The End!

I have been enthralled with the online felting workshop so graciously and generously offered by Fiona Duthie.  And I have learned SOOOOO much!  Part of me is saddened that it's just about over, but the other part of me is happy for the reprieve.  This has taken a toll on my body and brain!  I may need a break, to work on scrumbling, loops. shawls, and other knit, crochet. or upcycled goodies!  But I fear stashing it all because to drag it all out again is a major effort.  My goal will be to find a storage idea that can quickly come out and then be stashed!  Any ideas?

The problem is my house!  I have a studio in our FROG (Finished Room Over Garage), but it serves mostly as a storage place for most of my crafty supplies (but not felting supplies!): yarn, needles, beads, threads, sewing machine, ironing board, and when needed, it serves as a guest room in which I can sleep SIX!  Making it usable as guest bedroom requires an extreme effort to stash and stow all the stuff that is inevitably hanging around most of the time.  I COULD felt up there if I had a work surface and if I imported the water needed.  So….the kitchen is my work space for felting; the laundry room houses the felting supplies.

For the past SIX weeks, the kitchen counter has been overwhelmed with a growing mess of silk, wool roving, wool batts, fabric scraps, beads, ribbons, various other items for inclusions, bubble wrap, rug mats, sushi mats, resists, soap, containers, and so much more.  Here are two photos of the kitchen as it currently exists in this final week - and this has been organized a bit since yesterday!  And three photos of the space my DH has in his garage studio!

And if I want to continue with this or other types of felting, I need to trot it all out again once I manage to find areas in which to keep it all!  Not a pretty picture.  Now my DH does have a studio for his pottery (that he is rarely doing these days!)  It was built by borrowing one bay of our two-car garage, heated and air-conditioned, with a set tub and hot/cold water.  It houses all his clay, glazes, wheel, and all that dirty stuff needed for making pottery.  AND HE'S NOT USING IT!!!!  Plus his car has to stay out all the time.  But….he refuses to give it up (can't say I blame him), and it would require massive cleaning efforts to make it usable as a wet lab that is CLEAN!  I can't imagine any of that happening any time soon.

So he (and I) will have to put up with the mess - which BTW is currently all over the house - from time to time.  I've set my goal to arranging storage that works for me and one day a week of felting time.  We'll see what happens!