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popsdemilk
Come behind the scenes at Pops de Milk for a #CraftRoomTour and see Patricia's cosy craft corner in Toronto.
The amount of light from the huge windows.
Tell us about your space
My craftspace is a melange of different crafts - a true representation of my varied and random interests. It's in a constant state of barely organized disorder as I move from project to project. One day I might be hemming a skirt, another day I'll be practicing charcoal shading, the next I'll be unraveling a knitted project to reuse the yarn for a crochet project. I've managed to cram many different tools and materials into a small space (it's a space in our bedroom that's around 5' x 9').
What have you done to make your space cosy, beautiful or inspiring?
We bought two IKEA shelves (the cubby hole kind) and I used them to create a room divider. Adding the colourful yarns (we call it the Yarn Wall) makes the space super cozy and very bright. The colours keep me inspired, always wanting to crochet or knit something.
I love having purposely placed clutter to decorate corners and empty spaces. I use items I've made or books that inspire me.
How do you keep your projects, yarn and supplies organized?
This is a constant battle. Under my desk I have bags and boxes of WIPs, material, fabric, and awkwardly shaped things that don't fit in a drawer or shelf. For the most part, I have drawers for small objects (sewing notions, stationery, paints, pencils, etc.) and shelving for bigger items (paint brushes, books, sewing machine, yarn, etc.). My goal is to incorporate vertical storage by putting up hooks and wall shelves.
Any tips & tricks for staying organising and untangled?
Label boxes and drawers and then make sure you put away items in the correct box or drawer, but more importantly, make sure you remember your system. I've spent many hours looking for a felting needle that I ended up finding in a drawer marked "Craft Notions". Create a blueprint with craft categories that makes sense to you.
Which are your favourite possessions and are there any of your own creations on display?
I have quite a few! And in fact, most are on display. Some are my first crochet pieces (a bunny from the first Amigurumipatterns.net book, the aliens with buttons I made when I was experimenting with crochet shapes), paintings I've done over the years, a beak doctor mask I molded from paper mache, and of course the series of mandalas I have on the bedroom wall.
How do you organise your inspiration and ideas?
My husband makes fun of me for this because I carry around 3-4 journals. I explained to him that one is for making lists of ideas, the other is to brainstorm the design, another is to sketch the design, and because I prefer to use pen and paper, I also draft blog post snippets. I go back to my notes when I need inspiration or an idea.
Where do you look for inspiration?
Ideas appear in many forms. I find inspiration on Pinterest, art galleries, reading something fascinating like traditional medicine in the Victorian era - this usually leads to research and my imagination takes over. Sometimes I have brainstorming sessions with my husband or friends. When people know you are creative they love to give you ideas and sometimes those ideas are pretty awesome.
If you had three wishes, what would you do to make it your dream stitching space?
More storage!
A dedicated craft room, with a cozy armchair.
Neverending supplies. More yarn please!
Whose craft room would you love to explore? Send us a message!
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