Pat Sloan and CedarStore.com - Guest Blogger today

Do you remember the "DESIGN MY ADIRONDACK" Blog hop with Kathy Peterson and Cedarstores.com? It was this summer and we had a blast!

Click HERE if you missed my post.

See how I designed the chair and you can even download the Double Wedding Ring pattern I used!

The Cedarstore.com company has some totally amazing things that we quilters would love! We decided it would be fun guest blog on each other's site today. They are going to show you how to create a quilt studio .. and on their blog I tell you all the great pieces I will put in it! 

Come on... Let's learn about studio options from Hazel at Cedarstore.com

*********************************************

Create a Sewing and Crafting Retreat Right in your Own Backyard!

Many creatives have dreams of their own studio, but their homes do not have the space to support it. However, renting a studio space in an building of artists loft can be costly.  Many crafters, painters, and other artists choose to create a removed retreat with an enclosed garden structure.  Steps away from the main house, people can stay close to home while still removing their minds from the demands of house keeping.  (I like this part!)

While most garden structures feature open air entry, a good artist’s studio should be usable all year round and unaffected by inclement weather.  Often called a cabana or pool house, enclosed garden structures can serve as the perfect platform for a sewing studio. First, choose your shape, size, and material of your structure. You’ll need to balance the size of your yard with the space you need to be productive.  Will you require a large table for cutting fabric? How much storage will you use?

Remember to factor these into the size of your structure. Oval and octagon shaped structures create visual interest and are more unique, but can be much harder to decorate.  Square and rectangle cabanas exude a traditional cabin feel.  Western red cedar gives the same impression, while vinyl or dura-temp siding boast maintenance free properties that many people prefer.

(I think this one is adorable and just right for a small yard!)

When designing the structure, make sure to include lots of windows and skylights.  The flood of sunlight will make discerning colors easier as the light will be truer.  Plus, you’ll be more motivated to create with the warm sun shining on you!  Just be sure to create functional window treatments that will protect your materials and textiles when you’re not using your studio.  Prolonged exposure to sunlight can create fading and other damage. Most people will also need to extend electricity out to their studio to power lights, sewing machines, and maybe even radios. 

(I SO agree with lots of windows ... the sun is an amazing motivator!)

Once you have the exterior of your studio decided on, you can begin preparations for the interior.  First and foremost, consider functional storage.  If you’re not interested in the clear plastic shelving available at most home retailers, old dressers and antique desks can often be picked up at junk stores and yard sales that are fairly inexpensive.   These character-rich pieces can be easily transitioned to be as organizationally helpful as more modern furniture. 

Make every drawer a “center” of a certain material.  All of your pin cushions, needle sets, and cutting weights can go in one drawer, while another can be home to spools of thread as well as bodkins if there’s room.  Make finding fabrics easy by sorting them first by material (linens, cottons, wools, etc), and then by color or pattern.  Knowing the exact place to dig for blue linens or floral polyesters will make finding textiles easy. You can also create tags that label how many yards are in the piece, as well as other notes that might be important when choosing fabrics.  Lining a wall or two with built in shelving will give a handy place to store boxes of fabrics.

(this one would be PERFECT for sewing days.. see my guest blog for more ideas!)

Having a cutting table and sewing desk are essential for fabric cutting and technical details, but also make sure you have a comfy spot for hand sewing and other tasks.  Having a deep seated chair to relax into will allow for hours of quiet crafting without interruption. In fact, it might be so comfortable that you get more work finished faster than you ever thought possible!

(This is the studio I want.. the bigger the better!)

While some people are lucky enough to have a spare bedroom as their sewing room, putting the planning and investment into a sewing studio away from the house will certainly be worth your while. Being removed from the daily hustle and bustle of the home will allow your creative mind to focus as well as your materials to stay untouched and organized. 

Have Fun! Hazel from Cedarstore.com

CLICK HERE to find YOUR new Studio.. I want that big one!

CLICK HERE to see what furniture I want for MY Fantasty Studio!

I'm curious what piece of furniture do YOU really want for your work space?

************************************************************************************

About CedarStore.com: CedarStore.com  specializing in outdoor living. Carrying outdoor furniture in western red cedar, as well as pine, wicker, oak, metal, teak, cypress, and polywood, CedarStore.com is known for their free shipping, unique designs, and stellar customer service. As more artists use their custom cabanas and poolhouses to create artists studios and creative retreats, Hazel gives advice on the tips and tricks that create a perfect crafter’s hide-away.

****************************************************************************

We have winner for the Fall-O-Ween Blog hop!

Jane janeweston.blogspot.com

Polly www.auntpollysporch.blogspot.com/

Shannon   nunusquiltworld.blogspot.com/

Gudrun has emailed the winners...

Thank you everyone for hopping with us!

Comments

[Sew Create It - Jane]

Those look like fabulous creative spaces...hmm might have to knock the garage down! :o)

Thanks to all the designers for the blog hop..I can't believe I won first prize! I'm absolutely tickled and I've emailed Gudrun my details. thanks so much!!

[Shirley in Canada]

Ohhh I could go for that big studio! Then I would purchase a longarm and be in there quilting up a storm LOL

[CedarStore.com]

I'm so glad that everyone enjoyed the post so much! While fantastic for dreams, don't forget that they can easily become a reality!

Shawntel, our red cedar storage is AWESOME! Let me know if you need any help picking out pieces. And, don't forget about our free shipping!

Hazel
http://www.CedarStore.com

[Shawntel]

I looked at the cedarstore furniture you wanted...I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the modular drawers and cubes you showed! That is EXACTLY what I've been looking for--not only for my sewing room, but also for my sunroom! Thanks you, PAT! :-)

[TxAggie]

Wonderful wonderful wonderful ... esp love the last 2 "hideaways"

All we need is a mini-frig, a coffeepot, good music and NO PHONES allowed !!

A girl can dream, can't she ???

[Jacqueline]

Our very own studio at the backyard garden sounds great!! I really love the 2nd studio with the white walls and lots of windows! This is so inspiring and such fun! Thanks so much for sharing. Have a lovely merry happy day and love to you!

[Beverly Atkins]

I want a cutting table. My kitchen table has not seen a morsel of food in who knows when. I. want. a. cutting. table. But I would settle for a studio? Great post for dreams!

[Sharrieboberry]

We can't have studios in our neighborhood but CedarStore has some lovely sheds and I DO need one of those! Now if only hubby and I can agree on which one....

[Karen Lieberman]

I adore this idea, and would have done it long ago, but my neighborhood doesn't allow any type of out building (not even a garden shed). Too bad because my back yard is huge.

[Melissa]

I have been pointing out to my hubby every storage building that is offered around here and saying "I could really make THAT into a mini-studio." (I had a 700 sq foot house as my studio at our farm that I miss terribly!) These choices are beautiful and would be a dream come true.
Besides a coffee/tea maker, my next studio needs design walls that slide on tracks so you can change which one you are looking at. (Like closet doors)
Thanks for the dream ideas....

[Linda]

Oh--wouldn't it be wonderful to have any of these----too perfect--and it's a long way from the kitchen too.....I have always wanted to be part of an HGTV show that would give me a sewing room makeover---thanks for showing these---I will be dreaming all day.....

[Sandi]

That last studio is really lovely. It would be nice to have in good weather but come November it would be too hard to trudge through the snow to get to it and it would be March or April before the snow is gone. I am happy with my studio that is the bonus room area over our garage. Very cozy and no need for snowshoes to get to it in the winter. However, if I was "independently wealthy" which I'm not.....I'd have both! LOL!

[Anne Wiens]

One of our nearby hardware stores offers 24' x 24' garage kits. I often dream about it.

[pat sloan]

Yeah Judy! Stephanie build a enclosed glass walkway to it! there are ways...

[Judy Knorr]

I was desparate to have a "real" sewing table with leaves that could be raised when I was quilting larger quilts. It was sad to see a grown woman drooling over every sewing table she saw! Finally, I saw my dream table at the Lancaster show last spring at Tracey's Tables and now I am the proud owner of a very functional sewing table. No more drooling!

[Stephanie in Michigan]

I'm with you, Pat. I love that last studio. Wouldn't it be great to have an unattached building to get you out of the house for your sewing/quilting? Only downside in my view would be when I want to run in there and grab something to do in front of the TV, I'd have to trudge through the snow in the winter to do it. I'd have to be more organized in the house and have a small but comprehensive sewing kit in the house! :-)