What Would Be Your Ideal Dream Space For Sewing and Quilting
#21
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Piedmont Virginia in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns.
Posts: 8,562
My space would be at least 25 ft square with pale yellow walls and would have:
1. Large windows on two walls, one with French doors opening onto a shaded patio where I can do handsewing and floor frame hand quilting when I wish.
2. A side wall with a 10 foot wide x 10 foot tall design wall and the rest in built-in storage cupboards just 14" deep to hold one stack deep of the way I fold fabric. Each section of shelves would be large enough to hold one color family...that's 15 feet of closed shelving! All batting would be stored up higher where I don't have to get into it often.
3. And at waist level there would be a large pullout section to hold fabrics as I audition them for projects.
4. Below those cupboards would be drawers designed to hold all my scraps, which are now in plastic shoeboxes and bins by size on shelves. Drawers would also hold things like hoops, weird/occasionally used notions, and the other collectible "stuff' we all seem to acquire.
5. Along the back wall would be a door into a powder room,
6. a washer/dryer and sink (for water to fill the iron, soak fabric, spot clean, dye, etc.
7. Next to this I would have a wall for hanging the tools I use not quite as frequently but for which I don't want to root thru drawers to find.
8. At the end of that back wall would be a closed cabinet for storing finished quilts and to-be-quilted tops.
9. In the middle of the floors would be two large 3.5 ft x 5.ft tables for cutting and pressing, both with drawers designed especially to hold rulers, cutting mats, rotary cutters, irons, water bottles for the irons, applique pressing cloths, etc., etc.
10. My sewing table itself would be "L" shaped, about 15 feet long, and be double sided with cut-outs for dropping in my machines. The "L" would accommodate a pressing surface so I wouldn't have to get up to press small pieces and would also support a large quilt as I finished quilting it. To my right would be a cutting surface for the same reason. There would be storage drawers at one end under the table so I could have my notions at hand and a thread cabinet. This table would also serve for basting quilts.
11. Lighting would be 'daylight' bulbs placed to eliminate shadowing over the sewing, cutting, and pressing tables and angled directly on the design wall and on the fabric shelves for use when I am auditioning fabrics for a project
12. The floor would be a non-carpeted surface with one area, perhaps along the back, that can be marked for laying out a quilt, measuring long lengths of fabric or batting, or hold chairs/tables for classes.
I designed this work space 15 years ago and, sadly, am no closer to ever having it than I was then! But we are blessed that we can dream, aren't we?
I guess I should add that if I could have this space, I'd happily live in a tiny house attached to it!
Jan in VA
1. Large windows on two walls, one with French doors opening onto a shaded patio where I can do handsewing and floor frame hand quilting when I wish.
2. A side wall with a 10 foot wide x 10 foot tall design wall and the rest in built-in storage cupboards just 14" deep to hold one stack deep of the way I fold fabric. Each section of shelves would be large enough to hold one color family...that's 15 feet of closed shelving! All batting would be stored up higher where I don't have to get into it often.
3. And at waist level there would be a large pullout section to hold fabrics as I audition them for projects.
4. Below those cupboards would be drawers designed to hold all my scraps, which are now in plastic shoeboxes and bins by size on shelves. Drawers would also hold things like hoops, weird/occasionally used notions, and the other collectible "stuff' we all seem to acquire.
5. Along the back wall would be a door into a powder room,
6. a washer/dryer and sink (for water to fill the iron, soak fabric, spot clean, dye, etc.
7. Next to this I would have a wall for hanging the tools I use not quite as frequently but for which I don't want to root thru drawers to find.
8. At the end of that back wall would be a closed cabinet for storing finished quilts and to-be-quilted tops.
9. In the middle of the floors would be two large 3.5 ft x 5.ft tables for cutting and pressing, both with drawers designed especially to hold rulers, cutting mats, rotary cutters, irons, water bottles for the irons, applique pressing cloths, etc., etc.
10. My sewing table itself would be "L" shaped, about 15 feet long, and be double sided with cut-outs for dropping in my machines. The "L" would accommodate a pressing surface so I wouldn't have to get up to press small pieces and would also support a large quilt as I finished quilting it. To my right would be a cutting surface for the same reason. There would be storage drawers at one end under the table so I could have my notions at hand and a thread cabinet. This table would also serve for basting quilts.
11. Lighting would be 'daylight' bulbs placed to eliminate shadowing over the sewing, cutting, and pressing tables and angled directly on the design wall and on the fabric shelves for use when I am auditioning fabrics for a project
12. The floor would be a non-carpeted surface with one area, perhaps along the back, that can be marked for laying out a quilt, measuring long lengths of fabric or batting, or hold chairs/tables for classes.
I designed this work space 15 years ago and, sadly, am no closer to ever having it than I was then! But we are blessed that we can dream, aren't we?
I guess I should add that if I could have this space, I'd happily live in a tiny house attached to it!
Jan in VA
Last edited by Jan in VA; 06-09-2016 at 10:58 PM.
#22
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Davenport, Iowa
Posts: 3,885
I would so love to trade spaces with my husband. His office is large and has 6 windows, two massive desks, couch, end tables and a TV with lots of room to walk around. My sewing room is smaller, has 4 machines (2 stored), cutting table, quilters ironing board and two dressers full of fabric, plus my short book cases have to be stored under the cutting table. I barely have room to walk. I guess I should be happy that I have space to myself!!
#23
Funny...we have secured our contractor to start on my sewing room late this summer. We are building a sewing room over our 2 car garage. The floor space is 23 x 25 however since we have a pitched roof, I will lose a little floor space. We are putting dormer windows on both sides of the pitched roof to open it up as much space as possible.
I attended a forum at MQX in Manchester April of this year where expert longarmers talked specifically about setting up a sewing room for longarm machines and what they suggested. Of course, lighting was high on the list, along with outlets and workspace. Once my contractor puts in the windows and change the roof, I will be able to chart my sewing space on graph paper to find out where I want plugs and lighting. I think it will be a fun project.
I attended a forum at MQX in Manchester April of this year where expert longarmers talked specifically about setting up a sewing room for longarm machines and what they suggested. Of course, lighting was high on the list, along with outlets and workspace. Once my contractor puts in the windows and change the roof, I will be able to chart my sewing space on graph paper to find out where I want plugs and lighting. I think it will be a fun project.
#24
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 1,141
Heather Peterson of Anka's Treasures has my dream sewing room. It's the bonus room above her 2 car garage. It is beautiful, spacious and full of light. Maybe some day I'll have a real sewing room. For now, it's the far end of the basement family room and the bar area at the other end. https://ankastreasures.wordpress.com.../22/my-studio/
#25
My ideal room would have large windows so I could look outside to see all our birds. One wall would hold all my books (around 300 and 500 magazines.). The other wall would hold my fabric in bins. I would have my sewing machine set up by my design wall so I could take blocks off easily to sew. I would have my high cutting table and ironing board nearby. As I tell you this, I realize I should probably take over the lower level family room, which has only one window, but the rest could work. Hmmm, thanks for getting us to think about this.
#26
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Gaylord, MN
Posts: 4,014
My dream space would be to have my sewing space in a loft overlooking the living area of a house situated on a lake with big windows but I definitely am not complaining as I now have the whole upstairs of a big farmhouse so lack of space is not a problem.
#27
Don't laugh, but I would love a sewing space in a refurbished caboose! I have always loved them and think it would be adorable on our country lot. My DH said it wouldn't be the cost of the caboose, but the cost to get it here LOL A neighbor boy is going into railroad civil engineering at the U. of IL...............maybe someday he will come across one for me : ) On a more practical level, I love my sewing room, pictured here: http://www.quiltingboard.com/mission...n-t276255.html
but would prefer it twice the size and a maid to pick up after me. The guest bedroom is my overflow (tops done and ready to quilt, more storage in the closet for fabric and battings, my design wall etc.) but I love my set up, and the window that overlooks the garden. I have plenty of light and table space, just too much good stuff to fit.
but would prefer it twice the size and a maid to pick up after me. The guest bedroom is my overflow (tops done and ready to quilt, more storage in the closet for fabric and battings, my design wall etc.) but I love my set up, and the window that overlooks the garden. I have plenty of light and table space, just too much good stuff to fit.
#28
A room with a view, preferably of beautiful mountains. Pale yellow walls, lots of light and storage, and space for a large cutting table, as well as a large design wall. I would want this room located on the first level, with the laundry room, kitchen, and family room fairly close.
#29
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 199
What is overhead storage for rolled quilts? I have a bunch that are folded and worried about creases.
#30
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Va.
Posts: 5,753
Mobridge Mom--I love your sig line LOL.
My sewing/quilting space is currently in the doorway between the guest bedroom and the trunk room that I use for my office. My dream space would be to have a room that is dedicated to quilting, with enough wall space for a large design wall. Though I sometimes drool over the new top of the line sewing machines from Brother/Babylock, Janome and Bernina, I am pretty happy with the 4 I've got and find that they pretty much can do anything I want as far as piecing, quilting and embellishing goes. But basically, I am pretty happy with the space I've got since I can leave my PQ1500s and PC420 set up all the time. Having my large cutting area set up in another room encourages me to get up and move periodically, so that's probably a good thing too.
Now, if only I could afford a maid to clean the house I'd be set
Rob<object type="cosymantecnisbfw" cotype="cs" id="SILOBFWOBJECTID" style="width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block;"></object>
My sewing/quilting space is currently in the doorway between the guest bedroom and the trunk room that I use for my office. My dream space would be to have a room that is dedicated to quilting, with enough wall space for a large design wall. Though I sometimes drool over the new top of the line sewing machines from Brother/Babylock, Janome and Bernina, I am pretty happy with the 4 I've got and find that they pretty much can do anything I want as far as piecing, quilting and embellishing goes. But basically, I am pretty happy with the space I've got since I can leave my PQ1500s and PC420 set up all the time. Having my large cutting area set up in another room encourages me to get up and move periodically, so that's probably a good thing too.
Now, if only I could afford a maid to clean the house I'd be set
Rob<object type="cosymantecnisbfw" cotype="cs" id="SILOBFWOBJECTID" style="width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block;"></object>
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