Studio Rejig (for leathercraft) -Phase One

The more I have delved into Leather craft the more chaotic my studio space had become! Now I am a messy worker and accept this will always be. But spending half an hour looking for my Beeswax is just not on!!!
Also, my pattern cutting tables were fine for cutting patterns and cutting out pieces but most definitely not suitable for marking stitches and punching holes for leather craft, and I kept injuring my hand.

So the Summer of  2017 lovely Matt Nicholls a fellow Cockpitter helped me to arrange a temporary solution until I had the funds to commission a proper work bench - he reinforced a table that was already in the Cockpit Arts Leather Hub on the ground floor. (I had managed to get access to the hub before I won the Leathersellers award 😉)
So, from June 2017, whenever I needed to mark stitches etc I would gather everything I needed and head downstairs. Yes! Time consuming, but on the bright side I did manage to fit in a bit of exercise during studio time!
Finally, in March 2018 I was able to commission Matt (of course!) to make me a small workbench and some shelves so I could have a dedicated Leather craft area.

Matt fitting the shelves

New leather craft space

​Recently my slapdash storage “system” for my patterns finally reached appoint of “this has got to stop!”  When I spent a couple of day (yes days!!!) looking for the Angelou collection patterns! I have now ensured finalised patterns are correctly hooked up WITH a sketch!

The studio rejig is not complete yet. It is still a mixture of equipment and components for garment construction, pattern cutting and leather products. I am still figuring out what to let go of and what to keep and what will be the most effective storage solution. I am also redefining my working style – although I am aware that “creative mess” will always be a part of it!
On the advice of another Cockpitter my neighbour Hannah Bedford (whose studio is sooooo organised!) I am working with what I have for a while before beginning phase two. 

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