Home

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Studio: Sorting, Organising, Cleaning

I have been very busy these past 2 weeks setting up my new studio. Each item I touch I make the decision to keep it or not. If it is to be kept it gets cleaned, organised then stored.
I have decided to store things in used paper and cardboard, like these grocery bags for painted papers.


I raided a shoe store's supply of empty boxes. I think the owner was pleased he had fewer boxes to flatten after I left. Yes, it does look like a shoe store but it is a most convenient way to organise my many collections of precious things.


Collections that I use more often I arranged in cut off boxes. I can easily take the whole box off the shelf to a table to find exactly what I need.

Fabrics and threads continue to be stored in clear (mostly) plastic containers. I went through every bin throwing out what no longer interests me. My fabric and thread collections are organised into a bin for each colour.

The shelving cardboard is being used to extend the new garden bed. When the paper and cardboard containers wear out they too will be added to the garden to make lasagna soil.
With my family, we are hosting an open house to celebrate the completion of the Green Shed. There is nothing like a deadline to keep one working hard. I am enjoying getting reacquainted with everything I have to work with.

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Studio: Loading Up

The studio is ready to be 'loaded up.'

The first step is to assemble the shelving, but I need to also have the stuff to go on each shelf ready to show where to place each shelf, working from the bottom up. This procedure makes the most of the shelving space.

We took the furniture from the old studio that I wanted to continue using out to the new studio.

Good friends JP and Caroline McCartin came to stay for the week and we put them to work. They willingly made all of the trips between the old and the new to move all of the containers and furniture.

Ron and JP leveled off table tops...

...and assembled shelving while I loaded them up.

Caroline got into the cleaning...

... getting into spots I couldn't reach.

Caroline pulling herself out of the fabric-roll storage.

Caroline cleaning my bead storage unit.

Caroline and I spent the afternoon making a print table board - a two person job for one this size. First we joined two pieces of closed cell insulation board with duct tape then trimmed the board to 8' x 4', the size of the table. We taped on a sheet of cardboard from the steel shelving packaging to give the insulation some strength. This was wrapped in a king-sized wool blanket trimmed and sewn to make a snug fit. The final layer was a wrap of heavy plastic. I am very excited about being able to print to this size.
Big thanks to Caroline and JP for working so hard at transforming an empty space into something looking more like a studio.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Studio Construction: Complete - Moving Sale


The Green Shed passed its final inspection. We have the building permit.

Ron and I celebrated with a soft (bubbly) opening.

Inside the little box is the front door key.

The fire chief dropped by and gave his final approval.
I have been told I can now "load it up."

So I am having a 'Moving Sale' in my Etsy shop Ravenmade Works
I want to sell some of my stock to save on the 20-step walk between my old studio and the new one. Isn't that what shops do when they change location? 


I am offering a 40% coupon discount for the next couple of weeks.
The Moving Sale coupon code is MOVING40

Now to get to the task in hand - loading up.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Studio Construction: Design-Inspiration-Photography Walls

With just a few more things to do in the studio I started the serious cleaning up of construction dust.

Mike is preparing the base for the design wall - fibre board and cork...

...with a layer of blackout curtain material added on top. The rubberised coating does an excellent job holding the pins.
I steamed out the wrinkles before it was attached to the wall.


The sliding door is put on a barn door railing.

I
In this position, it will be used as an inspiration board. It is next to the sewing station where I can pin up samples to see what they look like when placed vertically and from a distance.

When the door is in this position it becomes my photography wall where I can document works in progress. I can step way back between the furniture to check on the work from different distances.

Here is the design wall before the blackout cloth is attached. The wooden frame is screwed in place so it can be taken off easily when I need to replace the worn out blackout cloth. I have had my current design wall in use for 6 years and it is not showing any signs of failure. But I am designing for 25 to 30 years of use before anything inside or outside the studio needs to be replaced. Fittings, fixtures and materials have been placed so they can be easily replaced without having to a major reno of anything else.

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Studio Construction: Plumber's Last Visit

This little beauty is an instant boiling water tank - big enough to fill a dye pot or a teapot. For my purposes it is an energy efficient way to get small amounts of water at the right temperature rather than running the faucet, boiling a jug of cold water or heating a pot of water on an element. It is cheaper and takes less energy to maintain a small amount of hot water than it does to heat it up from cold each time. I can turn the unit off when I know I will not be using it for a while.

The plumber installed several outside faucets near the planned garden beds.

Ron adjusted the motion sensor for the outside light. The way it was set our bedroom filled with light whenever a raccoon or cougar walked by at night. I need the light to come on only when going down to the crawlspace at night. 

Ron has painted the surround for the porch light.

The porch 'dark-sky-safe' light is in action. The Dark Sky organisation's Fixture Seal of Approval program certifies outdoor lighting fixtures as being Dark Sky Friendly, meaning that they minimize glare while reducing light trespass and skyglow. All products approved in the program are required to be fully shielded and to minimize the amount of blue light in the nighttime environment. It is an important issue for my studio in the forest.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Studio Construction: Furniture and Fittings

This is the project station, with its wheels attached. The open space is for long things, like bolts of fabric and long rulers.

Mick is asking us where we would like to have the drawer handles placed. It is hard to make an on the spot decision about something one hasn't considered before.

Ron is assembling the faucet. He spent a lot of time in front of the computer trying to find the faucet I had described to him after working with different types in different studios. He was successful with his search and I am pleased.
Now to put it together.

Looking good.

After everyone had left I had a play moving the furniture into its correct place. The nearest unit, on the left, is the print station. The smaller one, on the right, is the dye station.

View from the other end of the room. This unit is the project station.
It is getting so close now I barely sleep at night.

Monday, August 17, 2015

Studio Construction: Fixtures and Fittings

The hot water tank is installed in the crawlspace below the tub. This energy efficient placement means little heat is lost between the hot water tank and where I need the hot water.

South Shore Cabinetry made and installed the cabinets and some of the furniture.
Here are my drawing and design desk areas...

...backed by a bookcase.

The print table gets its wheels.

These drawers...

...go into both sides of the dye station.

A shelf is made to support the double tub.

The tub is braced while the sealer cures.
The room is finally coming together and beginning to look like a studio. I am enjoying visualising how I will work at each of the stations.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Studio Construction: Painting and Plumbing

Marshall Travis, Artisan Painting Plus, brought his daughter, Madeline, along to help him with the painting.

Ron unpacked the new sink faucet that arrived in the mail.

The plumber delivered the hot water tank.

Ron helped carry it around the back to the crawlspace.

This is a plumber's bag.

There were lots of different vehicles in the back yard this day.