Dreams come to life in a well-organized sewing room/area. Good organization contributes to one’s productivity. Here are a few tips on organizing the sewing room.
Have a designated space for each item. Otherwise, precious time that could be spent sewing is consumed looking for things. Use one spot for storing current projects and works-in-progress.
In the sewing room, take advantage of hidden or neglected storage areas. Examples include furniture with built-in storage, such as ottomans, headboards, and window seats. There are also specially designed plastic bins that fit under beds.
Many types of items can provide storage in a sewing room. Possibilities include cabinets of all sorts, desks, chest of drawers, book cases, shelves, closets, armoires, and file cabinets.
Make use of wall space. Wall organizers are a space saving option. With numerous pouches, these offer convenient storage for small sewing notions and supplies.
Small sewing items can also be kept in baskets, crates, bins, and decorated boxes. Needlebooks are special organizers that keep needles together in one location.
There are many ways to organize thread. Lazy susans can serve as thread holders. Peg board also works well. Use a separate peg for each color. Glass jars are also suitable for spools of thread.
Sewing and quilting magazines should go into magazine holders. Use file totes, file cabinets or other filing systems for loose papers, articles, photos, and similar items.
Various storage options are suitable for sewing patterns. Plastic carts with drawers are convenient. Use a separate drawer for each category of pattern, such as clothing or craft.
A sewing caddy offers a convenient place to store small essential sewing needs, such as scissors and measuring tapes. Several locations are suitable for a caddy. Suggestions include the wide end of the ironing board, under the sewing machine, and on either side of the sewing chair.
Sewing aids that you use most often should be within easy reach. Bulky items that are used infrequently can be stowed in out of the way places, such as closets. Examples include large rolls of interfacing, quilt batting, and bags of poly-fill.
Of all the items in the sewing room, fabric requires the most storage space. Organize your fabric according to your needs. This could be arranged by color, use (home décor, crafts, fashion, quilts) or by fabric line with matching and coordinated swatches tied together in bundles with ribbon. Fold or roll each swatch neatly so you can see the color or print.
There are all sorts of places to store fabrics. It can go on shelves, in cabinets, etc. If large plastic bins are used, choose clear or translucent ones so you can easily locate the swatch you want.
If possible, keep portable sewing machines set up on a table/desk so they’re ready to use. Unpacking them for each work session is a time consuming nuisance. Plug the machine into a surge protector to prevent damage from lightning strikes/etc.
Organizing the sewing room is only the first step. At the end of a work session, put things back where they belong.
