26 September 2014

Reorganisation progress in Studio136

...the studio formerly known as Cloud Cuckooland - I feel real hope that it will be a place of joyous work again. Already I have sullied the whiteness of the pristine worktops, by doing a big drawing, and when it comes to the sorting of materials I'm trying to be more ruthless - for instance, yesterday my stash of coloured tissue paper was halved. Whether what's left is really needed is a question for consideration "later", in Phase 2.

The hunt is on for the folded maps project that I worked on at last year's CQ retreat - I'd like to continue with it this year, and have two weeks to find the safe place where I put it...

So the plan is to take every box and bag out of every cupboard, to open every drawer - put them on the vast expanse of clear surface, and SORT, touching each bit of paper or fabric only once. Is this possible? ... we'll see...

Today I came across some unexpected things.

First out of the box was the maquette for a silk wall hanging I made sometime in the 90s and sold at a Cloth&Stitch show held at the TUC building - ah, those were the days! - but I don't have a photo of the finished piece. The bits of tissue are coming off the backing, and I'd like to resurrect this, develop it in some way -
Next to it was a lidded box, which revealed scissors and threads that had belonged to the mother of a friend. Three friends have passed on to me their mother's sewing things - an honour and a responsibility, and much cause for thought -
Somewhat crumpled and still in its wrapping, Winter 2010 issue of The Quilter. It had arrived while I was absorbed in family matters in Canada, so I had a quick look through, enticed by the detail from a quilt by Lena Wik of Sweden -
 ... and found this image of a quilt by Elizabeth Brimelow, one of my favourite artists -
In among the sewing things (why?), this beautiful bowl by Mary Vigor, bought at Chelsea Craft Fair in the early 90s ... I used to buy something every year, support living artists, that sort of thing...

A traditionally-made wooden box from a jumble sale a very long time ago - it was empty, what to keep in it? -
 A battered tin box containing a collection of sewing kits and a pincushion made for me by my pre-teen son. Apart from the pincushion, and even that's a "maybe", I'm ready to let go of this - any takers?
 The box has a vintage pic of the Royal Yacht Britannia -
 This next item was a surprise, and more cause for thought - it dates back to some workshop or other, definitely last century. Laying out the cards, I could see some I'd move to other categories now -
 Photos of my parents round about the age of 80 - my mother's hair never did go grey - and a note from "chocolate auntie" who sent parcels of Ritter Sport from Germany before it was available in the UK -
Silk bags made from a pattern in the Omiyage book ... and in the canisters, film rolls from the half-frame Olympus family camera, 1960s -
Another collection, from a 1995 trip to Moscow and St Petersburg - of Soviet toilet paper! -
Embroidery from last century - I took chinese characters and split them up, then embroidered the shapes solidly with silk threads. The presentation leaves much to be desired ... I'll rework these somehow -
In a basket behind a box, a collection of little clothespegs and lots of pins ... and some yummy beads -
At the end of the session, a happy feeling to see things put away but available when needed -
Two "secrets" of reorganisation: clear (see-through) storage, and labels.

Also found, a scrap of paper with this quote -

"Every creative act involves a new innocence of perception, liberated from the cataract of accepted belief." - A Koestler

3 comments:

Stitchinscience said...

Thank you for sharing these rediscovered treasures Margaret,it is lovely to see your earlier work.

As you say being left sewing supplies is a responsibility and a privilege, sometimes, more of the former than the latter!

SheilasEmbroidery said...

Thank you for sharing Margaret. You obviously had fun. Makes me want to similar in my workroom which has boxes and bags all over the place! No time yet for at least a fortnight. Ah well good intentions!

Margaret Cooter said...

Hi Sheila,
The purging is a great project, and you'll be so pleased with the results - as a friend once told me, anyone has 20 minutes a day to do the thing they love ... when time is short, we can get out one bag and set the timer, and gradually it will get done. That's the theory, anyway....

Have fun when you have the chance to get going!