Welcome to my Studio: Anne Morrell Robinson, Margaree Valley, Cape Breton Island, NS

My first workspace was in a corner of an upstairs bedroom in a 100+ year old farm house. My next studio was an addition built by my first husband with help from friends, trading labour and material for sewing or farm produce. After my first husband passed away I married another talented handyman and my third studio was built on his old farmhouse in New York State. When he retired, we remodelled the old Cape Breton farmhouse with a two-storey addition that became KingRoss Quilts and Fibre Arts. 

My studio is unusual because it serves as my workspace, my teaching space and my retail space. The upper floor holds the working studio and retail. It’s a large space with a hand-quilting frame, a rug-hooking frame, two 4’x8’ cutting tables, lots of storage and desks in both the production and the business ends. The lower level serves as a classroom, dye kitchen and longarm area.

Basement longarm area

I work on multiple projects at once to avoid repetitive motion problems and to keep me from sitting too long. I tend to work on the longarm first thing in the morning; the standing time loosens me up for the day. For much of the day I go back and forth, cutting, machine stitching, maybe some design work or rug hooking. By late afternoon I usually need a break, move a bit more, get some fresh air, and think through any design problems. I tend to do my hand quilting as a cool down after a much needed ski or walk. After dark I bind or hand appliqué while watching TV with my husband.

 Fabric storage
 The shelves on the left are behind a design wall that hinges in the middle.
I can access fabric even when I’ve got a large quilt on the wall.

Because I’m a long way from the stores, I keep a lot of fabric and thread on hand, all organized by colour, theme, project or size. My threads are mostly stored in plastic bags or boxes to keep the dust off. Bolts and yardage go on shelves, project fabrics are in totes stashed wherever I can fit them and small pieces are in drawers under the cutting table. Nothing goes to waste. I keep a basket under my ironing board to hold trimming for use on small details on appliqué work. Small pieces of fabric go to other artist friends who work small or make paper.

Cutting tables: organized clutter.

The older I get the more light I need. I’ve tried various light sources and the best so far is a combination of windows, ceiling pot lights and track lighting over the areas where I sit and work. My track lights are on swivel bases so I can turn them all toward the design wall for quilt photography. 

Design wall with storage 

My studio is a whole different world, the perfect place to spend my days in total creativity. It's where I start and end my day. I went from working in the corner of a bedroom to a wood-heated studio and now my dream studio. To be able to take two steps from the kitchen into my private work area is just magical. Each of my three studios has been bigger and more efficient than the last. I’m now about to add a real gallery space, connected to my studio. I'm at a stage in my life where I can choose to retire or push forward. I chose to leap forward.

Thanks for dropping by my studio…
Anne 

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Birds and Branches series by Anne Morrell Robinson (2019)
Available as a workshop.

To visit KingRoss Quilts and Fibre Arts, find directions here. 
Tel: 902-248-2466
Email: anne@kingrossquilts.com

Read more about Anne Morrell Robinson on her website, KingRoss Quilts and Fibre Arts.