Hello and welcome to the next sewing space in our ongoing series! Today, we’re visiting the sewing room of Deb!
Tell us a little about your sewing space.
Empty nesting provided my sewing retreat in a small spare bedroom with a big window for light, and near a water fountain for calming background noise. The window is covered with linen-like curtains that are very handy for pinning up pattern pieces as I cut them from the tissue. I can see the pieces easily and check off the list of pieces I need.
What is your favorite part/feature of your sewing space?
I love my home-built sewing table. Created in what was a 5-foot-wide closet, the compact table leaves the rest of the tight floor space for a computer desk and storage.
The sewing table was created by removing the closet door and installing a table top across the closet space. Made of plywood covered in scrap laminate flooring, a bonus feature of the table is a slot at the back between the wall and the table top. This allows long fabric lengths to drop into the space rather than bunching on the table, and also gives space for cord travel.
My basic Brother VX-857 sewing machine and Brother 1034 serger rest on the table. I don’t know how to use the serger yet but hope springs eternal.
Deb’s new Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 930
*Editor’s note: Deb got a new machine since I scheduled this post.
The sewing table faces a cork board holding patterns I’m working on, sewing inspirations, fabric swatches, measurements for family members, and printed tips and techniques.
Above the sewing table Ikea cabinets provide storage for tools, notions, projects, and books. In addition to typical sewing tools, I keep a straight edged spirit level, a metal meter stick and a heavy 16 by 24 inch carpenter’s square. These are so handy when preparing fabric for cutting.
I have 4 light sources in my space and oftentimes they are all in use: natural light from the window, a ceiling fixture, a strip fixture hardwired above the sewing table, and a gooseneck full-spectrum light with magnifier.
I sit in an adjustable office chair from Ikea. A side chair, intended for hand sewing, is really only used for draping in-progress pieces and a cat hang out. They inspect my work often.
At one time this bedroom was also my home office. My computer still sits on a separate adjacent to the sewing table. That is ideal for following online tips, tutorials and classes.
All my hobbies are in this room. Sewing shares space with painting easels, watercolor paper and paints, hundreds of books, crochet yarn and needlepoint projects. Family photos adorn the walls and also wait in boxes in myriad formats waiting to be digitized. They may wait along while if my fabric and pattern stash holds out.
How do you organize your fabrics, patterns and notions?
I store patterns in plastic file boxes under my sewing table. The patterns are in hanging folders. I never have enough pattern storage. The overflow is in reused plastic zipper pouches that were the retail packaging from sheet sets and the like.
Ikea cabinets on the floor and walls, a pot rack, and a pants rack provide more fabric storage.
On the pot rack I can hang fabric out through the bars of the rack where I can see what I have. Fabric rolls and taller folds of fabric live on top of the rack.
Sturdy shopping bags holding planned projects hang on pot hooks. In each project bag are the pattern, fabric and any trims or notions I’ve collected.
A pants rack, installed behind the door, is another great space-saving fabric storage spot.
Most likely to be saved first in case of disaster is a thread storage cabinet from my Mom. The little cabinet looks like it was a store fixture. Although Mom has been gone many years, thread from her stash in that cabinet still resolves many thread matching issues.
I also have Mom’s button tins, which came from fruitcake originally. I still dig around in those buttons and find cool ideas.
A picnic basket on bookshelves near the thread cabinet and holds goodies like zippers, trims, elastic and sewing sundries. I’m still looking for the ideal projects for some lovely trims I inherited. The old cardboard holding some gold trim is marked 5 cents per yard!
My dress form really has no good place to stand. I often excuse myself when I bump into her and have to move her to a new spot.
For any but very small projects I lay out and cut fabric either on the dining table or the floor. Dearly wish I could fit in a tall cutting table.
What is your favorite thing to sew?
I love to sew for my relatives and friends. My daughter and enjoy designing clothing options, then seeing where I can find a pattern to use as a springboard. Fabric selection is fun too!
From piped and boxed couch cushions, tents, and down jackets to attire, sewing provides a sense of problems solved and accomplishment.
The Curvy Sewing Collective is a tremendous resource that inspires me to tackle more challenging projects and to sew more for myself.
In retirement Deb likes to sew, paint with watercolors, crochet, read, spend time with family, travel, and nap with one or more of her 3 cats.
Oh my! I don’t know how to use my serger either! LOL! Thank you for sharing your sewing room.
I have your same serger, which I got as a gift having never used a serger before. It’s super easy to use once you learn how to thread it. I found a few videos on YouTube using that model that were very helpful. It took me almost a year to sit down and learn and once I did I could’ve kicked myself for not learning sooner. It has revolutionized how I sew and totally sped up my productivity. Give it a whirl and you won’t regret it – it’s a great machine!
Thanks Jill!
What a wonderful place to sew! Love your space.
Thanks Leigh. A pleasure to share.
My last sewing room had a fountain outside the window, and I loved listening to it as I planned out new projects. I hope to find a way to incorporate that into my new space. The idea of pinning pattern pieces to your curtains is pure genius!! Thanks for sharing your lovely room with us Deb!
Thanks Leslie. Isn’t the sound of water soothing and also blocks out other distractions.
What a creative use of space! Your idea of putting your pattern pieces on the curtain is a great way to keep track of those pieces. I will modify that idea for my space. Thanks. I too wonder how you use the spirit level. Is it just another starlight edge and weight or do you use the level in another way?
Straight edge for starlight. Auto correct got me.
Hi Susan. The level came to the space for watercolor layout, but it’s handy for checking true on items hanging on the form, and helping me measure corrections for my one hip high issue.
Great tips – I wouldn’t have thought how useful that space between the sewing table and wall would be. Love the idea of family photos in “my” room! And love, too, the photo of you. Could you share the pattern for the beautiful shirt you’re wearing in your photo?
Sure Debi. That’s Vogue 1385, a Vogue Today’s Fit by Sandra Betzina. The fabric came from Hart’s Fabric in Santa Cruz. It is cotton woven with pink threads in one direction and turquoise thread in the other direction.
How lovely to have your own room for sewing! Since my return to sewing (after being away from it for 40 years) I cannot believe how it grows – slowly it has gulped up great amounts of space in our living room, my partner’s space (EEK!) under the beds – I dream of one day having a whole room like yours!
Hang in there Kathleen!
Deb, you have created a great place to sew. I love your creative ideas,especially the carpenters square. I still am not sure what you use the level for….how does it help? It sounds interesting. Thanks.
Thank you! I started using the carpenters square for making drapes or other karge scale projects. It is not only helpful in finding square but it is pretty heavy so holds things down. I use the level for checking hems on the dress form and helps me correct for that one hip that’s higher than the other.