Sunday 23 August 2015

Floral Fifties | Sewing Room Update!

Hello blog! So although I moved in to my new place more than a month ago, I've still only got about half of the studio organised. However, it's starting to look pretty cute, so I thought it was time for some progress photos. One wall still has a couple of unpacked boxes and piles of fabric sitting up against it, so we'll just ignore that wall for this little tour.
Let's begin over on this wall - my workspace! I managed to fit two desks here - the one on the left is for sewing, and the one of the right is for blogging/video-editing/doing uni work! There's also a smattering of art from some of my favourite artists on the wall - Lauren Carney, Mel Stringer, Hungry Designs, Ahcahcum Muchacha and Miss Nikki all make an appearance. I still have a lot more art to put up, although I think I might leave this wall as it is!
My two babies ;__;
But this is probably my favourite part of the sewing room for its sheer colourfulness.
Now that I finally have a space of my own, I can display all my kitschy knickknacks, handmade bits and pieces, and my growing collection of Adventure Time memorabilia and fan art, without having to worry that I'm oppressing my housemates with my obnoxious choice of home decor.
Like these chattering teeth, that were a moving-in gift to myself. Perusing Ebay late at night can sometimes be very dangerous. But I have no regrets with this one!
Finally, somewhere to store my vast collection of Japanese magazines! These are Zipper & Cutie magazines from 2014-2015, plus a print by Mel Stringer.
A Wishcandy canvas bag is featured at the back of this cube, and there's a print by Tori Rose Wright in the foreground. The ice cream and the bunny are both kid's nightlamps (and yes, they light up), and the three foxes at the front are pencil sharpeners.
But this thing actually does serve a more important function: it also stores all of my crafting stuff, and half of my fabric!
Organising all my craft stuff was a big goal of this studio space. In my previous house, things were just thrown into random drawers, buttons chucked underneath desks, fabric stuffed into bookcases - and it was all impossible to use.

So to organise all my craft stuff neatly, I was inspired to make these dividers for the drawers of this storage cube. To make these, I simply measured each drawer, then cut strips of cardboard from the millions of boxes I accumulated while moving house, wrapped it in polka-dot wrapping paper, stuck them in with some tape, and there you have it! DIY drawer dividers!
Now I can separate out my buttons and threads from my elastics and glues! It makes crafting SO much easier when I can actually find the things I need. If you have a craft space that's all over the place - get it organised, because it's so worth it. Even if you only have a corner of a room for crafting, invest in some good storage shelves or lots of adhesive hooks (if you're in a rental like me), and stick all your stuff to the wall.
I'm still trying to figure out a better way to store my fabrics (rather than just throwing them in the bottom of the cubes). If you have any ideas, where I can both store my fabric neatly AND still be able to see it, please share them with me!
Now, if you'll allow me, I need to spend a minute talking about this gorgeous dress! 

When I buy clothes, there's a couple important things I look out for:
1. Is it ethically made?
2. Do the models on the website/in the shop represent a diversity of both body types and ethnicities?
3. And, will this piece of clothing require me to iron it every time I wear it?

I'm happy to report that Karina Dresses pass all three criteria. They're made in Brooklyn and Massachusetts, the workers being paid a living wage and the fabric ethically-sourced from LA; they're one of the most impressive companies for representing diversity that I've ever seen; and lastly, you never ever have to iron these dresses - they're totally crease-proof. Which makes me happy, because ironing is way too much effort and I basically end up abandoning skirts and dresses that have to be ironed every time they're worn. This dress is also perfect for taking traveling, because it won't get crushed in a suitcase.

In addition to all that good stuff, they're made with these pretty vintage-style silhouettes and fabrics. The style that I'm wearing, the "Kate" dress, has a late 50s/early 60s silhouette and fit - which is one of my absolute favourite styles for dresses! And I can never go past a good floral print.

Outfit details
Dress c/o Karina Dresses ("Kate" style) (also see here)
Petticoat is thrifted
Brooch from Bok Bok B'Gerk
Shoes c/o the side of the road ;) - don't worry, I cleaned them first

Lots and lots of love!







Bloglovin' | Youtube | Facebook | Twitter |  Instagram | Chictopia | Lookbook | Tumblr

17 comments:

  1. Your new space is gorgeous! It's so light, even indoors and best of all, you have a wonderful assortment of art from some great feminist artists and your Adventure Time collection is to die for- too cute!

    http://secret-hipster.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Adele! Oh, the light is so so good - my day-to-day mood has lifted considerably from when I lived at my old dank, dark place, haha. I never realised just how important having a lot of light in a home was until moving here!

      Delete
  2. your new space is incredible and i am extremely jealous that you get to work away in this lovely environment, haha! i love how you've not only chosen to store typical sewing things, but also have put fun things on display to keep it lively :)

    xo Sarah
    absolutelysarahx.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. cute space! i'm pretty sure you'll be able to create lots of wonderful pieces in there. :)

    xoxo, rae
    http://www.raellarina.net/

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is how I fold my t-shirts and it might be a good way to store fabrics: http://www.meghansara.com/2013/01/pin-win-t-shirt-drawer-overhaul.html I re-folded my boyfriend's shirts (cuz I'm evil) and his overflowing drawer is now HALF a drawer. You can see everything, because it's stacked vertically, but the best part is, it somehow takes up LESS SPACE than lying down horizontally? I don't understand the science. But maybe for fabrics, you'd cut a piece of old cereal box to the size of the drawer and fold cloth around it, or (for lightweight or silky fabrics) wrap the fabric around the cardboard for support (like how stockings are packaged in stores) to keep it standing upright. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my gosh! This will also help me to make my wardrobe more manageable as well. Thank you so much for that suggestion! The idea for the cardboard is also a good one. I might even try and make like a horizontal-filing-system for each cube! Thank you! :)

      Delete
  5. Beautiful dress! Love that space!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This room looks inspiring to work in! Loving all the cute colourful things <3
    And so many great artists' works on your wall :D awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love how you're decorating your new place! Super cute! This vintage-inspired dress is amazing too. I love the dark blue floral print.

    Jamie | PetitePanoply.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi :) Your place looks amazing and so do you!
    also I found this pin about fabric storage that I thought you might like https://www.pinterest.com/pin/317644579940753391/

    ReplyDelete
  9. My mom has been considering the idea of using hanging folders to organize her fabric (and group collections/projects together). She quilts and has a ton of fabric, but most of it is less than a yard, so I'm not sure how well it would work for larger pieces of fabric.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooooh I've seen one like that on pinterest! I do have a lot of scraps of fabric that are taking up room, so something like that would definitely work for those pieces, at least :) thanks!!

      Delete
  10. My fabric stash is still pretty young (I've only been sewing for about a year) so I can manage to keep everything stored, neatly folded, on a high shelf. I can see it all quite well, but it stays tidy because it's not getting bumped and moved around all the time. But mine is mostly smaller amounts of fabric, too, so it's not as cumbersome as it would be with more yardage!

    http://blog.breadandrosesvintage.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Fantastic! Really love the pop of color :)
    ♡ Dulce

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a message! I read every single one. Don't forget to check back for a reply if you leave a question! ♥

Related Posts with Thumbnails