Show me your quilting space

[Sharon E.]

So here are my pictures. As some of you may know, I make draperies, valances, dust ruffles, duvets, pillows, etc as my at-home business. So when you see the pictures you will see a rather large table for that purpose. It is 4 feet wide and 12 feet long; it has 2 sheets of Celetex and covered with a muslin. I use that because I pin a LOT and iron a LOT, and it is great for working on quilts. Jerry had built a table leaf at the end of the big table to pull up for extra long draperies, well when that leaf was up, I couldn't get my big butt around the table. The big table was directly in front of the stash and when the left was up it was only inches from my stash shelves; thus, the request for a bigger sewing room.

Last spring we moved the wall out 6 feet. We did all the work except texturing and hired the neighbor kid to paint. We also added an escape window, which brings in wonderful light. I really researched organization in sewing studios and did what works for me, so far. Originally under the large table was a 4 drawer cabinet, which was falling apart. So after going through all the stuff in those drawers, I decided on these mesh drawers from Ikea. Jerry built a shelf on each of the mesh drawers, one holds my plastic templates and the other holds all my rulers. I also really wanted a pegboard, painted purple, of course, for a better organization and the small mesh baskets also came from Ikea. I am strongly considering putting my stash in bins, but just haven't done it yet.

I have a rocking chair in front of my design wall, which is new to my room, woohoo and another thread rack. I also use a tall rolling stool for when I am sitting at my big table. My sitdown long arm is at the other end next to my old kitchen cabinets, which I will not open for you guys, use your imagination, hehe. Very rarely is my room messy, i.e. stuff on the floor and big table full because of customer fabric for their jobs. But I am working on a quilt for my granddaughter who turned five (under the longarm). On the design wall is a Quilt of Valor and a new fall wall hanging for us. Like most of you, I enjoy this room very much and LOVE the extra space. Sharon in Colorado

[Sharon E.]

Ok, I know I haven't truly mad a mess yet. I'm being very good because Hubby built this nice space for me and is in here about as much as I am. I have been working on him that it will happen, so he doesn't freak out.

I forgot to put in the the bathroom shower mosaic. We made a shower easy for Mom to get in and out and I had this large bare wall to do something with. It was my largest yet. Of course I had to do a white horse with a light source. I'm my own worse enemy with my challenges. It's huge. What is really cool, is you can see it from the outside and it kinda makes you wonder if there is a horse inside the structure. We have a door on the bathroom in case you were wondering.



Sewenge, I love the long table. I bet that has come in handy with the large quilt projects.

Heather, Love the dresser idea for storage. I too cut up my extra scraps automatically into 1 inch and 2.5 inch strips or 2.5 or 5 inch squares. In fact I use those precut bits all the time.

[Sharon E.]

Clara, it does come in handy for huge quilts. You are talented with your mosaics. The horse is stunning.
Sharon

[Heather P.]

Hi. I retired in November, bought a new sewing machine and began setting up my work space. Sometimes the cutting table is still the dining table or where a big project is worked on. I purchased a 4 x 8 foot slat board, (hubby cut it in half for me) and I painted it the same colour as the walls, then hubby and I mounted the board to the walls. So much easier to locate my tools when I can see them. I can move the hooks around depending on size of items to be hung. The wall directly behind my sewing machine can be reached while sewing and I even used quilting rings hung on the hooks to support a big quilt while machine quilting.
Storage in the closet and bookshelves and in lower cupboards (lots of thread containers in there - might have to revisit a better system for thread)
Ironing board is mounted on the wall behind the door for easy access when needed.
I am so excited that I discovered The Quilt Show! I have learned so much!
Heather

[Heather P.]

Welcome to TQS. You are going to love it here.

Your space reminds me of a quilt shop with the way you have stored your notions. Well done.

Clara

[Sharon E.]

Welcome Heather to TQS, very friendly quilters here. I thought about the slat boards, but ... They certainly work well in your space. Love the new toy, i.e. sewing machine.

Sharon

[Heather P.]

Thank you for the warm welcome. I am loving the new toy as it is openng up whole new avenues to me. I am trying free-motion quilting for the first time, would like to try ruler work, and of course the embroidery options are over the top. I am studying digitizing and working on making my own patterns. I have made two real quilts so far! TQS is amazing as a resource and I am so inspired by all the knowledgable, talented people and their willingness to help.
This was my first go at looking into the forum.
Heather

[Annis C.]

Clara, your mosaic artwork is amazing! I would like to get more creative with my sewing space but for now I'm just using what I have. There's definitely a lot of inspirational ideas in the organizing articles.

My Studio is forever a work in progress. It was time for a good cleaning over the weekend so it received another makeover in the process. The purpose of having this large attic space was so my multiple sewing machines could be set up on their own tables instead of having to be constantly moved out of the way and cluttering the floor space. So I brought in 5 folding tables and went to work rearranging. This is as clean as it will ever be!

The first photo is taken from the entry door. The fancy embroidery/sewing machine that I don't have time to use is on the front right. A simpler embroidery only machine is behind it which has been used a few times with my grandchildren. Behind that is more storage, then my 1951 Featherweight that is waiting to be plugged in for the first time. On the left side mostly out of the picture is my Janome 6600 that I use occasionally for quilting. The folding table in front of it can be moved out of the way when not in use. Behind that is the cutting and ironing tables. The 2 sided portable design wall can be rolled into the dormer when it's in the way. Then behind that is my Innova longarm machine which isn't getting used much this year, and on the back wall my fabric stash is somewhat sorted in bins. There is more fabric and works in progress scattered in different locations throughout the room.



My main sewing area is the dormer on the left facing the front yard and lake across the road. I can hear or see guests arriving from there and can walk across the house, down the stairs and back across the house to the side door before they have time to wonder if anyone's home. The storage bins on the left under the cutting table are full of works in progress.



The biggest change I made to the room was removing my old Mac computer from the dormer on the right which faces the backyard and fields. It had only been used a few times in the past several years and the space now holds 3 sewing machines including a serger which doesn't get used often, mostly because it didn't have a permanent home. I still need to get the machines set up. I placed surge protectors on top of the tables so I wouldn't have to crawl underneath to plug things in. There is room underneath the tables for things that were cluttering the floor.



The front right space by the entry door is just stuff. I have lots of stuff that needs sorted, organized, and purged. That won't be happening anytime soon. The shelves on the right hold giveaway stuff so will eventually be empty. Room for more fabric maybe!!! The Gone Quilting sign needs a quilt. You would think I would have one that would work. There is a work in progress that I may cut down or redesign to fit.



On the left of the entry door is storage space for the embroidery supplies I'm going to need someday. The stained cabinet door hides my quilting and embroidery thread which is in a cabinet set into the attic space.



I'm expecting there will be another makeover in a year or two. There's going to be an Ikea opening not far from my city home next year. By then I'll be ready to replace those folding tables with something more permanent, and maybe get more organized and creative. For now I just need to get productive again.

[Annis C.]

Love the dormer space for your main sewing area. All that light in that space makes for a great work environment. It doesn't have to be fancy to be a happy place. Just your space.

Remember, I had all my stuff crammed into every nook and cranny of my home and my main sewing area was one end of our bedroom. Lots of time on the kitchen table and projects everywhere. Those temporary tables are so handy. I just moved one of mine quickly and easily near where I was pressing and created an assembly line area. Love them.

Clara

[Catherine S.]

I am really enjoying all the different quilting spaces. I have not come across my camera yet to take pictures of mine. I think it is lost here on my desk. My area is in the basement (unfinished, but it is mine!) I have not been able to do much there since I fell in July. I do have my featherweight set up in the dining room so I can sew a little. I will try to find that camera and post soon. My space is so messy it will inspire everyone to get their area clean!

[Anne B.]

I love the sewing spaces!! Clara your mosaics are wonderful!! What a area you have to work in!! Not to long ago, my quilt guild had a "Sewing Room Tour" of 6 different houses & there sewing rooms, it was so much fun!! I love seeing what other people are working on & what there spaces look like! Ok, this is my weekend to work, (when I work, I do 13 & 14 hour shifts, so all I do is work), & my sewing room is kinda a pig-stye, I will post some pics on Monday as well as my latest project. Thank you all for sharing, I truly do enjoy!
Anne

[Mary L.]

I''m wondering why you said you shouldn't use cardboard to store fabric. I'd never heard this and use it quite often (thinking it was better than plastic since it could 'breathe').