Quilting/Crafting studio
 

I need your help, I am getting ready to build an outbuilding behind my house in order to use as my Studio, I quilt, sew clothing, scrap book, rubber stamp, I do a lot of crafting. My question is, How big should it be, I have looked at many pictures and gotten many ideas about organization, storage, lighting, etc, but no place does it say how big the area should be. I was thinking about 14 x 18, do you all think this would be sufficient, or can someone help me figure out the size:confused:

I would make it as big as you can afford. You need a comfort chair, refrig, microwave, tv, phone, computer, etc.
Really, I would make it 20' x 20' and if you can, make a loft at both ends to store or hang quilts from, or other crafts.
That way, if you need extra storage for your finished items, you can use both lofts. I have a small barn outback and it is 10' x 14' for my woodshop, and I would want it much bigger. Who knows, down the road, you may teach your skills, and you would need table room for that. I have made so many wood items over the years, I am proud of my work. My wooden sleighs with real runners, lined in velvet, tapestry, even a fur collar off a coat, was one of the best I done. I made a double seated one and stenciled "Over the River and Thru the Woods" on the sides. The person who bought it said her daughter uses it at the fire place all year round. Good luck in your building. Just have a great roof with tar paper underneath. I just had a shingle blow off in a rain storm and no tar paper. So water came in. I cannot take the things out in 90 degree weather so I have to wait until it cools.

What ever size you decide on, it seams, will become to small in a short period of time. I have 2 rooms one is 12 X 20 The other is 15 X15, both packed full, I really need to clean out a lot of this stuff. I would first decide what size furniture you have to put in there, make scale cutouts and arrange them on graph paper move it all around until you are happy with the layout. Than add a couple of feet in each direction, should give you a good starting point to decide on going larger or smaller. Do you want any built in's? make allowance for doors opening, windows, are you having a 1/2 bath put in? A counter for a pot of coffee? Under counter frig? Do you have a long arm? good luck and enjoy the process. let us know what happens.

I am having one built and it's 12 x 20. I had been using a bedroom (12x14) but my longarm takes half of the room and I can bearly squeez through to the back side. My son was going to build a storage shed so I asked for him to add a room for me.....

I have already figured out on a graft paper where things are going to fit. I will have the LA in the SW corner and my sewing stations on the north wall, my new Kenmore and Serger set up and Singer 301 and Featherweight in the room handy. I will leave an older Kenmore and the Singer Treadle in the house.

All the necessary electrical cords will be installed for computer, TV, with AC and Heating...Microwave and small fridge. Oh and a day bed!
My DH is afraid he will have to make "visits" just to see me. haha

I would really recommend drawing out what is your dream room and then look at what you can afford.

We are in the process of moving and my sewing room will be 18 x 16. By the time I get my longarm at one end and fabric storage cabinets there will be enough room for a large sewing table and a cutting table, but nothing more. It seems like a big room, but we quilters need lots of space for our expensive things. If you have the opportunity, I would make the room larger than you are planning, maybe 20 x 20. The loft idea is a good one. Remember to allot space for a comfortable chair for handwork, a TV and computer space, AND good lighting!

I would love to have the space to build a large quilting room. Better yet I need a separate house, with just two rooms, one being a bathroom with sink,shower & the "throne", and the other room just as big as I can get for all of my quilting things, with lots of built in cabinets, tv,microwave, computer on one end and the rest for quilting, machines, fabric and patterns. Oh to dream a bit. Good luck. Like someone posted earlier, make it as large as you can afford, with lots of windows and lighting, and builtins to take up less floor space. Enjoy, and share photos with the process and final building.

Designate your areas for the different creative juices. Have your sewing area and your other crafting area. You could have a small break area with coffee pot, micro wave, and camper fridge.

I agree with making it as large as you can comfortably afford. You can have different "work stations" to do your various crafts. You will LOVE it I am sure!

I would make it as big as you can!!!!

I have a building under construction now. It will be a sewing room 20x20, a storage room with a cedar closet 10x12 and a bathroom with a shower,sink,and stool 8x10. I have an electrician drawing out the electrical design for me today. The 30 feet in the back of the building will be for my vintage car and other storage..One day I will try to post pictures...I have tried in the past but it just baffles me why I can't get it to upload.

Make it as large as you can afford. Mine is a 12x12 room and is not nearly large enough, but better than what I had as I didn't have any room before, just strung out and stored everywhere in the house. I have a friend who has a 20 x 40 room and it is full to the brim, so figure out what area you need for your individual hobbies and then add several feet to it if you have the means and space to do it. I like the idea of the cedar lined closet and storage room too, so plan for future expansion if you can afford to do so. You won't be sorry with too much room, but will with too little of space.

Given the equipment I currently have and expect to keep (no longarm), the smallest room I could use would be 20 x 20 (I've measured), and that would be crowded with no room for growth. I suggest that you make a HUGE built in fabric closet on one side, at least 7 feet deep, so you could have two feet of built-in shelves for fabric on each side and 3 feet to walk between them. It would be as long as your room, say 20 feet.

Think in terms of functions: you need space to support a big quilt while quilting it, space to do piecing, pressing, cutting. If you do only quilting, you will need fewer functions. If you do clothing or something else also, you need more space, such as room for a big cutting table. You might need a big ironing surface. You need to store books, threads, notions, and more. You need a design wall, which can be suspended on a dowel(s) in front of book cases. You need to have a place for WIP, and if you do string quilts, a place to store those strings. In any case, where will you put your projects?

I had to take the recliner out of my sewing room and I really miss it. You might think of leaving room for a reading/tv chair.

There is a book called Dream Sewing Spaces by Black, I think. She has good ideas.

Thank you all for your input, it seems that everyone agrees that I need to build "The Studio" as my family is calling it as big as we can afford, I am considering putting a loft in at least half the building for storage and hiding out. I had two quilting clients come to the salon today and they both voiced the same thoughts, I am working on the plans now and will keep you posted on the progress, if you have anymore ideas, please let me know, Thank you all again

Elfa from the Container Store! Or, enlist a professional "closet" company to help design storage. Congrats to you!
Sandy

My new room is 18x30 I have a HQ16 and am waiting for the sheet rock to get done so I can paint and get the floor in Was hoping to be moving in when hubby goes fishing in AUG but it's not looking good. But we are doing all so doesn't move along as fast as we like.

I'm with ragamuffin, the BIGGER the better....I'm of the notion that you just can't get too big because it will get filled up....and that way you can have storage for a lot of stuff! I have a sewing room that's 15.5 x15.5 and an attached walk-in closet with double-doors that open up that's 15.5 x 7, and even at that I could use more space!!! Since you do all of those other crafty things and sew too, and if you can afford it, I'd set up rooms or spaces for each craft in a separate area. That way, you wouldn't have to get things out and put them back when you are working on other projects. I'd also build a restroom (add plumbing stubs for a shower, even if you don't install at that time) and kitchenette area with a MW, TV, fridge and have a phone, computer and all the amenities that's in your house. Then if at some point you sell or can't do any of it any more, it can be converted into a guest cottage or MIL house because everything is there....

If you intend on using a long arm quilter in it, make sure you give yourself plenty of space. You need at least 4 feet on each side of the LA.

You can build too small.... but never too large. Im happy for you.

Good luck, mine is in the house so I don't know what to advise you, except go as bid as you can afford. We all know we never have enough room!

I've basically talked my husband into one of these. But it won't be until maybe spring of next year. I agree with the bigger the better! :)

I agree with ragamuffin, make it as big as you can afford. My old sewing room was 20x20 and whereas it was "packed", I no longer make clothes, and I don't have the other hobbies that you do, but I can just about guarantee you that 14x18 won't be big enough, although it MIGHT be, at first, then you'll just outgrow it quickly.

It all depends on what all you plan to have in your room. My room is about 20 x 40 and could be larger. There is a stairway and bathroom out of that as well. I have a hide-a-bed, recliner, entertainment center, bookcases, large table for scrapbooking, built in drawers along the stairway wall and under the west window where there is a kitchen sized sink. I also have an island for cutting with storage underneath. So, like others have said - make it as big as you can afford :)

You will need a very large yard for a great big room. Can you get permits and approval for it. Lots of practical things to think about. I would talk to planning and zoning before I got too deep into it. Do you have sewers or will you need a septic system or have it upgraded? I hate to be practical but, very important to look at these things.
I down size my stuff all the time. We are not doing anymore building and must live in our present space.

As big as you can afford without going into debt. And if at all possible, a powder room in case it's raining, snowing, freezing, hot as blue blazes and too far to walk to the potty all the time... :o

I live in the middle of 10 acres, and have a pad all ready to go, the proposed building is close to the current power pole and about 20 feet from our 2nd well and about 50 feet from the septic tank.. I have talked to the planning commission and when I get the plans finalized they will help me with the permits, we are doing this the right way, we don't want our neighbors complaining. By the way, our house is on a hill that know one can see from other houses or the road

I would make it at least 20' X 20'. Mine is to small.

I'd build as big as I could afford and the law will allow..... It will "grow small" real fast.. lol

It's fun to dream. I've outgrown mine. I'm trying to figure out how to make the area more workspace and less storage. Building another building is out of the question due to $.
We are enclosing an area of the garage for LAQ machine and I think I can put storage in there. I don't want to keep expanding, so maybe that'll be enough.