Small sewing room setup #3

Recently I’ve been sharing ideas that I have applied while setting up my small sewing space. If you are fortunate enough to have a dedicated room for your sewing craft I hope this mini series has provide some useful tips.

So far I have shared my storage and cutting station as seen in the photos below along with a close up of my sewing table. You can view these posts:

The newest additions to my sewing room

Setting up your small sewing room-Part 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first post is really what prompted me to share more of my space. The second post is where I share re-purposing ideas. Today I am sharing the other side of the room, where the magic really happens.

Ironing board

If you read the previous post regarding my ironing board this photo should help explain. Not the prettiest or smoothest job I have done but it works. This is the bottom anyway, outta site, outta mind.

My ironing boards consist of a piece of sheet rock cut to my preferred size then covered with cotton batting and canvas. I have tested thumb tacks, a staple gun and duct tape to secure the fabric to the board. Duct tape or painters tape works the best. It’s really personal preference.  I like to remove the canvas to launder it. We all know how dirty fabric can be and once you start spraying starch and using glue the covers  get pretty funky real quick. I have 3 of these. 2 on my cutting table and this one on my work table.

Thumb tacks

The post isn’t long enough to hold the layers and bury into the sheetrock or plywood board. The tacks end up coming out.

Staple gun

These are the bomb for securing the fabric to the board,  real staying power. When it comes time to remove them though for laundering or replacement you risk damaging the sheetrock.  These industrial staples have to be removed with a screw driver.

Painters tape or duct tape

This is the best option for me. Peel the tape, throw it in the waste can and launder your cover. It’s cheap and you can purchase it almost anywhere. Before adding the batting layer I ran a strip of duct tape around the cut edges of the sheetrock to keep it from crumbling.

 Now for the rest of the room

View from the door. Nope, no curtain. After sewing in a room without a window for years I am loving all the natural light I can get at the moment.

Not really my cutting table. The mat usually sets where the keyboard and scissors are currently sitting. The brown cabinet/drop leaf table is where my fabric or finished quilt blocks sit, its also a catch all as I move things out of my way. Having the drop leaf is awesome because slid underneath is a large tote. The tote stores tops waiting to be quilted and batting scraps. It’s also where my Juki is at the moment. I can add another ironing board for pressing here as well as opening my AccuQuilt GO! to cut fabric. If I have a sewing buddy over I just add a chair. Oh and the ugly box has a purpose. When I rip paper from the backs of quilts I throw it in here so my waste can doesn’t overflow.

Enzo’s bed can be seen in the bottom left of the photo. The sewing machine stand dh made is conveniently located so I can spin my chair from sewing to pressing. There is a lot of spinning that happens while I paper piece. This is where I spend 90% of my time, in this little nook. The green cutting mat  usually sits in front of the computer monitor for trimming and to the right of it  I  press.  The work table is made of a piece of plywood with legs from a fold up table. This table  will be replaced soon with a custom work table. The cords are  a little haphazard at the moment because I just finished sweeping. My ironing board sits on top of this table.

Finally

So this is my work area.  It’s very functional for me and it did not cost a fortune to put together. Half of the items I already had on hand. It was either use them or discard them. Some things I could not part with.

Update on the filing cabinet

In the first photo the fabric is hanging from letter size file folders, two rows. It was taken before additional fabric was added. Second photo, after purchasing legal size file hangers . This is all the fabric from the first photo with additional yardage added. By hanging them this way I can add so much more. So if you purchase lateral filing cabinets it’s best to make the purchase of legal size file hangers and save yourself the trouble of refolding. Another advantage, there’s no need to open the drawer all the way to see the fabric hanging in the rear. Now I am off to finish cleaning and straightening this sloppy drawer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed these couple posts and found something useful to make your space more comfy or less cluttered. When you have a small sewing room and minimal storage the struggle is very real. So put every square inch to use and purchase dual function items and think outside the box. They do not have to be labeled for a sewing room. I would love to have a sewing room with bright white walls, and bright white sewing furniture and add a splash of color here and there. To me that would be the ultimate. But lets face it, I can’t justify spending  $500 let alone $3k on a generic sewing cabinet made of pressed wood when I absolutely love the stand dh made for me.

Keep in mind, you make quilts. Other people make furniture. Why not approach the furniture maker with a custom made to order quilt for a custom made to order table? If they realize the value of your skills you may be remodeling sooner than you think.

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