This beautifully elegant word describes my workspace at the moment.
It’s a hodgepodge and assemblage of ideas, tools, fabrics, threads, and beads, as well as home to my beloved books.
And as much as I try to have systems in place to influence these things into some form of cohesive, workable space – the truth is, I love it the way it is.
It’s the place where I feel instantly calm and ready to create, regardless of what’s happening outside my door.
But part of its appeal is that melange of patchworked items and ideas that are useful, time-saving, inspiring or simply beautiful – and they all need a home. It’s like walking into your favourite old-world musty bookshop, filled to the rafters with books, one or more of which will probably return home with you.
But I need to create some order, as I have a wealth of ideas to work on – one of which is a large machine-embroidered triptych.
Great design, but working it and hanging it in three separate formats isn’t working, so I’m going to have to cut the sides and stitch them all together. That way the design will be stronger and the work will hang better.
Then as I was tidying – and I can only do it in small increments – I came across a design idea from some time ago. And it’s not bad.
So I need to ponder on that a little to see how the idea develops. Actually, I can see it worked really large as a machine-embroidered piece or quite small as a beaded piece, so I may do both. Why not?
And really, isn’t it wonderful to have kept an idea and rediscovered it at a later date – and still be able to see the potential?
So that rag-bag assortment of things in my workroom suits me just fine. A little order here and there certainly helps, but sometimes it’s that motley potpourri of items and ideas that ends up helping with design development and inspiration.
And that’s always a good thing.
