Keeping It Real

In the interest of honesty in blogging, I decided that today I'd share some of my craft room photos with you.
I have been feeling very unproductive lately - though that's not really true, as I've nearly finished quilting another quilt and I have started a sweet little English paper piecing project after many years of thinking about doing some EPP.

But in the last few days I've been really tired and somewhat overwhelmed, and I suspect it has a little something to do with this hot mess....

Seiously, is it any wonder I couldn't get my head around any thing? There is everything under the sun in here, from a school bag to about leftovers from the last three projects... and all beautifully organised on the floor. Aaargh!

So even though there is plenty I need to be doing, I decided to spend this evening tidying up. And now it looks like this...

Thank God, Is all I can say. I feel better already, and I am about to write a little to do list for the week (which will include getting my act together on the blogging front).

The desk is still a little insane, but that is a task for another day.

Please reassure me that I'm not the only one who feels like a bomb has sometimes gone off in their creative space! Can you work when it reaches a certain level of crazy, or does your productivity slide too?

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WIP Wednesday - The BOM Bonanza

I am excited that I'm almost totally caught up with block of the month quilts. I've been doing the Blogger BOM and the Craftsy BOM and both of them finish with the block making side this month. I was a couple of months behind, so this week I've made three Blogger blocks and five Craftsy blocks (still have one to go).

Blogger BOM, in cool scraps.

Craftsy BOM in Hoopla by Moda

This means that when the setting/ quilt top construction details come up next month, I'll be ready to go! Yay!
I'm not sure how I feel about BOM quilts, I have learnt a lot doing these, but I don't really like having projects on the go for so long with fabric in reserve for them. Maybe I'll feel differently when I get my WIPs under control.

I am feeling a little better about the epic WIP list (thanks for the reassuring comments, good to know I'm not alone!), and I just plan on taking it one baby step at a time. What more can I do, right? I might start laundry listing them in future WIP Wednesdays, if that's not too scary!

I recently signed up for a polaroid block swap, totally a 'all the other girls are doing it' moment, because I need another I-Spy quilt like a hole in the head, but the blocks are sooooo darn cute! I've decided to make a little wallhanging when I get the blocks back and donate it to the preschool where I work as a raffle quilt.It's good to have a potential home for that one.

And I've been working on a rainbow/low volume scrap quilt for a while now with no particular purpose in mind, but I'm desperate for a quilted chair in my sewing room (because everyone needs one of them, right?)  and I have the perfect chair for the job... sounds like a match made in heaven!

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

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A bit of this and that

Life is a little overwhelming right now, and I'm trying not to focus on everything that needs to be done between now and the spring school holidays in 3 weeks time just in case my head explodes doing so.... but between work, freelance writing, additonal paperwork for work, study, school plays, kids camps, renovating a study and a bedroom or two, not to mention two months worth of quilt block commitments.... it's doing my head in.

But that's enough keeping it real - today I wanted to share a quick Studio Snippet with you, and one of those sparks of inspiration for a new quilt (which I'll get to one day, eventually).

This is a little wall in my craft room between the hallway and the kitchen door. It's the perfect home for my vintage Pinnock treadle machine, which may or may not be functional. (I've never used it!)

Hanging above is the thread holder that my very clever husband and his three little helpers made me recently. I love it!

On top is a little collection of notions and my jars of selvedges. 

It's a happy little corner.

I also wanted to share a piece of inspiration with you - Diane at From Blank Pages has a cute little linky party happening called From Blank Pages where you can share the beginnings of projects.

A few months ago when we were on holidays in Queensland, we kept driving past this cool sculpture on a street corner. I eventually got around to snapping a pic out the window with my phone. However, I must have had the phone upside down at the time, and while I can rotate it on my computer, it won't load the right way up. So please just turn your head and imagine the grass is on the ground, okay?

Now can't you just imagine a quilt made of lots of solid bars at different heights, floating on a white background?

To top it off, we got to our hotel on the same holiday and this is the decoration in the foyer. It is, of course, the quilting for the negative space on the above quilt, is it not? I'm not sure if I should be concerned that nobody in the family batted an eyelid when I took a photo of it.

So one day I'm going to get around to raiding my solids bin and making this funky little quilt!

I love it when you find quilty inspiration in unusual places, don't you?

Hope everyone has a fabulously stitchy weekend, I am hoping for a bit of time to catch up on some stuff on my to do list.

Linking up to From Blank Pages

xxx Jane

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Studio Snippet

I will confess, I am a lucky girl. I have my own craft room. A whole, entire, large room filled with craft things.  It is a happy, happy place. I do share it with three smaller people, because I am trying to foster a love of creating in my kids. And sometimes I even invite my quilty peeps over for a playdate.

We originally built this house with a small studio off our bedroom, but I hated being closed away in there. And being introverts who don't do a massive amount of entertaining, we realised we never really used the formal living room  - so one day I boldly suggested we move the craft room into the living room, and amazingly DH agreed!

For the last two years it's been a bit of a work in progress, making do with furniture from around the place, while I secretly harboured dreams of Ikea Expedit shelving filling an entire wall and fiendishly pinned an entire  Pinterest board with inspiring studios.

Earlier this year, a trip to Ikea was had and dreams began to come true. I set about creating my dream craft space. It is still very much a work in progress, but since I reorganised my desk yesterday and finally finished hanging all my hoops I thought I'd share a little corner of it with you. I'll bring you more snippets in weeks to come (Read: as I get organised!).

My embroidery and quilting hoop collection,
filled with some of my favourite fabrics and
the odd orphaned quilt block - changeable art.

My inspiration wall - lots of very cute quotes and printables I found online.
The space in the middle is for a future project I haven't quite started on yet.

My desk corner, looking so bright and happy now.

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