Sandie's Studio

I'm revisitng my old series for a few of the selected posts that I'd like our new readers to have a look at... Some of the old spaces have undergone a lot of changes and the guests are posting about them again, soon...

Till then we'll revisit some of my favorite ones...

Today's guest is Sandie Holtman better known as Samilou to the Flickrland... She also blogs at the Sleepy Owl Studio... And have a look at her studio, its far from Sleepy... 

Cheers!!! 

"After many years of sewing at the dining room table (and even couple years when the dining room was ONLY a sewing room), I was thrilled to have a room of my own. It's small, but it's packed with storage, and I love every inch of it. It's a west-facing room, with lots of light and a great view. The color I chose might not be for everyone, but it never fails to make me happy, even in the long, grey days of winter.

Despite being a little obsessed with organization, and keeping most of the rest of my home fairly clutter-free, I realized when I was designing the layout for this room that I wanted the things I used every day to be within reach. A place for everything, certainly, but I didn't want to waste time digging for notions and tools. So one of the features of my room is my wall grid system. This is a VERY inexpensive system, sold by The Container Store. Seriously - it is not the high-end system you might be familiar with. The grids themselves are under $20 each, and the hooks, shelves and baskets are equally reasonable. Everything is within reach, and clean-up is a snap.

I'm lucky to have a lot of drawers in my room, and I have them organized by type of notions (threads, ironing supplies, embroidery supplies, etc.), so it's quick and easy to find the things I use less often. The thread below is sorted by color, and the bins stack in the drawer. When I'm working on an embroidery project, I can grab the bins I need and take them to the machine for easy color selection.

The most recent storage solution I found is this stacking box. At first I wasn't sure how well it would work, and I only bought a small 2-bin stack to start with. I just added 3 more bins to it, and here's why: I've always keep a small box or bin next to my sewing machine for the everyday tools (stiletto, seam ripper, pins, etc.). I've also had a small notions box for hand-sewing, perfect to carry with me when I'm making hexies or sewing on binding. I go to sew-ins and quilt retreats quite regularly, so I've had a special box with duplicates of some of my tools so I can grab and go without spending the time pulling everything together.

I realized pretty quickly that this box could do it all. I can take as many, or as few, of the bins as I need. Depending on whether it's a bit of hand-sewing in my sewing room chair, or a 4-day quilt retreat, I can stack whatever boxes and need and it's all ready to go!

The best solutions are different for each of us. It helps, of course, to know whether you work better in a space that is clear of distractions, or if you love having it all out where you can see it. There's an answer out there somewhere! My advice: try lots of different methods, don't be in a big hurry to find the "perfect" method for you, and re-evaluate it periodically to see if it's still working for you. Happy Stitching!"

Sandie Holtman