Changes at Crafted Spaces

Happy New Year! I hope that the start of the New Year has been great for you guys. It has been super busy at Crafted Spaces and we are very excited about the year ahead. As you know we moved into our new studio at the end of last summer and officially opened the doors in September. Since opening our focus has been on making our classes run seamlessly, and providing a broader selection of classes. So far the transition has been great and there are lots planned for the coming year. Most of our classes are held at our new creative workspace, however in the spring and summer we will be hosting a select number of classes at the home studio. Class sizes are still being kept small and there is lots of space for everyone.

Studio Hours
We have changed our studio hours and have posted the new hours on the side bar of the blog. The new hours are also listed on our Facebook page and will be updated on all other locations that they are currently listed. The start of the year has been really busy, so we have had a few irregular days which we hope has not of any great inconvenience to visitors. If we missed your visit, please accept our apologies. Every attempt is made to have the doors open during the listed times however if there is a change we will post on our Facebook wall, which you can access even without a Facebook account. If you will like to ensure that someone is present for your visit, we are pleased to schedule an appointment.

New Classes and Guest Instructors
There are several new classes being offered this year. Most of the classes are being taught by myself; however, a guest instructor will teach some of the classes. If you will like any additional information about our guest instructors, please contact us for more details. If you are interested in teaching a class just let us know. We are open to new classes and welcome guest instructors.

At the end of last year we introduced our knitting classes and now have available several fun knitting classes for you to try. Our knitting instructor is Janet Westall and she brings with her many years of knitting experience. Our knitting classes include; knitting basics, beginner knitting, arm knitting and sock knitting. If you are interested in attending any of these classes visit our online registration page or contact us for more information.

Upcoming Website
We are working on a new website. We hope to have the new site lunched for spring and I am personally excited about the new look and functionality of the site. We hope that the new website will deliver an improved customer experience and will be a great platform for Crafted Spaces. We will introduce several new classes focused on Jewellery Making, Paper Crafts, DIY Weddings and the development of Your Creative Business.

What’s Next?
Some of the other things we are working on includes; relaunching Crafted Spaces Radio, providing a broader selection of creative books, craft supplies, sewing kits and a larger selection of handmade gift items. We are also introducing some new products that will be available exclusively at Crafted Spaces.

If you are a designer, crafter, maker or artist and you will like to include your work for sale at our studio, please contact us. Also, if you will like to submit a proposal for a new class or a short series, please provide details about yourself and the proposed class. This year we are also expanding our blog post and will like to share more profiles, so send us your information for an opportunity to be featured on our Crafted Spaces blog.

We will also like to hear from you. What do you like about our classes, blog or social media post? What will you like to see us do more of? Are there any classes you will like us to include in our schedule? We look forward to receiving your commends and suggestions.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Organizing Yarn

In the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of organizing and developing my ideas for the Home Decorating Challenge. At the beginning of last year I did the Home Organization Challenge and the focus was on decluttering. This year I continue to focus on getting things better organized for my business and my family and I have been improving on how I do things and finding better solutions for organizing and displaying items in my home.

I work from home, and I have several areas of the house that I work from. This helps to keep things organized and allows me to create a separate work space for the different type of activities that I do in my business. This year two of the areas that are at the top of my list are my sewing and craft studios. My sewing studio is on the main floor of the house, just off of the kitchen and my craft studio is in the basement.

One of the things I started with was to reorganize my yarn stash. I have started to collect more yarn than I may have bargained for and it was getting a bit out of hand. I recently purchased a ton of plastic storage boxes ("shoe box" bins) from Walmart and they were just the things I needed to corral the excess yarn. I love these containers and I have used them before in other parts of my home. I love that you can see the contents, the lids are great and they are stackable.  I love labeling, but I can easily see the contents in this case and did not feel it was necessary. I passed on labeling them because I felt they looked cleaner and less busy by leaving them plain. Next time I will share with you what my new yarn cabinet looks like.

How do you organize your yarn?

Home Organization Challenge: Studio

I cannot believe that twelve weeks have passed since the start of the Home Organization Challenge. The final room is my sewing studio, and this past week I was so happy to organize a few things that really needed my attention. I teach sewing classes in my studio, so I vacuum on a daily basis and I am always mindful of putting things in place at the end of the day. However, there were a few things that I have been neglecting. I have also found myself rushing to clean up before my classes and by the end of the week things were a mess.

Over the past few months I have made a few small changes to the room that have made a big difference for keeping things organized. I found that I use my pegboard a lot and the beautiful pattern storage boxes I found earlier in the year have been great for storing the patterns I use for my classes. I also bought plastic bins for my student projects and I find they are great for keeping things separate and within easy reach. The big challenge was dealing with the overflow of fabric and my new fabric boards were really helpful. The boards are easy to make and have been great for folding the over abundance of fabric.

I have a few creative touches that I will like to add to the studio, so I also used this past week to think through some of my ideas. I have a few unfinished projects such as finishing painting the wardrobe and making new draperies. I hope to get my projects done in the next few weeks.

It has been a great time for me, and I hope that it has been helpful to you as well. I will be doing a final round up of the challenge next week, so visit again. Thank you for joining.

Happy Organizing!

Organizing Fabric

Organizing your fabric can be quite the task. I have found that a good way to approach the process is to start by identify what type of projects you will like to work on. I start by separating my fabric based on home decorating projects, clothing, quilting, etc. I also teach sewing classes, so I further subdivide my fabric based on the type of projects I plan on doing with my students. For example, cotton prints that are suitable for aprons are all placed together, while flannels for pyjama projects are also grouped together.

Much of what I found on the internet seem to focus on quilters and many of the links I found showed how to organize smaller pieces of fabric. But what do you do if you have different types of textiles with varying weights and other differences that make them difficult to group together in neat little draws or bins? The challenge I had was organizing different types of fabric, and simply folding and stacking did not seem to work very well.

Whenever possible I try to get fabric that is on the bolt. However, if you are purchasing smaller lengths of fabric or the fabric store will rather not part with the cardboard, folding can be your only option. To organize my fabric I created my own fabric boards that are 8 1/2 inches x 11 inches for smaller quantities of fabric and larger boards that are 7 1/2 inches x 24 inches for longer pieces of fabric. Usable scraps are placed in plastic bins and are separated and labeled according to fabric type. I made my fabric boards from white plastic corrugated signboard that I purchased at the art store. The boards were available in two sizes 24 inches x 32 inches and 31 1/2 inches x 47 1/2 inches.

Here is how I made my fabric boards:

Materials

• Sheet of plastic corrugated sign board
• Ruler
• Utility knife
• Pencil
• Eraser

Instructions

1. Create a template out of cardboard or paper for the size board you will like to make
2. Decided on the placement of by boards to get the most out of the material
3. Use a pencil to draw your lines
4. Use the ruler to guide your cuts
5. Trim any excess material
6. Fold your fabric on boards

8.5" x 11" Cardboard Template.

Pencil lines outlining six individual 8.5" x 11" boards.

A ruler helps to guide your cut.

Folded fabric!

Fits nicely in my IKEA Billy Bookcase.

The material I used works well for light to medium weight fabric. For heavier weight fabric, I fold and store on shelves or in plastic bins. I prefer to use plastic containers vs. cardboard boxes, because I have found that they last longer and protect better against moisture or dampness.

Depending on how much fabric you have to organize, here are a few links that might be helpful:

Sew Many Ways - Organizing Fabric Filing Update

Craft Buds - How to Sort and Organize Fabric Scraps

Craftaholics Anonymous - Ideas for Storing Fabric

I will be back soon with more tips on how to organize fabric. However, I will love to hear about how you organize your fabric and any tips and tricks you may have.

Pattern Storage Boxes

Getting organized and staying organized seems to be an ongoing process. I was finally able to find resealable bags for my patterns and I am hoping they will arrive by early next week. Finding the right size seemed to be a challenge, so I am hoping they work. The plan is to include a note card with each pattern to document any changes I may have to make or other sewing details.

The other task was finding a simple but "pretty" solution for storing the patterns that I use during my sewing classes. I originally had the lofty ambition of making fabric baskets for them, but soon abandoned the idea when I realized I just do not have the time right now.

I have a draw in the basement half of my work space, where I store the bulk of my supplies and patterns. However, in the sewing studio I wanted easy access to the patterns that I use on a daily basis for my classes and sewing kits.

I found these two beautiful "Raymond Waites" storage boxes at Michaels and I am wondering if I should not be getting a couple more. They are bright and cheerful and the perfect colour combination for my sewing room. They hold quite a bit of patterns in an upright position, which makes it easy to flip through the patterns. They also fit perfectly in my "Billy" Ikea bookcase.

Classes and workshops restart next week and I feel like there is still so much to do before I welcome my students. I figure little by little each day and I should be ready.

DIY Pegboard Wall Organizer

You can use a pegboard in any room in your home; however, I do not think that any craft or sewing space will be complete without one. A pegboard is a great way to organize tons of items and it can also add some interest to your wall.

In the process of giving my sewing and craft studios a makeover, I decided to make my own pegboard. I wanted something a little more ornate (yet functional) than many of the pegboards that I had come across. In other words, look pretty and do the job.

I decided to use one of the vintage frames from my stash and purchased a sheet of the pegboard at HomeDepot.

With the help of my husband Don, I cut the pegboard down to size. I was also lucky to get another piece just big enough to make a second (smaller) framed pegboard. The pegboard I purchased already had a white finish on one side, however I wanted to match the colour of the frame and pegboard. I painted over the pegboard using a small smooth roller. I could have used spray paint as an alternative.

The frame already had a gold metallic finish (from a previous project I had done with it) and I wanted to freshen things up a bit by adding a coat of soft cream paint. Plus, I did not want a gold coloured frame for my sewing studio. I painted the frame and lightly sanded between coats. I also lightly sanded some of the edges and upraised edges of the frame so you could see a little of the gold as highlights.

Don also helped me cut two pieces of 1" x 2" strappings, which was mounted to the wall at the wall studs.

Pegboard How-to:

1. Cut the pegboard to the dimensions of the inside of your frame.
2. Paint your frame and pegboard in your desired colour(s).
3. Glue the pegboard into your frame using carpenters glue or an epoxy.
4. Cut two strips of 1" x 2" wood to the same length of your frame's width or length. (This will become your strapping and it will also create some depth away from the wall for your pegboard to work properly.)
5. Screw your strappings to the wall. (Consider using plastic anchors if mounting on drywall, otherwise find the wall stud and use a long screw.)
6. Mount your pegboard onto the strapping using a screws and washers. (You are screwing into the pegboard, not the frame)
7. You can paint the top of your screws and washers if desired.

If you will like to forgo on the frame, check out Martha Stewart for some tips on how to make and install a pegboard.

Here are some more great pegboard inspiration:

• DIY Wednesday: Pegboard Wall Unit - Design Sponge
• The Transformation Begins - Just a Girl
• Framed Peg Board & Spool Organization - Life Created
• How to: Make a Pegboard Wall Organizer - Apartment Therapy

8 Steps to Getting Organized

Getting organized and creating an environment that is clutter free can be a challenge. At one time or another, many of us have struggled with clutter, and some of us have mastered the art of staying organized. However, I find myself sitting somewhere in the middle and I am able to organize some things with great efficiency, while I have an un-going struggle with other things. To address this in my own life, I have adapted a system that I have found great success with and over the pass few weeks I have been discussing the topic on Crafted Spaces Radio in the segment: "Getting Organized: Steps to De-Cluttering and Organization"

Whatever your reasons are for wanting to get organized, there are a number of common elements. The following tips are great for tackling a number of organizing projects, but is especially helpful to those wanting to organize their home office or studio. 

8 Steps to Getting Organized

1) Identify Your Purpose

Look at the space that you will like to organize and determine what function you will like the space to serve. Access if the space works well for its' current purpose or if another location will be better suited.

• What will you like to get out of the space?
• What is your objective?

2) Take an Inventory

Take an inventory of the items you are organizing or the space that you are organizing. Identify the purpose of the items and it's continued usefulness. Place items into one of three categories; keep, maybe and to-go.

• Are there items that clearly do not belong in the space?
• What items are needed in the space for it to function well?

3) Gather Your Resources

Identify what tools or additional resources you may need to get things organized. What can you repurpose in your home or office to help organize items.

• Do you have adequate storage?
• What is your budget for purchasing additional items for getting things organized?
• How much of the work can you do yourself?

4) Categorizing

Remove items from the space and designate an area for the purpose of organizing them. If you are organizing a room, remove all the items that do not belong in the room for the purpose you have identified in Step 1. If you are organizing a closet, remove all the items from the closet. If you are organizing your desk or workspace remove all items from the space. Follow by organizing the items into the categories you identified in Step 2, automatically reducing your clutter by 1/3.

• What is the usefulness of the item?
• Is the item in good condition or does it require repairs?
• When was the last time you used the item?
• Can someone else benefit from using the item?

5) Eliminate

Donate items or take them to your local dump. Those items in the "Maybe" category will require your attention; therefore designate a time for sorting at a later date. Take the time to evaluate what items you need to keep for the purpose and function of your room or task.

• Is there a local charity that can benefit from some of the items you have?
• What is the safest way of discarding each item?

6) Reworking your Space

If needed, make additions to the space or move furnishings around for better use of your space. Add shelving, baskets, rubber containers and other items to store the contents you are organizing. Refer to Step 1 to guide you through this process.

• What items can you repurpose to assist with storage?
• Do I want to consider giving the space a complete facelift?
• How accessible does the items need to be in the room?

7) Everything has a Home

Create a home for everything. Every item should have a place. You can use labels to identify contents or use containers that make it easy for you to see its' contents at a glance. Labelling items properly will assist in helping to keep things organized.

• What type of labelling system will work best for the items you have?
• Do you need to identify the contents of your storage containers at a glance?
• Will using a colour coding system work for you?

8) Keeping Things Organized

Return items to there home after use. Create a system or a process for dealing with each item or activity. Keep it simple and easy to follow.

• How will you deal with new incoming items, such as mail, bills, inventory, craft materials, etc?
• Are you able to dedicate a few minutes each day to putting things back in their place? 

I also suggest that after you have gotten things the way you like it, that you access the effectiveness and overall functionality of your newly organized space or task and determine what works and what may require modification. You can do this evaluation after a few weeks or months. On a regular basis it might be a great idea to do this as a way of keeping things on track and ensuring that the changes you have made still meet your needs.

Resources
(Please visit again as more items and links will be added to this list.)

Pinterest Board - Organization and Storage

Antique Finds

Antique shopping can be lots of fun. Crafted Spaces visited the Roadshow's 400 Antiques Mall, just outside of Barrie, Ontario. This 32,000 sq. ft. showroom is a great venue and has over 200 dealer shops and showcases with an amazing selection of antique finds, from delicate linen handkerchiefs to ornate furniture pieces.

Antique malls are a great source for finding items that can enhance any creative space. You can find great storage solutions or small decorative items that are cost effective and can add unique touches to your creative space. Here are a few of my milk glass dish, which has come in very handy for keeping business cards and hangtags within reach.

Getting Organized: Steps to De-Cluttering and Organization

I have done several posts on different aspects of getting organized and recently talked about the topic on Crafted Spaces Radio - "Organizing Your Creative Space." However, I really wanted to dig into this topic with a more in-depth look at how to get organized at home and at work.

If you are a designer and crafter like myself, perhaps you work from home and if so, this series will be very helpful as I take a look at how to keep things organized to improve your productivity.

Checkout my closet which has been transformed into an office nook!

Listen to the first of three Crafted Spaces Radio episodes in this series. I also invite you to visit my Pinterest board on Organizing and Storage.

Chalkboard Paint Facelift

Our new DIY project is fun and easy. The technique used can be applied to countless other pieces. The piece we used is a mini storage unit that was purchased at a local thrift store for just $3.99. The face of the draw units were painted in a stencilled pattern and might have been used in a child's bedroom. Chalkboard paint was used to paint over the stencilled pattern and it provides a new surface to label the contents of the draw units.

Over the years I have used chalkboard paint for a number of craft and decorating projects. You can use this product to transform almost any object into a writable and erasable surface. You can also add a touch of style and ornateness to the finished piece by adding interesting embellishments. For this unit we added a beautiful pair of decorative knobs; which were purchased from Michaels craft store.

Before

This little unit has been used at our studio to store some of our stamping supplies. One of the great benefits of covering it with chalkboard paint, is the ability to easily label the draws by writing on the surface.

This is a latex paint and can be washed off with soap and water. I used a sponge brush to apply the paint onto the draw units; however, I have also found that a sponge roller also works well. When applying your paint, use even strokes in the same direction. A second coat may be needed to cover existing finishes.

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Materials:

Project Piece

Chalkboard Paint

Sponge Brush

Sandpaper

Hardware or Decorative Element (optional)

Tape (optional)

Instructions:

1. Lightly sand the surface of your project piece
2. Clean the surface after sanding with a damp lint free cloth
3. Use tape to mark off the desired area you plan to paint (optional)
4. Using a sponge brush or roller, cover the area with the chalkboard paint
5. Let dry based on instructions
6. Reapply a second coat as needed
7. Condition for use based on instructions
8. Attach new hardware or decorative embellishments as desired

You can choose to lightly sand the surface of your project prior to applying the second coat of chalkboard paint.

View our video to learn how you can transform a piece of your own.

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LINK-UP:

FEATURED IN:

Liz Marie Blog - 8 Thrifty Projects That Are Easy

Under Wraps

This is a fun project and is easy and quick to do. I love reusing and repurposing things as a tiny way of supporting a healthier environment. I therefore repurpose glass jars; such as pasta sauce jars and jelly jars, to hold various items in my studio.

Today on our Crafted Spaces Radio we presented this DIY project, as part of our segment on the use of paper as a creative medium. The project uses a beautiful Japanese tissue paper (larger jar), purchases from The Paper Place, Toronto and a small sample piece of scrapbook paper (smaller jar). The tissue paper is quite light and therefore some care is needed when gluing to the jar.

Listen to the show and follow along as you work on your project:

Listen to internet radio with Crafted Spaces on Blog Talk Radio

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Materials Needed:

Glass Jar(s)

Japanese Tissue Paper or Other Decorative Paper

Glue (Mod Podge)

Brush

Measuring Tape

Ruler

Pencil

Scissors

Twine or Ribbon (optional)

Hot Glue Gun and Glue Stick (to attach cord or ribbon)

Instructions:

1) Clean jar(s) to remove any grease or other residue

2) Measure the circumference and height of the jar(s)

3) Cut your paper to the desired size

4) Using brush, apply glue to your jar and place one end of paper in place

5) Continue applying glue to the surface of your jar and move around the jar removing air bubbles with your fingers

6) Apply glue to the top and base of your jar gently pressing with your fingers

7) Cut off excess paper on the ends as needed

8) Let your project dry (based on instructions on your glue)

9) You can further embellish with twine or ribbon or as desired

Enjoy your new container!

I hope that you have enjoyed this project and invite you to share your projects with us on Facebook > Click Here!

Studio Changes

Photo by Yvette-Michelle Cottle Darby | Crafted Spaces

I finally decided to give in and to just let him in. Who you might ask; well the little guy, that keeps tapping at my studio door and rewards me with AMAZING hugs and kisses. My son Miles just turned fifteen months yesterday, and over the long weekend I decided to change the layout of my studio to better include him into my workspace.

Photo by Yvette-Michelle Cottle Darby | Crafted Spaces

Sewing Station #1

Photo by Yvette-Michelle Cottle Darby | Crafted Spaces

I have been pondering over what I needed to do to improve my workflow for Crafted Spaces and Verona Collections, while taking care of Miles. I originally wanted to keep the room separate for organizational and safety reasons; however, it just was not working. I was not getting as much work done as I would have liked and things were getting very disorganized.

Photo by Yvette-Michelle Cottle Darby | Crafted Spaces

I started off by moving my worktable and anything that he could get into. I created a second work area downstairs, where cutting and craft projects will occur. My main studio is therefore clear of clutter and most of my fabric is tucked away. There are no ribbons and other notions for baby to get into and he can take his naps and play with some legroom to spear.

Photo by Yvette-Michelle Cottle Darby | Crafted Spaces

I love the new layout, which is now dedicated to working on my computer and sewing. Baby also seems happier for it, which is VERY important. Let me know what you think. I still have some additional touches to make, which I'll feature in later posts.

Photo by Yvette-Michelle Cottle Darby | Crafted Spaces

Undated 12/12/13