Inside La Catedral Studios - CrawCrafts Beasties

Our New Studio Home!

Hey there Beastie buddies! It’s been a bit of a hectic week here at Beastie Towers… Yes, I know I’ve been saying that A LOT recently, but it seems like every week that passes brings even more action than the one before! So, what’s this week’s slice of news? Well, it’s a biggie – I took a studio space!

Up until now, my monster-making activities have always taken place in the comfort of my own home. And that was great, up to a point… A point that usually corresponds with the onset of the festive season. Then – CRAFTSPLOSION! Piles of wool, felt and fabric had been steadily colonising the living areas of Beastie Towers, making it nearly impossible for the non-crafting members of the household (sorry, Boyfriend!) to find a spot to sit down at the end of a working day. Trying to contain the sprawl wasn’t really an option either – it seemed like a lot of my valuable crafting time was spent trying to find things I’d only just tidied away.

Then, I started taking sewing classes with Zaria at The City Seamstress, and I was very taken with the incredible building where she has her workshop. Through a small door on a side street, up a flight of stairs… And you’re in the most amazing eclectic art space! I began to wonder if the Beasties could maybe find a home there too. So, on a whim, I applied – and was offered a place the same day! Care to take a look? Follow me!
The Back Loft at La Catedral Studios - CrawCrafts BeastiesWe’re just down this passageway, in the open-plan Back Loft area! Turn the corner and…
My Studio! CrawCrafts BeastiesPlease excuse the mess… I’m still in the process of moving in! A bit of that craftsplosion I mentioned earlier will definitely take care of those empty walls and clear tables, too.

For the moment, I’ve been enjoying spreading out across my new desk…
Colonising the Desk - New Studio - CrawCrafts Beasties… While still having a separate fabric-cutting and ironing station!
Ironing Table! CrawCrafts Beasties

Filling up the shelves is fun, too!
New Studio Shelves! CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd here’s a sneaky peek at some of the communal spaces. I’m really looking forward to relaxing in the roof garden this summer.
Inside La Catedral Studios - CrawCrafts BeastiesToday, I brought along the first (and most important) decorations for my studio walls as well – pictures and cards from some of my Beastie friends! Perhaps a few of you will spot something familiar in here…
Beastie Memorabilia! CrawCrafts BeastiesOh… And one more thing. This studio comes with a free feline friend! Hey there, Ophelia!
Ophelia the Studio Kitty - CrawCrafts BeastiesIsn’t she pretty? Expect to see a lot of her in future posts! Apparently she has a bit of a thing for yarn though, so I’m making sure all my storage boxes are kitty-proof!

So, welcome to our new home! I hope you enjoyed the tour… And if any of you have any decor tips, please share them in the comments. I haven’t done any interior designing since I painted my entire bedroom teal at age 14, so I’m not hugely confident in my abilities!

Also, I’ll be taking a bit of a break from blogging over the next couple of weeks as I get settled into this new space and get caught up with some of the other work I’ve been neglecting lately! But we’ll be back soon with new Beastie friends to meet and fresh monster adventures. See you then!

Vintage Singer Sewing Machine - CrawCrafts Beasties

Welcome to Beastie Towers!

Explorer Beastie and Sweetheart Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties
Yes, I know Tuesday is supposed to be New Beastie Day. But I thought it might be fun to mix things up a little… Plus I just spent a sizeable chunk of last week moving all my crafting goodies in here:
Crafting Command Centre at Beastie Towers - CrawCrafts Beasties
Behold, the Beastie Towers CCC (Crafting Command Centre)! Everything is so tidy and organised – probably for the first time since about 2013, when I was working entirely out of that clear plastic tub in the bottom left of the photo! And it wasn’t long before the Beasties came over to have a poke around…
A Thumbs-Up from Cheerleader Beastie! CrawCrafts BeastiesGaaaah! Beasties have Hijacked my Craft Supplies! CrawCrafts Beasties

…It looks like they’ve given it their seal of approval, anyway!

 

Although I can’t help but feel that there has to be an easier way for them to check the calendar…
Extreme Calendar Checking! CrawCrafts Beasties
All this extra space means that my sewing machine has finally been liberated from storage! Check it out – it’s a Singer one from the late 1960s. Can you believe someone was going to throw this away?
Explorer Beastie Checks the Sewing Machine - CrawCrafts BeastiesVintage Singer Sewing Machine - CrawCrafts Beasties

It’s been a while, so I’ve had to spend a bit of time this week reminding myself how to use it! Well, once Explorer Beastie had checked it over for me, of course.

And now that my various boxes, tins and bags have a home in the CCC, it frees up my crafting table for stuff like this:
Sketching Time! CrawCrafts BeastiesAll the Colours of the Felty Rainbow! CrawCrafts Beasties

As it happens, I’ve been doing a lot of sketching lately. For every commission, I sketch out my ideas first so people know what their Beastie will look like before I reach for my knitting needles. Here’s my latest project, which entered the Design Phase last week…
Beastie Beginnings - CrawCrafts Beasties
I also got around to tackling Tammie Painter’s second Sketchbook Saturday prompt! The theme last week was “Home”, so I used some old photos and a liberal dose of imagination to do some sketches of my childhood home. I did get a bit carried away with it… but since it was either that or back up my list of Beastie ID numbers, you can probably understand why.
Sketchbook Saturday Page 1 - CrawCrafts Beasties
Sketchbook Saturday Page 2 - CrawCrafts Beasties
Oh, and while we’re poking around in the library – let’s take a peek inside those notebooks again, shall we?
One of my Knitting Notebooks - CrawCrafts BeastiesI always have a knitting notebook on the go. I use them to record which yarns I’ve used for projects…

Yarns From My First Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties
Yarns From My First Beastie
Ingredients for a Crablet - CrawCrafts Beasties
Ingredients for a Crablet

…Essential knitting know-how…
Kitchener Stitch How-To - CrawCrafts Beasties
… Less essential non-knitting notes…

Shopping List - CrawCrafts Beasties
Shopping List
Mitten Thumbs and Cookie Recipes - CrawCrafts Beasties
Mitten Thumbs and Cookie Recipes

…Ideas and designs…

Some Early Beasties - CrawCrafts Beasties

Doodles for Garcia Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties
Doodles for Garcia Beastie

 

Bumblebee Dress - CrawCrafts Beasties
Bumblebee Dress

…And complete, total, unapologetic failures.

A Mid-Project Frogging - CrawCrafts Beasties

I really enjoyed looking back through my old notebooks – hopefully you did too! And if any of you keep notebooks or journals of your craft, art or interests, tell me all about it in the comments!

We’ll be back on Friday with more from Paddy and Plunkett… See you then!