I first met Maureen Garner in 2022, when I was helping quilters to organize their sewing studios and fabric stashes. Maureen was an amazing client and she worked so hard to transform her sewing space (check it out here!). Fast forward three years, and a lot has happened. Maureen has launched a thriving pattern business, she is teaching workshops and classes, and has since moved to a new space. In this interview, Maureen shares how she’s making a new (smaller) space work for her creative practice and some of her best space saving solutions. Get ready to meet Maureen in her studio!
Welcome, Maureen Garner!
Please tell us where your studio is located.
My studio is located in a spare bedroom in my house, plus I have 1 machine in a guest bedroom and my long arm machine sits in the breakfast nook.
What do you create in this space?
Mostly quilts, a few bags, and some clothing now and then.
How would you describe the space? Tell us what it feels like to walk into your studio.
It makes my heart soar. Not so much because of the physical space but because it is where I get to create. Physically, it has good lighting, it is organized, but it is very small.
What’s your favorite part of your studio and why?
My favorite part would have to be my sewing machine and its cabinet. It is all on one long side of the wall. I have easy access to my cutting area, design wall, and ironing station.
What’s one thing you wish you could change about your studio and how have you adapted to work with this limitation?
I recently moved, so I am getting used to the fact that this space is much smaller than the studio I had in my previous home. But I am using every square inch of it! I still am using some of the space saving ideas I got from Kim when she helped me organize my last space.
- I use a cabinet with storage as my ironing station (it has a self-made ironing board on it.)
- I purchased a pegboard room divider that I have in a corner with all my rulers and other frequently used tools.
- I have a cutting table that has sides that can be put down if need more room.
- I have organized the closet with WIP, scrap bins, etc.
- There is a huge linen closet outside my space and that is where my fabric stash is organized and lives.
- I also have stored batting and other larger items in guest bedroom closet. (Plus, I have my industrial machine in there).
Your Creative Process
What small rituals in your space mark the beginning and end of your creative time?
Turning on all the lights and my sewing machine and turning off as I finish.
How do you approach your work or creative practice? Do you dive right in, or ease into work mode more slowly?
90% of the time I dive right in.
What do you do when you’re feeling creatively stuck? Please provide an example.
I do lose my sewjo occasionally. I find if I just commit to doing one thing, I get it back. One thing might be improv piecing with scraps, it might be working on a small, easy project like a Hemingway bag. Other times it might be working on my current project for a minimum of 30 minutes…and I am able to keep going.
I also tend to work on several projects at a time, but this year, my focus has been on finishing projects. So, I am trying to be disciplined about finishing a big project before starting on the next. I am also tracking UFOs and I keep of a list of things I want to make.
Also, having a clean and neat studio helps. When I am working on a project, it might look like a tornado has gone through the room. But I always reset the room before moving on to the next project.
Favorites & Recommendations
What’s your favorite storage solution in your space?
I love my pegboard.
What’s your favorite project you’ve ever made in your space and what makes it special to you?
I really like the one I am working on right now. I designed it in EQ8 last fall. It is called Irish Blossoms and might be the largest quilt I made at 78” by 78”. (I tend to work small). It is warm colors on a black background. My design wall is small, so I am using contractor tape to hang the rows on a wall in the hallway outside my studio.
What’s a piece of advice you’d give someone trying to become more intentional about their creative studio time/routine?
Set aside time most days to create. For me, it is usually from about 9-11:30 every morning. (I’m a morning person.) It is also to prioritize time to do what you love. For example, I was spending time (and money) on maintaining a website and I hated doing it. It wasn’t providing much revenue and was draining me mentally. So, I didn’t renew it and found other ways to sell my patterns and get my work out there. Now I can spend more time creating.
Quick Finishers
The silliest thing in my studio is: crystals that are supposed to help creativity.
The book I recommend to everyone: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
I always feel best when: My life is organized
The studio tool I’d rescue first in an emergency is: my Famore Rotary Cutter
Looking Forward
Anything exciting that you are working on now?
Irish Blossoms (the pattern I mentioned above). But also I am excited about the prospect of teaching more. I have a quilt retreat in August in TN that I will be teaching my pattern, Warped Rainbow.
Thank you so much, Maureen! We have loved having this chance to get to know you and your studio! To learn more about Maureen you can follow her on Instagram and find her patterns at Stash Fabrics!
Need more studio organizing tips? Check here.
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