Studio work of a different kind

My studio is at the top of the house, with access on each side to the rafters, where some neighbors store items, and I don't.  Most of the neighbors who use the eaves for storage, which I think is not a good idea, being of the school of thought that says if you need more and more storage you probably have too much stuff...anyway, they've got doors put in. 

The original access panels were ugly and awkward -- you had to raise your knee to your chin at the same time as stepping up and into a little opening -- then try to reverse the position once in, all without a solid floor.  And you had to unscrew and rescrew them every time anyone needed to be in.

See the size of this access door, resting against a table? My friend and handywoman par excellence once got stuck in there, couldn't get out again, slim, but too tall to fold down far enough! 

So I decided finally to get the accesses replaced by doors you can just open and walk in.  I rarely need to get in there, but when I do I'm not in a mood to be doing contortions, since I'm usually tracking down a leak or some weirdness. And when the roof people need to get in, it seems friendly not to make it as hard as possible for them to do it.

So finally, the weather moderated enough that it wasn't cruel and inhuman to ask Michael the Contractor to step into the unprotected eaves, and today he shows up ready to measure and go.  Like this:

And here's the first door, built, set in, hinged, awaiting trim and finishing.  The studio is swathed in sheets to protect from dust, though the way he works, there's very little of it. He's good.

Just one more day's work and it's done.He's a gem in that once he starts, he finishes. None of that oh, now I have to work somewhere else for three weeks..



The work I'm on had to be evacuated from there and I worked downstairs, a bit awkward, light not very good, and the portable lamp was all swathed and inaccessible upstairs.

But I did stitch and bead.  And here's where I am on one piece.

 I think this is another doorway concept, but much bigger than the earlier series.  And here are details of those bigger motifs

 I'm realizing that doorways seem to be a dominant motif in my life at the moment, too.  And that there's a LOT more work to be done on this piece.