dolin bliss

New Tutorial is Up on the Craft Blog!

Things are happening behind the scenes here in my studio.  Sometimes it is stuff I can't talk about while I am working on it, sometimes it is stuff that has taken me forever and a day to actually finish (so embarrassed) and then there are those ongoing projects that I just wish I could snap my fingers and be done with them.  

I recently wrote a fun tutorial for Craft on how to refashion old or ill fitting tee shirts, into this tank top:

The tutorial went up onto their site today, so check it out when you have a chance.  It is a pretty quick project, some basic sewing and crochet skills are necessary.  

Remember this post from way back in October, about starting the Stitch Diva's Hourglass Jacket?  Well, it is finally finished!  Geez, took me long enough.  I love it.  I did need to rejigger a few things, but I am happy with the end result.  

Oops, I just realized I forgot to button one button, before taking the picture.  Typical.

Another, sort of ongoing thing I have been working on has been reorganizing the studio.  It has been a challenge, since I also still need to work here, but it is coming along!  I hope to post some before and after shots soon.  I know I always like to see where people create, especially when they have small work spaces.  My studio is not huge, it is only 9' 6" x 8' 6" and I have a lot of crafting crapola.  Don't get me wrong... I know I am lucky to have a room devoted to just me and my work, but I still can't fit all of it in here.  I have been able to bring more of my stash out from the basement, which has triggered some new ideas.  My next project for the studio is to make fabric valances (is that what they are called), to hide my rolling window shades when they are up.  I will keep you posted.

It has been busy around here!

The past week and a half has been non-stop for me, in a very good way.  I posted not to long ago, how I wanted to renovate my studio and had the color inspiration from a vintage scarf.  So, last Monday (9/29) I moved everything out of my studio and started to prep it for painting.  I tore down all the picture molding, normally I would keep picture molding up because I like it and it is original to the house.  But, in this small room it just broke up the lines of the wall and it was crooked (well, I guess the whole room is a bit crooked).  I took out the old dirty blinds, which were just a dingy as the rest of the paint in the room.  There was also this bad crack in one corner of the room that needed to be fixed.  So I had my work cut out for me.  Here are some before images of my dingy studio:

The crack in the corner:

The cracked corner without the picture molding and with the tape on it, before I plastered it.

The newly plastered corner, looking so much better.

I know, not very exciting pictures, but it is worthwhile once you see the finished product.  I had to get everything finished before Saturday 10/4, because we were having a few friends over for a BBQ and couldn't have all my studio stuff filling up the living room.   So late Friday afternoon, I finally finished painting!  

My new happy and bright studio:

The colors look totally different in each of the pictures, it was pretty cloudy by the time I finished so the lighting wasn't great.  The actual color of the studio is a lot closer to the first image.  I really love it!  Friday night I quickly put everything back into the studio, but I still have a few things I want to do the the space.  I need to get some window coverings up, asap, it gets hot in here.  Then on the wall opposite of the wall that the table is against (in the first picture), I want to put in shelves.  I haven't decided on the shelves yet, but need to make a decision soon, so I can get this place completely set up.  I will continue to post pictures of the studio, so you can see the progress.