Studio Tour

Back when I purchased Mr. J, I rearranged my studio to accommodate two machines and to create a larger work surface for machine quilting.  Though the new set up functioned pretty well, I didn't like the way the room felt as much.  As I started working on larger projects, I had problems with the quilts catching on the corner of my sewing table.  Also, as I shifted the quilt around, I would find myself fighting the weight of the quilt not under the needle when it would start to fall to the floor.  

I had been mulling over the idea of a new configuration, but didn't think I could get everything to fit in the space right.  Finally, I pulled out my measuring tape and decided to give it a try.  Wow!  I love the space so much more, both how it looks and how it functions.  

Here is the before arrangement:

And here is the after:

View from the door

The first area is where I piece/sew.  I roll my chair around to where ever I need to work.  In the old arrangement, I tended to bump the wall as I got up and down to press or cut.

I moved this Elfa unit in from another part of our home. It will hold current projects so I can keep my workspace clear.

 To the side is my actual desk space where I do card making.  

A very important aspect to the arrangement was keeping a peninsula for cutting so I can work from either side of the table.

 And now I have an L-shaped workspace for quilting, eliminating the "catching on the corner" issue as well as creating a space for the quilt to spread out without falling onto the floor.

The workspaces feel more spacious, the overall feel of the room is more pleasant, and everything functions wonderfully.  Elzbee's Place is a very happy place.

Reordering the Order, Part 2

Sorting my fabric scraps freed up some room in my stash storage, it was time to deal with the fabric that was spreading onto the guest bed. 

I like to go ahead and group fabrics that work well together, so that projects have a bit of a head start, so to speak.  I pulled out my storage baskets, bundled up the fabrics on the guest bed, and rearranged them back into the baskets.

I counted all the bundles and I have groupings for about 30 quilt projects, both personal and for my quilt group.  That should keep me going for a while.  Apart from adding a fabric here or there to complete a bundle, I will focus on working through my stash.    

The quilt budget this coming year will go to keeping up the thread, batting, and backing supplies as visions of quilts dance in my head. 

Re-ordering the Order, Part 1

As someone who keeps things pretty organized, there are still times where I have a "doh!" moment regarding to how best to manage stuff.  In this case it is the leftover fabrics from my quilts.  Up to this point, I was sorting the leftovers by size cut, which really made it a bother to put away the leftovers once a project was done.  I would have to sort everything by size, and then put them in the various bins.  Even up to now, when searching through all my bins for a certain fabric, it still didn't occur to me that there was a better way.  

Finally the light came on, and I realized that sorting by color and grouping all the leftover of each fabric together would make things so much simpler.  So began the Big Sort....

Last week I did a quick sort by color, and just tossed them back in the boxes.  This week I took out all the fabrics in each box, re-bagged each fabric together, and labeled the boxes.

Once I was done, I then gather the leftovers from my latest project, bagged them up, and put them in the appropriate tub.  So much easier!

Keeping Things Straight

Organizing isn't just about sorting and arranging, but also making a space simple to use.  After the sifting and sorting, the keys to making organization actually work are keeping things easy to find, easy to use, and easy to put away.

Apart from the kitchen, the most hardworking place in my house is my studio.  When I walk into that room I want it to invite me to be creative.  Organization allows me to keep my projects accessible and under control.  Knowing what materials I have and where they are helps me avoid unnecessary purchases or duplications, and gives me an idea of what to look for when I am ready to buy.

Welcome to Elzbee's Place:

I love that these shelves (Eurway) have cubby-like sections rather than full shelves.  They are stronger and easier to arrange.  

More baskets...:-)  Stacking baskets are especially great since they give vertical storage as well as containing smaller items.

I found these stacking baskets at Walmart not long after I started card making.  They ended up being very versatile since they hold well three different sizes of stamp sets.

Standard stacking file trays make paper storage easy and attractive.

File boxes for index cards help me keep card verses sorted by occasion.  

Elfa baskets are wonderful for yarn and fabric storage.  Plus, since I have mine on wheels, it is easy to move for cleaning.  

Since I have two sewing stations, small baskets enable me to move my supplies to wherever I am working.  

The wire pencil holder makes a great mini trash can.  

A wooden rack keeps my acrylic rulers in order.

Drawings and info for my current quilting project are posted on a magnetic bulletin board for easy reference.  

In the closet, hanging my quilting projects keeps them neat.

Labeled shoe boxes store the project leftovers.

Hooks contain my totes and a two-sided spinning rack makes grabbing the ink pad or marker I need a snap.  

Elfa baskets store fabric, miscellaneous supplies, and gift wrapping items.

Bundling sets of fabrics together help when planning a new project.  

 All these various storage items allow me to quickly and easily assemble my project supplies, and then quickly put them away.  And when I next stand in the doorway of my studio, it says, "Come on in!  Let's create!"

A Tisket, A Tasket

How I love my baskets...


The two other places in my kitchen that I tend to get comments on are my refrigerator and my plastic container storage.


When the children were little I had a lot of leftovers that would work over several meals.  To keep organize which container, say of rice, was oldest, I started dating the containers with some masking tape and a Sharpie marker.  Now we just eat the previous night's dinner leftover for lunch the next day, so I don't bother to label those containers, but since I have a continual supply of my starches going, the labeling and dating are quite helpful.

Recently I bought some sturdy plastic baskets for the freezer to make my meat storage more manageable.  Huge help!

One thing I don't want to be doing is spending time trying to match lids to containers when I am putting up leftovers.  I keep containers group by size and the lids in baskets.  It is so easy to find sturdy, inexpensive baskets these days, and they make such a difference.  

And thus concludes the kitchen tour.

His and Hers

I love the layout of my kitchen--a nice big pantry, no corner cabinets, and good counter space.  From the time we moved in, I set up the area to the left of the stove as my baking area, and to the right of the stove is the cooking area.  With my husband and my various food issues, it has now evolved into his area to the left and mine to the right.  Functionally it still works as the baking and cooking areas, but the baking along with a few cooking tasks are not allowed to stray to cooking area.  

His side:

My side:

We had to take down the shelf in the lower cabinet, so the wire ones are filling in.  I use the glass baking dishes for roasting my sweet potatoes and winter squashes, so they get constant use and needed to be easy for me to access.

The three small skillets on the shelf get used everyday, so I wanted them easy to reach as well.  

To differentiate on the utensils, the white ones go on his side.

 And the colorful ones go on my side.  A quilter has to have the color, you know.

Lots of vegetable shopping means I need good knives.  I found this knife rack at Target and have loved it.

 His, hers, and they all lived happily ever after.

Taking Stock

Next up on the "organized home tour":  the Pantry


There are a lot of beautiful pantries out there in Organized Land.  Matching containers, nifty labels, and stylish spaces abound.  My pantry is all about function.  I want it orderly and clean-- items easy to find and easy to reach.  When I make out my grocery list, I want to see quickly what needs to be restocked.  Clear containers are a must.  Baskets must be sturdy and easy to clean.  Pretty?  Meh.  Hard-working and well-stocked?  Oh, yeah.  


Here's the tour: