Sewing and Craft Studio
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It has been a while since I showed my sewing room Sewing and Craft Studio. Mainly, the space has been a mess and we needed to resolve some storage issues. We were storing a box spring for a neighbor. There were these storage shelves that have since been moved to Mr. Seasoned Homemaker’s office.
No more ~ today is Sewing and Craft Studio day!
When we last left off the room was in progress. While there are a few things that still need addressing {which I will discuss below}, it is at a place that is functional and full of storage.
My friends, I give you my {newly renamed} Sewing and Craft Studio.
Let’s link arms and take a tour, shall we.
When you come up the stairs the first thing you see is the corner cabinet that was formerly my grandparent’s pantry. In the cabinet below I store yarns, ribbons, and knitting needles. In the glass cabinet there are small decorative items that will occasionally find their way into my photographs. I try to keep it tidy because you can see it from the bottom of the stairs but occasionally it gets cluttered.
There is only one direction to go and that is right. The wall with the window is a long bare wall and I have chosen to keep it that way. It will allow me to take photos of current projects and it will also be a great wall for quilt placement {when or if I ever really tackle quilting}.
Along the wall I have an Arrow sewing cabinet which I recently purchased when it was 30% off. This is where I keep my second sewing machine. I wanted a small table that would hide the machine when it was not being used. It also has wheels so I can move it around. It resolved one of my biggest issues ~ where to put the second sewing machine and not lose wall space to a permanent fixture. Bonus: It’s also provides a second work surface.
There is also a second Ikea table {holding the serger} that I can slide around the room. For instance, I could have this arrangement for sewing and still have my other machine set up for embroidery.
When I am working on a larger project it is so difficult to sew, then switch to embroidery, sew some more, switch back to embroidery ~ you get the idea. More on the sliding white Ikea table. It has many, many, uses.
Because the small machine can be lowered into the sewing cabinet I can also use this surface for other things like cutting out projects on the Silhouette. The Silhouette needs to be connected to a computer in order to operate. Having two mobile tables makes this ideal. I just slide them together on the long wall.
This configuration is also very handy for cutting on the Accuquilt. I can set the cutting dies on the closed sewing cabinet and open the Accuquilt up on the other table. My fabric cutting table is to the right in this photo which makes it all quite convenient.
This shot is from the other side of the room. On the left is the maple sewing machine table where I do most of my work. Most of the time the serger is next to my sewing/embroidery machine. One day I want to get a different table for these machines, but I am still thinking about what would work best.
I’ve place the cutting table in the center of the room. It is easy to access my machines and the iron is on the other side.
The cutting table is something I would love to change one day. It is on bed risers and cannot easily be moved. Ideally, I’d like something with wheels and, in a perfect world, the height could be adjusted.
For now, I really like this table. When I remove the cutting mat the table top is very pretty and makes a nice surface for taking pictures. There is a large window behind the cutting table and which allows for lots of light. Even on a cloudy day this spot is very bright.
If you were to stand next to the corner cabinet and look straight ahead you would see one of the two niche walls in the room. I originally planned to put cabinets into the niches but I couldn’t find any to fit. Instead both niche walls are outfitted with pegboard storage. In this niche I Mr. SH attached this drop-down table to the wall. Most of the time the laptop sits here.
To the right of this niche is a large window with another niche next to it. The iron fits perfectly into the window area and I plan to keep this set up for now. You can now see where the cutting table sits in room.
Next to the ironing window sits the second niche. This also has a pegboard with supplies on it. This is where I keep embroidery hoops, rulers, Silhouette supplies, and other bits and pieces. This is also the parking garage for the white table that I can slide around. Most of the time the Silhouette sits on the table underneath the pegboard.
Immediately to the right was a dead space between the wall and the end of the storage cabinets. We had some Elfa shelving from our old house that fit right into the space. Ideally, it is where all of my sewing books and magazines should be, but there is a little overflow.
Below the shelves are some seriously ratty plastic drawers that have long outlived their usefulness. I am looking for a replacement. If you have any suggestions, please send them my way. I would like something with wheels that I can pull out next to my sewing machine(s).
And this brings us around to the storage cabinets. Without them this room would be a nightmare. Our builder had an option on this room that could include a closet. When we first moved in I was really regretting not including a closet but now that I have this set up I’m really glad we passed on it.
They are the Pax cabinets from Ikea and were the most expensive item we added to the room (around $800 ~ yikes) but a whole lot cheaper than the upgrade from the builder. We bought two large cabinets and then a single one. On the other side of the cabinets there is a little door that leads to the attic. I’ve placed my bulletin board over the door.
Here’s a shot from the other side of the room so you can get a better idea of how they are situated. I have vowed to myself and now all of you not to have more stuff in this room than these cabinets can hold.
I recently spent an entire weekend organizing fabric and fabric scraps. Most of the fabric scraps are sorted by color and in labeled containers.
One thing I didn’t want to do in this room was have my thread exposed. Instead the thread is sorted by color and stored in plastic containers. This will protect my thread from light and dust and (hopefully) make it last longer. It’s not quite as convenient as having it on the wall, but it is a lot less dusty.
I think this gives you a pretty good idea of how the room is set up. Below is a line drawing from the builder. The high front windows are slightly different in my room from the placement in this drawing. The window closest to the niche wall doesn’t exist. That is because our garage has a 5′ bump out and we couldn’t get both sets of windows. At first I was a little upset about this but now that I am using this room I am glad to have the wall space.
Having this room is such a blessing. On the plus side, the mess from most projects stays upstairs and away from our living areas. The only reason to go upstairs is to use the room. Nothing is really permanent {except those cabinets which are never getting moved} and I can rearrange things to suit my needs.
In the grand scheme of things the move to this house could be seen as a step down from our other home. I think the American Dream {whatever that really means?} is to have the biggest, most be-you-tee-ful house ever. When we stepped back and looked at our lives, bigger and better didn’t really suit us. Instead we went with what was practical and less expensive. Every day we live here we know we made the right decision.
And, in an effort to keep things real. Most of my photos have been slightly staged, but I want to assure you that I do have cords attached to all of my equipment. This is really what my sewing table looks like.
A little more practical, don’t you think?
An updated look at my studio
Over time this room has evolved. Watch the video below to see the how this room has changed.
So glad you included the last picture – that is why we love you – you are real!
What a beautiful sewing studio. So organized and efficient. It is evident that lots of thought went into this room. I have enjoyed all of your posts regarding downsizing, living with less, living with a purpose. I hope you and Mr. SH are very happy in your lovely new home for years and years to come.
What a lovely room to work in! It’s so airy and clean, I’m sure its a pleasure to work in!
What an awesome room to work in. I love all the light you have. You’ve set it up so well. I am still working on and off, on my craft room, but it is in the basement so I don’t have that wonderful natural light. One of these days I’ll get it to the point I can share it!
Lovely sewing room – thanks for sharing!
Ooh, all the light . . . and STORAGE! Though the things I like just as much are that it’s up there in the clouds away from the rest of the house but at the same time, you probably don’t feel isolated with the half-wall and open doorway. Favorite of all is your grandparents’ pantry welcoming you at the top of the stairs! Thanks for sharing your beautiful space.
Your sewing room is beautiful. Plenty of space between the cutting table and sewing table to walk between them. My sewing table is right in front of a window. I love to look out at the front yard now and then to see the flowers and birds.
Your grandparents corner cupboard is in the perfect spot so you can look at it and admire it.
I love your storage cupboards. The room is so light and airy. Very nice.
I have a little tip that I do when I’m sewing something large like a quilt. I set up my husbands card table just to my left of my chair at the sewing table. The card table gives the support I need for a quilt as I piece it or sometimes quilt it. Works great for making curtains and such too. Without the card table the weight of what i’m sewing pulls back on the sewing machine and makes it pretty hard for the machine to keep sewing.
I love everything you’ve done in your studio! It’s all so wonderfully organized! You have created a beautiful space. One suggestion if you want to replace the plastic drawers…you may want to look into the Bisley Collection Cabinets from The Container Store. They also have the optional caster bases available too. They are a bit pricey but are soooooooo much nicer than plastic. They happen to be on sale right now too ($70 off!). Enjoy your space!
Wow, very nice, Leslie !
I love your space so much. Maybe someday I can come visit. That would be so much fun, wouldn’t it? Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful space, Leslie!! And so glad to see you actually have the cords attached! LOL I turned my dining room into a sewing room with Ikea cabinets! Love me some Ikea! Thank you for sharing your studio and providing us even more inspiration! I KNOW you will enjoy your beautiful room!
You are so amazingly organized.
Only when taking pictures for the whole world to see.
Hi SH! Found you via Sew Many Ways… love your Sewing and Craft Studio! Very practical and functional. I hope to do something like this in my basement someday, until then I’ll keep coming for inspiration to your studio! You may try attaching plastic roller wheels, with super glue, epoxy or silicone sealant, to your plastic drawer stack. I did this with a similar drawer stack for our farm house. :-), its still going strong! Planning to spray paint them with some funky colour on our next visit. Nice to have found your blog!
I love the idea of painting the plastic….
AMAZING! I am so beyond jealous, you did a great job.
This is fantastic! The cleanliness of the white is not only appealing but creates a great back drop for the beautiful things you’ll be making. I love the peg board and organizational ideas. Nicely done!
Until I saw the last picture, I was thinking that this room never gets used! LOL! What a fabulous space, so light and airy. Looks like it is a place where you can go to get away from it all and create without interruption.
Beautiful! I had to go back and compare the pic without the cords to the one with, too funny.
Yea, they wouldn’t be very useful without those cords!
Your studio is so organized and AWESOME ~ I need you to come over here and help me….please!!! Thank you so much for sharing at this week’s Project Inspire{d} ~ pinned 🙂
Wow, what a lovely, bright space!
Great Space!! SO Jealous of all that room!!
I love the layout! I need a Pax!!! How bright and airy is this room!? Love it!
Ahhhh thank you for showing the cords! 🙂 It is a perfect space for sewing and crafting – you are so fortunate to have it. I recently had to move out of mine to make room for baby #2, so I’ve been demoted to a corner desk in our bedroom (ugh) and all of my supplies are in the garage in bins (double-ugh). I can’t wait to get my own room back — it will be nice and light and white like yours. Great job organizing!
I love your craft studio! It’s so spacious, organized, and NOT cluttered. I could definitely work there. 😉 Looks beautiful! Great job! Stopping by from the Craft Dictator!
I love to sew. I hate that I have to drag everything out of the closet to do so. What a mess. I love your peg boards. They are so versatile. Thanks for sharing this great craft sewing room.
Wow! That looks amazing. I need to remember to use pegboard for organizing tools.
In three years, we will be down-sizing to a newly built home on the river – and I mean downsizing. I am taking the time before the build to truly zero-in on what’s important. My husband and I will actually be sharing a rather large hobby area (mine is quilting/sewing; his is fly-tying (his hobby is fly-fishing). I very much appreciate reading your candid approach and ideas. Thanks so much for being open and “real”.
Love your studio!
A great set of drawers is from IKEA – the “Alex” drawers on casters. Perfect for notions!
The new room is beautiful, and so clean. I am definitely envious of your space. My current creation location is the spare bedroom of our two bedroom home. My sewing machine and serger share the space with a double bed and night stand. It’s functional but not comfortable. Dragging my latest project out of the closet is not my idea of fun. And since I work a full-time job I often lack the energy to pursue a project once I have collected all my goodies. So God Bless you and your space. Sew on… Suzy
Thanks for sharing these tips.
I’m glad I chanced upon your site! Read your studio transformation post with great interest as I had also recently converted my tiny second condo bedroom into a sewing/craft space. But the first thing I did was to remove the carpeting and install a laminate wood floor. This is so easy to sweep and keep clean and I don’t have to worry about pins and needles getting embedded into the carpet pile.
Just love your photos! Great site! Will visit often! Thank you…
Love this, Leslie! And I did the same…lived in our condo for two years planning our ikea kitchen, and every day of the past seven years I really appreciate it! I really want to get their bed with storage drawers underneath…
Lovely room. Where did you get those little metal buckets and how are they hung on the pegboard?
They came from Ikea. The hangers are these stems you get for pegboards. I think they came from Lowes.
I moved to a two bedroom apartment I live alone and one bedroom was not the best place for me so when one became available across the hall which made moving easier I got it I am still working on it but I will post pictures when I am done My ironing board is never down and not I do not have to put it away I am one of those people I can’t stand not being able to find what I want
Your post has so much inspiration! And I am so jealous of your corner cabinet. It is beautiful! xoxo