In 2005, I put the sewing machine I’d bought in Junior High on a thrift store typewriter table in the corner of our bedroom and started sewing every day. I had a bin of fabric scraps from my mother-in-law’s basement and a pile of 1960’s soft toy books from the public library. I sat on the floor to cut and prep fabric for sewing which mean we were forever finding pins in the carpet while putting on our pajamas.
About a year later, I moved my husband’s college-era IKEA desk upstairs so I’d have somewhere to sit. The fabric bins began to multiply and soon there were softies everywhere (“staring at us with their dead eyes” if you ask Charlie). In 2011 I was working on Stuffed Animals and bought two umbrella lights so that I could shoot the step-outs and all at once it seemed like instead of working in our bedroom we were sleeping my studio.
It was sorta weird and pretty cramped, but this arrangement worked for me for a long time. I could put a baby down to nap and be at my desk a few seconds later. I could stare at a particularly frustrating design right before going to bed, turn it over in my mind while falling asleep, and wake up in the morning with a solution. And my pattern samples were out of the reach of little hands (dolls and toys are tempting that way).
At a certain point, though, it began to feel oppressive. Our bedroom was always a mess. I could never bring visitors to see my studio because it was in this private space. Ten and half years after I started it was time for me to have place of my own.
We decided as a family that we would transform our formal living room into my studio. We’d never used this room as a living room. It had been our home office for years so we moved the desktop computer into the kitchen and Charlie took his desk up to our bedroom. We hired a carpenter to make built-in shelves and a cutting table and an electrician in install track lighting.
All of that is awesome (really!), but the most important feature of my new studio is that it has a door. A door! I’m reading Stephen King’s On Writing right now and here’s what he says about having a door. When it comes to electrical work, you can trust perth electrician to help fix your problems.
The space can be humble…and it really needs only one thing: a door which you are willing to shut. The closed door is your way of telling the world and yourself that you mean business.”
A few weeks ago my friend, photographer Lisa Neighbors, came to my house to photograph my new space for a feature in Where Women Create magazine (on newsstands in July).
Deciding to give me this space in our house is a sign of my family’s support for what I do which feels really good. I paid for the renovations on my own, such as purchasing a bathroom wall tile, and making this investment was a signal to myself that this thing I do is the real deal. I mean business.
I LOVE it!! I was admiring it in the background of yesterday’s webinar. I love the shelves to display the toys you made. So bright and cheery. Enjoy, it will be wonderful having your own space.
I Love it! My sewing space is in the corner of the livingroom, it is such an eyesore. It does force me to clean it up from time to time though.
Nice! Beautiful light and so clean. I applaud your decision to make over your living room into a space you love and use.
I look forward to seeing you featured in Where Women Create. Congratulations. Love your new space!!!
Congrats on the news space. It looks lovely!
You space is lovely and I am embracing the quote by Stephen King!
feeling envious of your new space. congrats on the where woman create feature
This is wonderful Abby! I have enjoyed watching your blog and newsletter transform over time into something very valuable and unique. I’m so pleased you now have a space which reflects this stage of your business. I also admire how you keep serving and honouring your family as a priority amongst your crafting/business/speaking endeavours.
It’s interesting how certain changes (big or small) effect the way we think of ourselves and our businesses. A simple door creates physical, as will as mental, space for creating; a place where were can say “okay, let’s make something.” But a door also acts as a separation from an at-home business. It’s a way to signal to ourselves that it’s time to be with family or work on another project.
Speaking of doors, I’ll never forget an experiment I heard about that showed doorways (or the movement from one room to another) actually cause people to forget things. Like when you go into the kitchen and can’t remember what you were supposed to get. You should hang a notepad next to your new door to write down your brilliant ideas so you don’t forget them as you walk into your new studio. Congratulations!
And it looks fabulous!
Congratulations! We just made my studio into a guest room to make room for our new baby. I can still use half of the room and this is the motivation I needed to see to get me back to organizing everything again. Great job on the renovations.
It looks very nice and very inspiring. I had been thinking of using my living room as my working space. This is very inspirational.
You’ve earned this space in so many ways Abby. I am so pleased for you. I hope it is not always so tidy!
Having a dedicated studio space is very important to me…It’s like having your own creative world/universe where ideas flow and art is made. Mine is stocked with picture books, art supplies, an extra cat bed and LOTS of wool. It’s my favorite place to listen to one of your podcasts, too! I just listened to your interview with Janine Vangool- loved it. You ask great questions and I appreciate how you bring certain points from the interview to the attention of us listeners. Extremely valuable and I appreciate the sophisticated delivery. Did you know that you had such a gift for interviewing people as well? Thank you for sharing with us.
I’m so happy for you Abby, and can I say: that was about time! 🙂 It looks just lovely, hope to see more of your space in the future. I love studio tours and creative places makes me a happy camper.
Congratulations, Abby!!! Well deserved! You are an inspiration and a beacon to those of us starting out and wondering if it’s going to be worth it. While there are no guarantees, it is motivating to see the potential in the hard work and dedication. Thanks for your honesty and willingness to share your stories with us.
Congratulations on the new studio and a bigger congrats on doing with your earnings from your business. You have worked hard and deserve a great studio.
It looks so great. I’m really happy for you!
Thanks, Cheryl!
Wow- this is fantastic- so clean and business-like, yet with a cozy fireplace. Great place to be inspired. Congrats on WWC article!
I love your new studio, it’s beautiful. You will love having a door. It’s so nice at the end of the work day to be able to close the door and transition to family time.
Having had my own studio for over 8 years I TOTALLY understand your joy! You will love this space. Somedays I go to my space and get lost in what I call the Sewing Space-Time Continuum where I am so lost I lose the ability to tell time.
Is that an oversized cutting mat? If so, where did you get it!
What a nice new space – you deserve it! Another great newsletter, by the way.
You are simply awesome. How you got so much done before having a door to close is testament to your sheer extraordinariness. Respect!
And, congrats! What a beautiful beautiful studio. Imagine what you’re going to get done now!
x
Love your space! I, too, was just granted my own studio. I’d like some of that track lighting in mine. I’ve also read and loved Stephen King’s “On Writing.” What an inspirational book! Thanks for sharing!
Looks fantastic! My husband and I are looking to upgrade to a 2-bedroom apartment and I’m really looking forward to an office that’s not the corner of our living room.
Love it, Abby! I’m so happy that you have a room of your own. It’s truly a blessing.
Pretty awesome!
‘On Writing’ is on of my favorite books! My workshop is a 4×5 closet!. It has doors – it’s kind of hard to actually close the doors while I’m inside, but it COULD be done if I really needed too, lol!
What a wonderful room, I am so pleased for you and I can see some exciting things coming out of it – can’t wait!
Bravo!
From the first word I read from you last summer, I knew you meant business! This transformation of your formal living room is brilliant and I love the fireplace. But just as importantly, I really appreciate that you got started. I can visualize your bedroom crowded with bins, sewing stuff, a desk and lights. It would have been crazy. But you did it—creating a soft toy business, learning about the biz and sharing everything you learned with the rest of us. Congrats, Abby.
It’s great. I’m right here with you. Left a job 12 months ago for a couple of reasons but one being I didn’t have a door and I haven’t looked back. I have a home studio with a door now, a supportive family, and a happy life. I sincerely appreciate reading your blog and receiving your newsletter. Thank you.
“I mean business.” … I love this! When I first made enough money to invest something into my little thing, it was amazing. Your studio is beautiful! Way to reimagine a space that was originally meant to be something else… you definitely made it your own!
Well deserved, Abby. Enjoy your new work space!
Looks great Abby! My sewing room needs organized. One of these days. Love your fabulous designs.
The new studio looks wonderful!
I always tell my students to grab whatever space they can – however small so they always have a place set up and ready for them to get down to business. Otherwise you’ll make excuses and avoid doing it if you have to set up and break down each time.
Thank you for a great newsletter, Abby! Cheers!
Marvelous, happy for you to be content in your dedicated space. Congrats on the article soon to be in print about you and your world 🙂
Good job! We all need a space to call our own. Some of us just need more space.
Congratulations Abby, your studio space looks fabulous and you’re right to be proud and upbeat. Thanks so much for all the inspiration. I’m looking forward to seeing the great things you’ll do from this new space!
I am so glad to see you have your studio space now. I have my own space, but it it small and overflowing into the rest of the house.
Hello, I’m a new follower in the last week and wanted to say congratulations on you lovely creating space! I have a beautiful studio as well and know how important it is to have it well organized and clean for peace of mind and artistic flow. I’m still getting my products ready for market, but hope to inspire more girls and moms to create together with my online fashion design and sewing classes.
Congratulations! It looks like a lovely space to create in and seems overdue considering your business dedication. I am looking forward to seeing it in Where Women Create.
Fabulous!! Good for you! It is great to have your own space to create…I have my own space at long last and am really enjoying it. Thank you for such a nice weekly newsletter, too…you do a very nice job researching and presenting your information. Have fun in your new space and congratulations on the Where Women Create feature. I will look forward to seeing it!
Abby, it looks awesome! Congratulations on finishing a very welcoming work space. I can relate to this. We just renovated our house and I finally had the guts to turn our 2nd bedroom into a dedicated space to work in. It’s so tiny (it lost some of the original size as part of the reno), but at least it isn’t a jumble of metaphors (guest room/office/sewing). It’s all mine now, and it feels good!
Congratulations on your “new” studio space….I have been toying with the idea of taking over the living room (which we never use but has two very large sunny windows) for my sewing space but am not quite ready to make that leap, so for now will stay in unimproved basement. You have given me food for thought…thanks!
Congrats for your new working room. U deserve it. Its very beautiful and organised. I still dream of my own space. im still in the bedroom stage. God bless your efforts
So incredibly well deserved! Hooray for doors!
Abby, it’s so beautiful! Congratulations. 🙂
Wonderful Abby!!!
It looks like a brilliant (and very tidy!) space, lucky you. Hope you enjoy sewing in it. I am sewing in my bedroom and it is hard to fit everything in. I need better lighting for photos too but like you say it then stops the room looking like a bedroom. I’m counting down to the 10 or so years until my son leaves home and I can use his very light sunny room as a sewing room! 🙂
enjoy its beautiful.