studio tour - the lil' nest.

 Like Dorothy discovering the Wizard of Oz... I'm going to show you behind the scenes of where all the creative magic takes place at Needle and Nest Design.  Welcome to my teeny tiny make-shift studio as it stands currently.  When we bought this house last summer, the dream was for me to make the attached garage into a big, bright airy studio.  But the chill of winter with no insulation out there, and the tumbleweeds blowing through our wallet... forced me (and most of my crafting/painting gear) into here...  the back end of our bedroom!  It's cozy, and bright enough... I make it work for now... and dream of a larger future studio/garage.

 The real key to working in a smaller area is - be organized.  My main attempt at that goal is to stash lots of colour coded fabrics into those big clear salad containers - try it out!  I think any of us who sew know how addictive these fabrics can be...my husband always wonders why I ever 'need' to go buy more in light of this stash I squirrel away up here.

 {sigh!} There she is, my sweet little muse.  The inspiration to sew much!  Azriel likes to get tucked into my studio space while I work - though I tend to fear she'll find a stray button or needle to chew on... so usually we go into the other corner (seen below) and read a book...

 Detail shots: In case you thought I had a fancy cyborg computerized machine..  I don't.  Just me and my pudgy fingers forcing fabric under the needle.  And yes, in the background I did put ripped strips of damask wallpaper on my walls... with a brown wash over burnt red paint technique (seen below as well).

 Gotta love having a chandelier in your bedroom... a great 'steal' from the previous dining room.

 Here's another corner of our bedroom, the beloved window nook.  I'd love to say how often I snuggle in here with a cup of tea, good book, warm blanket... two cats... but to be honest - when I get a spare minute I'm in the other corner - the studio - creating.  The exception is when my daughter and I get the chance to snuggle and watch the world go by ...

 ....which is a pretty delicious moment to savour.  I love motherhood.  I love creating.  I love how both seem to mutually spur the other on.  If you want to see how my daughter inspired a pile of creative projects for her own room, you can see the tour over here (sweet Erin of Apples with Honey had me as a guest on her blog - worth a tour too).  Thanks for taking the time to flutter through my studio with me, it's my little nest.
Live creatively,
Mel :o)