My little sewing area is just not flowing. I started this morning on the signature blocks for dd's quilt and i find myself sewing a seam and getting up to go press, sew a seam, get up press and trim.....and so on. I just feel like I'm spending the majority of my time going from one small place to another! I have a 9x9 area so its really small and there are several machines in this area. I'm willing to move two out though to make things work better. The two I want to keep are the machine at the window and the treadle. So anyone have any ideas on how to make this work better? Oh and excuse the mess! I'm in the middle of several things and have not cleaned up in a few days. I have to do something though today before I throw my hands up and walk out! I'd like it to be convenient to both machines and no I can't knock walls out! lol!

You have a lot of under utilized storage space. Change the tables out for dressers if you don't sit at them and that'll help your storage issues some.

Do you have one of the mini irons??? Could you move a table beside you with the mini iron on it?? You wouldn't have to get up and down soooo much. Or move machine to another table where the iron could be close??

Move your sewing machine over about 2 feet to the left and put an ironing surface right next to you on the right. You can purchase a wooden tv tray, cover with one layer of cotton batting and a layer of muslin and set it right next to you, works great.

Okay, first of all take everything out of the room and paint it white or off white to make it look and feel bigger. Just kidding, although it would help. Do you have a chair with rollers? If not, that's what you need. Also, exchange the ironing table with the cutting table if possible, or while you're sewing and just wanting to press seams, get one of those small wooden snack tables, cover it with a pad and set it and your iron right by your machine. Sometimes you can pick one up at a thrift store for almost nothing. You also could use some more shelves and maybe some peg board for hanging your sewing utensils. Hope this helps. You've inspired me to get my sewing area more straight. (right now, mine looks worse than yours)

I agree that something to store things in would be very helpful to you. There is room under the ironing surface and cutting board. Getting things out of the way so you can sew is very helpful. I have some big clear plastic bins that I keep fabric in. I like them clear so I can see what's in them and keeping stuff in bins keeps the dust off it.

Your thread racks are great and I see you have some shelves on the wall. How about another set of shelves?

The hardest part is actually getting started. Once you start, it will all fall into place. {{{{{hugs}}}}}

Do you have an office chair that is on wheels? I LOVE mine and just kick myself back from the sewing machine and there is the ironing board.

I store my fabric on shelves so I can see what I have. For me out of sight out of mind. You could say I am just plain out of mind. lol

edited to add picture.

Another thing, bookcases are great for lots of storage in a small footprint.

I love that floor!!!!!!!!!! And you have a window at a perfect level to butt your sewing machine table too.. How much better does it get than that?!!!!!! Let's put the sewing machine there so you can see the birds and squirrels.
I guess I am left brained. I am right handed and work to the left. Anything on the right side of my machine is forgotten. You know which side you work to. Put your ironing surface there; the TV tray, an old wooden cutting board, lower your ironing board to your sitting down height, just pick something easy for now.
Ok, you are ready to quilt. Finish this project.
Then empty the room, paint it a light color if you'd like and set it up like you'd like it using the ideas in this post as well as any others you have had. The storage, organization and a workspace that flows will save you so much time!
Good luck. Regards, Dorothy

okay...no painting...my sewing area is in our bedroom and dh and I about killed each other deciding on this color! No way am I changing it! I fought hard for it and at the time had no idea it would be a dewing nook. so...I think I will look and see if I can find something for shelving to put under the ironing table....it needs to be just a tad lower and then it would work to just roll over to. I just made a little ironing board to go with the treadle. I use it alot. I can move the machine under the ironing table to the den or somewhere...not like its being used easily anyway. I do ahve a rolling chair and shelves up to the ceiling. I'm trying to do Bonnie Hunter's scrap program. I'll start saving for a little iron though....that would take up less space for just pressing blocks.

Try to get as much off the floor and hang items on the wall - unless you have those slanted walls (like I do)

I have a tiny iron about 3 or 4" tall when sitting up that I love for pressing seams. There's no steam but it works great. They're available at most LQS's, Hancocks and maybe Joanns. I don't think they're too much but watch for coupons/sales. They come in red/white, blue/white and pink/white that I know of, maybe in other colors too. I think it's made by Smart tek. You can also use a small travel iron and they're fairly cheap.

Sounds like a fantastic idea!!

And normally I'll "finger press" to keep those up and down motions to a minimum....

I have a small area to work in too. What REALLY works for me is to have either an "L" shape area with the sewing machine on one leg of the L OR have a table behind me and my sewing machine. I keep my cutting mat, ironing mat and a lamp on the table. When the table is behind me, I can swivel around (I'm using an office chair for my sewing chair) and work on the table work part of my projects.
When I use the "L" shape design, I just turn to my left where the other table is at. I also have a plastic floor mat underneath my chair so that I can slide easily. All of this saves time as I work on my projects.

Kathy

I just painted and redid my sewing room. I bought 2 6ft bookcases and it made a big difference. I also gave away ALOT of fabric because I used to sew alot of clothes but I only pretty much sew quilts now, so I didn't need it. Other than that, just some organization helped tremendously. I actually have floor space now to walk through the room. Much happier room to be n now.

So you changed your mind about the color. Painting is no big deal. I change wall colors all the time. It's the cheapest way to redo a room for a fresh new look. I don't understand about DH caring what color a room is unless it's black or poka dot.

:shock:


Just last week DH said our foster DD's wall had about 8 layers of paint when she was picking out a new wall color to match her new hair color, purple with blue streaks.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I use one of those wooden rollers to press at the machine. it's like the plastic wall paper rollers they use on the seams of wall paper. even a long plastic 'wand" or what ever they are called work. Eleanor Burns uses her fingers.

believe it or not I have one of those dh's who is particular about color! I can have it any color I want.....as long as he likes it! We have had a blue bedroom for as long as we have been married and that's what color he wanted....blue. I wanted an earth tone. He doesn't like earth tones so we settled on this. Trust me it took hours of looking at paint samples for us to agree on this color. We've also been in this room just over a year. Very few times in 24 years that we have actually loudly disagreed and it was over the color of walls!

here is what I have done though.....I lowered my cutting table by a few inches and made a small ironing board to sit on the end of it....its to the left of my treadle and all I have to do turn. I can also slide my emachine over a bit and set the small board there. I am going to look for a small bookcase to put under the big ironing board though for storage. Its amazing how much easier putting blocks together is when you're not having to move so much!

I bought 2 old fashion little irons, one with steam, one without at the local flea market. Paid $2 each and boy, do they get hot, and no auto shut off. I don't know if you would call them travel irons or not but they are considerably smaller that a regular iron. They have the cloth type cords on them so I would guess they are from the 40's or 50's. They work great and are cheap. Also good for taking to classes because of their small size.

I used to keep a tabletop ironing board on the table next to my machine, but decided to put up my regular size ironing board across the room, so I would have to get up frequently. Just some thoughts.

Ginny; Is that an animal hanging up? green with the fire trucks. Can I see it better? It looks like a blanket I made for my GS. Elaine

I love the pink walls!

My pressing board is purposely on the opposite side of the room from my machines so that I have to get up and walk back and forth a lot. Not the most efficient for sewing, but believe me, I need to be moving and burning calories whenever possible! Maybe thinking about it that way will help.

I do that too. I chain piece and I chain iron. Ironing is exercise, right?

I agree with this...And get a chair or stool that swivels! I like mine without arms because they just get in the way. I also like to have a small cutting mat placed where I can trim without getting up. have fun and it'll come together!

My best investment was my chair with wheels. I can roll anywhere I want to go.

make your sewing area so your sewing machine along the wall, to the right iron station and to the left cutting station

also a chair on rulers is nice

have fun getting your room organized

I would swap the ironing table and cutting table. And if you have a chair with wheels you can "roll" over to the ironing table and back again smoothly. It may be because I'm right handed, but I find it easier to move to the left to do my ironing while sitting at my sewing table. BTW, a "messy" sewing area shows that you are an active quilter and making beautiful works of art! Good luck.

Organization, organization, organization.
Remove the clutter. Unclutter one section at a time so you do not feel overwhelmed. The room will have a better "feel" to it. Its good exercise to move from station to station. :) They say to never sit more than 15 minutes at the sewing machine anyway. Pressing and trimming are necessary aspects of quilting.
I love the color of the walls!

I also have a 9'x9' sewing room. However I only keep one machine out at a time and try to clean up at the end of each sewing day. Believe me it helps with the clutter. I do have two large closets that take up one wall though. This upsets me. Can't have everything. I find that getting up to press is good exercise at my age. LOL!. I may try the snack table trick though. My dream is to have a larger area so I can have my long arm in the same room.

Linda

I was so shocked to see your comment. Do you remember coming to see me in Plymouth.

Linda

I have small folding table I purchased from WalMart for $15. it is height adjustable, which I setup next to my sewing chair and I lay my folding ironing board on top of it still folded (the waffle type shelf lining or rug lining keeps it from sliding). Other than that I finger press the seams as I sew, when I have several seams complete I press them all at once.

I certainly don't want to get too much exercise by getting up and down too frequently.

This comment was for Crafty Bear from Quilter41.

Linda

Paint the room a light nuetral color. Taupe is great. (It helps to bring out the natural color and highlights of the fabric. Especially if you put up a design wall to place squares.

The window....put a "window seat book case" under it. Then, position your sewing table in front of it coming out lengthwise (you'll be facing the right-hand wall when looking at pic.) This gives you the natural light when sewing and gives you space to extend your sewing area to the right of you machine when machine quilting. You can position your cutting board/ironing service (whatever kind) directly behing you against that wall. You can then just turn around while sewing and do you what you gotta do. Hang your other necessary supplies (thread, etc.) on the wall above this.

Place book selves (?) on their side for fabric stash, etc. on the right hand wall. Having them low provides you with the large wall area above them.

Just some thoughts. Hope this helps. Would love to have this space.

Last....."Have fun with it!!"

hA, MINE IS TWICE AS SMALL! IRON BOARD IN ONE RM AND MACHINE IN CORNER SPACE WITH COMPUTER ALONG SIDE IT...NO ELBOW ROOM! ONE DAY....WILL GET THAT ROOM CLEARED OUT FOR SEWING. LOL

I have a wheeled chair too. I scoot back and forth between my sewing desks. I bought a small "countertop" ironing board at Wally World, and put that next to my machine. Mini or regular iron works with it. Or mini iron on a teflon pressing pad- done that too.

Looks JUST like mine! Only I don't have any space under any thing. All of my space is used up. I have a table top ironing board on a storage barrel just behind my sewing machine, so I can just turn around and press. I pin my blocks together at my cutting table. (about 2 feet from my sewing machine table) and take them to the machine. My cutting was made by my DH for my height so I could cut easier, so it is higher than any other table in the room. It may be cluttered but I don't have any probs, so far.

You probably wouldn't need to buy dressers, but could get some of those plastic drawers to put under your table and store some of your fabrics. You could probably set two sets side by side.

Thank sure makes me feel better!! Mine gets a little out of hand sometimes, too!

I like what ScissorQueen suggests. Also go verticle. Go to Lowes and see what they have in kitchen cabinents for storage. Use the door to hang rulers and other tools.
I see that you use the treddle machine, but how often? Could you move it to an unused spot in you dining room and give it multipurpose use? Move everything out and do your redesign. I use a table top iron board right now as it is easier to take down and put away.