Rearranging my sewing space
 

Hello!
Tomorrow, I'm going in and I'm going to try not to come out until I've rearranged a few essential pieces of furniture. Does anyone else do this seasonally? In the summer, i have to be able to open the only window in the room. But now in the winter, I like to sew in front of it especially on snowy days. We are putting our house on the market this spring and then relocating so this should be my last winter sewing here. I'm going to try to get as much sewing and crafting in before we start to show the place and I have to be super neat! 😉

I just cleaned and rearranged today as a matter of fact. I had an old desk and my sweetie cut the top to fit my main machine to drop in for me. I did have it setting on a table but found the little added height was causing my neck and shoulders to bother me. Now it is lower and hopefully will end some of the strain. So of course I had to move the table out to make room for the desk, that led to cleaning and more rearranging, LOL. But now I'm all neat and tidy and ready to sew.

Yep twice a year, Spring cleaning, and again fall cleaning, This is also the time I ask myself--Do I like it well enough or need it bad enough to pack it for a 2,000 mile move. if the answer is no, out it goes, marked for yard sale, donate or trash.

I moved into this house last Nov. and I am on my 3rd re-arrangment.-- I'm almost done on the 3rd one. I just can't seem to get comfortable in there. The room is 20 x 12 plus a 8 x 5 closet for all my fabric. Size wise its great but there just seems to be some thing not quite right in there. No matter where I put my cutting table or what side I try cutting on, it feels like I'm backwards. Same thing with my sewing machine.. I can set up my 6ft resin table in the dining room and I don't feel that way. The problem with the dining room is I spend more time chasing the kitten to retrieve all my stuff.

Mine is in constant motion.

Glad to know I'm not alone! Heading upstairs soon. Good advice on the clearing out as you go. My DH keeps pointing to a certain UHaul truck as we pass them on the road saying: "Think that's going to be big enough?" Phew, I just say yes and hope it's true!

Proquiltinating! That's a great one!

Can you arrange your sewing machine so you can have your back to a wall but see who's coming through the door and be able to look out a window at a view.

Funny you should ask..we are are in the process of moving my DH hobbies from the second floor to the basement and then I move my sewing room into the vacated room! Woot! Been waiting for this to happen since DH declared his intentions last summer after we got the basement waterproofed and had new windowps installed there. I am so excited!! Ceiling fan and the window a/c are in that room. boy, my legs are getting a workout though.

sandy

It is sometimes hard to come up with the right combination for a sewing space. I prefer to have my back to the window so the light shines on my work. That way I also have that wall space for storage. My room is too small to contain my cutting materials though -- I do that on the island in my kitchen. God luck finding the perfect layout. Please post pictures -- I'm sure there would be lots of suggestions on space utilization then.

going down to my room later today to start the re-organizing. probably won't get very far as something always grabs my attention! lol

Probably 4 times a year, whenever I get the bright idea that somehow a different configuration will make the room larger. It never does but I never give up, lol! It is truly amazing how many ways you can rearrange a 12 x 12 room crammed with sewing equipment and cutting table. Best of luck to you, you'll probably find things you have been searching for and get the hidden dust balls up. I consolidate myself with that, so all is not lost in all that work!

I'm like this too Michellesews, and think the only way I can create space out of thin air is to purge....but what do I live without is always my question......

Stitchit123, I can totally relate to your issue. I have a spare bedroom that I've been using as my sewing room, and I've reconfigured the darned room about six times... still cannot get comfortable with the setup. What I've always wanted to do is move my sewing machines downstairs to the living room/kitchen area, and on this past four-day (for me) weekend, I started the process of moving stuff up and down. It's a nightmare right now! :( Everything is a mess and nothing is fitting like I imagined it would. But I'm past the point of turning the whole thing back around again so I will keep working on it, hoping that something turns out okay. Guess I'm just venting here, but wanted you to know that being unsatisfied with your sewing area... you're not alone!

I'm doing this today. I sew in our master bedroom. We are blessed with a large room and the wind o w area is set in about 18 inches,so extra room there too. I had my cutting table in there by the window, and my sewing table at an angle, on the other wall. I've switched them, hoping to maybe free up some room to work. I have a bad habit of filling any open space, and I need to stop doing that and get organised. Hah! At 50 years old, I'm not too sure that this old dog can learn to be organised. :) But I will look keep trying.

I got a new long arm last April. 3 book cases, my serger table and 2 smaller tables I had for smaller machines my grandchildren use to sew on had to leave the room. My Mom wasn't happy with where her Sewing machine was so I moved it to where mine was. Things just don't seem to fit right. My room is 16 x 18. There was actually more in it before the long arm but somehow everything fit. I love my long arm. Eventually I will get the rest of the room so everything is happy together.

The electricity for my machine and lights comes up through a hole to the basment, in the middle of the room. My table was built right on top of it so everything basically stays where it is. There are some built in cabinets too.
It's probably just as well, if I moved the furniture I'd have to move the mountains of stuff built on top of them!

I have never been much of a furniture mover thouigh I know some people like the variety. When we added on to our house I actully had pieces of paper, that designated furniture, to use so that in the end, each room was designed so that the furniture went a certain way. There's actually an outlet in the floor of our family room for a lamp.

For me it is an never ending job...I guess I must be a slob because my room is a mess often...

I just rearranged mine 2 weeks ago. I do it every 4 to 6 months. I do sweep, dust etc in between but find it amazing what gets caught in nooks and crannies. The bad part is when I move, clean and organize .... I can't find things!!

Sounds like we're all in this together! I've been avoiding my sewing room since 12/23! I know once I get in there I Must proceed to organize! Ha Ha Ha that's a pipe dream if ever there was one!

Good luck on the move - we've made 2 1,300 moves in the past 3 years. Pack it tight and do not buy moving boxes anywhere but a moving company! All the rest are too flimsy-ask me how I know! Happy Trails

Mine. too - - just on a whim I didn't know I had at the time - I will walk in and decide to move some major something. :-)

I used to sew/craft in our large spare bedroom which is at the back of our house, I never ever felt comfortable no matter where I placed my table, I recently took over the tiny bedroom at the front of the house, it doesn't seem to matter that it's half the size but I feel so much more 'at home' crafting and sewing in there, so much so that it's now ' my room'.

Regarding how to arrange the sewing room, I use graph paper and cut-outs of graph paper for furniture. In other words, I put the cut-outs of the sewing table and other things on the whole piece of graph paper which has lines on it for the dimensions of the room. When I got some new equipment, it was really a challenge, but a lot of playing with those items yielded a solution which has worked well ever since. My room is 9 feet to 10 feet (utility closets) across and 15 to 25 feet long, depending on how much of the path to the wood shop my husband needs.

I'm disabled and have had an increasingly difficult time getting down or up the stairs. Plus, I had recent major surgery, which didn't help to get to the sewing room downstairs. After input from physical therapists and a search of the internet, my hubby installed half steps on one half of each step. Normal steps rise 7 inches or so, and now half of each step has a 3.5 inch riser for me to step on, step off to the regular step, step on the next riser, etc. He just finished it and I haven't tried it yet but will as soon as I can. Despite the mess he has made of the room (he is sure I will "hate" him for it), I can't wait to get down there and start cleaning, and then sewing.

Still working on mine. Am starting a box for gifts (things that aren't sewing related but wound up in that room). Also have plans to use up some fabric. How are the rest of you doing?

My mom passed away a few years ago and so I have taken her room and made a sewing space. LYou know how you have all these odds and ends you can never find so you go buy a new one? I took her clothest and put a peg board on
the wall, I hang all my notions and try to leave them in the original container so I can hang them. I also added a shelf to put my books and fabric I was working with. I had a lot of roll about plastic containers with drawers. Here I have spools of ribbon, bias tape and odds and ends.
About 6 years ago I bought a embroidery machine and didn't know how to store my thread and stablizer so I made a
box withdouble sided doors that holds my thread and inside the box I have my stablizer.

I found a cabinate at the humanitarian store for 36 dollars. it has two drawers and when you open the bottom,
there were pull out shelve drawers, I sectioned them off and put my fat quarters and folded leftover fabric ( that is too
small to wrap and put on a shelf.
This is my first post so I will try to post pictures of this and hope they show. If not maybe someone can explain how to do this.
Thanks Betty[ATTACH=CONFIG]504153[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]504154[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]504155[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]504156[/ATTACH]

I'm cleaning/rearranging my sewing areas also. I wanted to make my upstairs sewing area easier to move things around if I needed a space to put up the air mattress so I moved a table downstairs which meant another table needed to be moved to make room for it! I'm almost finished so I'm going to take a break and do some sewing tonight!

Have a Happy New Year!

Connie

Happy New Year to you all!
My simple idea of only rearranging part of the room has exploded into a much bigger project...and somehow I've misplaced my knitting bag in the process. But as aomeone mentioned, I have found some treasures and have filled up two bags of trash so far. Going to keep at it tomorrow so that hopefully I can be sewing soon. ��

Lovely pictures, Daisy! That looks like an inspiring place to sew!

:thumbup: thank you DaisyMtn for the pics. I sent the thread storage pic on to mu hubby, as he has been researching differ thread holders this week, before he decides which one he will make.

I have plans to rearrange my area also. I have to admit I have not sewed anything for 2 weeks now. I have a retirement house which is great but no basement and a loft upstairs. I have always kept that for the Grandchildren (we have 9) but they are mostly older now and don't come as often and don't need the toys I used to keep. I am taking it over! I can't wait since I work right now in a very small area and everything gets in my way. I am looking forward to having some space for a change.

Love your sewing space. So neat and organized.

I've been taking a break from this big job of rearranging. Back to work tomorrow! I wish I had gotten further along than I did. I hope to keep plugging away at it.

On week 3 in my rearranging...with a few days of no activity. Soooon.
sandy

(Oh dear, I am back to edit my post, as I think I may have inserted in the wrong thread, or baord, I ask patience with my enthusastic, but not honed posting skills)

I spent the day moving everything around in my sewing space. (I have so much room now I mad do yoga there)
I want to get my table where I am learning FMQ out to where I can run suspended bars from the floor joists to create the effect I saw another person do with a floor standing PVC frame. Of course move one thing...

I also saw someone post a peg board that they had painted. What a revelation! I never put one up becuase I hate the brown or white options. Duh!

Before
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After
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You cannot see it in the above, but between the rafters I have inset a hanging pole, so that I will stop being tempted to hang things from the very centrally located Gas Line.
I also positioned the photo to hide the sundry sauder collection where by fabric lives.

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As you can see I have put my new practice quilt on the sewing machine so I can gauge the length of straps.

It is not glamorous, professional or very pretty, but it is my space, and is the spot I day dream about whilst at work. I am pleased as punch. I know it is tasteless to talk about money, but I pleased with the costs on this, so I am going to brag about it.

Peg boards - $12.50(USD)
paint - $20.00 (USD) and I have plans to use the rest on another project.
peg board pegs $2.00 for 100 assorted at a local thrift store
Poles for suspending - $5.00 ( also thirft store)
3/4 inch flat head screws $3.00 ( I resented this, I had plenty countersinking screws but no flat heads)

$47.50 USD!

I rearrange at least twice a yearin. I am trying to downsize my fabric stash. I have many very large pcs and need to lighten the load. Eventually I will be posting some of the fabric on the board. Right now I have my back to the window but that's because the heat runs along that wall and I don't want to cut it off, also the Koala cabt. has the table that you can keep up or put down, currently it is up because I like having the extra room to pile stuff on and if I ever decide to actually quilt, not just sew a top, I will need it up. The bottom line is - change is good and it helps find "lost" stuff

I just love to look at pictures of people's sewing spaces. Thanks for posting those!

I'm picking up all kinds of ideas here. I keep putting off getting a peg board but it is a must. Love the notions displayed just like in the stores.

I reorganized mine last year and now can't find anything.

Take pictures before you start is my suggestion.

I find as I see other's sewing spaces, it gives me ideas to alter mine. Also after a project is finished I tend to clean up getting ready for the next project. Some times I find I need to do some rearranging as I go along. Can't add much more to my sewing room. In the past 4 years I've replaced and enlarged my cutting table, hung my bolt of batting on the ceiling rafters and just recently made a new hanging pole for my quilt tops waiting to be quilted. Next project will be to replace some cabinets with doors with open shelving for additional fabric storage. I like to be able to see what I have on hand. Cabinets came with my mother and half are used for can storage, now half for fabrics. Cabinets will be moved out to the workshop for storage out there. Nothing goes to waste, just refigured how to use it and where.

I like what was done with that table on the left, looks like it's a pressing surface? I love the storage underneath. That's a GREAT idea and I think I'm going to steal it for a table in my sewing room!

My room has turned into a cluttery disaster. I need to clean it up and figure out some solutions, it's a relatively new room and I'm still not quite settled into it properly. I keep rearranging it but each arrangement fixes some problems but creates new ones. It is (what used to be) the living room so that imposes certain limits too. Nobody uses it like a living room but it's still where everyone has to walk through when they enter the house.