Terry in the ADK

Several of you use your dining room to sew. When it is 0 or less out, like it is here in the Buffalo, NY area, my sewing "studio" in the basement is just too cold. So my DH helps me bring up one of my machines and supplies, and current project. I spread out on the dining room table in the family room with the nice warm wood stove. My problem is how to temporarily stow the stuff when we need the table to eat and entertain company.
What do you all use for quick temporary clean-up when you are just going to be using the stuff again in a couple of hours? Pictures would be wonderful!

wesing

If your machine is a portable, you could put it and most of your supplies and fabric into one tote bin. Your cutting mat could slide under a rug if you have one, or a bed if you don't. The trick would be to limit yourself to stuff that would fit in the bin.

quiltingcandy

My sewing room doubles as a guest room, so when I need to get it ready for a guest I put my project in a large box, place it in an obvious place in my bedroom and the minute the company leaves I put everything out again. The idea came from a a professional organizer - the original idea was when have that phone call that someone is in the area and coming over for a visit and that was the suggestion. Don't put the box in a closet - but get it out of the company's sight.

A friend of mine had one of those large white cutting mats from Joann's - she kept it under her couch since she used it on her dining room table.

Tartan

I have a dedicated sewing area but I keep all my things I use regularly on a cookie sheet. It sits beside my Bernina on the fold down tray of my Singer treadle. I don't need to use my treadle often but I can just pick up the cookie sheet to gain access when needed.

tscweaves

I am fortunate that I have a very large, walk in storage room off of my dining/sewing room. Right now, my drop leaf dining table is in that storage room. When I need my sewing room as a dining room, I close all my machine cabinets, pull out the dining table and put the Featherweight, serger, serger table (it folds too), and cutting table (it folds & has wheels) into the storage room. What makes it work for me is my machines are either in cabinets that close or on folding tables that can be put away. It is a bit of a hassle but it only takes about 30 minutes to transform. It also helps that I have an eat-in kitchen so I only need the dining room for large events.

QuiltnLady1

I spread all over the house even though I have a sewing room. I do my cutting where we eat and I slide the cutting mat behind a book case. my iron and rotary cutters all go in bins that I slide onto the bottom shelf of the book cases. I put the project I am working on into a project box and put it in the sewing room.

sewbizgirl

I took over the dtining room with my sewing, back 15 years ago when we were taking care of my elderly dad and I needed to be in a central place attend to him. I have since completely filled it with all my sewing stuff. We don't have guests to eat in there but just a couple times a year-- like Christmas and Thanksgiving... occasionally Easter. When the family came for Thanksgiving just over a month ago, it took me one whole day to put all the clutter elsewhere and tidy up the room for the family meal. The shelves of fabric were still there, just not all the clutter on the table. I am still looking for some things I so efficiently hid away back then! So, for me there's no quick fix. I can't change the room back into a dining room at a moment's notice, so I don't even try. I'd rather cram too many people around our kitchen table to eat, than to disturb my sewing in the dining room.

Evy

I live alone and also have moved my sewing from my sewing room to the kitchen because the sewing room refuses to get warm. I feel like "my house, my mess" I keep the area as neat as I can but sure don't worry about anyone coming in unexpectedly and seeing my "mess".

SusieQOH

I think a creative mess is a lot better than a general mess

Becky's Crafts

I sew in our living area. I try to keep certain things handy, but my sewing machine is always up in front of my recliner. I try to keep it free of unnecessary clutter & when ironing on our island counter-top I put things away immediately when I'm done. That way we can use it for food prep whenever needed. Tools hang on S-hooks from my curtain rod to be instantly accessible & still be neat.