Studio Shaming:

In a fit of clutter-induced rage, I signed on for Sharyl's Clean-up, Fix-up Challenge blog hop. It's a nice way to share my hot mess of a studio with the entire planet -- hey everyone, look at my grossness! :D

About a year ago, I moved from a really BIG house into a really tiny shoebox of a house. I did a lot of downsizing, but I had to hang onto a lot of stuff -- mostly fabric stuff -- and art supplies. What? That stuff is expensive! In the 10 years before I found my current job, I made costumes, corsets and did custom seamstressing, with a bit of photography here and there. The room I used as a studio in my old place was easily 2.5 times bigger than the room I am using now.

I am going to start my journey to a happy, usable space by shaming myself into action. Here's some before shots of my workspace:

I have a jewelrymaking area overflowing with pirate treasure, a microscopic closet fitted with a bookshelf crammed full of books, art, art supplies, fabric, empty storage containers [?!], my studio lights and other photographering junk...and tons more random homeless stuff. I'm a Tetris master.

This 3x6 worktable is currently my command center and unfortunate catch-all space. It's supposed to be where my big anvil and soldering stuff lives...as well as the cutting table for sewing shenanigans. There are more totes full of fabric, patterns and notions chillin' under the table. I want to put wheels on this table to raise it up above knee-trauma height.

This huge wire rack is great for holding totes full of fabric, but not much else. I keep all of my plants in the studio because cats. This is also where my printer, shipping stuff, camera gear, sewing machine and serger hang out very awkward and inefficiently.

Because I like to think I'm in a much bigger room, the sexy industrial sewing machine that is technically the property of my boyfriend's leatherworking business lives in here, too! I need to put a tool magnet for leather-specific tools on this wall, and some shelf space for storing all of the bits and baubles that come along with making leather stuff. What I really mean is "Wow! That wall is naked! That can't happen!" :)

So there you have it. My huge new project that will hopefully make every other project in my future happen! Wish me luck? :-\