17 October 2007

Uncontrollable cleaning urge

This is an important date to put down in your books, mark on your calendars or commit to memory. Mostly because when I get in this kind of mood, nothing is safe in the house.


My life has been so hectic for so long that I've had very little time to organize and keep things clean. I've now reached a point where I'd prefer to set it all on fire rather then look at it in their mocking piles any longer.


A while back I did a major overhaul of my studio when IKEA opened by my house. I admit now, openly and honestly, that I never completely finished it. So why have I decided that its time to make the final push?


Well, let me set the scene for you...


One week before the American Sewing Expo I was frantically working to meet my deadlines. Once again, no one's fault but my own for waiting too long. I was working on an assemblage doll and one of the main portions of it was the extremely long legs on it. I liked the distortion of this and really went at it.


I cut three legs out of dowels and was proud of myself that when I measured them (stop snickering, I do so own a tape measure and it has so seen the light of day) they were all the same length. I had decided to build the fourth leg out of little wood frames and small wood blocks.


I did all this and said doll appeared level. At least, it appeared level while sitting on my work table. I don't know what I was doing but I set it on the floor for some reason and my little friend promptly tilted to one side. The side where I had used the frames and blocks. I admit I was extremely unlady like and grumbling like a sailor.


And of course I was looking to blame everything/anyone but myself for this error. Heck, even the dog wasn't safe from accusations he couldn't have possibly committed. After all, he has no thumbs. I placed the doll back up on my work table and it was level again. Huh?


So either the house is completely crooked (which I'm pretty sure I don't walk slanted) or my work table was off. Oh yeah, upon closer inspection, I found a big bow in the middle of it. A leveler confirmed it and the sailor comments came out once again but I moved on because there were deadlines and no time to be concerned about anything else. Besides, I was in the middle of trying to whack off a couple wood blocks with a hammer, whimpering the whole time because I didn't want to knock the whole thing apart. (By the way, Weldbond is extremely strong glue. Ask me how I know....)


Now we are to the present. The majority of the heavy deadlines are done and the shipping out of the quilts from Breaking Traditions will be completed this weekend. Which leaves me time to turn my attentions elsewhere. Like back to that evil work table.


I have two tables in my studio and it turns out that both of them are bowed. They are now my enemy. I plan to turn them into dyeing tables and make them go live in the garage in between uses. Not polite, I know, but an artist has to be ruthless at times.


So I went to the IKEA website. Talk about more evil but in a totally good way. I want this table top, this legs and these little shelves:





I'd really like to finally get some kind of shelving up on the walls was well to display artwork and give the space a finished feel.

Luckily my friend Tom has agreed to come out and help with said activities which is good because they just released Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas as 3D back onto the big screen so we can go see that too. (I worship Tim Burton...drool...)

Ah yes, free time for me leads to much destruction in the house. But no worries, it all goes back together....eventually.

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