The other night I noticed my sewing area was a disaster zone with STUFF laying allll over the place.
(I'd been busy in it lately :) ;-) )
It didn't 'invite' me to sit and relax and work on any sewy/quilty thing :shock: :shock:

So I TIDIED UP my sewing area for a couple of hours. I went from here to there and put things where they belonged.
Emptied the trash. Combined 2 boxes of like fabric into 1 larger box. Cleared off my horizontal surfaces.
Even sorted out my threads into like color groups (blues, whites, blacks, etc). You know that type of clean up.

Last night I felt 'invited' to start a project in this cleaned up sewing area where everything was in the place it belonged.
I had clean, open horizontal surfaces where I could spread out the new project and not lose any of it.
It was SOOOO NICE!!!! It was SOOOOO ENJOYABLE to work in the area.

Just thought I'd pass that on in case you don't feel 'invited' into your own sewing area.

My sewing room says "turn around and leave right now". BUT...after getting rid of three months os sales on stash and such I am looking forward to it saying "come on in and pull up a chair and sew". This is a great, fun post.

I always feel less stress on any project (being that I am not always positive I can do something right) when my sewing area is organized.

I organized my room, now I can't find a darn thing and I don't feel comfortable in it.
So, I started a small project, pulling things out and "messing up" a little and I'm right back at home. Guess I love chaos......

I need to do that! Mine is a mess but somehow my cats never have a problem getting cozy or ready for anything!! :D

My sentiments exactly!!!

I'm with you sister :lol: ;-) :thumbup:

I love organization. I pick up before leaving my sewing room for the day. That way I get to start in a neat sewing room the next day.

What sewing room? lol.. I do have a room but its packed with my art supplies = I'm forced to my dinning room table and tossing my china out of the hutch just for sewing space lol...(pause)...oh and even that room looks like a sewing room disaster..but hey, I bought a tool box to use as a huge sewing kit/organizer...I'm almost sure it will now look like a pristine Isle at Joanne fabrics lol

Me too! if it's clean I can't work. My sewing room always feels inviting to me no matter how messy it gets.

Oh, I thought you meant is it inviting to others! LOL Mine says "stay out! this is Mom's space!"

Always inviting!! Not very tidy! Only very small but lots of stuff in there!! Just had a trip to Ikea and have seen a table and some storage bins so have come home to take some measurements to see if I can fit things in!! Watch this space!!

Always inviting!! Not very tidy! Only very small but lots of stuff in there!! Just had a trip to Ikea and have seen a table and some storage bins so have come home to take some measurements to see if I can fit things in!! Watch this space!!

Mine is in my bedroom but I do try to keep it tidy. I'm a little OCD when it comes to clutter, can't stand it. That's why when I see the show Hoarders, I can't understand how it gets that way.

Suzanne

I am the same way! Organized chaos I can handle, but I can't stand "stuff" all over!

I try to pick up after every project. I hate searching for things that I know I just put down. I am sure most people would not say my room is clean. I just have too much stuff crammed into this little room. I have plans to make it better but it takes time and money and a trip to Ikea for another cubby thing.

I recently cleaned my sewing room and it literally paralyzed me once I stepped into the room. Couldn't do a thing in there. NOW, I am back to the chaos. Got 7 projects going simoultaneously and happy as a lark. Anyone else "enter at your own risk!" That doesn't deter honey - he has his chair in the corner and he hangs out there watching tv or reading. Me, I would be scared of the avalanche of stuff looming at the edge of the table. Brave man! lol

For awhile, I had the Amityville sewing room. I would staart to go in it, and it would say "GET OUT!" in a low hissing voice! A few times, I just backed out, closed the door, and thought , another day. So last week, I took some chocolate & holy water up there, and exercised the demons from the room.I have gone in there a few times since, just to touch the fabric, and come up with a few ideas of what I want to do next!

Mine is totally open to the rest of the living/kitchen/dining areas so I always have it orderly, not to mention that I just like it orderly too. It calms me to have an area that I'm in total control of so everything is in it's place.

Right now I have a project I just cut out laid all over the table. Hope I get time today to mess with it some, otherwise the rest of my time is spoken for until at least this time next week.

I am somewhat organized? I try to keep things in place. I always start a new project with a clean room. I like things neat but if I spend all my time organizing and keeping neat then I lose valuable time quilting. Take a little time to organize and don’t let everything get piled up to the point that you can’t see the light for all the mess. Enjoy your space…your time your creative corner your .Whatever kind of room or space that you sew in should be your little piece of heaven…and don’t worry about if it’s a mess… one thing for sure if its still messy when you leave this world it will just become someone else’s mess ha-ha

Growing up we had a "living room" always neat ready for any company that might come. Single mother rasing a child in small apartments I utilized all space but kept that living room. Now retired I said no more and moved my sewing room to the largest room - the living room! Any visitors are more than welcome to see my projects and accept the mess. Or head to the kitchen.

When we became empty nesters, I rejoiced that I would actually get my own sewing room. But before I could organize it, every stray piece of "stuff" was loaded into it by my DH who was "just straightening up." Then he would complain about the living room, which had become my quilting room, since there wasn't anywhere to sit (except at my machine) because every surface was covered with fabric, tools, etc.

Well, we just did some painting and cleaned out the garage and had 12' of shelves built -- 4 shelves x 12' = 48' of shelf space. So this weekend, we are emptying all the "stuff" out of what will become my sewing room. And I'm having 12' of shelves built in there. Then we will arrange my sewing tables and cutting table, then slowly move everything back in. That will give me the opportunity to sort fabrics, tools, etc., and decide what to keep and what to give away. everything will have a "home" and hopefully, I'll be able to keep it straightened up with just a little effort.

ROFL....now thats one messed up room

That sounds like a wonderful PROJECT to work on. Post pictures when you can!

Chocolate and Holy Water for the demons - I love it!!!

I prefer a clean sewing room when I start a new project. It only takes a few minutes to throw the scraps in a bag, put the thread and bobbins away, change your needle and clean the fuzzies out of the machine and empty the trash.
That way I find all my tools I need for the next project.

I make a mess during a project and then put everything in order after I'm done and the whole process starts again, with the next project. I actually found yardage I bought a while ago and don't quite remember what I was going to use it for. :oops:

I need a little creative chaos too :D:D:D

If i spent the time to put everything away i would never get to sewing! I "overhaul" my space about once a month then mess it up all over again....i call it be creative HaHa

You and I would get along GREAT!! :thumbup:

No. But I like it and know where everything (well almost everything) is.

I am one of those people who feel that they must clean up after using the room, I do leave the projects that I am working on out but they are neatly stacked. I cannot work if there is too much mess.

I can't stand clutter so I try to keep mine at a minimum. I don't like anything on my table when I'm cutting out a quilt. At the moment there's a build up of 'stuff' but before I start my next project it will be cleared off and put away or thrown away. Thread and bobbins are always in their proper place. BTW if anything falls on the floor on of our dogs tends to eat it so that's another reason to keep things neat.

Inviting: sure, since my sewing area is my kitchen, how could it not be? Maybe not my current project but the food...... :)

Yes, I keep things cleaned since the room does dual duty and I don't like not being able to find things. Plus kitchen duty is the hubbys and I don't want to find my rotary cutter in the knife drawer :)

My living room floor in my design "wall" so I keep that room clean as well.

My sewing room is your sewing room anytime.
I love to share.

Mine is my bedroom so I try and keep everything in it's place
even though I'd love to have my own sewing room to mess up
and not have to pick up each and every day. :D

I have an extra chair in my space for one of my bestest friends to sit in and visit. Only problem, I have to really clean more than just my room to let her see it.

Nope! My sewing room is chaos! It has our old bed, my sons old clothes, his old toys, two bookshelves, and then my sewing desk is kind of crammed into a corner! Right now I'm sewing on the dining room table because I can actually lay my quilt on the table!

I am so happy too see I not the only one that is this way :roll:

I have a quilting room but it is storage. I sew on the kitchen table. Hard to believe how much is stored under the table.

Your post is a nice reminder. Thanks.