Dream Machine

A friend lent me this book a couple of months ago. I came across it yesterday--in a bag with some coloured wool tops and other bits and pieces left over from the workshop we had that day. I guess that's as good a symptom as any for my need for an organisational make-over. Well, at least I've emptied that particular bag which has been cluttering up my space for some time. Some of the wool is spun and the rest can go back into my coloured tops collection until it is needed. Meanwhile, I started reading the book. Now the trouble with "Dream" workspaces can be that the gap between the everyday nightmare and the design ideal is so big as to be paralysing. There's certainly a fair bit of potential for that in this book. The photos are beautifully arranged, with gorgeous decorator touches, such as sweet antique sewing tools in display-style homes. But there are also some familiar basic principles and some useful processes for sorting through priorities and needs. One chapter that really interests me is "Human Energy". This includes diagrams and instructions to analyse the ergonomics of various common tasks: sewing, cutting, pressing, etc. I haven't finished reading the book. I don't expect to live in a dream home, or to enjoy a dream workspace anytime soon. But if I can just change a few things at a time, I hope my life and work will improve. So, for today, I'm going to try moving my ironing board out of the way, so I can open the storage cupboard in my sewing room. That's not rocket science, but it's a start.