# New House + New Sewing Room



## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

We are downsizing because we are retiring. Bought a fixer upper walking distance from DH's DD. The daycare is across the street from us, so looking forward to forming a relationship with those two grands (ages 19 mo and 3 weeks).

Anyhoo, this house has two bedrooms, each 11 x 12. DH is giving me one for my sewing room. His music room will be in the basement (I guess to make hiding easier). I've been thinking of how I'm going to use this space. I'm not neat, so the design has to be real good. I would like to turn the closet (7'?) into a sewing center. I thought I could hang clothes in the cubbies at the ends because they are not practical for anything. I'd put a shelf across at the appropriate height for me. On this I'd have my sewing machine in the center, a small cutting board, and a small ironing pad. Against the wall behind the sewing machine I could use pegboard and hang my million rulers, scissors, etc. 

Under the sewing machine, of course will be my feet. On either side could be drawers for fabric and patterns with a small drawer for marking pencils and other small stuff. About 44 or 48" from ground, I would have a shelf, and another shelf 8 inches above that. These shelves would be for fabric. I'm thinking I could get rid of some of my fabric bins.

The current doors on the closet are metal sliders circa 1952. I'd like to dump these and put pretty doors up. This would still leave me with an 11 x 12 room. I'm thinking an armoire for my yarn. Okay, two armoires. I'll need a cutting table, but I think I may be able to have a drop down off the wall or one of the closet doors.

There is a lot of work we still have to do on the house, we've only had it for about three weeks and are still moving stuff out, getting rid of the cobwebs and mold in the basement, roof leaks so new standing seam roof in about 3 weeks, new boiler, new water heater, rip up carpets,...

Any thoughts?


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Do not put the sewing center in the closet, you'll hate it. Looking at a wall. Make a bunch of shelves for your fabrics there, and ends for the baskets or wall things of threads. If you have a window, put the sewing machine there. You can see out, and will be much better light than in a closet.
If you have a blank wall, you could put a series of bookselves across it for the rest of stuff, and a 30 x 60 inch office folding table in the center for the cutting. Or have it under the window, and sew on one end, and cut out on the other.

My last sewing room when in a house was 11 x 14, and the 14 ft wall was lower was kitchen cabinets and the above was 12 inch deep bookshelves. that left about 10 inches or so of a cabinet top along the change. And the sewing table was under the window so I could see outside. 
The closet was shelves with the new sliding doors were mirror for fitting onself, or others to see what is made. And the office table was in the center. It worked well.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

This is very similar to what I did for both my kids at one point in time. I took the doors off the closet and made it like an alcove. It's one of those things that does not seem like it will give you more room, but it made a big difference.

Put the shelf low and put a large light under it, then you'll have plenty of light. 

I don't think I've ever had my sewing machine looking out a window, but I also don't like a sink over a window either. 

My current sewing room is very small, but it works out fine because I use my dining room as the layout/cutting room. The largest cutting table I ever had was about 8' x 6'. But that was when I was doing lingerie and some of the fabric came in 120" wide.


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## Debbie in Wa (Dec 28, 2007)

Go here
[ame]http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=sewing+room+ideas&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.45580626,d.cGE&biw=1024&bih=626&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=_Lh2UcDvNsmpiQKjy4CQDg[/ame]
see what you like and what might work in your room.


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

Debbie in Wa said:


> Go here
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...urce=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=_Lh2UcDvNsmpiQKjy4CQDg
> see what you like and what might work in your room.


Wow- thanks for posting that link!


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

What a lot of neat sewing rooms on that link. Such fun looking at them.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Currently, my machine is right under a large window. I love it. The new room has small windows high up. Very modern at the time. Hate it, but gives me lots of wall space. I'll just go with a natural light in the closet.

I saw a neat fold down table on pinterest where the legs are also a picture frame. I think I will do this for the cutting table. I'm also going to put the white corner cabinet that is in my present bathroom into a corner of the new bedroom/sewing room so I can display my antique machines rather than find a place to stash them. I've been googling, and went to that website, Debbie. I just love looking at all of the pictures, even the ones not suitable to me.

I got interested in the preppers' hide away doors and rooms, which is where this interest in walking into a sewing room without sewing came from. Open the pretty doors and voila! Hmm, should I disguise the doors so crazed sewers can't find my stash?


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I've been thinking about what Angie wrote and come up with another idea. Looking at a window is different than looking at a wall for long periods of time. I may put the sewing machine on a table with casters and move it into the middle of the room when I am having a marathon sewing session. I can then move it back into the closet for storage and for bits of sewing.


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## DW (May 10, 2002)

That link is SO cool! I'm going back there again.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Debbie posted a basic google search. Just type in what you are interested in and then when the results come up, then Select IMAGES from list options on the left side.

That is how I find all kinds of neat quilt patterns. I'll type in Star Quilt, or Medallion Quilt or Kaleidoscope Quilt. Then when I find something I like, I'll visit the website it's from, or "save image as" and download it to my hard drive to refer to it later. 

Search "sewing room in closet" and a lot of neat images show up too.

I can easily spend hours doing image searches!


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## PaulaBlanch (Feb 18, 2013)

I am excited for you to have your own room, Maura! About 2 years ago, after our daughter moved into an apartment, I took over her 12 x 10 bedroom for my sewing room. I had the sewing table under the window (southern exposure) and at certain times of the year, I had a glare from the sun/off my glasses that irritated me, so I moved it. I also have a kitchen table in there which expands with leaves for when I am cutting larger projects. Unfortunately, I am outgrowing the room. I have 3 sewing machines and tons of plastic drawers of fabrics sorted by color and of notions such as lace, ribbon, interfacing, felt etc that takes up one entire wall. I told my husband that I now need the "mancave" in the basement and he can have the little bedroom. He's not going along with that idea so far.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

We plan on moving within 5 years, so I'm keeping track of ideas. I'd love to get a house with a big open living room. And since we don't watch TV - I can take the whole thing for sewing/projects. Since we do occasionally watch movies, I can set up a TV in a bedroom since we don't need much room for that.

I love remodeling - DH not so much . . .


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Of course, I have google searched sewing closets. Many of them are for the occasional sewer, not a quilter. My closet is not going to be a pretty little thing with knick knacks on the shelves. This is a double closet and will be a workhorse. But, there are some interesting things if you look long enough. Different ways to sort your rulers, that picture frame that pulls down I mentioned above, folding your fabric using a 6" wide ruler, etc. There's nothing like an open discussion to get things rolling.

Paula, maybe you could use a closet with shelves for all of the fabric in bins. I've come to realize that open shelves don't work if you live on a dirt road, but doors keep the fabric clean. I've got bins all over the place and when you get up to five sweater boxes full of fabric, it doesn't work so well. Folding tables don't work as a cutting surface, they jiggle. I use the dining room table. I'll probably still use the dining room table when we move- it opens to comfortably seat 12.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Happy Junker used an old Hutch for her fabric, it looks really neat and the doors on the upper section help keep the dust out. I'm always worred about fading, so mine will be kept in my cedar closet under the stairs (which is right outside the sewing room). 

My sewing room is very small, and I'm searching for ideas to deal with the ironing board. I don't have any wall space I can hang it on - the only avaialbe space has the light switch and thermostate. 

I do need something to hold my rulers - DH said he can make me something if I can design it. I also want to make a narrow pull out drawer beside the sewing machine so when I'm sewing, I can pull it out and use it. It will have compartments for pins and bobbins, and then a couple of slots for holding sisiors upright so they are easy to grab. I would not store them that way, as I want them sticking up above the level of the table. 

I have a 6x4 finished sheet of 1/2" cabinet grade plywood that fits over my dining room table for a work surface, and I rarely use the table for anything else so it stays there. I can work around all four sides if needed, and that is really nice. 

My biggest problem is finding three solutions I love for the same problem, then trying to decide which one to use. Sometimes I think I need three houses so I can do everything I want. Had that problem with the kitchen - fell in love with three very differnt ways to do a backsplash, and each one would work with a very different syle kitchen.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Macy, can you put the ironing board on the wall with the hinge just below the light switch and thermostat, have a cut out for those items? There are also ironing boards that hang from a door.

I think I will put a twin bed in the room with a trundle bed under it. I can then have my cutting table over the bed, so I have a cutting table when I need it, but a spare room when I need it. I could have a drop down over the bed, and put it up when the beds are needed.


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