Whether your sewing space is a corner of the dining room, a dedicated closet or a separate room just for sewing, you can make that space inviting and efficient for your sewing tasks. With some thought and organization, your sewing area can be a source of enjoyment and many accomplished projects. Here are 5 tips to start you on your way to a great organized sewing area.
- Create activity zones. Identify sewing-related task areas such as cutting out patterns, machine sewing, pressing, and storage. Group needed items together in one area for each activity. As you determine where items should be placed in your space, think about how often you use those items. Identify high frequency activities and place those activity centers in readily accessible locations. For example, the cutting area may have a raised table, pins, cutting mats, rotary cutters and shears. A bin can be nearby for fabric scraps. Keeping tools near where they are used will save steps and make the work go faster. A full length mirror near an area for trying on clothing is helpful for checking fit.
- Invest in adequate storage. After determining activity zones and related supplies, create a listing of all of the various items you need to containerize. Ask yourself some tough questions before you make a purchase. How often will you use them? Do you want to be able to “grab and go” or do you prefer to have things behind closed doors? If you select boxes with lids, how likely are you to actually put the lids back on and the boxes back on the shelves? Be true to the type of person you are and how you work. For example, if you will never close cabinet doors, do not purchase cabinets for your room—purchase shelving. Containerize like items in attractive boxes, bins or baskets. Think vertical and how valuable storage can extend up the wall with shelves or cabinets. Shop for storage in the home improvement stores as well as in antique and used furniture shops. Don’t overlook old dentist’s storage, map cases, shoe cubbyholes or library tables as creative functional additions to the sewing room. See-through plastic bins and wheeled drawer sets will help you locate sewing tools and accessories.
- Label everything. Placing easy-to-read labels on all containers will save time when you are searching for the taupe polka dot cotton fabric. It will also allow you to remember where different items belong when you put them away.
- Be kind to your body. Keeping the body correctly aligned while sewing and doing other related activities will reduce fatigue and possibility of other medical problems. An adjustable height chair allows you to match the chair height with the specific activity. Adequate lighting helps you make better choices in matching fabrics and notions and minimizes eye strain. Experiment to find the best height for cutting fabrics to reduce back strain. The optimum height varies with an individual’s size. Don’t forget your feet, back and legs with cushioned material on the floor, especially in the cutting area.
- Create a pleasant place. Is function of your space more important, or are aesthetics more important to you? Design your space to fit you and it will be your favorite place to be! Choose your favorite colors for furnishings. Eliminate things that are visually distracting by moving or covering them. Strive for a sense of order rather than clutter. One way to do this is to fold fabrics in a similar size. This enables folded fabric stacks to be arranged according to color or fabric type. Consider a CD player that can provide music or books on tape while you sew.
What do you like best about your sewing space? Comment below and let me know.
