Moj krojački kutak / My sewing nook

Kakav je prostor u kom šijete i stvarate? Da li je opremljen do savršenstva, prostran i besprekorno pospremljen, ili je improvizovan, neuredan, i mobilan? O kakvom kutku maštate, i imate li tu sreću da ovaj prostor ne delite ni sa kim drugim? Da li vas divan prostor za šivenje motiviše da radite, imate li problema da se fokusirate na šivenje kada nije sve savršeno organizovano?

What's your sewing space like? Is it perfectly equipped, spacious and all tidy, or is it improvised, messy and mobile? How do you envision your perfect sewing nook, and are you lucky enough not to share this space with anyone else? Does a beautiful space motivates you to work, do you have problems focusing on sewing when working in a disorganized environment?

Već neko vreme želim da vam pokažem svoj kutak u kom šijem i pravim krojeve. Međutim, ovo je obično najneuredniji deo stana, pa sam čekala momenat kada je moj studio u najboljem mogućem izdanju kako bih ga uslikala. Sasvim zgodno, danas je D. instalirao police na koje sam poređala sve džidža-bidže koje koristim dok radim, a koje inače umeju da naprave haos ako nisu uredno spakovane na svoje mesto.

I've been wanting to write about my sewing and pattern drafting space for a while. However, it's usually the messiest part of my flat, so I waited for a convenient moment when the studio is in its best to snap some photos. Well, D. installed a couple of shelves today, where I put a bunch of various little things I use wile working, that can make a hell of a mess if they're not neatly packed on their place. 

Moram da vas upozorim, ja živim u malecnom stanu, od svega 30 kvardratnih metara. Stan ima dve prostorije: spavaću sobu od oko 7,5 kvadrata i dnevnu sobu / trpezariju / kuhinju koja je nešto veća. Kada smo se uselili u stan, mala soba je služila kao ostava za sve i svašta, dok nismo opremili stan. U međuvremenu, ja sam šila za trpezarijskim stolom, i pomerala mašinu tamo-vamo kada je trebalo da ručamo. Ovo je posebno bilo naporno tokom TR Masterklasa, jer sam svakodnevno, tri meseca, šila non-stop. Posle nekog vremena sam digla ruke od pomeranja mašine i nisam je ni sklanjala sa stola, a D. i ja smo sve vreme jeli na kauču, držeći tanjire u krilu. Iako se D. ni jednom nije požalio, meni se ovakav način života smučio! 

I have to warn you, I live in a tiny apartment, of only 323 square feet. The flat has two rooms: a bedroom of around 80 square feet, and a slightly bigger living room / dining room / kitchen. When we moved in the small room served as a keeping room for all sorts of things we didn't have a place for. Meanwhile I sewed on a dining table, and moved my sewing machine around when D. and I wanted to have a meal. This was especially difficult during the TR Masterclass, as I sewed non-stop every day, for three months. After a while I gave up on moving the machine and left it on the table, while D. and I had our meals on a couch, keeping plates in our laps. Although D. didn't complain at all, I was sick of it!

Tada smo shvatili da će spavaća soba, koja je i onako premala da bi u nju stali normalan bračni krevet i orman, biti moj radni prostor. Rešili smo da spavamo u dnevnoj sobi, na kauču koji se razvlači (srećom, našli smo veoma udoban kauč). Ujedno, uspeli smo da na ovaj način rasteretimo dnevni boravak od većih komada nameštaja tako što smo orman spakovali u malu sobu. Na slikama nećete videti orman - soba je toliko uska, da je nemoguće uslikati ga iz bilo kog ugla, a da slika ne izgleda kao fotografija belog zida.

It was then that we realized the small room was too small to put a double bed and a closet into it, so we decided to make it my sewing space. We chose to sleep in a living room, on a couch (we were lucky to find a cozy one). Also, we managed to keep the living room unloaded from the heavy furniture, by placing a large closet into the small room. You won't see the closet on the pictures - the room is so narrow, making it impossible to photograph the closet from any angle.

 

Priznaću vam odmah - moj prostor je sav improvizovan, ali organizovan najbolje što sam umela da izvedem. Za početak, radim za minijaturnim stolom, čije su dimenzije oko 60 cm x 95 cm. Kada krojim materijal, obično ga stavim na pod, jer nemam dovoljno prostora na stolu. Kada pišem članke o šivenju, proces obično podrazumeva da fotografišem proces rada nakon svakog šava. Pošto nemam dve radne površine koje mogu da iskoristim, držim poveći komad kartona preko daske za peglanje, i fotografišem na toj površini. To, naravno, znači da karton svaki čas nameštam i sklanjam sa daske. 

I'll admit it - my sewing space is all improvised, but organized the best I could do it. I work on a tiny table, whose dimensions are around 60 cm x 95 cm. I usually cut my fabrics on a floor, since there is not enough space  on the desk. When writing sewing articles, the process usually includes taking photos after each stitch is sewn. As I don't have two working surfaces I could use, I keep a large piece of cardboard on my ironing board and use it as a surface for taking pictures on. This, off course, means that I have to move the cardboard on and of the pressing board.

Levo od stola je kutija u kojoj držim flis papir, krojeve na kojima trenutno radim i lenjire. Kutija je reciklirana ambalaža od monitora.

I keep a large box with all of my tissue paper and rulers left from the table. The box is a recycled packaging from a computer screen.

Mašinu / poklopac držim ispod stola, na komadu čoje. Čoja mi olakšava pomeranje mašine, jer ne moram da je podižem i teglim leđa, a da pri tom ne izgrebem parket.

I keep my machine / machine case under the table, on a piece of felt. The felt helps moving the machine around, without the need to actually lift it and stress my back, while saving the flooring from scratching.

Desno od stola se nalazi polica sa Burdama, koju sam napravila od jedne daske i kartona. Na dnu ima točkiće, kako bih mogla lako da je pomeram. Na polici se nalazi kutija u kojoj držim materijal i kroj na kome trenutno radim, kao i malu kantu za krpice i konce.

Right to the table I keep a shelf with my Burda Style magazines. I made the shelf using a piece of plank and cardboard. It has wheels to make it easier to move around. I keep a box with fabrics and pattern of the project I'm working on on top of the shelf. It also has a small trash bin for all the threads and fabric scraps I throw away while sewing.

Iznad stola imam dve male police okačene na zid, na kojima držim pribor za šivenje i crtanje krojeva. Police smo D. i ja sami napravili, prelepili ih samolepljivim tapetama i kant trakom, i okačili ih na zid. Koristim razno-razne kutije i konzerve za držanje olovaka i ostalog pribora.

I have a couple of small shelves installed on a wall. I keep my sewing tools and my pens on them. D. and I made the shelves ourselves. We applied an adhesive wallpapers to them and installed them to the wall. I use all sorts of boxes and cans for storing my pens and other tools.

Kutiju za alat sam kupila pre par godina, kada je broj konaca koje sam nakupovala prerastao kutiju od cipela koju sam do tada koristila. Sećam se da sam bila jako srećna kada sam je kupila, kao da sam donela u kuću kovčeg s blagom :). U njoj držim osnovni pribor za šivenje - špenadle, krede, konce, igle, makaze i ostale stvarčice. Skoro sam bacila oko na veću i lepšu kutiju za alat, koju planiram da kupim uskoro. O, radosti! ;)

I bought the toolbox a few years ago, when a number of thread spools outgrew the size of the shoe box I had used previously. I remember how happy I was when I bought it, as if I had brought a treasure coffin to the house :). I keep all my basic notions in there - pins, needles, chalks, threads, scissors and other items. I've earmarked a bigger and prettier toolbox recently and I plan to buy it soon. What a joy! ;)

Naravno, tu je i Sara, moja krojačka lutka. Kada ne radim na novom kroju, uglavnom mi služi kao čiviluk za jakne i kapute. Inače, Sari je D. dao ime - kada sam je kupila, ona je za mene bila samo lutka, bez imena. Ispričala sam D. kako mnoge krojačice krste svoje krojačke lutke i sažive se sa njima, što ja do tada nisam nikako razumela. Iz čistog zezanja, D. joj dade ime, ali od onda je ni jednom nismo oslovili sa LUTKA, oduvek je Sara. Kada se u prolazu slučajno očešemo o nju, uvek komentarišemo kako nas napada i usput smišljamo priče o njoj kao da je treći član naše porodice. Ljudi su nekad baš blesavi, zar ne? Mislim da sada razumem tu emotivnu vezanost sa lutkom. 

Off course, there's also Sara, my dummy. When I'm not working on a new pattern it usually serves as a coat stand. D. gave her a name - when I bought it, it was just a dummy to me, without a name. I told D. how many seamstresses give their dummies names and treat them almost as persons, which I could not understand at the time. Out of a joke, D. gave her a name, and we've never called her a DUMMY, but Sara ever since. When we scratch on it by accident while passing by, we always comment that Sara is attacking us and we tell stories about it as if she was a part of our family. People are silly sometimes, aren't they? Well, I think I get now the connection seamstresses have with their dummies.

Materijale i pozamanteriju držim svuda po stanu, i trudim se da ih svedem na minimum, jer nemamo dovoljno prostora za velike zalihe. No, o tome možda u nekom drugom postu.

I keep my fabrics and notions all over the flat, trying to keep them to the minimum, as we don't have enough space for some large stash. But, perhaps I'll write about it in some other post.

Sve ovo vam pišem kako bih demonstrirala da ne morate imati idealne uslove kako biste radili ono što volite. Dokle god imate volju za radom, uvek ćete naći načina da se posvetite svom hobiju. Ja imam i tu sreću da lako mogu da se dogovorim sa D. oko opremanja stana, i što me on potpuno podržava u mom poslu. 

I've written all this to show you you don't have to have ideal conditions in order to do what you like. As long as you have the willing to work, you'll always find a way to nurture your hobby.  I'm lucky enough to have a hubby like D. with whom I can easily agree on how to decorate our apartment, and who completely supports me in my work.