Joyful Abode

1. Tell us about what we see in your photos.

Well this is my sewing room…my little Camp Follower Studio. It was going to be a guest bedroom, but we figure no one is going to travel this far to see us, so I claimed it for myself. Basically it is shelves and shelves of fabric, my sewing table and my sewing machines. I have an ironing board, that is always up but I hardly ever iron clothing….always fabric! I love the big window. I can keep an eye on the kids while they play in the backyard, and it lets in so much light. When I am cutting bags and quilts I move my operation out to the dining room table. I really need the space to keep all my bags organized with the selected fabric and proper uniform and patches.

2. What do you create in your space?

I make custom bags and quilts for ladies out of their “Hero’s” uniform. Some of the heroes are just fine and expected home at the end of their deployment, others have made the ultimate sacrifice and will not return. I do not charge for the bags I make widows of fallen Heroes. Westminster Fabric, Amy Butler and Hobbs Cotton Batting have all donated to my little cause, so I don’t have to. I love making Hero Quilts for the children of fallen Heroes, it feels right. They can still have a bit of their father to hold through the darkness.

Now, not all the bags and quilts I make are so incredibly heartbreaking. I make lots and lots of happy bags that celebrate the love and support we as Americans have for our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen. My husband has deployed several times, and I loved having a piece of him to carry around.

3. What advice do you have for others who are trying to put together their own creative space?
While my space is not perfect or BIG, it does work pretty well for me. For others trying to get theirs going, I would say GO FOR IT! Find your space and claim it!

4. How does being in your creative space make you feel?
I love being in my little studio…I love being surrounded with lovely fabric and all my art. It makes me feel calm, yet productive.

5. What has your biggest challenge been in creating and maintaining your creative space?
Well, my husband is in the Army, so we are living in Government housing….I don’t think I have ever heard any Army wife complaining about how BIG and SPACIOUS her assigned house was. I am not either. We could always use more room…Oh and I think the worst thing is the horrible shag carpet. Some poor fool decided it would be a great idea to carpet housing of all Americans living in one of the most dusty cities in the world…definitely the southern hemisphere. So when I am not battling regular dirt and grime, I am trying to dig straight pins out of the carpet before one of the kids march on them and scrape up all the little thread bits that like to wind themselves around the beater bar of the tired vacuum. My next space will NOT have carpet!

6. What is your favorite quote?
“I had cast my lot with a soldier and where was, was home to me” this was said by a Cavalry wife about 200 years ago. It was true for her then and it is true for me now. I like to put it on the straps of the “Stu Totes” I make.

7. What do you do when you’re NOT creating?
Well when I am not creating, I love to explore. Since we are stationed in the middle of Australia, we spend alot of time camping and hiking. My husband and I have 3 little kids so we are pretty busy with them. My daughter and I go to the little art shows that come to town and we like going to the theater when it has performances. The boys don’t like it so much so Emma and I just make it a date for ourselves. I love to design…so there is always a bag or skirt in progress in my mind. I also have a bit of a fabric addiction, so I spend some time perusing the internet for fabric I just can’t live without. Thank heaven for the APO! I have begun doing some hand dyeing…but I have not found dyes I am really wild about yet. I enjoy reading blogs too, so when I am not working on mine I love reading others!

8. What one piece of furniture or organizational equipment could you not live without?
My husband got me this little desk organizer, which is really for pens and pencils, but I keep track of my scissors and seam ripper and tape measure and uniform buttons…I just really love it. With 3 children who want to be just like mommy, I had a hard time keeping up with my gear. Now, I know in a glance where it should be…and if not, I assemble the little troops and we find what is lost. Normally it is totally my fault, and the scissors are on top the the refrigerator or under a stack of fabric, but the organizer has helped a great deal.

9. What is your next “move” for your creative space? Do you have plans for its future?
Well, we will be here for another 2 years, so I really can’t change it that much, but I have thought of making one of the walls in my bedroom a design wall…maybe I will save that for our next move.

10. Do you have a website we could visit?
I have been in the process of updating my website and it should have a new wonderful look very soon. I also have a blog and an etsy shop…not much in the shop since most of my work is custom.

Use the code “JOYFULSHIPPING!” for free shipping in Tia’s shop!

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