We got into the studio at last!

On February the 22nd we had a huge earthquake in Christchurch. The city has been cordoned off and after 6 weeks of worrying we were finally granted access to the studio and were able to go up for 30 minutes!
It was a very eerie experience driving through the cordon and into the deserted Red Zone. There was an awful smell in the air and it was so strange to see things like coffee cups or glasses just sitting outside on tables exactly as they would of been six weeks ago, before the quake. The library was dark and deserted, all the precious books lay in piles on the floor. The streets were full of carnage, so many badly damaged and crumbling buildings had spilled bricks, glass and mortar onto them. The railing from the viewing platform of our iconic Cathedral lay twisted and bent in the middle of the square, a cold reminder of the devastating damage caused by the quake.
We had to don hi vis vests, hard hats and head torches to prepare for our allotted time slot in the studio. It was crazy and hectic running up the 6 flights of stairs, grabbing as much as we could, throwing everything into wool sacks and then dragging them back down the stairs. Shelving, tables and even some of my heavy machines had fallen making it extremely difficult to find specific items. We couldn't get any of my big industrial machines or cutting tables but got most of my fabric, fur, leather, some portable machines, mannequins and tools! Yay so happy. I'm crossing my fingers for another go but at this stage its very unlikely. I've got a hell of a lot of things to sort through and organise but I'll be back to business sometime soon!

The car packed to the brim with stuff from the studio!