New Sewing Space, TINY! - Need Suggestions Please
 

Thanks to eveyone that would like to help.

My husband and I recenlty sold our house and bought a parcel of land. We're currently renting a place while are building a very, small cabin to live in for now and eventually (hopefully) will build a larger house. It's not really finished yet, but we're moving in next week anyway.

We'll be living in the cabin for at least a couple of years. My sewing area will probably be up in the loft in a long, narrow space, that's about 15' X 6, which runs along the side of the 1/2 wall, loft railing. I have a portable 403A Singer and a couple of treadles, one which can be put into a new table. Of course I have a ton of supplies and a need for table space. I'd love any kind of suggestions on how to organize my small space.

~ Cindy

it all depends on how much stuff you have but to start, you can stack along the wall shelving, plastic bins and so on from floor to ceiling for max use of space. depending where you enter from, you will place your cutting table at the end and use a table that you will place on lifts and you can use the underneath for storage. i did the same with my cutting table and to hide ugly brown boxes, i added a skirt all around the table with velcro. your sewing machine should also be against the wall with sliders, for ease of sliding out when you need room behind the machine for adding a table to hold the quilt top. also plenty of lighting or it will not be very motivating for you to sew. take a look at my youtube video i recently uploaded for more ideas. hope this helps.

If you have a large stash, since your space is 6' wide, I would probably place tall bookshelves perpendicular to the railing, back-to-back, with a small aisle between rows (like a library) concentrated on one end of the space or the other, for fabric storage, etc. You can leave them open or cover them with little curtains shirred on a rod. Leave an aisle down one side of the space or the other so you can get to the shelves. This way, messy shelves won't be seen full-face from below, so if you're not absolutely neat and organized, it won't matter. That leaves room at the other end for a quilt wall and whatever sewing cabinet configuration you have, plus some open floor space for a cutting table and comfortable chair, maybe. Does this make sense?

If you have a small stash, I would normally think about cabinets on the wall, with counterspace built below them with cutouts for your machines, or placement of your sewing cabinet below them. That would leave space for a cutting table, ironing board and comfortable chair.

I know you think this space is small, but it is not. 6x15 is 90 square feet. I have about 80 square feet, plus a closet. All this makes you do is put a little more thought into organization and getting rid of stuff you're just hanging on to. Please post pictures when you get it set up -- I might be able to steal some ideas as to how to better organize my space!

I will be anxiously watching this thread to get new ideas. As jbrother said, you do have 90 square feet. It is just rethinking to see where everything will fit and how to utilize the space to it's maximum. Sorry, I don't have any suggestions at present. Good luck.

Love the ideas...keep them coming! One note...this is up against a 1/2 high wall, (about 4 ft. high,) so no bookshelves.

Hang a quilt over the railing so you can store things without them being seen from below.

Ooohhh...I like that idea! It could be seen from below.

~ Cindy

that does present a challenge im anxious to see what you come up with too and the quilts over the railing is a great idea it will be a perfect way to show off your quilts as well as provide decoration foe the space below and as a quilter i find looking at quilts lifts my spirits in a way nothing else can. thats one of the reasons i love this board i get to see all the beautiful quilts and get so much inspiration from eveyones work.
carla m

Do you have windows or plenty of natural light? If not you might want to add plenty of good lighting. I have my sewing machine and serger placed in front of a window, but even so I also have a wall mounted lamp on the wall to one side of the window for sewing in the evenings and early mornings. But then my eyesight is'nt what it used to be lately.

That's a good point. My DH hasn't done the electrical yet, so I'll be sure to ask for extra plugs over there, in that area. I do have a high window in the office and another identical one in the bedroom. There's also a big window on the wall by the stairwell. Still, you can never have too much light when sewing.

Thanks,

~ Cindy

I've got to go take a look at your video. I'm curious about the table on lifts.

~ Cindy

Instead of just windows how about a skylight over your sewing area?

I would put a countertop all along the 1/2 wall with one section low enough for the sewing machine. Than put cabinets underneath with drawers and doors. I don't know how tall you are but this would be for me (5.5 tall) about the right height for cutting and working. Or instead of cabinets use roll out bins and drawers for ease of finding stuff. Use clear storage that you can see thru.

WOW, my kids and family think I have too much yardage, but wow, you are loaded, I am so envious of the amount of space you have, good going, you can quilt through all those storms on the east coast for days without having to leave your house

I once had a sewing space very near to what you are describing. There are times I still think it was the most efficient space I ever had! LOL I had quilts hung over the railing to block the view and had rolling storage around the staircase. That way I could roll a cabinet over to the workspace which let me utilize it as extra workspace (this was my ironing board) and quicker access to fabric, thread, etc.. Mounted on my partial wall I made a storage out of fabric that held my pins, scissors, etc. I had two outlets that were right above the table top so it was easy to plug in machine, iron, etc.. I wish I still had those, LOL. The older I get the less I like the crawl under the table task. I had cabinets that my DH made that was part of the frame (the ends) to the workspace for storage. Then he made me a roll under the workspace cabinet for more storage. We had high ceilings in this room so he made me a shelf that pulled up and down toward the ceiling where I could store things that were seldom needed. Kind of like those garage shelves they sell for the top of the garage. We were so squished in that little house with both of us and three kids and a couple of dogs, but it sure was a warm and loving home and remembered with fond memories.

Thanks...you've got a ton of ideas that fit into this little message...LOL. (Pun intended.) Honestly, you do have a lot of great ideas! I know how it is with small spaces. In our last house, we raised 2 kids, at least 5, or 6 dogs, 4 cats, a couple of hampsters, an aquarium of fish and occasionally, some baby chicks and ducklings, all in only 900 square feet. It was like living on a boat, or better said, an "ark." (The horses slept outside.) We finally added on to make it about 1300 sq ft when the kids were half grown. Everyone cried when we sold the house last June. It was such a loving home. I've always dreamed of owning a big house, but honestly, I don'think that I could stand all that echoing and drafty, open space. I'm so grateful for all these wonderful ideas from everyone...thanks!

~ Cindy

I love this idea. I tried to talk the DH into skylights in that space and also in the kitchen. Alas...the roof is going on now and I don't see any skylights anywhere. Oh well. :(

I've seen tables that slide out at a right angle from a desk, or workspace, to create twice as much table area. That looks interesting.

~ Cindy

However it turns out, and you do have some outstanding ideas, it will be YOUR space and that is what counts! Enjoy every square inch of it!

you can look at hanging wire cubes or garage storage units from the you can get these types of things at home depot or lowes

I have a small sewing space too and one of the best organizing tools is a pegboard. I have two pegboards and I hang all my tools on it. I don't just use hooks, I also hang small wire baskets to store larger things. The boards keep my tables clear and but keep my tools near. Here is a link to post that I did about my sewing room:

http://becrafted.blogspot.com/2011/1...update_31.html

My first thought to what I know I'd do is take the office room as my sewing room and put the office in the long narrow space. Good luck!

One space saver I have in my sewing room is a small 2 drawer filing cabinet that fits neatly under the open top of my sewing cabinet. I used to store books in it but now have too many so i use it now to store cone thread in the top and embroidery and quilting thread in the bottom drawer. The drawers are large enough for a double layer using the old green file boxes stacked. Works out really well.

One suggestion....store books, mags, and any 3 ring binders of quilting stuff DOWNSTAIRS in a bookcase. Use the space up stairs for sewing equip. Have seen some drawers that have "sliders" that sit on top of drawers. Twice the storage in one area. If I did this I'd have to downsize my tools. How many scissors do I need? Are three/four rotary cutters the same size really neccessary? Use up all the wall space and make sure you have some quilty pretties up there too. Use the alaskan quilters method of storing fab. Wrap around 6" ruler. Do you really need to wrap around those boards?

Like everyone else..can't wait to see the pics!

Will you post a pic so we can see it?? :)

That is exactly what I would do too. I would want to be downstairs with it because I couldn't keep doing the stairs. and if the bathroom is downstairs you wouldn't want to be running up and down all the time either. Great if you are young and have no health issues like bum knees and/or a bad back.

Yes, I agree with them :) Change the rooms around. Get a bigger room for sewing and smaller for office. Let us know what you decide and post pics :)

My husband was out patching skylights for 2 different people this weekend. They are older and need replaced but in the meantime it is patch and pray. Why put a hole in a perfectly good roof? Skylights are nothing but trouble 10 to 15 years ( if that long) down the road.

I think this is relative to how they are put in in the first place. My BIL has skylights that have been in place since the 80s with no problems. He checks them every year just like he checks out shingles, chimney ect.

My sewing room is 10 x 12 so I had to get creative as well (there are pictures of mine on the board somewhere...) but one of the best ideas came from my dad. He built me my sewing tables and on one of them he put in a drop leaf using piano hinge. Its great becasue I colapse it when I don't need it but extend it when I have to FMQ or do cutting or whatever. You can add a cutting mat to it and make it super functional.