I'd agree with Mad Quilter. Take both spaces! Put your cutting table and large items in the basement. Anything that would be ruined if the water comes back, I'd put upstairs.

Of course, I'm totally jealous of anyone who has a sewing room of any kind. Whichever space you choose, enjoy!

That's what I do, sort of. My sewing studio 20 x20 was the garage. My SS used to be where my fabric lives in a 12x14 bedroom. I have both rooms and really need more. Or maybe less stuff.

If you went downstairs, perhaps you could make a design wall!?!?!
I bought a piece of that styrofoam=type insulation board from the hardware store. then I covered it in quilt batting. works great! Even a dollar store flannel backed vinyl tablecloth could work!
Have fun!

Head south, and make it your own space.
And there is plenty of room to make Izzy a play space.

After being in basements for years I would not willingly go if there isn't many windows, Between that and I refuse to place my machine so that I have to face the wall,

I know what you mean about not wanting to face the wall. I thought I was the only one! When I set up my basement sewing studio 10 years ago, I first decided where the TV would go, and oriented everything else around that. One machine does face the wall to be stored, but I can pull it out to sew.

Cricket

I spent a lot of time facing the wall and I hated every min of it, I love when I have the garage door open and I can see out, my main machine faces that way (tv is off to one side of the door. )

I would stay in the bedroom! I love a basement, but a bedroom can be so cozy and inviting. My dear friend has her sewing room in a tiny bedroom, it is all organized so well and when her dh wants to talk to her, she is on the same floor level. I have to run up and down each time which gets very aggravating. Either way you choose you can't loose!

I' with you cutebunns, If I was in a basement, no windows, I would NOT want my machine facing the wall. I am downstairs too, and I do face the wall, BUT it has a 5' by 42" high, faces the south so I have lots of daylight. Now, about the bathroom...that was one thing I had Dennis put in as fast as he could figure it out, a pump UP system..and it is fantastic. No more running up stairs. April, if you set your room up right, do it so there is nothing in the path of the guys coming through. A room divider if you will. Again, we love pictures, show us! Joanie

This is so amazing because I've really been concentrating on my sewing room and fixing it up. I had my sewing room in one of the smallest bedrooms we had and I was miserable, because I really couldn't function in there. I finally decided that my guest wouldn't be in their guest room only to sleep so I changed the guest room into the smaller room and took the largest room in the bedrooms for my sewing room. My master room is the largest, but this room is above a 2 car garage. I love it. I am still trying to organize it, but Christmas took most of my x-tra monies, so I'll have to wait to get the cabinets, cubicles and shelves for all the material and stuff I've collected. Maybe I won't clean up and lose all my stuff. Actually it's not lost. It's just in a place I know I will remember where I put it. So much for that!!! I still need help for arranging all this and I'm scouring the Internet and lows for ideas on arrangement. Quilting every day keeps the Dr at bay. Beth

I can't stand facing a wall even in my upstairs sewing room. The window is behind me and I can see out the other window in the room if I need to see the weather outside. I like facing the door. My computer does face a wall though, but I am trying not to spend so much time on it anymore. This quilt board is addicting!

Well, thank you, that starts my day off just right! I had thought of adding a disclaimer in my original post about the decluttering, something to the effect "do as I say, not as I do!" :)

My sewing room is also about 10'x10' and I've found that limiting my space helps me decide on how much to spend on my quilting. My stash is about to outgrow storage capacity and I already own every gizmo and gadget made (I'm old & moldy so I've had time to accumulate). With all the sales right now, both in stores and on-line, I had to put a stop to my spending (didn't go overboard, thankfully that's not me). When the sewing stuff (fabric, thread, notions) started overflowing into the living room, I said enough is enough!

Another plus for using both spaces is the ability to host Friday night UFO parties; put a few long folding banquest-style tables and some chairs in the basement area and you're all set to go! I also vote for upstairs due to the improbable but possible danger of another flood/whatever and losing my stash, machines, and such. Just thinking about it gives me the shivers!

Good morning to another Beth! Welcome to the club, so to speak. I think you'll find this board interesting and very useful!

On another note, all of you who use your garage as a sewing space?? "You all" must live in the deep south although, this week, it wouldn't help much due to the cold. :( New Hampshire is still hovering in the 20's but we expect to get the arctic blast this weekend that's been putting a deep freeze on all those states west of here, you know, in the rest of the Country. :-) As Mark Twain said, "In New England, if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute!"

10 x 10 would be lovely for me, close to a bathroom and near enough you could deal with family needs if need be. I can imagine needing such a huge space unless you have a huge machine for quilting? If you lost more fabric would you be sad?

Take the room with the view! That's probably the bedroom, right?

Those of us in NY know that it's dark here much of the year... why go down to the basement where it's dark all the time?

As to placement of the sewing machine... I love windows so much that I daydream and get distracted if my machine is facing a window. So I chose to put mine against the wall, on purpose, to keep me on task.

Now, the cutting table, that faces the window! Perhaps it enhances the creative process. Sitting at the machine, that's literally the mechanical part of the job.

As to space... if you're like most of us, your "stuff" will grow to fill all available space, anyway...

You ladies are wonderful! You pur things into perspective's I do not think about!
The window I could go either way on. I love the sunlight but sometimes I work best when the beauty of the day does not distract me :-)
My current room is just flowing out in to the hallway at his point :-) This is one of the reasons why I am tryiong to organize it now and get it straight.
I do not have a huge sewing machine and I would be devastated to loose anything again but if I keep my stash upstairs and just bring what I need to cut and sew downstairs I could have some sew ins the basement once in awhile....oh boy this is tougher than I thought it would be!
Oh and I told dh I was going to keep both rooms and he said go ahead-do whatever makes you happy. If you are happy I am :-)
Hugs
April

hehe (your DH finally figured out that old adage, "If momma ain't happy -- no one is happy"!!!) :lol: :lol: :lol:

LOL Joyce :-)
Hugs
April

I like that, have two sewing rooms!

Sure wish I was there, you and I could move and org. in no time flat. Maybe you have a friend you could invite over.....

I wish you were here too! None of my local friends quilt :-(
Hugs
April

Neither does mind, had to make new friends! (still have my old friends, they get the quilts) ;)

LOL...I have made new friends here but none close enough to come sew with me :-(
Hugs
April

Can you get creative in your room arrangement and make a "hallway" for the through traffic. I was thinking about my tall cabinets -- something like that could be used to create a movable wall. Just an idea.

We will have to talk often and it will be like I am there with you... :lol:

The basement sounds great. I do have to agree that you need some totes for the fabric.

A moveable wall....now that could be a plan for sure!
I hope to be creative with my space but who knows :-)
I will definetly talk-i love to talk and make new friends-especially quilty ones.
I have to find some more totes...would love to find them at like wholesale prices or something.
Hugs
April

My first thoughts keyed in on that word "cave" and even 14x20 can get cramped! I'd opt for upstairs sunlight, HOWEVER with the gutter fixes and using plastic storage OFF the floor, and plenty of light (heat is good too!) perhaps the cave is better. Forget those Damp-Rid containers (which do work in very small spaces) and invest in a good brand DE-humidifier, it takes care of the whole basement and keeps that basement odor away. Good luck.

I could have a huge sewing room in our basement... it is done and waiting but I have chosen to stay upstairs. I don't think I'd use a basement room like I do my room upstairs.

Now if I could get my long arm and table I'd be down there in a flash!

I use two spaces, upstairs is all my fabric, UFO's, longarm and threads,bookcases with mags and books, supplies. Downstairs is my large table, ironing board, rulers and sewing machines. I get in my excerise:) by going up and down the stairs:)

I have my "craft" area down in the basement. I moved in with my boyfriend and that was the only place that I could put everything. I like to rubber stamp, too.

I had some wire shelves already and that's where my larger pieces of fabric go. I also have plastic shelves that I bought at Home Depot that are about 4 feet wide. I actually have 3 of them. They have 4 shelves each and even if we do get any water in the basement, the stuff is off the floor a couple of inches.

I also use the plastic tubs that have drawers. I keep those next to my sewing table for easy access.

I don't mind sewing down there. I sometimes need to get away, if you get my meaning.

Larger space is my vote. Sort as you go. You are one lucky person to have the chance to move to a larger space.

These friends don't have to sew -- just have strong backs!!! (Fabric is HEAVY!) :lol: :lol:

I'm going with the majority on this one. You can NEVER have too much room! Put everything in tubs. Keeps it dry if you have heavy rains again, AND they will keep you organized. I have tubs labeled Browns & Blacks, Blue, Green, Etc. I have smaller tubs for scraps, each labeled with the colors in side. Take advantage of your larger area and create or buy a layout wall. I put velcro over the top of the sliding closet doors, (there are 3 doors in that room) bought flannel, pieced yardage together to make it big enough, sewed hems all around and put more velcro on the flannel, and it now hangs in the room all the time. With the velcro, if I want into that closet, I just pull it down for the distance I need. When I'm done, it pops right back up. (That's the cheap way to get a design layout wall) :lol:

Look at the task of moving as an opportunity to sort, re-organize and really set your new place up for omptimal efficiency!
Bins and storage racks would be the starter...then a wall of places for threads, ribbon, bobbins...an ironing area that is close to your sewing area...you could really do it up if you look at it!
I once moved nine times in six years and I have become so organized and clutter free as a result, you would be amazed!

Size matters regarding a sewing room!!!!! The bigger the better!

My fabric storage area is in the garage. I got wire shelving units at Target, and use see-through 56 qt containers from Walmart. I placed the shelves at the height of the containers plus a little extra room, and can get 2 side by side on the shelves. I got the smaller tall containers with the handle on the top ( mine have blue tops) also at Walmart, (Joann's have them too but more $$$) for patterns. I like the see-through containers as then you can see what colors are in them. Also sticky notes can be put inside, sticky side written on and facing out to identify what is in them. This is a cheaper way to do things, and I hope it will help others too. Now to finish organizine my fabrics into color and topical catagories......

I was thinking the same thing!
I'd go for the basement with the option to move back to the bedroom should something bad happen.

larger! I would get clear tubs for anything on the floor. No sense not being cautious!

If you don't mind going up and downstairs, and you're confident that the basement won't flood again, you could put most of your quilting stuff in the basement and use the upstairs one for the stash you're not using on current projects. Leave space downstairs for that future longarm - but spread things around so no one else thinks THEY can use it!

I agree with the others who said make an OBVIOUS path through your things to go to DH's room. No excuses for 'touching' your stuff!