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Time to re-think the place I love the most in the house...

Time to re-think the place I love the most in the house...

Old 01-20-2014, 11:00 PM
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Default Time to re-think the place I love the most in the house...

Over the years I've posted pictures my sewing room in various stages of "Perfect" (at the time) to complete and utter disarray. Although I rarely post these days, the daily digest is still my mid-morning ritual. I feel the need to post because I'm really needing help.

Although everything in the sewing room is seemingly put away.. all I see is clutter and it is driving me insane.
I find the space uninspiring and honestly, I don't enjoy being in there much. In fact, it's been almost two months since I've worked on anything other than sewing patches on Girl Scout uniforms.

There are two rolling stainless steel cabinets in the foyer that are full of fabric. More fabric is stored under the tables. My big board ironing board is put away next to the rolling cabinets in the foyer. I have a cutting station and GO! cutting station... and my sewing table. The gate-leg table is usually folded down and out of the way. Although not seen in the picture, to the left side as you look from the sewing room into the dining room is another sewing table with my Viking Rose machine inset. My Viking Ruby is on the main table.. I need to either figure out how to turn that table into a "recessed" sewing table or step back and punt. The table is from Ikea but it's hollow core - very unlikely that it would support that machine if compromised by cutting the top. Not to mention making it so that I can remove it from the inset to use the embroidery unit. ugh. Does anyone else have that problem? I have a Sew Steady for it, but the height is wrong and my arms, shoulders and neck ache from the position. I have the chair raised fully. Much higher and my legs will touch the bottom of the table!

Back to the clutter.. it is pretty much all in boxes with lids or drawers but it still looks cluttered to me. And that pegboard! Ugh! One of my friends came in the other day and said it looks like a store.
I've now taken everything down off the pegboard except the rulers and a few other items. I'm thinking of cutting the pegboard and using only a smaller portion... Maybe framing it and mounting it to the wall instead of hanging from the picture rail. I've labeled the contents of the boxes on index cards and inserted them into the front ends of the boxes to hide the contents somewhat, but it really hasn't helped.

Take a look and see that you think. With the exception of finding a new table for my machine, I don't want to buy any other furniture. In-between the GO! cutting station, next to the purple chair and the gate-leg table, is an old Singer 714 student machine from the early 70s. I am donating it to the church for our upcoming spring bazaar... so that will be out of the room soon. (Not soon enough!)

So, if I've not put you to sleep with my mini-novel of woes.. I'm needing ideas because at this point I'm stuck. I love the sewing rooms that have a theme and feel inviting. (..think Karen and her blog - Sew Many Ways!) I'm having a hard time seeing something like that in my space.
Attached Thumbnails 2014-sewing-room.jpg  

Last edited by incoming2me; 01-20-2014 at 11:07 PM.
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Old 01-21-2014, 03:03 AM
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I'm certainly no expert and not trying to offend, but perhaps your friend is correct. The room does seem to have an 'industrial' tone to it. Since you've already de-cluttered your pegboard, I think maybe you're on the right track with cutting it down. Possibly have a couple of different spots for that. One quite utilitarian and maybe the other(s) a bit more inspirational?

It seems like you might be looking to cozy up the space a bit. Do you have a quilt or 3 that you could drape over your chair to soften things up a bit?

As to the new table, are you interested in getting something with a lift possibly? That would at least get you to the set in you want for daily use and allow you the flexibility to use the embroidery function when wanted/needed?

Can you put some of your containers under your cutting/ironing stations? Gets them out of the way/declutters but still leaves them accessible?

This is about the best I can come up with at the moment. I'm sure others will be along shortly who are much more creative.
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Old 01-21-2014, 03:44 AM
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I am having the same issue, Its mostly due to clutter. Not messy but just so much of everything. I am going to start storing some of the stuff I do not use on a current project in the cellar. I find a clean room is more inviting. I also decided to get rid of my treadle and move my massage chair so that I can put in a cutting table that I would use. I also would like to add more shelves to my room. I have shelves now but high up near the ceiling which is used for decorations instead of storage. I need storage shelves. I am also in the no buying more fabric mode...though it never seems to make much of a dent when making a quilt. I have been working all weekend cutting into 5 inch and 2 inch squares.
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Old 01-21-2014, 03:45 AM
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Where did you get that stand for your laptop?

Deb
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Old 01-21-2014, 03:59 AM
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I know you don't want to buy any furniture but would there be space to get a wardrobe cabinet or something like that with doors and take some of the boxes off the walls. It would be nice looking but then you could store your fabric inside it instead of on the shoe boxes on the wall? Just a thought.
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Old 01-21-2014, 04:11 AM
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I feel your pain. I hate peg boards. I don't want to see stuff hanging. I store my threads in thread boxes and other sterlite boxes stored out of sight. I use under bed rolling storage for batting . I started a thread a month or so ago called "purging, Purging".

I bagged up excess, unloved fabric, and donated it to a charity group. I purged 3 of the now empty 3-drawer rolling plastics. Gave them my DH for his workshop. I took down a folding plastic folding table and replaced it with an extra bookcase and I put Closet Maid fabric boxes on the bookcase to store-hide my stash, etc. And I gained 12" of floor space in doing so. I can breathe!

visual clutter is a de-motivator for me. I need to store things out of sight.

If I a feel overwhelmed with stuff, i, too, cannot get into sewing, etc. I am a "piler" . You are not alone! Keep on purging. And re-orgainzing. Always a work in progress for me too. I have posted many of my sewing room metamorphoses over the years.


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Old 01-21-2014, 04:20 AM
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I feel your pain. I hate peg boards. I don't want to see stuff hanging. I store my threads in thread boxes and other sterlite boxes stored out of sight. I use under bed rolling storage for batting . I started a thread a month or so ago called "purging, Purging".

I bagged up excess, unloved fabric, and donated it to a charity group. I purged 3 of the now empty 3-drawer rolling plastics. Gave them my DH for his workshop. I took down a folding plastic folding table and replaced it with an extra bookcase and I put Closet Maid fabric boxes on the bookcase to store-hide my stash, etc. And I gained 12" of floor space in doing so. I can breathe!

visual clutter is a de-motivator for me. I need to store things out of sight.

If I a feel overwhelmed with stuff, i, too, cannot get into sewing, etc. I am a "piler" . You are not alone! Keep on purging. And re-orgainzing. Always a work in progress for me too. I have posted many of my sewing room metamorphoses over the years.

I curtain off my table to hide the stuff underneath it. It calms me.

How big is that room? It looks huge! I would live to come help you ! You have great space!

sandy
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Old 01-21-2014, 04:52 AM
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I agree with NJ Quilter, it has an industrial look. What about a valance on your window with coordinating table skirts. Maybe you need more color in that fantastic room. I know it is cleaned right now, but I don't see anything "inspiring" in the room.
I find if I go looking at quilts on Pinterest I get inspired to work on something. Just a thought.
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Old 01-21-2014, 05:38 AM
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I agree you need a good sized cabinet with doors to store some of the stuff on the shelves. I have a set of kitchen cabinets, uppers and lowers. I still don't have them all filled. They hide books and other things that doesn't need to be seen. I have two large closets with the strong wire shelves for fabrics, batting, containers with various sized scraps, etc.
My desk is a little neater now with a new bulletin board, to hold hand written patterns, tips, etc.
I can't stand clutter either and as soon as I finish a quilt I put everything away before I start another.
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Old 01-21-2014, 05:46 AM
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I like the space, certainly large enough. I agree it needs some color. I'd put a valance with something bold with large flowers or geometrics. Before you cut down the size of the pegboard, reduce the amount of the stuff that's hanging on it and paint it a color that matches the valances you might put up. It might be that there's just too much stuff on it. Maybe remove the shelving to the left (left in the picture) of the blue chair and extend the shelving to the floor in the corner behind the blue chair. Then you would have some wall space to hang a quilt, put up some artwork that you love, or something else that would be inspirational to you. You could also paint one or more of the tables and put new skirt that coordinates with the valances. I have lots of ideas when it comes to someone else's room--I've just gotten my sewing space painted and when the floor dries will be moving stuff into the room. Hard to figure out how to make everything fit. Good luck, hope you post some "after" pictures.
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