40MPHK9

First of all, this is my first 'real' post here, aside from my intro post. This is a great board, and more than a little overwhelming--so much information!

Last February we moved into a different house, and since then I have taken one of the bedrooms for my sewing room. This room also houses our computer, in a large armoire. There is also a doorway into a bathroom, and a closet, and two windows--so not much wall space for cabinets, storage, etc. Right now I am using a plastic table for my machine, and a larger table for cutting, plus I've got my ironing board in here, and a small bookshelf. NOT TO MENTION, a large dog bed (my dog likes to be near me ).

In our basement is an 'exercise' room--where our treadmill and bike are. That room is much larger than my current sewing room and I am kicking around the idea of swapping the rooms. The 'new' sewing room would need a little work, but my husband could do all of it.

So my question is, does anyone have a sewing room in their basement? I know I'd need to put in a lot of light, but even my current upstairs sewing room doesn't have enough light--northern exposure. I have always said I didn't want to sew in the basement, but my current room is so cluttered.

Thanks!

Quilt-Till-U-Wilt

I used to have to sew in the basement many years ago. I sew in a bedroom now and like it so much better. My machine is in front of a double window. It's so much nore cheerful.,

beckalou

I used to have my sewing room in the basement, I loved it because I had plenty of room. A few overhead flourescent shop lights provided enough light for me. I lived in Iowa at the time, and Iowa gets cold in the winter. We did have 2 heat vents in the basement, but it was still cold. I could dress for this, but my hands were still cold. Make sure you have enough heat down there before you make the move.

IAmCatOwned

I sew in the basement, but it is an actual bedroom with a 4 foot window and southern lighting. It sounds like your current room doesn't have a lot of light, so not that much different from where you are now. My sister also has a sewing room on a northern exposure. She has a large shop light directly over her sewing table and cutting tables - splendid, splendid lighting.

The only disadvantages of having a sewing space in the basement, in my experience, is access to phone or door. You can have a phone line there, which eliminates one problem. If you get a lot of visitors, it may be a hassle running up the stairs to the door. On the other hand, the exercise is helpful (I keep telling myself that). If you have an old dog, you might want to put an insulation layer between the floor and the dog bed to keep him or her warmer.

Another tip. I found it necessary to wear insulated slippers on the basement floor in winter. Over a couple of hours of sewing, my feet got cold, even with loafers. Doesn't happen with sneakers, but I don't sew so well in sneakers due to the thick layering. So, I just leave the sneakers at the door and put on the slippers.

luvstoquilt

I have a basement sewing room and I feel sort of alone down there but it is really handy and keeps the mess away from upstairs. Kind of silly to feel isolated since I do live alone. If there is more space there I would go downstairs if I were you. I did and it is working out well and I am getting used to it. Do make sure you have a phone with you.

luvTooQuilt

Keep an eye on humidity.. Growing up our basement was always so damp... When it rained it was horrible..

Lori S

I was in a similiar situation, and had to decide a bedroom or basement.. I picked basement. Glad I did. I do miss the natural light but .. there are more benifits. I had much more space. I could leave it in any condition and it would un-noticed. I had lots of lighing put in so its lit up brighter than daylight. A huge plus ... my big fuzzy buddy, loves it down there. In the summer its so nice and cool, and in the winter he lays on his bed. Another plus is that there is room to expand when I need to like when I am laying out a big quilt, or tossing scraps around. In my planning I had more than one wall that could all be used as design walls if I needed.
I did put in a small space heater to supliment the heat. But usually once the iron is turned on , I turn off the space heater ( its amazing the heat an iron gives off) Wearing a thicker sole shoe with a heavier sock helped to keep my feet from getting cold on occasion.
I love my basement sewing space as it has more "useable" flexible space than any other area of my house.

vondae

For Me, I would take more space any day. You can add more light easily, you can't add more space to that bedroom. I wish we had a basement. My sewing room (bedroom) is very small. I'm always piled up and can't find my things due to lack of space. FYI- You can now buy the new energy saving bulbs ( curly Q bulbs) in a "daylight". It has a more white light color, not that orange or yellow cast that so many have. If you have a Home Depot check out the light bulb section and they have a display with 4 different bulbs and if you take a look at that you can tell a BIG difference in the colors they put off. I was amazed at what I saw. I was trying to choose a new color to paint our bedroom and everything I tried on the walls looked orangeish yellow. Changed the light bulb to a daylight one and got a more true color. Amazing.
Oh, and buy the way paint or decorate in light bright colors. They say no lavenders or purples, they are supposed to be depressing. I don't agree, just what THEY (whoever they are ) say. Have fun with it and have a great time if you decide to move you sewing room.

40MPHK9

Thanks for all the great replies so far! I am really starting to think this might be the way to go.
AND, maybe if the exercise equipment is UPSTAIRS, I will be more motivated to use it!!

I think I have plenty of heat in the basement--it's mostly finished.
Might have to address the floor: carpet or something else?? Any suggestions? I was kind of thinking something like Pergo....

mpspeedy

Your current set up is a lot like my present one. I took over my daughter's bedroom when she moved out. I also have a closet and a half bath. The room also houses our computer set up. I purchased two four foot folding tables from staples and made myself a sewing set up. One table faces the entrance, bath and closet. It holds my sewing machine. On a small "night" stand I have my serger with it's back to the outside wall and then against the backwall of the room and parallel to my sewing machine table I have another 4 ft. table that houses my two embroidry machines next to one another. My husband the machinist, cut the legs down on one of the tables to just 27". That makes it the perfect height to house my sewing machine at the right height to be ergonomic for me personally. The other table we left at it's original height as the embroidery machines you just load and turn on. I use the space under the taller table to house a lot of plastic storage drawers in their own rolling carts. I also have one under the sewing table at the far right end where it doesn't inhibit my using the foot control. I use a small tallboy dresser with the feet cut off as additional storage and a cutting and ironing surface for small projects or little things. There are shelves on adjustable tracks on the walls behind the embroidery machine table and over the cutting and pressing area. I even have wire racks like you use in the kitchen for foils etc hung on both sides of the cutting station to house my freezer paper, various stabilizers, pressing cloth etc. I also got myself an office chair from Staples that makes sewing at all three stations just the spin of the wheels. Some of my stash is in the room in the dresser and the closet but most of it is downstairs in my basement in a backroom that was a bedroom for my step-son at one time. It is now full of my rolling ironing station and my large cutting table. Each of those also provides a lot of space underneath to store fabric etc. I also have plastic shelving placed two deep that holds multiple bins of fabric, notions etc.
At one time my sewing/computer room was two small bedrooms. We knocked out the dividing wall and added the half bath when we were down to just two children at home. It was actually our master bedroom for a couple of years. We then built a seperate bedroom on to our home for our master. Since our nest was completely empty once our youngest graduated from college and got a job to far to commute from here we have had it all to ourselves. I did have my entire sewing set up in the room where I have my stash in the basement for a little while. There can be a dampness problem and heating is also an issue. We use a woodstove to supplement the heat in the basement familyroom but it doesn't help much in the back sewing area.