SAQA Oceania Studio Blog Hop

 Welcome to my beautiful studio in our garden. I am very lucky to have my own place in which to work and the garden between our house and the studio is where we live most evenings in the summer. The studio was designed to blend in with the two eucalyptus trees you can see the trunks of and I enjoy the colours and the way they change during the year. Inside it is not a neat and tidy place because if I put everything away then I cannot find things quickly and it feels like my soul is hidden - or something. That is my excuse. For many years I have worked in the corner of our bedroom but always somewhere which is my space.

Working away at one of the things I like to do - create on one of my sewing machines - 

 I have a decent sized table where I usually have things spread out  - I work in themes so there are always containers for each theme and I hop from one to another. I happen to be one of those people who run on the what if system so often when I am happily working on something my brain thinks - how about trying this and I do.

 Same table looking towards the garden to be outside - this garden to be has been in planning for quite some time - maybe before too long. However Harley the cat loves it and spends ages there doing whatever cats do but having fun.

 My trusty laptop used for creative stuff and not business stuff.

 My precious book collection - never enough space for books and they are always in and out for inspiration.

 A little corner where I often sit for thinking - the studio has a large window space around to link it with the outside and through the window is a spot where we often sit at night and watch the trees in our garden.

 My table today full of stuff I am preparing for my teaching trip to Canada - I work at this table a lot but when I want to work on big pieces or paint, I can easily work outside. I don't dye fabric if I can avoid it - I butter up Jacinta to do it for me. I really like to alter the surface of fabric by layering up

 so here is my small work station - which is marbelled topped and brilliant for working on - and my gelli plate at the ready. For some reason I buy small amounts of commercial fabrics from time to time and wonder why - then I use them for rubbings, overlays, cut them up and stitch them together so they become mine and part of my story. I am slowly working on a journal quilt based on my trip to Marrakesh. You can the first two pages on the right of this photo.

 My beloved embellisher always ready for work

My wet area - yes it is cluttered - and I have loads of Ikea pull out baskets - I like to see my stuff. I don't have drawers which close. My machine threads are in a shop paperback stand on its side on a shelf but since I mainly use my own designed variegated threads, they are always by my sewing machines for easy access.

The corner on the other side looking out - currently a small pile up of folders and baskets of work.

Hope you have enjoyed your visit to my studio - it is a precious place and I try to be in it every day.