studio tour

We moved into our current house this past May, and I feel like I'm finally settled into my studio enough to share some pictures with you! So I did a bit of straightening up (trust me, it's not always this organized!) and took some photos around the room, if you'd like to see.

The house that we're renting was built in 1898, and my sunny sewing space is on the second floor. It's the largest work space I've had yet, and I've been able set it up in such a way that I can make a quilt from start to finish right here. Whenever I need to baste a quilt, I simply roll up the rug and tape the quilt to the floor.

I have a dedicated wall for photographs, which is where my fabric shelves reside. I added wheels to the Expedit bookcases I keep my fabric in, so whenever I need to photograph something, I simply wheel them out of the way. The flexibility has been so helpful!

My cutting table consists of an Ikea table top with adjustable legs, so I'm able to cut fabrics while standing. I keep a yellow stool from Target nearby, which I use whenever I want to sit and work at the table. Two wall quilts hang next to the table: my Star Blossoms Mini Quilt and the Cross-Stitch Heart Quilt made for me by Alyssa Lichner of Pile O' Fabric.

My design wall (a vinyl tablecloth tacked to the wall with the flannel side out) hangs between the cutting table and my sewing machine. I've hung all of my threads above my machine, along with the hexagon wall quilt I made from Sara Lee Parker's hand-printed fabrics.

One section of the wall features embroidery hoops filled with past projects, including my Hello and Joy samplers, my old shop logos, an embroidered doily design, and a holiday ornament.

I keep finished quilts tucked away in the closet, along with various supplies and WIPs.

And finally, my glass shelves hold my favorite sewing and quilting books, bins of shop fabric, jars of buttons and ribbons, and various notions. A pink wire basket sits next to the shelves and holds bolts of fabric.

I hope you enjoyed this mini tour, and I'd love to hear about where you sew! What's your favorite feature of your space?

new fabrics in the shop!

I'm so excited to share that I've added more fabrics to the shop! You can now find a selection of prints by the British textile designer, Sarah Waterhouse, on my virtual shelves. Sarah hand prints all of her beautiful designs onto organic cotton and hemp blends in her Sheffield, England, studio.

Sarah's prints are bright and bold, and great for so many projects, including throw pillows and zipper pouches. I've started on an improv quilt using swatches of her designs that I'm really excited about.

In addition to new fabrics, I've also added some finished goods to the sale section of my shop, in preparation for a move into a larger home studio next week. The less I have to move the better, and there are some great potential holiday gifts in there!

open studio this friday!

For the past two months, I've been dividing my time between my home studio and a new shared studio in downtown Cary, which is part of the co-working space Gather. Moving into the new studio has been just the kick in the pants I needed to try out some new things, including reopening my Etsy shop and stocking it with previously unfinished projects, and re-imagining the future of Salty Oat---with more details to come soon (there's a mini hint in the photo above)! I'll also be teaching two classes at Gather this fall, and will share details about those in the coming months.

In the meantime, this Friday is Gather's grand opening, and I hope you'll stop by and say hello! I'll have my wares for sale, including some pieces that aren't currently available in my Etsy shop, and there will be food trucks, coffee, local vendors, and more. It promises to be a fun night!

behind the scenes

 My inspiration board (which includes a Polaroid from our wedding and plastic deer)

Over the past few weeks, I've been working hard to organize my typically cluttered workspace--our spare room--so today, I thought I'd share a few pictures.  

I keep all of my aida cloth, buttons, felt, and hardware (like snaps and D-rings) in these drawers, which I picked up at a yard sale in middle or high school.

On top of the drawers is a spool rack made by my great-grandfather, who also made dollhouse furniture, as well as a Plain & Thimble sewing kit given to me by a friend.

On the wall above my sewing machine, I've hung a shower caddy, which I've loaded up with pretty fat quarters and scraps of fabric.

I also have embroidery hoops, a measuring tape, and a bag that I picked up at a market in San Antonio, which holds all of my knitting supplies, hanging from the caddy.

At any given time, I usually have a couple of projects going. Pictured above are blocks for a quilt that I'm working on (I'm using this Red Pepper Quilts tutorial), and pictured below are some French knot napkins in various stages, as well as the top of my little trees quilt, which I hope to finish this weekend.