4 things you should do when setting up your Sewing room

Is sewing a hobby that gives you a creative way to relax
after a busy day? Or do you use your skill with a needle and
thread to supplement your income? Whatever the case might
be, having a dedicated sewing room in your home can make
this pastime a lot easier. Not to mention more enjoyable.

One of the main advantages of having a sewing room is that
it gives you a place to keep your supplies. If you’ve tried
to make do without a sewing room, you know what it’s like to
have your supplies and materials scattered all over the
house. Wouldn’t it be nice to have one room where all of
your “sewing stuff” was neatly organized and easy to find?

For many, their sewing room is more than just a place to
store their supplies and equipment. It’s also a retreat
where they can go to sew in peace and quiet.

Setting up a sewing room of your own isn’t hard. But there
are four things you need to do before you start.

Choose a Room

Do you have an extra room in your house that can be used
exclusively as a sewing room? If you’re lucky, you might
have an extra bedroom that, at the moment, is being used to
store the family’s junk. Clean it out, and you’ll have
yourself a sewing room in no time.

Other rooms that could work include the garage, the attic,
or a large storage closet. Even a sun room could work as your
sewing room.

If you don’t have a room in your house that you can use just
for sewing, choose a room that can do double duty. For
example, what about your guest room? If you have visitors
regularly enough to need one, getting rid of the guest room
entirely might not be an option. But that doesn’t mean you
can’t make use of that room when you don’t have company.

One way to make space in a guest room is to replace the
normal bed with a sofa bed. And you can use the dresser, and
even the nightstands, to store your sewing supplies.

Home offices can also pull double duty as sewing rooms,
especially if it’s a home office that doesn’t get used
often.

Brainstorm Furnishings, Equipment and Supplies

Once you’ve chosen a place for your sewing room, a little
pre-planning is in order. What do you want to put in the
room? Or, more importantly, how much stuff will you be able
to fit in there?

The one thing your sewing room won’t be able to do without
is a sewing table, so make that first on your list. A
cutting table where you can spread out fabrics and patterns
would also come in handy.

Something you don’t really need, but should try to make room
for, is a comfortable chair. This could be an easy chair
from the den, or a rocking chair gathering dust in the
attic. You’ll appreciate having a relaxing place to sit
while you read your crafting magazines or do some hand
stitching.

Other things you might want in your sewing room include a
desk, an ironing board, and a CD player. Listen to your
favorite music while you work will make sewing even more
fun.

Think About Storage

Storing your sewing supplies (including fabrics, patterns,
notions, magazines, and other materials) will be one of the
primary functions of your sewing room.

Luckily, your storage options are almost limitless. You can
use storage cabinets, storage bins, mounted shelves, a
dresser, a chest of drawers, bookcases, and even filing
cabinets to keep your supplies organized and easy to find.

If your sewing room has a closet with sliding doors, you’re
in luck. By installing a few closet organizer kits (or
having it done professionally) you can turn that closet
space into the ultimate storage nook for all of your sewing
supplies.

Plan the Layout

Once you’ve chosen a room and decided what to put in it,
it’s time to create a floor plan.

This step might seem like overkill. But a little pre-
planning will make the setup of your sewing room run a lot
more smoothly. You can also decide, ahead of time, where to
put things so they will be the most convenient, and make for
the best workflow.

If you want to keep things simple, just draw a box the
approximate shape of your sewing room. As you imagine where
you will put an item, draw it into the box. And use a pencil
just in case you change your mind.

If you want to get a little fancier, you can measure the
room and draw it to scale. Next, create cutouts of the
various furnishings and supplies you intend to put into the
room. The great thing about this method is that you can move
the cutouts around like puzzle pieces until you achieve the
layout that works best.

Many people might consider a sewing room a luxury. But
anyone serious about sewing knows having such a room is a
necessity. And, by following these guidelines, you can have
a sewing room set up and ready to use in no time.

Jan Roos is the author and creator of a very popular sewing

website called Sew My Place. For more excellent free sewing tips
and tutorials you can visit her site at http://www.sewmyplace.com

Unfortunately the dinning room is my sewing room for now… It does allow me to still be a part of everything that is going on in the house with kids and stuff but can also be quite a distraction too.

Someday I will have my own sewing room so I can design and create all the handmade pretties I wish…

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