Correction there: It started out 14' X 20' and then I decided it wasn't big enough and it ended up 14' X 24'! Of course, I moved everything out there and vacated my bedrooms.

My advise is to go as big as you can afford. And remember, there is a lot of finishing off to do! If you have 2 rooms of fabric
:shock: , you will need a lot of wall space for storage and you might just decide to sew out there one of these days!--Sylvia

I would live in the house and put the 14x60 out back for my sewing studio........?

Thanks for all your helpful comments and suggestions. I have decided to do a 10x20(which is the largest I can do without a permit). It is barn style which will give me some additional above storage.

I may be along time before the inside is finished, but for right now just need the space to begin moving fabrics, shelves, bookcases etc.

Money naturally is an issue for me along with almost everyone I know.

I am going to do a diagram to scale to try and figure out the best use of the area available. :mrgreen:

I have a 14x70 2 bdrm mobile and it sounds like you may need a bigger storagebarn or 2 that size. Storage space is at a preium and I really had to downsize when we move here. I love my mobile home just wish I had more closet space. lol

I have a 16 X 20 two story and it is not big enough if you have tons of fabric but I have several machines and am just now retiring so plan to make lots of room with finished quilts in the near future.

Wow! This will be a giant change in your space. Keep the house and sew in the moble home. :)

10x16 is not big enough. Go to Home Depot, Lowes or another home building center and check the ones out they have on display. You will see 10x16 is not big at all.

That doesn't sound big enough to me if you are setting up your quilting frame and storage too, with what you have in your storage unit. Good luck.

I would go with the biggest I could get and afford. You won't be sorry.

I currently live in a 3 bedroom,2bath double wide with a 20 x 40' great room addition which comes to 2300 sq. ft.
No way could I move down to a 14 x 60 single wide from a 3000 sq. ft. home. You are a better person than I. I like my space. I would feel claustrophobic in anything smaller.

As far as the shed, what are the chances of you just adding on a room to the mobile home? That way, it is all connected. Otherwise, I would recommend getting more shed than you think you need, that way you won't run short on space.

As an example, our garden club higher ups decided we needed an 8 x 8 shed to store things in. We peeons tried to explain 6 x 6 was not big enough, that we needed a at least 10 x 10. We no sooner got it built and the powers that be realized we didn't have a big enough space. If you can afford it, go bigger.

It sounds kind of small. I just bet you will want to store a few other items in there too...

I have a 12x24 outside building fixed up and I can tell you..it's crowded with my fabric, cutting table, sewing machines, short arm frame and machine. Get the largest building you can. You'll be glad you did. Just my 2 cents for what it's worth

Don't move into a mobile home unless you just absolutely have to do so. You will probably regret it. A lot of folks do. Being a quilter, you need as much room as possible. We have a 12X16 wood buildng we built with Home Depot material. we spent just over $1,000. That included paying a man $160 to put on the shingles. If family could halp with the framing, etc., you can really save. We paid retail for everything too. No labor cost that way. Labor will be more than double material costs. Wood doesn't sweat like metal or frost inside. We didn't insulate, but I highly recommend it for your health and utility bills. Even the floor should be too. It will be much more comfortable and usable longer each season. We don't have windows, but you will probably want at least one. DH built the door, but suggest a double door of secure status, either wood or steel that locks. We will add both later.
DH is storing a diassembled airplane in there also. You will need room to walk around your quilt frame and room to sit. DH is an electrician, so he wired it. get LICENSED pro for that or results may not be good in the long term.
Former Realtor

If you are going to have a longarm you can have one end against the wall. (I have a Gammill and only have to be able to get at one end to work right). It makes for a bit more walking but works and saves space in the room.
Good luck.

get as big a shed as you can afford to. you can never have too much space. If you are moving into a moble home, you may need to make the shed into your sewing room.

Its never big enough. My sewing room is 25x25 plus a small room off the side where I have my cutting table. My longarm takes up one side of the room and my storage and tables the other half.

You can run your long arm lengthwise on one side and storage and ironing on the other and have room for a cutting board at one end. That's if you do your piecing in the house. It's workable. 12 X 20 would be a bit better, but if that's all they'll let you build, go for it! It will take awhile to get your fabric arranged. The barn type will provide extra storage.

My husband manages a storage facility and the owner allowed me to use a 10 x 20 for my 10' long arm. It wouldn't fit in the small apartment that is furnished with the job. Quickly found that it was not large enough. I then requested to take down the wall between my unit and the 10 x 20 next to it. I now have a 20 x 20 space with a long arm, 2 domestic machines, storage cabinets and a large cutting/pressing table. My husband jokes that before next summer I'll want the one next to that. Lol. I am still sewing window treatments and related jobs for income, but getting more and more quilting jobs. They are way more fun than interior decor sewing.

a word of caution- mice love fabric

We sold out in MA four years ago, moved to FL to a mobile home. Still not used to it. Sometimes I feel like we are living in a closet. Go as big as your lot wil allow, you won't be sorry.

I would suggest atleast 12 x 20. If you are planning to put a longarm in it, you'll want the extra space for your thread, batting and general moving around. My longarm room is 14.5' x 10, and I wish I had just that little extra for moving around.

that sounds too small to me considering a frame is 10 feet and you need a couple feet all around for ease of use.

My frame will set against a wall so that helps a little and is only at an 8 ft length. I think that will help alot being able to put it on the 19ft wall.

I also will have a loft, which I also hope will help with the storage.

I am limited with size, so I will make it work!!!

Thanks

Buy as big a one as you can afford....you will not be disappointed with a larger one. I had a 14 x 16 room attached to our house and I wish it were a bit bigger.

I have a quilter and it fills up one whole wall of the room. But I surely love my quilting room.

delma

Definitely keep the 16 foot lenght. Think 12 foot long arm. I think you need more then 10 foot wide so you can have storage along the wall and some breathing space so 16x14 foot maybe? Or have the 16x10 but have walk in closests for the fabric and stuff so you can use the walls for display wall area. Sounds like fun. Besure to post pictures of your quilt shed.

I do not like the sky lights we put in my barn. Too hot! Just a thought.

My husband converted a garage (16x20) to a sewing room for me. It's not big enough. Have shelves on two sides for fabric

My thoughts are with you in the down sizing.
Two years ago I was forced to move from a three bedroom home, into a retirement village, which is basic two rooms.As I also knit for charity there in lies the problem.
I have about 600 balls of yarn, and I couldnt tell you how much fabric.
My point is if you are crowded with your craft, and dont have room to work, you will become very down hearted, or I did.
Let us know how you go, I wish you all the best.

Thank you for all your thoughts and well wishes.... my 10x20 shed is being built tomorrow and I am so excited. I understand all of the comments and in an ideal world I would have a 20x20!!! We all know that in this economy money is no longer growing on trees.

This will still be my first dedicated gal cave and am looking forward to it.

you need to take the measurement of your quilt fram and 1 1/2 times , that's for the space you will need to use it for quilting space. I use my dinning room table still don't have enough moving space. we live in an RV 102"X44' 3 months each summer ,no room to quilt but can make my blocks. then when we are home for the winter I put the tops together and quilt. Good luck and happy retirement .

Let's see some pictures of this "gal cave", Tess! Start looking at storage units. Sounds like you have a big stash to store. Also, if your frame only has 8' poles, you could put it at the back and put it against the wall on the side you don't turn your rollers with. That would allow you to perhaps get around it on one end. Then you would have more room for fabric, cutting board, tools, etc.