Let me say before I start, that one of my favorite books at home is one that been on my coffee table for the past three years….."Where Women Create" I look at it often, I love it, but then again it sometimes makes me feel just a little uncomfortable that I have my own amazing space, but others have so little.
And now we have glossy magazines sharing amazing studios….However, millions of women don't have the advantage of a being creative in a studio, however humble of fancy.
I've had the experience of being in villages in India, Thailand, Mexico and Africa. I've watched the weaving of silk, the creation of beautiful rugs, and intricate embroidery very often in small houses with no electricity and dirt floors.
I've visited 100's of "sewing rooms" in many countries and believe me, creativity is not limited to the surroundings.
My Mum created wonderful things in our kitchen. The green laminex table surrounded by vinyl covered chrome chairs was cleared and the sewing machine set up and taken down before meal time. In her 60's Mum took delivery of her very own "studio" and loved it passionately until she had to sell the house.
I think I can say that there is a new "revolution" in "Creativity in Craft" scrapbooking, stamping, and it now seems to be essential to have that special room to be creative in. Wonderful I say, but in reality, it doesn't happen for everybody.
The picture above is one that I took today in the American Museum of Folk Art. It made me think once again of "Where Women Work"
Where do you work on your quilts?
I have a (roughly) 8′ X 10″ room that was built in when we remodelled the house. It is filled floor to (almost) ceiling and has a path from the door to the sewing machine. I used to call it my sewing room but after a small update (new floor, new paint and new table), I decided it had to be called a studio. I would like to know if there is a difference – sewing room vs studio.
That would, of course, be 8′ X 10′.
I have a table, and I am grateful for that. Before that I used the dining table like your mother and would have to pack and unpack. The benefit was I could watch tv while I sewed :). So I am glad to have a desk.
After my twins left home (and a discrete amount of time to make sure they didn’t move back again) I converted one of the bedrooms into a craft room.
It is so inadequate and I desperately want a studio. I know I will never have anything as wonderful as your shed Pam but something a third of the size would suffice.
One day!!!