Karla--I am so excited for you that your husband wants to convert the garage to a quilting studio for you!!! :D :D :D :D

Keep us posted with pics (before, during and after) so we can all share in the fun.

Congratulations on the sewing room planning, \

the best advice I can give you is patience

And have plenty of light!

Ninnie

Wonderful list, and it helped me see something that was missing ...
BOOK SHELVES!
I have TONS of books that live in boxes because I have no bookshelves ... floor to ceiling (I am betting the actual walls of your sewing room to be isn't much more than ten feet tall, if they are that tall)
The higher you can go up a wall from the floor, the less wide you will have to go.
With the sitting area that Cookn designed, one would be looking for a good book to look at while taking a cup of coffee for "break time" .

Wow good luck to you. We have just a few minor details and my new sewing room is done. My daughter called yesterday to tell me she would help me put my "Crap" back in my room. I told her to stay home I will deal with my "crap" in my way and in my time. I can see her just dumping and running.

Quiltgranny- how exciting for you!!!
I'll second the freecycle.org idea! I've gotten lots of goodies off there, and also got rid of stuff too!
:-)

NO ONE understands our fabric like we do, huh?
I have so many boxes of things to go through, like you ... and no one who appreciates all the intrinsic values contained therein. They just see space being taken up by ME - - when THEY want to use that space for their stuff!
I'm telling you! The burdens we must bear for the furtherance of our chosen vices ... no one knows :( no one!
:lol:

All great ideas... but I wanted to stress ...
TRACK LIGHTS< TRACK LIGHTS!!!
Can easily move the light if you change furniture around a little and they are fairly inexpensive. Can usually find some at flea market/garage sales too.

Colapsable/movable work surface is handy in my room as I am limited in space. I have extra set of "TV" trays that I move around for another surface when I need it.... Not super steady, but nice for like my laptop when I need to have next to my machine.
My sewing room is guest room, so everything colapses or can be moved to loft if we have guests.
One day I SHALL HAVE DEDICATED SEWING ROOM!! (I can't have garage as this is my husband's domain!)
Good Luck!!!

My fiance doesn't understand at all. He says it's fine if I quilt, just as long as my "stuff" can't be seen.

WOW! You gals rock!!! Gee, I post before I go to bed, get up and look at all this AWESOME advice!!! I can't thank you all enough for all your wisdom and heartfelt suggestions. WOW! I'm just in awe! Thank you, thank you! Wait til I show hubby all these wonderful ideas, especially the cost saving ones!!

I gotta tell you all too, what's so EXTRA special about hubby taking this task on it that he has a rare type of terminal cancer and wants to do this for me before he's unable to. How's that for love and devotion??? He's the biggest blessing of all in my life! Not the things, not even all my yards of fabric, nor quilting books or patterns, but a loving hubby willing to do something this special for me for a hobby, ahem, lifestyle, that already takes too much of my time away from him. Ya just can't spell love anyway better than that, can ya?

Thanks again for everyone's input. I'll be printing all these off for reference. I'm amazed too, at the variety of replies here too, covering so many different aspects of the planning, right down to the graph paper and consideration of all my needs, too.

We live in a very rural, mountain area, so I don't think codes will be an issue, but may need a permit.

Hugs to all of you,

Karla

P.S. Trust me, you don't want a "before" pic, at least not now, lol. Please, give us a little time to Spring clean, at least a little. I'm so totally embarrassed that we've let the garage get THIS bad, lol! :oops:

Reminds me of a coffee cup I saw in a quilt shop:
"My husband says I can have all of the fabric I can hide"
When I told DH about the cup, he made the mistake of smiling.
I went back the next day, bought the cup, and MORE fabric. Smiles are a seal of approval - - I think :roll:

Don't worry about hubby not seeing the fabric ... women have a gift and lots of ability ... my husband is a gem, but he barely gets his dirty clothes to the hamper .... I don't think he ever sees anything - - UNLESS! My stuff happens to be in front of something he wants <g> ....
keep em well-fed, warm, and entertained with Perry Mason, and the sky is the LIMIT! :wink: