Do you call it a studio or sewing room? To yourself, to friends and family? Why do you think this is so? Difference in starting point between quilting and art? Thinking of this as a business rather than a hobby?

I call it my studio. I have always steadfastly had a studio in my home, since day one back in college. It’s been a corner, a table, a wall, a room, an outside workspace, a rented workspace, a huge room in my house, and again a wall. But I’ve always been an artist of some kind and I think artists need studios. It was important to me to have a dedicated space so art didn’t get lost in my busy days. That it was, in and of itself, valuable. By having a studio, my children respected it as my work and I was more productive.

My studio is on the third floor of a historic apartment building in Maysville, Kentucky overlooking the Ohio River. I can see Ohio from my house. 

What do you have in the room? machines, supplies, fabrics, paints, etc. Anything that might surprise the rest of us?

Definitely not as much as I did when I lived in our house – 13 rooms with the entire front room my studio. I was sewing clothing then and had clients coming in the home for fittings, etc. Then we moved to our apartment, and I stopped sewing clothing. And had to downsize. What a task! I gave away, sewed things to gift and sell, used it up. It took a while. Now I am down to one room, my wall studio, and creative storage. I own seven sewing machines – 2 Bernina 1080’s (what a workhorse), 2 Featherweights, another Singer, a Necchi and my grandmother’s Remington treadle. They come out from under the desk and table as needed. Fabric, paints, paperclay, beads, paper.

The wall – this is it.  The complete studio.  Shelves, worktable, fabric table and short bookshelf. And my white chair that I rescued almost 20 years ago from someone’s garbage.

How is your “stuff” organized? How do you organize your fabric? By color? Amount? Any separate categories (batiks, hand dyes)? How do you organize your thread (color, weight)?

Art supplies are in the cupboard above the worktable and on the top of the bookcase in front of the window. You can see the bookshelves (the one on the top is from the mail car of an old train.) That holds paper art supplies. The boxes on top – including the cigar boxes – hold wire and beads for jewelry making. And the fabric lives in the large white cabinet to the right of the workspace. Yarn is in a tub under the worktable.

My bookshelf holds favorite books and magazines and my collection of brushes, markers, pencils and other notions.

My other set of shelves.  Both came from second hand stores.The lower shelves hold my subscription magazines and saved book covers from battered books.The upper unit is from the mail car from an old train. It holds a multitude of supplies: blocks of Creative PaperClay, eraser material for stamp carving, my dremel tool, my crop-a-dile, paint sets, paper punches, etc. The boxes on top hold beads, wire, and grommets.

The antique cabinet that sits on a granite top kitchen table is where the fabric lives.

The fabric cabinet and my button boxes.

Do you have anything, supplies, more machines, etc. tucked away in any other rooms of the house. How many other rooms? (My husband likes to talk about that one.) Has a family member or significant other ever accused you of “taking over” the entire house? If you have a separate building, we want lots of pictures.

We have one small room that used to be organized but, after our son Noah came to stay during his judicial attorney job with our local court, well, let’s just say it’s on our to-do list, so we can find everything we know we own that is missing. LOL. For me, it houses plastic tubs of wool, yarn and old linen, as well as odds and ends. For Noah… who knows? When baseball season ends (Noah coaches), we shall tackle that job.

AAAACK! The dreaded storage room.  Soon to be rearranged. I do know what everything is though and that is a major accomplishment in itself.

I work on things as I watch tv but, afterward, the projects have to go into the studio. I keep a basket by my chair and clear off the rest as much as possible. My ottoman does overflow sometimes, but I sort that all out and move it back into the studio on a regular basis. Honestly, we live IN the studio. The wall is in my bedroom, the bookcases in the living room. Joe’s office is in the second bedroom as he works from home too. Noah’s room is the former dining room. But it is all incorporated into our home so it’s not too noticeable. Right now we’re a family of 4 living in a small space (3 humans and the cat who allows us to live here), so we aren’t too concerned about the décor… more about artful storage.

My comfy knitting chair, another thrift store find.  The items on the marble top dresser behind, like my grandmother’s dresser set, and the gifts from my children are priceless. The sewing machine is my grandmother’s old treadle.  The stained glass window was the transom window from my paternal grandparents’ home; it was over the front door.

Living room bookcases.  The basket was made by my daughter when she was young.

How much horizontal surface do you have, and is it ever enough? Do you have to move piles of stuff to cut anything bigger than a fat quarter?

Just the work table and a folding table that comes out if I ever need to sew large things. But I don’t use it much anymore as my art, artist books and jewelry are small work. So the work table is all I need. When I paint, I use a dropcloth on the floor and cover the table. And, no.. it’s not enough.

My worktable used to be drafting table height.  It was a gift from my dad and my sisters.The first family birthday gift the year after my mom passed in 1979.  I wouldn’t part with it for anything.  The topper is a mustard color topper to a Hoosier cabinet that I found at a second hand shop.  It fits the table top like it was custom made.  The drawers hold special markers like my expensive Copics, buttons, soldering supplies, vintage trims, and other odds and ends. Behind the wire covered doors are glue, resin, thread boxes, and cutting tools.The boxes on top hold polymer clay tools, sterling wire and findings and, in the blue box top right, my beloved Dr.Martin Inks and nib pens. Underneath is one Featherweight and one of my Berninas, and the tubs that hold the current quilts in progress and sock yarn.

Do you straighten/organize as you go, putting each fabric away as you cut, or do you clean up after a project? How many projects do you work on at a time and how do you keep them organized?

I do put things away as I go. I didn’t used to, but now have to be better about that. I am the queen of plastic bags… should buy stock in those companies. I have work in progress in the gallon size bags and they live in totes, stored with their instructions and supplies. That also helps when I travel as I can grab whichever bag I want and add any needed supplies.

Anything more you want to add about your studio, organization, working methods, etc., please do.

I was honestly a bit sad when I had to give up my previously large room, but now 2 years in, I get more accomplished with my smaller space. My family gifted me with polymer clay supplies at Christmas and I just bought a small kiln for ceramics. We plan to move to the greater Cincinnati area within the year – after Noah moves into a more permanent law job. I will definitely be looking for a place with room for my clay work.

My assistant, babykitty, at work. She’s the brains behind the business.

Thank you Diana for a delightful tour.  You have certainly provided lots of ideas for the creative use of space.

Visit Diana’s blog, Lilyweeds.

Next Month: Karen Musgrave

]]> http://postmarkdart.com/2012/05/04/first-friday-studio-tour-diana-mains-welte/feed/ 5 lchinnis Dian Welte room with a view Diana Welte The wall Diana Welte bookshelf Diana Welte shelves Diana Welte fabric cabinet Diana Welte fabric inside Diana Welte storage room Diana Welte knitting chair Diana Welte living room bookcases Diana Welte worktable Diana Welte babykitty at work http://postmarkdart.com/2012/04/30/featured-artist-sue-andrus/ http://postmarkdart.com/2012/04/30/featured-artist-sue-andrus/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:12:41 +0000 Karen Musgrave http://postmarkdart.com/?p=2576 Continue reading →]]> Sue Andrus says, “I  love to create beautiful art with fabric, paint and thread; using flowers, gardens and my surroundings as inspiration. Painting and sun printing fabric, nature photography, printing photos to fabric and more help me to bring my inspirations into my art.” You can learn more about her by visiting her website.

1. Tell me a little about yourself.

I am a wife, mom of three grown sons who are all in the military, step-mom to a daughter five years younger than me, grandmother of seven ranging in age from 3-24 years (stepdaughter has four children aged 13-24 years), and another new one due this summer. I grew up in rural western New York State, and have lived in Towanda, Pennsylvania, for 30 years. (Can I be that old?) I’m a genetically predisposed fabricoholic who began quilting when my now 22-year-old granddaughter was a baby (since I didn’t have any little girls to make cute ruffled dresses) using my stash of fabric started when I was in high school. I sold quilts, wall hangings, place mats, table runners, etc. from 1992 until I discovered art quilts ten years later and got hooked. I switched to selling art quilts and quilted jewelry when what I had been doing became boring. Late in 2007, I had to stop selling at shows due to medical issues that made setting up displays too difficult to do, and began looking into selling on the web. I now sell my art quilts, jewelry, and more from my shops on ArtFire.com.

2. Why did you join Postmark’d Art?

I started playing with making postcards and found Postmark’d Art while looking for an exchange group so I could have a “reason” to make more postcards and have others to trade them with.

3. When did you start making postcards?

I began making postcards early in 2006 when they began to be mentioned on the Quiltart list serve. I found they were a great way to try out new ideas in a small format.

4. How do you display your postcards?

I hang some around on various boards around the house and have a box that I keep a bunch in that are fun to pull out for others to flip through to drool over.

5. What have been some of your favorite themes?

Any theme that would involve flowers or nature in any form or another would be my favorites which leads to the next question.

6. Tell me about your other interests.

I love working with my flowers and gardens. My college degree is in Floriculture and I spent the first twenty-seven years after college working in or owning greenhouses, garden centers or floral shops. When the last greenhouse business I owned went belly-up, I was finally able to spend the time I had dreamed of in my own gardens –  taking photos of my flowers and adding more plants. I have perennials, trees and shrubs that I have collected, since getting married, in my huge flower gardens that surround my home. Many plants had been moved many times until we settled where we are 22 yrs ago. Plants and flowers have become part of my quilt art in the form of sun printed fabrics made using various leaves and flowers, photos I have taken printed onto fabric, and most recently flowers cut with a die cutting machine. My quilting gives me a way to garden using fabric when I am not able to play in the gardens outdoors, but I still dream of living in the middle of a botanical garden.

Evie created a blog and posted simple instructions asking readers to send hearts, “. . . a small measure of something nice to give in this terrible time.” Thousands of hearts arrived from around the world. When the Canterbury Museum reopened its doors in September 2011, more than four thousand hearts were featured in the exhibit Hearts for Christchurch.

Evie continues to receive hearts on a daily basis. To learn more about the project and the exhibit, visit Evie’s blog here.

1. Tell me a little about yourself.

My paternal grandparents opened a grocery with my grandfather’s World War I bonus,
so like my dad before me, I grew up in the family business.  We lived in the
small Kentucky town of Augusta, along the Ohio River, which made for an
idyllic childhood. My grandmother and her friends taught me needlework to
keep me busy while at the store.  Since I can remember, I’ve always worked
with my hands by drawing, crochet, knitting, and hand sewing.   My couture
sewing and knitting skills paid my way through college.  I absolutely love
to work with a needle and thread; I find it so calming.  My husband Joe and I
live in a third floor apartment which also contains my small studio space
overlooking the Ohio, in a town just a bit further upstream.  Our two
children have moved on. Our daughter is in finance and our son is an
attorney who also coaches baseball.  Our inside cat, babykitty, is a diva (she’s a
rescue and loves penthouse life) and Foo, our outside cat, earns his due by
keeping our historical building free from mice and the like.

2. Why did you join Postmark’d Art?

Simply because I was lucky enough to find such a talented group of women via
Franki Kohler’s open call on another art list.  Small scale art is something that
is interesting to me. How do you get all that expression in such a minute
spot?   I had seen The Graceful Envelope competition so mail art was a
fascination.  Postcards, especially Postmark’d Art, allowed me to combing
mail art with my love of fabric and fiber.

3. When did you start making postcards?

About ten years ago, when I was looking for a way to use up my tons of
fabric and paper scraps.  It became a challenge to see what could actually
be mailed and arrive safely.

4. How do you display your postcards?

I have a cupboard where I rotate them.  They get to sit among my favorite
yellow ware bowls and, when their ‘run’ is up, I store them in photo boxes.

5. What have been some of your favorite themes?

I love anything with color or letters.  I am really enjoying the alphabets exchange right
now  and I absolutely loved the petroglyph theme that happened recently.

6. Tell me about your other interests.

Reading, reading, reading!  I read everyday: fiction, non-fiction.  Just
love it.  I make artist books and jewelry.  Next on my list is to learn how
to make clay beads. Anything that combines fiber, paper and beads is
heavenly for me.

Evie’s studio project

We bought our property two years ago, and twenty years before that the building that would become my studio was the breeding aviary for canaries!

This is what I first saw prior to buying the property

Unused for at least 10 years, it was a disgusting mess, with cages lining the walls and unmentionable stuff lining the floor.

Not my first view..on that day there was an even bigger mess. By now the previous owners had removed some of their junk. Taken from the doorway
Taken from the other end of the room
Finally a blank canvas awaiting cladding… those doors to the outside aviary are about to be covered

The outside aviary is gone

It’s taken a lot of work to get it where it is today. A few things still need doing, like painting the recycled door and covering the hole in the wall where we had to put in a new power box (I also love how many power sockets we could put in, and the fact they are at an easy reach height). The floor was covered with linoleum and grime. Hours of work scraping inch by inch revealed a lovely wood floor with all the marks of time …I don’t want to cover it.

Do you call it a studio or sewing room?  To yourself, to friends and family?  Why do you think this is so?  Difference in starting point between quilting and art?  Thinking of this as a business rather than a hobby?

I have always called it a studio. In the transition from sewing on the kitchen table to a career as theatrical costumer, I went from table to room to Studio. I do enjoy saying “I’m going to my room now!” My family and friends call it a studio. Costuming was my business. I have never been a ‘Quilter’ and my art was in the Performing Arts area. Small fabric art is just as much of a joy.

Moving in…

I love that my studio is in my back garden.

What do you have in the room?  machines, supplies, fabrics, paints, etc.  Anything that might surprise the rest of us?

My most loved piece is my cutting table — built for my height and that purpose.

I have two overlockers, three sewing machines and all the usual suspects of fabrics, paints, embellishments etc., and an abundance of “could be useful.”

First project was to make a quilt for the cream studio chair

Running along the exterior wall of my studio is a storage area which houses tiers of containers of fabric, mainly the left overs from costuming.

This is where the bulk of my fabric is stored, out of the sunlight.

To fellow stitchers I am known as a treasure trove for free rummaging for that unusual bit. My little cupboard under the sink (I love having a sink) houses all the odd handyman type things and my favourite tool….a tagging gun.

How is your “stuff” organized?  How do you organize your fabric? By color?  Amount? Any separate categories (batiks, hand dyes)?  How do you organize your thread (color, weight)?

Baskets, boxes, tins, jars, bags, drawers, a cupboard and a large area under the cutting table hidden from view and camera! I know where everything is ….99% of the time.

 A drawback of my studio is how much sunlight it gets. Nearly everything needs to be put away and I consider carefully what I have on the walls. Things can quickly fade and rot. I don’t colour coordinate anything. Fabrics are stored together by type and amount –  large or small amounts. Everything is labeled.

Do you have anything, supplies, more machines, etc. tucked away in any other rooms of the house.  How many other rooms? (My husband likes to talk about that one.) Has a family member or significant other ever accused you of “taking over” the entire house? If you have a separate building, we want lots of pictures.

I have one basket in the lounge with current hand sewing.  My magazines and books are in various places, and I like that non-stitching friends have a flick through them which, I think, perfectly justifies having them being spread about!

How much horizontal surface do you have, and is it ever enough?  Do you have to move piles of stuff to cut anything bigger than a fat quarter?

I have enough space. My cutting table can manage several small projects at the same time and easily handles larger projects. I’ve cut thousands of meters of tulle on it for tutus. Though heavy, I can pull it away from the wall for easier access for cutting or when people come to play. When I made a queen size quilt pin basting on it was easy.

Do you straighten/organize as you go, putting each fabric away as you cut, or do you clean up after a project?  How many projects do you work on at a time and how do you keep them organized?

I make quite a mess when I am working and do not stop to put things away — happily,  things drop on the floor. Once a project is finished — or at least at a stage it can be put away (to be rested, not as a UFO) — then I will tidy up. I do use labels on some containers which makes for a speedy ‘tidy up.’ Everything does have a place. I generally stand back, look at the gaps and know where things should go.

Anything more you want to add about your studio, organization, working methods, etc., please do.

Stepping outside, three sides of the studio look like a tin shack. The fourth side is the storage area and a wooden deck where the attached rusting aviary once was. This is still a work in progress, but already it has been successful for a dyeing workshop. I love my studio!

This was once that rusted old aviary. The storage area is behind the yellow wall. This area is still a work in progress….the blank wall is yet to have it’s finishing touches and I need to find more unwanted chairs to be upcycled …..the two there haven’t really been fixed, I stabilized lots of loose wicker with masking tape just for the photos!

This shot shows the test pot canopy….any one of these colours could have been the interior colour of the studio! Thank goodness for test pots given how I thought some of those colours would work!

The white trolley/table is the former wooden surround for our worn-out barbecue. Cleaned up and painted white, I use it to load sewing projects and wheel them to the deck where I can sit and sew with everything on hand. Might have to move the wine though!!

Thank you Evie for a fascinating makeover story.  What an amazing transformation, and the result is a beautiful result of all your hard work.

Visit Hearts for Christchurch, Evie’s response to the 2011 New Zealand earthquakes.

Next month:  Diana Mains Welte