And this week's questions are - Up until now, we have pondered storage and some obstacles, but this week's question is going to be about sewing space and how you use it. Do you have a separate room all to yourself? Are you a little (or a lot) messy or Princess of Tidy? Are there things that you find a hindrance to your sewing mojo like no place to put an iron but on the other side of the room from your machine or a lack of storage of tools that just create more clutter to trip over? Share your frustrations and maybe we can supply a suggestion or two.
This week, my sewing area is relatively clean, but this is not the norm. When I have a deadline, there is usually fabric, trimmings, patterns, etc. everywhere! But since I have been back from Florida, things are still relatively calm where the sewing area is concerned.
I share my sewing area with my bed. My table was a custom one that my brother-in-law made for me to use while stamping and it has worked out very well at a sewing table. The only thing that I wish I could change is for it to have a space to drop the machine down so it would be flush with the top of the table, but I can made do. I have 2 shelves on each side of table, but I haven't figured out the best way to store things on the bottom shelves. Right now, they hold a hodge podge of things and dust. :(
Behind my table and to the left, there is a pile of fabrics. These are my scraps that need to be sorted and cut down and put into my scraps bins. The bookcase holds my quilting books, my printer, some fiction books and a small part of my Marvin the Martian collection. I probably should reorganize the bookcase because the bottom shelf isn't holding much.
You can also see the Hope Chest that I use as my Staging Area. This is where my current projects are held. Leaning against the hope chest is an 8" by 24" ruler and a square portable ironing board which has been coming in very handy with the Midget Blocks and paper piecing.
Here is a picture of my sewing machine from the front and sitting in my chair. I think that my little workspace here really works for me. The brown box is one of the things that Regina sent me for Christmas and it is the best box. It's one of those things that I never knew I always needed! I haven't lost any tools since I threw them all in it and I know where everything is. It really keeps that side of my machine in order and everything within an arm's reach!
I also have my thread catcher and pin cushions right there and off to the right, you can see a Creative Memories cup holder that keeps all cups out of danger's way. I even take it with me to retreats!
Here is a better look of my staging area. (Jennifer - I think there are only 10 projects out right now. lol) If it weren't for the Art Bins, it would be a disaster area!
A disaster area like this! The pile on the left is the scraps that I have to go through. I do not have a good system for keeping a handle on those. It seems like it works for a while and then just explodes into something that is in danger of falling over and getting wrapped around the wheels on my chair. It could be that all the extra fabric that is cut off when trimming up a quilt needs to be handled immediately rather than being put into the pile to be handled another day. Any ideas?
And my design wall has become a permanent fixture in the doorway to the closet. A great place when laying out a quilt and sewing the pieces together, but not so great when I need to walk into the closet and pieces fall off in my wake. And there is the GO. I haven't figured out a better place to store that either.
Here is the other part of my room and part of my 'dilemma.' I have been pondering for some time moving all of my 'master bedroom' items into the spare room to make that my bedroom and in turn moving all of my stash and sewing items into the master bedroom to have one big sewing room. I keep picturing how my sewing room could look, but I haven't given much thought to how the spare bedroom would end up looking.
I've known other people who have had their rooms set up differently like this to give more room to their sewing. It just seems to make sense, but I think that it would take a lot of work and I would need some help in moving the bed to the smaller room. I think that I could get a better night's sleep in that room since it is at the back of the house and there wouldn't be any lights shining in the windows. And the pups could have their own bed in the sewing room that would sit directly under a window some how. That could make them happy!
Oh I just can't decide! :-\ Any thoughts or suggestions? I may have to wait until the quilting gals are here for Festival in April to see what they think, too.
OK so leave a link to your blog post here. And share some pictures! :)
5 comments:
We can help you move things around if u need help. As long as the stuff isn't too overly heavy hubby can handle it.
You've got the bones of a good studio space there. Maybe making it a dedicated space would help?
Like you, I'm needing help for scrap management. I save everything, My scrap bin is getting full. I keep that under my cutting table.
Will post the link to mu super-messy space...LOL
Ok - my disaster is now public!
You've given a lot of pros for moving your sleeping space and your stash space. The only con being making it happen. Maybe you just switch the beds first. Do it in stages, if you are spread across both rooms now does it all have move at once? Maybe you set aside an hour or so every weekend to do some moving. Just a thought.
Sounds like from your new posts that you are going for it! I think its a great idea! and I love your snowman pillowcases!
I have always thought that a dedicated space was what I and right now I have it. but lately it's easier to shut the door and not do anything but sit in my room this the lap top, I think I need to find something anything that I WANT TO DO. I think I will try spring cleaning and see it it inspires me.
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