How I organized my sewing room

[Betty J.]

I took several steps in organizing my sewing room:

1) I bought a new house, and when I moved, I halved my massive fabric stash.

2) After I moved in, I took it down by yet another third, leaving a lovely collection of absolutely fabulous fabrics. I bought 3 metal filing cabinets and sorted my patterns in them. I bought five plastic filing boxes with four drawers and organized my threads and quilting stash.

3) I used a lovely old oak dresser to organize my notions and trims, etc.

4) I admired my lovely sewing room.

5) Then I realized I didn't have the right pieces for one or another project and I had some space.

6) I proceeded to fill up my spare space, the top of my lovely oak dresser, the closet, the boxes around the floor, and the floor, and, oh yes, the boxes I put under my bed in my bedroom to store new fabrics. I moved my plastic filing boxes out into the hall, and filled up the space left behind.

Hmmm. Maybe it's time to buy a new house again. (':lol:')

[Betty J.]

This is a great topic! DH and I were looking at new houses today. He gave me first pick of rooms! Whatta guy! So, instead of planning all the ugly details of moving all I'm thinking about is how to set up a sewing room. Priorities!
Sherry in S.MS where I probly won't sleep a wink tonight. Woo-Hoo!!

[Carla G.]

We will probably be moving within 5 years, into a single story home and DH said.... on our must have list for looking is a room large enough for my grace frame and all my quilting stuff... WOO HOO.... can't get here soon enough!

[Carla G.]

Hello everyone,

I recently took an online class via QuiltUniversity.com called "Studio Makeover", taught by Myrna Giesbrecht, which I highly recommend. It's a great class. She has many good ideas and is very inspiring and encouraging.

Kristin

[Anne B.]

I took several steps in organizing my sewing room:

1) I bought a new house, and when I moved, I halved my massive fabric stash.

2) After I moved in, I took it down by yet another third, leaving a lovely collection of absolutely fabulous fabrics. I bought 3 metal filing cabinets and sorted my patterns in them. I bought five plastic filing boxes with four drawers and organized my threads and quilting stash.

3) I used a lovely old oak dresser to organize my notions and trims, etc.

4) I admired my lovely sewing room.

5) Then I realized I didn't have the right pieces for one or another project and I had some space.

6) I proceeded to fill up my spare space, the top of my lovely oak dresser, the closet, the boxes around the floor, and the floor, and, oh yes, the boxes I put under my bed in my bedroom to store new fabrics. I moved my plastic filing boxes out into the hall, and filled up the space left behind.

Hmmm. Maybe it's time to buy a new house again. (':lol:')

Too funny! Sounds like me.
Anne in Vancouver, Canada

[Eileen K.]

I'd love to buy/build a house around my quilting but I think DH would have a problem with it He'd want a kitchen included.

[Eileen K.]

Kitchen? Whatever would you do in there? :roll:
Sherry in So. MS

[Bev M.]

Store fabric in all the cabinets?

[Bev M.]

Good Idea. Dh will ask "what do I have in the cabinet". I reply "none of those cans have mine name on them". Fabric stash in the cabinets would have my name but would not be edible. lol

Ruby in MS

[Bev M.]

Actually, when I retired, I offered to close down the kitchen and make it into an extension of my too small sewing room. For some odd reason, my Dh didn't jump right on the idea. He thought I was kidding.

[Anne B.]

There are some terrific books about organizing your sewing space.

One I constantly refer back to is Dream Sewing Spaces: Design & Organization for Spaces Large & Small by Lynette Ranney Black. Even if you have only a closet or a tiny hallway, she offers ideas for setting it up efficiently. She has terrific ideas for storage and work spaces. Her section on lighting sources talks about the differences between incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, and natural light

Creating Your Quilting Space: Sewing-Room Makeovers for Any Space and Any Budget by Lois L. Hallock is also excellent. In her lighting section, Lois explains the terms "colour temperature" and "colour rendering index" (CRI), and provides a table comparing specific brands of incandescent and fluorescent lights in terms of light output (in lumens), colour temperature (on the Kelvin scale), and CRI. It's very interesting.

Both books talk about ergonomics and include many pictures of yummy-looking workroom setups. They're lots of fun to browse through.

Myrna Giesbrecht (who teaches the Quilt University class on studio organization) had a book out in 1994 called Setting Up Your Sewing Space: From Small Areas to Complete Workshops. I found a copy on eBay a few years ago. This book contains fewer photos than the other two. Myrna talks a little about setting up your space, then focuses on oranizing supplies and projects. She then covers various construction methods for garment sewing and quilting.

Is anyone aware of other good books? These are the only ones I've found.

Anne in Vancouver, Canada

[Anne B.]

The key to happiness in a sewing space (for me anyway!) is organization. I couldn't work in 2000 square foot room if it werent' organized! I live in 300 square feet TOTAL, so it's high on my priority list for sure! LOL

When we build again, our house will definitely be built around my sewing room, it has top priority! :lol:

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

[Anne B.]

I have a carpenter son who built what I call a Murphy Bed in one wall with shelves beside it to store my sewing & quilting books. When the bed is folded up in the wall, the front folds out into a table which is high enough I can rotary cut without bending over. If I don't need the cutting table, it can be folded back up and makes more space in the room. He also built shelving along one wall which is covered with a formica kitchen counter top. It has holes for the electrical cords to thread through for my machines & serger. Underneath is open shelving where I have plastic bins for storing thread, notions, patterns, current projects, etc. One whole wall is closet space with shelves, no hanging rod. I store fabric there with larger pieces folded up on the shelves arranged by color; smaller pieces (fat quarters, etc) are stored in plastic bins by color. Large flourescent light fixture above the sewing area with 2 small Ott lights that can be moved to wherever I need extra light. Works for me and doubles as a quest room when the bed is opened out!

[Eileen K.]

So-is your son available to travel around the country and do this for all of us? :roll: :wink:

[Eileen K.]

Is he up for adoption???? Or does he have a twin brother?