Rainy Day Fosters Creativity

Lew and I did many productive things earlier this month when it was raining in Chester, VT. We prepared our porch, now rescreened and ready for solar, thanks to our son-in-law Andy's fine carpentry work. Silvio was thrilled to see the "Eddie wicker furniture" that he remembered so well. He has several favored stations to manage comings and goings. But more important that day, we put into practice what we learned from our friend Cindy who urged us to read "Clutter Busting," a book which reinforces the notation that if your creative space is "a mess," your creativity is at a standstill. I was in that place. So I listened. And I acted. And the result was phenomenal. Doing what I had to do worked.

No new designs yet this year, 2010. This is unusual, as winter is usually a time I center on new creations. I have had to depend on two dolls I created in 2009, around commissions and Christmas, who are my "new dolls" - Ella and Owen, formerly Lexi and Teelin, featured at Open Studio this year. Just referencing the book catapulted me out of my own personal nightmare: cleaning my sewing room. It took a whole day! It reminded me of cleaning my toy chest as a child. I organized my space to be welcoming and user friendly (especially with the afternoon sun) and Lew hung the curtains in the creative space, once daughter Kara's room - creative in her own right as an actress, a ballerina and now inspiring mother. What's in there?View image Remarkably I found the fabric intended for three new designs two years ago. I carefully "filed" 32 pounds of fabric by color into the white chest. I set up a worktable with a small portable light table from a friend. I managed to squeeze into a wooden cradle 56 bags of fabric for those designs always created in the same fabrics - Emily, Holly, Grace. There's a tote hidden which holds white and ecru complimentary go-withs, important design elements. A little green chest holds all my laces and trims. Another holds felt, gingham, fancy whites and solid broadcloths, all critical to my creations. My wigging gadgets were put together. And finally there was a place under the worktable for my binder holding the face templates, directions and embroidery floss for nearly all my dolls. My sweet sewing bench that each daughter hopes one day is hers is happy, and so is Penny Penncrest,View image my $15 sewing machine in its treadle cabinet. Now you can see the lovely quilt made by Carol, signed by my SCA friends when I retired, along with art from Doadie, Lisa, little friends, and daughter Kate. I was envious of her creative space View image out there in Flagstaff. See her work here. Now I am well pleased with the outcome of the mine. Keeping it tidy is the challenge. What this is all about is friends, family, listening, acting and finally doing. I am ready to design the wedding clothes for Matt and Myra for Chester's Big Little Wedding.