# new sewing room progress



## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

DH and I took a mini vacation / road trip to celebrate my Bday and Mother's Day. We visited quite a few quilt and fabric shops. Hit the jackpot at one outlet. They had all cotton remnants on sale at $1.99 a yard, and had just got in a big load, so they had lots to choose from. I added a lot to my stash. 

I was looking for black/white fabric for a project in mind - the rest were just because I liked them. Stopped at a small town quilt shop that was wonderful - and as I was eying up the black/white row, the sales lady noticed and said "The black/whites are on sale 20% off" Music to my ears!

We also found a Duebers that was going out of business and had some pretty white/pastel cotton prints, so I got a selection of them too. 

This is most of it, though I already had a load in the wash. I prewash everything before I put it away. I think I'm going to keep using the two 30" cupboards in me dressing room (old sewing room) for my fabric. Not enough room for it upstairs.










Speaking of upstairs - DH and I spent yesterday and got the cabinets put together and on the wall (Ikea was also on our list of places stopped at). I decided to go with the treadle base for my sewing machine and using other sewing cabinets to fill out what I need. 

Please don't mind the mess - it's going to take a while to get everything the way I envision it. Have to make a few things first.

Here is the main sewing area. Found a cute spot for the featherweight too!










The treadle base I'm suing is fully functional, so DH had to wire the pedal so it would stay put. This moves my machine up a few inches so it works fine to also have the pedal up a few inches. I may need a new chair as the old one does not raise up very far. It goes down really low though! It's DH's old chair so not a big deal to replace at this point. 

The small cabinet to the right can be opened up to make a nice ironing station while I'm sewing - DH is going to make me something I can use to cover the machine opening so nothing falls in there. He's happy as he can still use the 237 if he wants. We were considering rehoming this machine - he's happier that we are not, even if he never does use it.










This is DH's sewing area, the black bookcases are getting removed, don't know to where yet but the books are all moved. We bought the "filing cabinet" at Ikea also. And typically - we get home from shopping and after we get this put together and we're taking a break - I look on the local craigslist and find a new listing for the exact sewing desk unit that DH was interested in. Had that been listed on Thursday, we'd have bought it and not the filing cabinet. What we have will work fine, though DH does not like that sewing cabinet with the narrow legs. Who knows, maybe if that other one does not move, we'll get it and find another use for the cart. 










The 403A is in the blond cabinet (it does not look blond in the picture, but it is, and another thing DH does not like about it) and the 534 is in the cabinet next to the quilt frame.

My serge will sit out on another cabinet to the side, and a third cabinet will be used to extend my sewing table. The two cabinets there aren't the ones that will eventually be place there, but those two are in the refinishing stage right now. I think the reddish cabinet will go in my bedroom (the one there is coming upstairs) and the other will probably be rehomed with a nice 66 inside, or maybe a 15. 










I put a curtan rod up on the far wall, it's about 96" wide. I'll be putting clips on the rings so I can temporarily hang projects I'm working on if needed. 










I'll be putting a cabinet in between the windows, and making an ironing board that will be supported on one end by the cabinet, and can fold up out of the way (behind the cabinet). My owl needlepoint may need a new home too, maybe my son would like that along with my bird plates that I got from my Dad. Now that he has his own home, I could pass a few of the family "heirlooms" on the line. 

And then I have to make the base for the work table that will fit over the trundle bed. Will need to make a trip to the lumber yard before we can complete that. BTW - the folding table to the left tucked by the bed has an opening for the featherweight to sit in. I don't have the insert that covers the hole, but I'll never use it as a regular card table. 










Once we get all the machines either installed in cabinets or to new homes, we'll move the cased machines under the quilt frame. Right now there is a row of cast iron Singers there. I was going to put them on top of some of the sewing cabinets for display, but now all the cabinets will have a secondary use and can't be used as display tables. Though I'll probably bring the hand crank model to the library where the treadles are - my "non-electric" collection.

I'll work on things more this afternoon, - right now I have to switch to doing the stuff I get paid for - so I can pay for all this stuff I bought!


----------



## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Dh and I talked it over, and we are going to pick up the sewing desk after work today. It's only an hour away, and I wanted to get some plants so I'll have a few more nurseries to look at. I want some of the less common tomato and pepper varieties. Will have better luck finding them in a town of 100,000 than one of 15,000. The local places carry a lot of what everyone else wants - hybrid eating tomatoes and sweet peppers, I want canning (paste) tomatoes and hotter peppers.

Anyway - this is the unit we are going to pick up. It looks to be a later model 15 with reverse, but without the potted motor. 










He really does not like the spindly legged cabinet the 403A came in. That cabinet looks like heck on the top when closed, but looks almost unused when open. The machine also looks like it spent most of it's life hidden away, and needed only a bit of cleaning and oiling to be sewing like a champ.

The funny part - this will be my forth model 15, and I wasn't even going to get one of them to start with.


----------



## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

I can't wait to see your new room all done! And that Singer looks sweet!


----------



## housewife (Mar 16, 2006)

That is so WOW!! It is going to be a great room once you get it all done. It looks like it will be a dream to work in. I have room envy really really bad!!!! yep I'm green with spots now. we need an envy face something green with darker green spots. 

My dream home has a large room just for sewing machines fabric everything useable, easy to reach and a place for DH sewing.


----------



## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

housewife - there will be a time you'll have yours set up, just won't be right now. I basically took a break from much sewing for 15-20 years. Didn't really mean to but that is how it worked out. I expected to get back into sewing after the kids moved out (at our second house) and had it planned that one of the lower bedrooms would become my sewing area - but I moved out before the last kid did LOL!! (I took a job out of state and left a few months before my youngest graduated, then it took a year before we got that place sold and DH could move too).

And then we took ten years to fix our current place, putting most of our extra time into it. I didn't even have a veggie garden for about 6 years. 

The bad part here is that I was reconciled that sewing would not play a big part in my life in the future.

So even though we spent 10 years and a LOT of money fixing up the house, putting in a nice sewing area wasn't on the agenda. And now I've rediscovered my love for sewing - and I'm trying to find room for it. The upstairs is the only place for a larger sewing area - and it's working out quite well. 

DH is very happy to have all the sewing "stuff" upstairs, that way he can use the cutting table and my accessories without feeling like he's invading my sewing room. And if he's working in his reloading room and I'm sewing, we are only about 20' away from each other. 

I'm also thinking about what I'd do in my next house. I have another passion - that of baking and food preservation. In fact, one of the reasons I've gotten back into sewing is all the baking was adding too much to the waist line! I needed to find another creative outlet.


----------



## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Got the work table set up. 










it does not look that big in the picture - but it's 48" deep by 76" long. It's up at kitchen countertop height, but I can lower it if that turns out not right. Bought a new sewing chair - the old one was broken and wouldn't come up all the way, and I needed that extra few inches. 

Next on the plan is to set up the two ironing stations. And then I suppose I'd better get the Bailey off the floor and set up. It's getting there!

Right now I have bedding stored under the bed, I may pull that out and put it down in the stairway closet (it use to be there) and move my fabric to those drawers.


----------



## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

Macybaby said:


> Got the work table set up.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That looks great!


----------



## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

housewife said:


> That is so WOW!! It is going to be a great room once you get it all done. It looks like it will be a dream to work in. I have room envy really really bad!!!! yep I'm green with spots now. we need an envy face something green with darker green spots.
> 
> My dream home has a large room just for sewing machines fabric everything useable, easy to reach and a place for DH sewing.


housewife,
Don't feel bad, I'm right there with you on the envy. LOL . Currently we live in a leased house that measures about 20 ft wide by 30 ft long. The original owner built it himself out of used items we believe.
The basement is our sewing, cutting, repair, sewing storage, and reloading room all in one. And is our laundry room too. I long for a place that we can stretch out and breath but not here. 

Macybaby,
We recently acquired a unit like the one you are picking up, but the person had painted it with a white latex paint and we had to wait for warmer weather to work on it. Now I can see what it could look like just with a wood stain and I like that. Thank you for the picture.


Elaine


----------



## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

we picked up the sewing desk on Monday, but it's still sitting down in the kitchen. DH was going over the Singer 15 that came with it -said it is in very nice shape, though you can tell it was well used. Some seem unused, some used and neglected and some well used but also well taken care of. A person needs to keep these well oiled when in use. This machine is going to a 12 year old girl that is discovering a real love and talent for sewing.

The desk is also in very nice shape. The lady we bougth it from got it to use as an entry way desk. She had several machines in cabinets because she fell in love with the look - though she had no interest or knowlege for the machines themselves, and didn't even sew. Not sure how long she had this. She had sold a treadle machine for $10 the previous weekend - and said she never even pulled up the machine until she was trying to sell it. 

Anyway - ours has the small glass jar with lid. I read somewhere it's an ink well. I don't know for sure, but it is neat it's still there. The other inseresting thing is a note that came with the box of attachemtns from Singer. It said the assortment of attachments was different than listed in the manual - I'd have to look, but i think they removed the Tucker and one other, and replaced them with two different attachements.

BTW - I picked up another set of back clamp attachemtns off ebay yesterday. I got a few rusty ones with the second back clamp machine, but wanted a set for each.


----------



## housewife (Mar 16, 2006)

LOL yes someday. Your hard work in restoring your home shows!!! It is really great. Your machines are amazing too!! I'm sure you will enjoy working in your lovely room.
I just found out a local repair man can fix my grandmothers "seamstress deluxe"!! It only does one stitch and only one direction but it does it very well. My grandfather bought her the cabnet for a wedding present in 1935. Hopefully I will be able to get that done soon.
Someday I hope to be north and rual. If we are builting our selves there will be a nice sewing room and a room with just a great big clawfoot tub. Way too meny years with one bathroom and small kids  oh and maybe out builtings


----------



## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Elaine - that's a nice haul you got there!

DH and I are making progress today. 

The Bailey is on the quilt frame, don't have it all hooked up yet but we did plug in the foot pedal and sew a few stitches. 

Moved the fancier cabinet upstairs and put the 201 in it, then took the cabinet the 201 was in and moved it downstairs to the bedroom, and then put the 66 wrinkle finish machine back in (it came with that cabinet). Then we agonized over what cabinet to give away along with the 15 DH is fixing up. We finally settled on giving the young girl the small cabinet the 237 was in. So the 237 came out and we put that it the old solid wood cabinet I had the wrinkle finish machine in. And that got moved next to the main machine and will be the base for the ironing station.

Got the board for the ironing station cut, and then moved on to the Ironing board. This is going to be 24x48 and will be braced on the wall on one end with a folding leg on the other end. It fits over the fancy cabinet, and can be stored behind it if I need to take it down. I'm not sure if it will be in my way when using the quilt frame, but if it is I can move it.

I'll post pictures later, but things are coming together and it's looking pretty nice. I sure want to sew, but I have to do this first!


----------

