Transformation

 I've been busy the past couple of days re-arranging things in the house because I have an international student coming to live with me this year.  As her room has the only double wardrobe, this was full of STUFF - you know the kind of thing I mean.  Fabric, wool, patterns and so on.  I moved half the boxes so that half the wardrobe was useable, and decided that I'd take the opportunity to tidy up the little 3rd bedroom seeing as I'm not getting a second student.  This one has been used as dumping ground for the aforementioned STUFF, but before that, it looked like the photo above.

I visited my friend Angela yesterday afternoon to give her the patchwork fabric kindly sent by Amanda Greenwood of Kiwiquilters - Angela having got interested in p&q after I gave her the red and grey recycled quilt you will have seen late last year.  As  I was telling Angela about the above mentioned tidying, she suggested that I turn the room into a studio.

Lightbulbs flashed.  In my garage, I had a futon-style couch-that-opens-into-a-double-bed belonging to another friend, Haley, who didn't want it.  I measured it, the room, and then all the various pieces of furniture I wanted to re-arrange, and drew it up on paper.  It all fitted.  I would like readers to know that this is the only thing I am anal about.  Really.

I put the queen-sized wooden bed on TradeMe that evening, and it was gone by 9.30 this morning.  Gone. Removed.  I lured Haley over with the offer of a cup of coffee and then made her help me cart the futon and a table from the garage into the room.  I had already moved the Scotch chest out, and eased the computer table and trolley contained all my school books around the corner.

So, less than 24 hours after the birth of the idea, here is the studio.  Actually, I will sew, paint, draw, use the computer and study in here.  I may even do some ironing!  The futon is protected by a piece of fake fur - not classy, but it stops the animal hair and dirty feet (theirs). My household has a lot of feet, and most of them aren't mine. This room gets afternoon sun, and is very pleasant then.  I'll be able to sit by a window to sew, and will not have to spread stuff all over the dining room table like I do now.

I'm pretty pleased with the outcome.  I gave Haley an office chair on wheels that I didn't need but she did.  I'll do something else nice for Angela.