How do you clean up?
 

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. :D

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".

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

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.

My sewing room is in the basement too and I have only one baseboard unit for the entire main area. I picked up a oil filled space heater to heat up the other half where I keep all the machines. It makes it liveable for me to sew now. This past weekend my boiler couldn't keep up with the extreme low temps and I couldn't sew at all. My furnace guy found out the prior owner had set the boiler at its lowest setting which wasn't enough to keep any part of my old 118 yr old house (no insulation) comfortable. Now its set at 200 from 180 degrees and its so comfortable for me. I was able to turn the space heater off on the 1st floor but keep the basement one on during the day when I'm down here.

I don't use my dining room much but wouldn't want to damage it with pins, etc. Just my opinion. We do what we need to so we can keep up with our hobbies. Good luck.

Oh Boy! Your comment sounded just like me.

I also use the dining room. My designated sewing room is actually my fabric storage facility. Unfortunately, i'm a very messy worker & spread out & use the entire dining room. If we have someone for dinner, we all eat in the kitchen. We also have a table in the family room for games etc., and can also eat there. Once a year we have a big party and I need to pack up all my sewing stuff. The downside is it takes a couple weeks. The up side is I go thru & reorganize a lot of my stuff.
I think if I were going to sew in the dining room on a temporary basis, I would treat it like I was going on a retreat. I would prepare the project, organizing & doing the majority of the cutting in the basement. I would use some of the items designed for travel, such as one of those small cutting mat/ironing surfaces, use a small iron & keeping the large ironing board in the basement. If you are serious about just doing this on a temporary basis, where you are putting things away & taking them back out, I would concentrate on using the bare minimum of tools and equipment. If you have a travel quilting tote, you can just pack that up when you need to use the dining room. You can also use a regular suitcase. This can be put temporarily in a bedroom closet, along with your sewing machine. Personally, I'd just make your guests eat in the kitchen...

Oh my goodness!
sometimes a solution is right in front of you but it take a fellow quilter to point it out!
Thanks PaperPrincess. I returned from a sit and sew and left my project and FW packed in the corner of the dining room. So when I read your idea to treat it like I was going on a retreat, it clicked! Of course I can just keep things in the project packs....it's not ideal but at least it gives me some sense of organization.
Using a suitcase or big tote might also help with taming the project mess. Thanks everyone, I am reassured that I am not alone in this winter problem......by the way record lows here tonight and tomorrow....schools are even closed!
Does anyone have yet another idea?

One of those "under the bed" totes would work for everything other than the sewing machine.

Ya mean like when company is coming? It get's shoved in drawers, hidden under the bed, put in closets, etc. The machine stays out, but it's usually covered. When they're gone, everything comes back out.

If there is no company, it stays out scraps on the floor and all.

~ C

Tools hang on S-hooks from my curtain rod to be instantly accessible & still be neat.[/QUOTE]

That is a great idea to hang tools from a curtain rod. I have several rods that might be mounted in a handy place and not be anywhere near a window. Thank you for that idea and can be used to hold a pattern with a clothes pin to see it and the list might go on.

I have a dedicated sewing room but use my kitchen island for cutting and my king size bed for design wall. I put everything back in sewing room when I'm done for day cuz I don't like the mess in the general population area. I'm a neat freak and dislike clutter....lol! Someone on the board suggested stowing your design board behind your china cabinet when you need to get it out of the way. I thought this was a great idea and I'm now thinking of building a design wall since I can hide it. I keep,project in their own plastic totes so they be moved or stored when I'm not working on them.

Amen to that!

How do you clean up?
 

I am like several others who replied. My real "sewing room" is also a guest bedroom. I don't use the dining room table except when cutting out or putting big pieces together.

When we go to eat a meal on that table, I just put the project in a shopping bag I have saved for those times, and the rest I slide under the buffet, which just a quick turn from the table. The sewing/bedroom always has the appearance of someone sewing in there. That I fine with me, as we don't have much company in the Winter. Spring-Fall is the time for us to do that. Too cold to get out/entertain here.

Mariah

Lol I think my family would have me committed if they could actually see my dining room table

I use my sewing room for storage only since I have too much stuff, especially fabric. I am turning the living room into my sewing room for my Tiari II. He wants me to sell the living room sofa and loveseat. The family room is very large since we enclosed one of the garages into it. It took 52 sq. yards of carpet. So I am undecided what to do. I have 2 sewing machines that I use besides the Tiari and the serger. If I am cutting a lot, I use a hard cardtable because I can put that up most anywhere. I have to sew on the kitchen table with my Babylock because it is plastic and jumps around too much. Right now I am doing a queen size that I cut out on Monday and is almost done. All the little sewing items I keep in 2 baskets that I tote around. Lost my pen for labels and my pin pickup wand so I have to close the holes in my one basket. It has chicken wire and is real cute but I love it. I am hoping to find a new home this year sometime so I can spread out. Getting old and I want certain things in my life. Husband only needs his recliner,
books, refrigerator, and powder room. What the heck. I have needs too.

Years ago I mainly used my dining table to cut on, sandwich and quilt on. Every night I put my stuff back into the small sewing room and into cabinets in there. Now I have a dedicated sewing room with a door that closes..

We use the dining room table to eat our meals on, So we have a really nice desk in the living room and the desk in the living room ,now is a sewing table, desk has drawers, haha.
We replaced the big computer and monitor with a laptop, which used to be on the desk . I can watch TV with family while sewing. Cutting is done on planned days when no one is around. I have the small rotating mat to use to cut small pieces and square up. I have a laundry basket to stash that in , put that on desk chair and scoot it up when done.

Use a rolling suitcase!

How about a rolling wire shelving unit? You can put your machine on a tray to keep the feet from going through the wires. Plastic tubs for projects and tools. S hooks to hang rulers and mats off the side. Sew up a slip cover to throw over top and roll it anywhere you have space while the dining room is in use. You can find a pretty sturdy chrome unit with 2 to 5 shelves (how much do you need to hide?!) Roll it right up to your table to unload the machine when you're ready to sew and all your stuff is right there. They go together easily and come apart for storage when its not needed.

Disclaimer!!: I have a dedicated sewing room, so maybe my idea is nuts, but I thought it might work. I do let my occasional guests sleep in the bed that takes up space in my sewing room! I try to think of it as a mannequin for quilts! I use my kitchen island to do my cutting as its easier on my back.

It depends on whether or not I have and impending emergency to clean up or not. If not, when I finish a project, I put all supplies, thread, fabric scraps, feet, where they go. If we are having overnight guests, then most of the mess goes in my bedroom closet and I deal with it later.