Organizing my studio, part Two

When I started organizing my studio, I didn't think it would become a two week process.  Does anyone ever complete a task like this in the time frame they think they will?  Admittedly, this would have gone a little faster if I hadn't have decided to dismantle my drafting table and paint it (which involved sanding, priming, sanding, then painting).  But it looks so nice now, it was worth it.

Drafting table with new paint

After I got the table painted, I had a little left over paint.  So then came a second project that had nothing to do with my studio.  We had a little unpainted step stool in the kitchen.  Now it looks nice too, but this did stall my studio project a little bit.  I bet you also have tag-along projects that crop up in the middle of other chores.

After I got the table together again, I decided to move a dresser and a bookshelf, then my ironing board.  Then a couple of my pictures didn't look that great, so I moved them.  I dusted off my ribbons and the angels (and did they ever need it).  I kept thinking it would be nice to have twice the space, but I don't, so I'll have to make it work.   I did put a few small things in the guest bedroom to get them out of my studio.  The guests won't mind, will they?

Some things had to find new homes: friends who were nice enough to take the stuff,  donations to charity, and a few things were tossed in the garbage.

Whew!  I feel 20 lbs lighter and 10 years younger now.  Plus I have a nice clean studio again.



Happy organizing to you!

Organizing my Studio

Every good artist or quilter gets to this stage sooner or later.  Organizing the studio space!

It's not like I have nothing else to do.  But the weather has finally cooperated, we're home for a 3 week stretch, and I still have the unfinished spring cleaning check list staring at me from the bulletin board.

The first thing I decided to tackle was something I have wanted to do for quite a while: paint my drafting table in a pretty color.  I've had this old engineering drafting table for a long time and I love it because of its size and height and because it holds so many of my supplies.    Sanding and painting have been fun, but it's made quite a wreck of my studio (and my husband's well organized garage too).  I used a great color from Sherwin Williams, called cooled blue, #6759.  It's really a light teal color and reminds me a lot of the bluish-green color from some depression pottery.    Here is how the painting project looked the first week:

Painted legs of the drafting table

Well, getting organized is all about getting rid of clutter, so you have to haul it out to get it sorted out.  What you see in these photos is mostly the stuff that was stored inside the drafting table, and underneath it.  Some of it has to get donated or tossed.  Want some of it?