What Does Debby's Studio Look Like? UFOs?

Faithful Bernina 1230 and a cleaned up work surface
 I foolishly volunteered to show my sewing space and UFOs a few weeks ago and now I have to fess up. It's not always neat (really?!!) and certainly not organized (did I tell you I'm an adult with ADHD?)

30 year old kitchen bar, a perfect height for cutting fabric
Yes, this is where I slave most days. A converted bedroom (10' x 15', but no kids living at home). One wall has my stash, very "matchey-matchey". I keep collections together, colors together and try to keep blenders/solids near each other. It gets so messy after about a month or two that I have to stop everything and re-organize it. And, guess what? I discover some long-lost, forgotten piece that renews my creativity!

Now, what was I doing this weekend? Audrey (oldest daughter, 32, a high school English teacher who is very interested in crafts for herself and home) called and asked to come over to sew. She decided to snap a photo and make an Instagram out of it. At my sewing machine:

Debby sewing. Notice the two design walls crowded with unfinished projects!
Those are just pieces of batting on the wall. One has a foam board behind it (the one on the left); the other with the Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks is just batting pinned to the wall. You can see two projects right behind my hair that will be revealed in the February Hugs and Kisses Blog Hop (my day is Valentine's Day).
This is really how that cutting table looks MOST of the time! Working on my Nancy Drew project.
OK. Now to some UFOs (not all; I don't want to go down to the basement).

Yes, I eat a lot of Greek yogurt. These boxes are PERFECT for storing UFOs
 This is the floor of the closet in my sewing room. I also have a giant laser printer in there. Some of these are parts for my workshops and all contain UFOs which call to me from time to time.

Top shelf in the closet (only partly revealing projects)
Mostly unquilted quilts, samples and a few pieces of fabric
What can I say? The picture says it all. Except for the other side of the closet . . .

More unquilted quilts, class samples, quilt parts
What else is in this crowded room? Two more printers (what? am I nuts?), a giant iMac on a desk, a TV, another sewing machine on the floor under the Bernina and various bolts of fabric next to the bookcase with my stash. There is a loveseat along one  wall because we had NO OTHER place to put it when we moved here 3 years ago. It's just another convenient surface to put stuff! The top of the bookcase has dozens and dozens of quilt magazines. My daughters have referred to this as my version of Kinko's!

It's a happy place for me with windows that look out on my backyard (a jungle, believe me). Quiet, peaceful, and after 25 years sewing in parts of the basement (mostly good light, but still downstairs), it's great to be at the top of the house.

I hope I didn't shock you with all my piles and messy ways. Thanks for stopping by!

Comments

  1. Oh Debby! You must have nerves of steel.LOL! If I had all those UFO'S in my sewing room, it would drive me crazy! I would have to finish them before I could go on to do something else. But I do love your sewing room. It looks a lot like mine. I have a lot of stuff laying around, but that is the only way I can find it when I need it.I think all quilters-sewers are alike.All of our sewing rooms are a controlled chaos.

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  2. Debby...thank you for sharing your work space! Mine is a MESS and spread among two bedrooms because I have to leave them bedrooms because of all the grandkids that stay and others sometimes. I like hanging the unfinished quilts on hangers..I've never done that before. Why not use yoghurt boxes...it works and is free! ♥

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  3. Joyce Carter...what is your blog? I don't see it on your info page. Maybe you don't have one...if you do I'd like to visit! ♥

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  4. Ha! I love to see that a designer/teacher lives quilting in the 'real life'!! Studio - I find that word a bit miff - creation happens where it happens - and all those piles and collections and mess - pure love!!

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  5. I love your work space, love all of your projects. Sewing is home for me.

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  6. Ha ha ha...just love it. So much fun to look at ...thx for sharing:)

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  7. Even your unfinished stuff is so neatly labelled and stacked away and hung that it must be nice to be even around them!

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  8. The unquilted tops are making me feel a whole lot better!!!

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  9. It's so nice to know you are not the only one and that other people have piles of UFOs. I do admire the way you have got it all so organised. Organised chaos is the way I work.

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  10. Love your work space and I also hang my tops.Thanks for sharing!!

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  11. so glad to see all those UFO's. and what a great way to store them. I've been using plastic sweater containers, much too expensive tho.
    and I think if I used boxes similar to what you have, I can store more UFO's. LOL

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  12. Hello from a fellow UFO Collector! I can't create without making a huge mess... but then I get to a point where I avoid my quilting room which means I've got to tidy up a bit. Generally about every 2 weeks!

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  13. Thank you so much Debby for the tour of your studio and I can certainly relate to all the UFOs - I don't collect them they just happen because I am suddenly inspired to make something else or a deadline threatens for another UFO. Cheers from Far North Queensland.

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  14. Thanks for sharing your creative space. I always like taking a peek into other's space, hehe. Very nice! and lots of nice fabric! I'm going to see if I can find those yogurt boxes, can always use a good box, hehe.

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  15. I am thrilled to see your yogurt boxes. I have a leaning tower of... corndog boxes holding my projects!

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  16. I am in envy of the size of your room! My space is very limited at 11' x 9' and no closet.

    I often wonder if I am the odd ball creative type. I need neat and tidy to work. So many creative people I know don't mind disarray and can work well with it. We ought to do a poll! ;-)

    I made a promise to myself when I fist started quilting that I would not have more than 3 UFO's around at one time and I usually have only one or two projects in process at a time. More than that makes me feel overwhelmed.

    It is fun seeing where people work, isn't it?

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  17. SO jealous, so much fabric around.

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  18. OOh I am totally jealous of your big room. Of course you probably would love it to be a bit larger. I suppose no matter how large any of our sewing rooms are, they are always packed wall to wall, and floor to ceiling aren't they. LOL

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  19. Debby I'm pretty sure I've never met a quilter who wasn't ADHD. :) My room looks a lot like yours except without the printers and it's a bit smaller. But you know what...it's mine. And that's the best part! blessings, marlene

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Thanks for stopping by Debby Kratovil Quilts! If you had a question and don't get an answer from me, please feel free to email me at: kratovil@his.com