Quilting Room Makeovers

[Annette R.]

I am loving all the great ideas on this thread. I'd like to add a few that I have found that work well in my studio. My studio was a carport that was converted to a large open room. On one side I have placed 2 double-door white storage cabinets that help me 'hide' all the small things like ribbons and trims, and batting. They is also room on the top of them for holding leftover bolts of fabric.

I have my fabric sorted in stackable white wire bins from WalMart that are secured to the wall to keep them from tumbling over when I frantically search for the right piece of fabric. They work very well.

My design wall stretches 12' wide by 4' high and is located right over the fabric bins. It stays covered with projects in the works.

I have my 'chair' and tv in the same room so that I can sit back, watch TV and work out design or color problems.

But one of my favorite tools in my studio is the peg board I have over the cutting table. I have my rulers, cutting sissors, rotary cutters, stencils, and more hanging out of the way and so very accessable. If you have a place where you can put up a peg board, give it some thought. It really saves a lot of time looking for items that you use over and over.

Keep the ideas coming!
patches

[Lynn K.]

I also have a 4x8 pegboard and I absolutely love it! It is the best part and the cheapest part of my new organization. I'm still working on the best way to to sort and stack my stash. Larger yardages aren't so difficult but those smaller ones, like quarters......they don't seem to stay in place well when I remove one or two.

[Annette R.]

Quilter Lynn, re: your problem of fat qtrs getting mixed up after you have removed one or two. Last fall I put mine in a shoe cabinet that I got from the closet organizing section of our home improvement store. I love it! I have been in and out of the bins and have rearranged the fat qtrs a couple of times as I have bought new ones or used old ones but the versatility is great. The space fits a fat qtr perfectly and if I have a lot of one color or color family I can put two rows in. The back one is not all that visible but my label maker comes in handy to remind me what is back there. I have a couple of plastic drawer dividers that just fit in the space so for the colors I seem to gravitate to a lot, I put them in the plastic tray and then into the shoe space. That way I can pull them out easily. Also I keep a couple of spaces for the qtrs that I have a tentative plan for --- I put a ribbon around them and a label that reminds me of the project so I do not use one for something else and come up short. (of course if I do come up short it gives me an excuse to head to the nearest fabric store and buy more. Hope this gives you some ideas PS greetings from Alamo Palms the weather has been great here)

[Lynn K.]

Great idea. I'm looking into this one! Yeah, I'll bet the weather is great there. Probably the dancing too!

[Lynn K.]

I am currently preparing to create my new space. We just finished gutting our old back bedroom and will be turning it into our new work/computer room. I do not have room in this house right now for a dedicated studio, but we are considering taking the closet, which is actually the width of the room and originally had double sliding doors, and creating a quilt studio in a closet. I saw one once on Clean Sweep on TLC. A table will be attached with hinges to the back wall and will have a folding leg that comes out when you lower it. There will be shelves on one side for my sewing machine and various tools and notions, and on the other side there will be wire basket drawers for my fabrics. There will even be room for a little roll away chair if it all works out. The nice thing is I will be able to throw everything in the closet and close the door when company comes Has anyone here ever done this kind of set up? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Lynn K.]

Why make the closet area your sewing space? Why can't it be the work/office space? I think the closet space would be a good choice for an office area. It would be too limited for a quilting space.

Don't let your family sell your joy of quiting short. Their computer/office space is probably never questioned that it is needed why should your quilting space be short changed? I say use the whole room for your sewing room and put the computer in the corner of any room. :wink:

[Lynn K.]

Mandy, see my post on p1 of this topic. It'll work for piecing (be sure you have good light) but if you're going to be doing machine quilting or even putting the binding on by machine you need space behind the machine for the quilt to go!
(but, I still have MY office in what was the hall linen closet... DH put in a shelf-desk, with a curved cut-out at center so the chair fits when the door is closed. Shelves above, 2-drawer files below (at a slight angle so the stuff in the top drawer is accessible) so I'm w/ SewBug, put the office in the closet & quilt out in the room...)
Besides, seeing all your fabric is so much nicer than all your bills! :roll: :lol:
Florence

[Lynn K.]

I should have explaned the folding table idea better. It is going to be as long as the height of the closet will allow and hinged to the wall on the narrow end, so when it is lowered it will stick out into the room with room on both long sides free. I am even considering a design that would put a second hinge in the table allowing me to double the length. The opening for this closet is actually wider than a standard double door as well, so there is PLENTY of room to move.

I also needed to explain something else. This is a multipurpose space. I already have a fold up computer cabinet that keeps most of that kind of stuff contained to one corner, but my dh is a mechanical engineer by trade who is also into model trains, wood working, we both play instruments in the local community band, and he writes marching band drill for local high school. We also have three young children So this space we are creating is a workroom/playroom/musicroom/ quilt studio/computer room/ office lol. All in a room that is only 14' x 10'!!! The idea for the quilt studio/closet is that everything can be condensed down into the closet when the room is being used for other things, but can be expanded out into the room when needed. Hopefully it will work better than the room we are using now anyway, which is actually smaller and so crammed with stuff you can hardly walk through it.

[Lynn K.]

ok, I get it now That does sound like it would work... and I DO find that when I have to "disassemble" for a MIL visit, it makes me organized all over again... everything in its place :wink: Go for it! Florence

[Margo C.]

Two of the things I can't imagine working without any more are a large work surface for ironing fabric and another one for cutting.
I made an ironing board 48"x30" so I can iron a full width of fabric. It just sits on top of my old ironing board and can be easily moved if necessary to iron clothes (it could happen!) or for storage. (I used a professional 3/8" thick, dense BLOCKING BOARD PAD which retains heat but not moisture and can give details and source if anyone is interested.)
I also got a large cutting mat (60"x28") to fit the top of my main work table. The table is on casters so I can easily move it when I layer and pin baste my large quilts on the floor.
Getting a FUNctional place to sew is cheaper than a shrink or lawyer!! :lol:

[Margo C.]

Thanks all for your many great ideas! I'm still working on my room. It has two closets with bifold doors. I took the doors off of one closet and put shelves in the closet with baskets to hold my fabric. I placed my sewing maching cabinet in front of the closet facing out so that my back is to the closet. My chair is on wheels and I can roll around to reach anything I need. I have a large cutting table on wheels with a drop leaf on each side. I have a three drawer dresser that I keep in the room for fabric storage etc. but also I plan to create an ironing station on the top. I also have a small arm chair so hubby can visit me when I'm working. Usually the cat sits in the chair! I need to keep the lint roller handy.

[Margo C.]

Hmmm, cutting table. Now that is something I didn't consider because up till now I just did my cutting on an old dining table. It kills my back :? Maybe I can make where my fold out table attaches to the wall adjustable to raise the height of the table for cutting. See all the wonderful ideas you get when you can read what other people are doing!!!! Now I just need to figure out how to do it. Any suggestions?

[Margo C.]

Mandy, I don't know about the fold out table, but if you want to raise the height of your dining table to make it more comfortable for cutting, try a set of bed risers! They will raise the height by about 5-6" (about $20 at Linens and Things or Bed,Bath & Beyond) and the indentation will help keep the table from sliding off! You will be amazed at how much that will help your back!! :lol:
SEW LONG!
Margo

[Bev M.]

I second Margo!! One of the best things I did in my sewing room was to put a 3' x 6' folding table on bed risers. I can use it for cutting or ironing large pieces of fabric. Plus I have roll-out plastic drawer units stored underneath it. Bed risers rock - or empty paint cans.

[Bev M.]

I actually prefer a kitchen table height for most of my cutting...I'm 5'7" and can lean over and support myself on my ruler hand..... also helps with that bifocal thing.

when I worked at the lqs. our cutting area was counter high. I found myself up on my toes for most of the day trying to get "over" the work.