My Arizona Studio

My Arizona studio is comprised of two rooms. View 1 showcases the construction area. I have a Horn Quilters Dream table, several Berninas and Featherweights, a serger, and an ever-present laptop. View 2 shows the pegboard where many of my tools are stored to maximize the table space. The pegboard is painted white to match the walls, thus lessening the intrusion. As I travel and teach most of the time, I need to have certain tools at my fingertips. I also have a second room, my design studio where my technological resources are housed. My work includes imagery of many forms and I need access to computers, projectors, cameras.

My spaces have gone through many phases as my work has evolved and I have taught many classes on organizing and designing studios. Based on my experience, if you are thinking of organizing or perhaps re-organizing, your workspace, consider these questions…

• Do you have a designated space (studio) or a shared space, perhaps a corner of the dining room or an extra bedroom?

• Do your needs include portable work options? Is a motor home with its limitations in your future?

• What’s your “clutter quotient”? Does visual clutter prove distracting? Do you need clutter to be behind closed doors? Does open shelving meet your needs? Do you need music or a TV?

• Are you a one project at a time person? Or are you a multiple projects person? How many machines do you have? How many do you currently use ?

• How much fabric do you have on hand? How many patterns do you have? Magazines? Books?

And perhaps the most important question, in your planning, do you allow for the growth of your collections?