Candy — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:31:30 +0000

Phew! That holiday weekend just FLEW by…and I was quite the busy bee. I had to do a huge studio tidy up, while I did that i found a UFO that was more finished than I thought! Gotta love that! It’s up on the design wall – it’s a Welcome quilt in the style of Charles MacKintosh I started … 3? years ago…I can’t even remember now! I put it away because I got a bit frustrated with trying to make everything look perfectly symmetrical. This was one of those “AHAH” moments I got while working on this piece – I don’t want to make things that look all perfect, it removes the human element (for me, anyway). And in this quilt I was trying to recreate some lovely typography – which needs to be perfect so that it doesn’t detract from the eyes ability to read smoothly and quickly across the page. I want my quilts to be savored and to have lots of things to see, not be this perfect set of shapes that the eye just zooms across. BUT, I still love this font…I’m going to leave this up for awhile and think about it!If you’ve read my blog for awhile, you know I’ve taken to posting my to do lists. I love this so much that I’ve expanded it a bit and turned my “inspiration” board into a “Git ‘er Done!” board, where all the stuff I need to be working on is posted right there. I can put invoices when I make an Etsy sale on there, and tracking info for recently shipped packages too! A simple thing, really, but it’s helped me get a handle on my pre-Holiday making!

Look what my honey made me for my Birthday! A super duper strong keyboard “drawer” on really strong full extension slides. It’s got room for my mouse and my new Mac keyboard (even though my computer is a “mad Dog” PC, this keyboard is the BEST when it comes to fast typing!)

Gift suggestions for quilters anyone? Here are some lists to get you started:

Amy of Park City Girl: Ooh, I love my EQ6, but here’s anew addition: Amy Butler has a set of projects that run on this software, I’d love to play with this!
Natalia of Piece n Quilt: My favorite on her list the New Noel book with lots of really awesome stocking patterns.
Vicki of Sew Inspired: Simple, but oh so useful flat flower head pins, yup I definitely need more of these!

I’m sending my hubby this list right now!

Don’t forget my Rainbow Sale going on all this week!

Now, I’ve gotta get back to my day job! sigh…

Gifts for Quilters! is a post from: Candied Fabrics

Quilting Arts Open Studio

Candy — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:23:20 +0000

I took a video of my studio yesterday. Big surprise, I had a lot to say, so the video is split in 2:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSAMaxlImXg]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIHL5g50N7Y]

Here’s a link to a tutorial on how to recover an office chair like mine.

Here’s a link to a tutorial on how we built mydouble sewing machine table.

For those who don’t have the time to watch the video, I also have a pictorial tour of my studio from right after we put new flooring in at Christmas time CLICK HERE to get the text and more images..

Thanks SO MUCH for stopping by!

Quilting Arts Open Studio is a post from: Candied Fabrics

Open Studio Day!

Candy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:38:21 +0000

The folks over at Quilting Arts/Cloth, Paper, Scissors are hosting an open studio event this coming weekend. They publish a couple of drool=worthy issues featuring artists studios, and want to celebrate the release of the current one by getting folks the world round to open up THEIR studios! What fun…I’ve showed off my studio before, but I’m going to use this opportunity to post my 1st video!

I’m having a bit of technical difficulty getting it uploaded, and I see that lots of folks are dropping be and looking for my studio, so until I get the video problem fixed I also have a pictorial tour of my studio from right after we put new flooring in at Christmas time CLICK HERE to get the text and more images..

Thanks SO MUCH for stopping by!

Open Studio Day! is a post from: Candied Fabrics