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You know it must be spring when the garage around the corner from our studio opens its doors and the ice cream trucks start to emerge.

We’re bracing ourselves for seven or eight months of this:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVB7OHgalkc]

When we moved into our new studio space in early September, I knew almost immediately how I wanted to use the space. But it took a lot longer than that to bring it all together.

Now, at long last, we’re settled in with countertops under the windows, lots of shelving for the boxes (and boxes!) of inventory, and a mailing station for filling orders.

It’s clearly a working studio; I wanted the space to be simple and clean, without a lot of decoration. Since I strongly prefer a neutral space without a lot of color when I’m designing, we’ve kept almost everything white. And we’re still putting the finishing touches on the space, but it feels great to be working at those big windows, looking out over industrial Brooklyn and the changing light of the day.

A while ago on my personal blog I wrote a post about my favorite crafting tools. Well, meet a new favorite to add to the list: the ratchet screwdriver. Technically it’s a construction tool, but I’m giving it special status.

I picked this up on a whim the other day since I knew we’d be needing a Philips head and regular screwdriver at the new studio. What a great invention! The interchangeable tips are magnetized so you have less chance to losing your hardware, and you don’t need to adjust your grip at all when twisting because of the ratchet action. Plus, it reverses when you need to remove a screw.

Let me tell you, this tool came in handy yesterday when I was assembling our shelving for the studio. (Which, by the way, I really should not be doing by myself. It’s dangerous to try to upright a nine-foot-high, four-foot-wide steel shelving unit when you’re alone.)

But this post isn’t about the screwdriver at all. As I was crouched on the floor with my beloved new screwdriver, I glanced down and discovered this sewing needle, sealed into the floor when the wood was recently re-finished. Someone else was sewing in this very same spot where we’ll be sewing for the months (and probably years) to come.

Our building was constructed in the 1920′s and changed owners last year, at which time the top floor was broken into smaller studio spaces. We’re the first tenant in this smaller space, and before the sale the space was used as a printer’s bindery.

Now I simply must ask our landlord about the history of the building.

I’m sure this needle isn’t eighty-plus years old, but wouldn’t it be interesting if once upon a time someone else made children’s clothing in this very same spot?

Don’t you just love Google Maps? The concept is so amazing; you can zoom right in on nearly any location you like and see a satellite photo with unbelievable clarity.

Yesterday morning I plugged in the address of the new Ikea store in Red Hook, Brooklyn, before we boarded the water taxi that dropped us off at the back door so we could pick up some last-minute items for S’s preschool classroom. And if I punch in our home address I can zoom right in on our apartment building, where the photo shows our roof half finished (the photo is a couple of years old).

Well, here’s an old Google Maps photo of the building where we’re moving the studio. Tomorrow! We’ve found a lovely corner studio with tons of light and a very peaceful, quiet location. Our landlord, who occupies the two floors below us, is a men’s shirt and tie manufacturer.

Here is a photo of our new space. This one isn’t from Google Maps, and I had to stitch together a few different shots to show you the whole picture.

So update your files for us: our new address is 35 Meadow Street, #316, Brooklyn, NY 11206. Even the address sounds peaceful, doesn’t it? Our phone number and other contact information will remain the same, and with the new space we’re planning to offer some classes and a few other surprises in the near future. Stay tuned!