What is the size of your studio
Is it part of the house structure
If it is not part of the house structure -- what type of structure is
used for the studio?

We built a studio onto the back of the house about 12 years ago. It is 16 by 20 with a hall, and downstairs bathroom nest to it.
The locks wall has 4 big windows, and a garden door, which leads out to a deck.
The view is great.

The room has pot lights 4 along the edges of room and 6 quartz halogen fixtures in two tracks in the middle.

There are 3 floor to ceiling Ikea shelves to hold yarns and one utility table, one computer card and stool and my Megado loom. All kinds of bit and pieces scattered all over, and then a huge U shaped office desk with back support chair. This is where I do all the computer work, the writing and the mailing of Fiberworks programs. My books are on another Ikea shelf in the dining room and then upstairs in built in shelves. I got rid of all the other looms. Only one left

Oh yea! I got a haberdashery cupboard a number of years ago with 27 glass fronted drawers and 3 large ones at the bottom. This big furniture piece sits in one side of the studio and hold shuttles, bobbins, loom tools, sewing tools and LOTS of beads. One of the best additions to the studio I ever chanced onto.

Anyway I love my studio and spend about 10 hours a day here <G>
Ingrid Boesel, the weaving half of Fiberworks PCW

Visit us at: http://www.fiberworks-pcw.com
Email: ingrid@...

At 12:33 AM 8/17/01 -0000, you wrote:

What is the size of your studio
Is it part of the house structure
If it is not part of the house structure -- what type of structure is
used for the studio?

Hopefully studio will be up and running before Winter. Size 16 X 22.
Built as an addition to the house. Same structure as the house ( I am not
sure what is meant by this last question).

I got 20 heavy duty plastic "milk bottle boxes" at an auction for $10.
These will be used to store yarns and wool so I can see what I have.
Brucie

What is the size of your studio
Is it part of the house structure
If it is not part of the house structure -- what type of structure is
used for the studio?

Well, for now I spread myself around. One floor loom in the bedroom loft
overlooking livingroom, one table loom varies betwen camper trailer and a
bench in livingroom, and rug loom in lower level family room. Multiple
little loom throughout the house or on loan addicting new fiber-holics.
Fiber stash whereever I can hide it. Books parked on the seat of a rocking
chair.

BUT... the future plans are once the 18 year old moves out (she is
collecting furniture and appliances now .--hooray!) then I get the whole
lower level family room of our home as my studio, about 18x26 space, with
two huge double wide patio doors facing south, and a great view of the
river. Right now it is divided into two rooms with a temporary wall to make
her bedroom space. Got track lighting already in, and thinking of a whole
wall of cubby bins and shelves for goodies and stash. And a bookshelf for
the book collection.

Then thinking of a rack to display all the neat old shuttles I have
collected, and then a special spot for all weaving and spinning knickkancks
my mom keeps finding for me.

And finally.... have to aquire the Dream Loom.... about a 72"-100" AVL with
multiple fly shuttle boxes and one heck of an Xmas bonus to pay for it!

Weavingly Yours,
KarenInTheWoods
(try these links for weaving and family pics)
http://www.KarenInTheWoods.eboard.com
http://KarenInTheWoods.eboard.com

My studio is about 15' by 28' with a funky diagonal wall cutting off a
corner. It the second floor of my house, and accomodates a 30" AVL floor
loom, a 40" LeClerc floor loom, a 36" H'ville floor loom, a 20" Mtn table
loom on stand, sewing machine, ironing board, work table, and assortment of
shelves and book cases for yarns and books, periodicals, etc. I also give
asylum to most of out Guild's supplies. Windows are "smart windows" so
nothing fades with ultraviolet light. It was built as a studio when we did
an addition on our house 4 years ago. I wish I'd put all the electrical
outlets at chest level instead of ankle level. And the studio has a huge
storage bin for fleeces and large bags of rags, fabric, etc. It's a great
space.

Carolyn

In planning construction of new studio space, the time spent in figuring out
where to place electrical outlets is well spent. If base cabinets are to be
installed, you definitely want the outlets higher. Also, make sure you plan
for phone jacks (remember modem connections) and video (cable) outlets if you
want television and the ability to play instructional videos. Consider
connecting to a sound system if you have one in your home, and perhaps a
camera at the front door, if you want to monitor visitors from the tv screen.
I don't have one, but a lot of "smart houses" do.
There have been a lot of technologic changes since we built our condo, and
today many builders automatically consider computer needs. If you don't know
anything about lighting, hire a lighting consultant or go to a store that
will provide this service. A weaver's needs must be tailored to his/her
situation.

My studio is a 15 X 15 space on the second floor with a half-wall opening to
the entranceway and the kitchen/great room below, so I can see what's
happening in the main part of the house from my perch. I have a 60 inch AVL
compudobby, Ikea book shelves with storage doors below, a cart for a
computer, and a large two pedestal antique desk (used to be a roll-top but
the top was dismantled and lost a long time ago, sigh). There is a three
panel window with trapezoid above which faces north. A skylite in a slanted
ceiling brings in eastern light. My book and magazine bindings have faded a
bit in 15 years, and I'm considering having UV coatings put on the windows.
There are Lightolier light points with halogen lamps strategically placed in
the sloping ceiling (they can be adjusted). I also have a halogen floor lamp
for ambient lighting. I have room to put another loom next to the AVL, but
it would compromise space around the loom. I'm going to put in a futon so I
have a place to sit and read comfortably. It will also be another place for
visitors to sleep if they don't mind sleeping with a loom. I have a large
lithograph (Hans Erni) of Penelope which keeps me company while I weave and
unweave (although I don't think I do as much "unweaving as she did." There
is a door to a balcony overlooking our library. The door was an afterthought,
as was the balcony, which has more Ikea book shelves built in. I can open
this door and hear the music system below. There is a spiral staircase
leading from the balcony to the library below. My Schacht Baby Wolf loom is
set up in the great room, where we do most of our living (no formal living
room or dining room). A 39" Norwood is in the walk-out basement, along with
more book and yarn shelves. A desk and lots of file cabinets from my
husband's former office are in this room, which is about 24 X 15. He does
not like being in the lower level, so I have taken over this space, too. I
have two folding tables to hold weaving paraphernalia. My vertical warping
reel can be left set up on a table, which raises it to a comfortable height
for winding warps. I have several spinning wheels which move around the
house with me. There is more storage space in the basement for overflow. I
keep a dehumidifier running in the summer. I realize I am extremely
fortunate to have so much space and the ability to customize its use. I
spent many sleepless nights trying to keep ahead in the planning stages. A
class in architectural drawing (I was trained in occupational therapy) was a
big advantage.
Lorrie Holzbach

I wish I'd put all the electrical

outlets at chest level instead of ankle level.

I am so glad to hear you say this as this is what I want to do and DH
thinks it is a little crazy. Now I can tell him 'tain't so.
Brucie

What is the size of your studio
Is it part of the house structure
If it is not part of the house structure -- what type of structure is
used for the studio?

My loom room is underneath the house behind the garage. When we looked at
the house considering purchase, the house was in the framing stages.
Behind the garage it was excavated just enough to allow for the furnace and
water heater. Oh my, all that wasted foot print! We said that if they
would excavate underneath the house, behind the garage, we would buy it.
The price was OK. I do not have natural light, but one can't have
everything. The room is L shaped approximately 15' x 35'. The height is
about 10'. There is a ledge along two walls about 2.5' down that allows
for great storage. There are additional various free standing storage
units, and my sewing machine, serger, and folding cutting table. The looms
in here are the 48" 24 shaft AVL and my 49" Oxaback drawloom.

It is always the warmest room in the winter and the coolest in the summer.

Dearest #1 was the one who suggested that I move the Gilmore upstairs when
the big AVL was about to arrive. Besides the Gilmore, there is also a
small tapestry loom, and my weaving library in the family room. There is
also the kumihimo floor stand and various back strap stuff in the kitchen.

Francie

What is the size of your studio
Is it part of the house structure
If it is not part of the house structure -- what type of structure is
used for the studio?

Elizabeth, you sure hit on a sensitive issue for me!

My "loom room" is currently a spare bedroom that is 10.5' by 14'. In it, I have a wall of shelves, plus one bookshelf on an adjacent wall, a 48" 16 H AVL, a filing cabinet and a cone tree. The room is stuffed - I can walk around one side of the loom, assuming I don't leave any boxes or bags of extra stuff on the floor. I have just barely enough room to use the spool rack. I have a Louet Magic Dobby in the corner of our home office downstairs, and a table loom on a stand in the area between the living room and dining room, with my spinning wheel in a corner of the family room.

My family really covets the spare bedroom, though - my DH would like to put a Murphy bed in there for guests, and have a "game" room for the kids. Up until recently, I didn't use the AVL enough to justify the space. For a while, I figured if it didn't sell, that when my oldest son leaves for college in two years, I could confiscate his room, which is much larger than the loom room. But, DH has designs on that room too - he would like to move the weight machine, exercise bike and treadmill in there. (They're in the garage right now.) We've added on to the house once already (for the home office and oldest son's bedroom) and have no more space to build, so adding a studio space onto the house isn't an option.

I'm a software engineer who has worked for several dot com companies. When things were looking rosie and I thought my stock options would be more than bathroom wallpaper, I fantasized about renting studio space somewhere. For several years, everywhere I went, I would eye places and think "wow, that would make a great studio." My fondest wish was to find some property and build a portable building like the schools use in this area. (My youngest son's elementary school has some great permanent "portable" buildings that would make a perfect studio.) Unfortunately, I discovered that one of those would cost a minimum of about $25,000, and since I live in southern CA, the property to put it on would be exhorbitant. This also means that even renting studio space would be prohibitively expensive for someone like me - basically a hobby weaver.

I've tried using some space at a friend's house - I currently have a Baby Wolf rented from my guild and my horizontal warping reel in a friend's weaving loft. It's nice, and fun to weave with someone else, but...... it's a pain to have to drive 20-30 minutes to get there when I want to weave, and it's an upstairs loft with no AC. The fans helps some, but it can still get uncomfortably warm. I'm sure it will be better in the fall, but I'm still glad I didn't move the AVL over there.

So for now, I move stuff out of the way in the loom room when I want to use the AVL, and then put it back when I'm done. I've put the Louet up for sale too - as wonderful as those 24 shafts are, it's really more like a table loom - good for experimenting but not for any heavy, long term use.

What would my ideal situation be? To have my fiber books and yarns and a small loom and a reading chair on one side of the spare bedroom. And to have a studio space somewhere close by, not more than a 10 minute drive away. Or to live somewhere that you can afford to have enough property that you could build a studio in the back yard. And I'd like to keep the AVL and the Louet and maybe add a Megado loom to the collection.

But the reality is....the stock options *are* wallpaper and I don't live in a place where I can afford an outside studio. So I keep dreaming and scheming. :-) And everywhere I go, I subconsciously evaluate the spaces I see as to how good a weaving studio they would make.

--Deanna

I wish I'd put all the electrical

outlets at chest level instead of ankle level.

I am so glad to hear you say this as this is what I want to do and DH
thinks it is a little crazy. Now I can tell him 'tain't so.
Brucie

I rewired my basement studio and routed all the electrical boxes through a
light switch (most of the outlets are used for lights) now when I leave the
studio I just have to throw a switch and the lights and all the equipment
are turned off. no need to worry about something being left on. I do have a
few outlets that are not attached through the switch for permanently on
equipment. bad news the lights have to be on to use the plugs (use one for
outdoor use). Teresa

What a timely discussion.

Currently, my looms, wheels, yarns and goodies are housed all over our home.
The floor loom sits in the middle of the living room and the table looms are
in other various rooms, including one on the dining table. We've been
talking about building a studio and all the information from this list will
help greatly.

We raised three kids in a 900 sq. ft home and when they moved on, we moved
here to the mountains into a "spacious" 1400 sq ft home. We were thrilled
and excited about all the extra space. That didn't last long once I got into
the weaving.

We aren't sure exactly what we will build, but your comments will be of great
help. Thanks,

Chris, via cell phone in the mountains

Hi, Nancy in New Zealand here,
I usually lurk, but am interested in this thread.
I have all my electrical outlets at chest height, it was one of the best things I did in my studio. No searching behind equipment, or bending to plug things in, I also put plenty in, I have double outlets on every wall, and use most of them. My studio is about 6m x 6m, not big enough of course !!
Just thought my 2c worth would help your cause ;0).
Nancy in New Zealand.
spinner, weaver & singer of country music.

350 square feet, it is an enlarged 4th bedroom in my house.

Daryl

I'm not sure a novice hobby weaver like me has a 'studio' ;-) but ...

When we moved to this older house last Fall I took the small front parlor
for weaving, 11' x 15', carpeted. Two windows with northern exposure and
two with western (and good blinds). Bookcases along the inside 15' wall,
some of which I use for yarn etc. in plastic tubs, some of which hold parts
of our regular library. The 45" 8s CM Leclerc Nilus II sits towards the
western end of the room and nearby is an adjustable table for sewing,
spreading warps in the raddle, etc. Also a small rolling table which
sits next to the bench when I'm working. The room also holds an armchair
and floor lamp for reading, a carved chest which holds fabrics and my sewing
box, an overhead light fixture supplemented with wall-mounted fluorescents
containing full-spectrum tubes and an Ott floor lamp for close-up work.

I've been considering upgrading to a 12s Scandinavian loom w/ drawloom
attachment but haven't worked out the space issues yet. Other things on my
wish list include sectional warping equipment. I currently use a 20 yd
vertical warping mill. I've found that one of the folding tables I use for
grooming my show dogs holds the mill at a good height for warping and the
non-skid top is helpful too, so I just bring that up from the grooming room
when needed. I'd also like a good stand for holding my reeds, warping
sticks, raddles and rolled corrugated paper etc. I wish someone would offer
these on order in North America.

For what it's worth! ;-)

Robin

My studio has been built off the side of our house and is 12' by 29' and in
spite of the large size it could be larger! It's a case of my filling up the
space very, very easily!! Since it's off the dining and living rooms it is
carpeted the same as the other rooms are. I would love to have a 'messy'
area(well, it sometimes is messy anyway <gg>) to do painting of warp, dyeing,
etc. But it is my favorite room in the whole house and one which I love to
retreat to. Ann Shafer

Robin,
I don't know if they still have them, but Glimakra used to have a stand for
storing reeds, sticks, etc. Check with Glimakra/Unicorn in California.
Lorrie

I read somewhere that someone used an old golf bag for this purpose. I have
some reeds in an umbrella stand. Others I keep in their original shipping
boxes in an upstairs closet. Most of my reeds are stainless steel, but I
don't like to store anything metal in the basement.
Lorrie

Thanks, Lorrie. I'll see what the price is through Unicorn ... when I
asked through another vendor earlier this year, the quote was $425. Ouch!

Robin

At 11:33 PM 8/18/2001, you wrote:

I read somewhere that someone used an old golf bag for this purpose. I have
some reeds in an umbrella stand.

I think that you could make a box very easily and then drill holes on both sides an inch from the top and another series about 1 inch from the bottom and insert a dowel in each pair of holes. I would make the box fairly tall if all the reeds were long with three rows of dowels. Or staggered heights if there are different lengths of reeds.

I once saw a shallow box about 1 ft square with a 4x4" post about 3.5 ft high in the center. Wooden dowels were inserted into the post near the top, and reeds rested against the dowels and the lip of the shallow box. It seemed there was not enough support to stop the reeds from sagging in the middle.

How about a Sona tube, those cardboard tubes that they use to cast footings for porches. You can get 8 or 9 inch diameter tubes, cut them at various lengths and fasten them together to hold long and short reeds. As long as there are 3 of them, they should be stable. You can paint them as well.

All dimensions are approximate and from dim memories <G>
Ingrid Boesel, the weaving half of Fiberworks PCW

Visit us at: http://www.fiberworks-pcw.com
Email: ingrid@...

--- In WeaveTech@y..., LHolzbach@a... wrote:

I read somewhere that someone used an old golf bag for this

purpose. I have

some reeds in an umbrella stand.

My reeds, sticks, switfts, rolls of warp paper, rulers, pickup
sticks, raddle and temple are stored in the large white plastic
tubs (5 gallon?) that painters/plasterers use. They were
originally bought to soak/rinse yarns while dyeing, but I'll need to
get more when I start dyeing again as these are fully occupied.

Jane