Sewing Studio

Welcome to my sewing studio!

Shanni over at Shanni Loves... has been sharing her beautiful sewing space and her tips on making a great space to work in, which was perfect timing as I have moved to a new space just recently....again.

  I think I have had moved sewing spaces more than anyone I know...I have set up "shop" in almost every nook and cranny of this house over the last fifteen years. Let's see how long I reside in this space shall we? 

I'll warn you now...this post is picture heavy...but what's new?

My sewing studio is the only finished room in the basement of our house so I have to walk through the unfinished part to get to my room. I'm greeted at the door with this pretty little sign that a lovely lady gave me. Atelier is french for studio or workshop and that's why I thought.... why not call this space a studio...fancy huh? Yup. And I love it! 

So here you have it...ta da!  It's HUUUUUUUGE! Pinch me!

My work space is set up a little like a kitchen would be....in a working triangle. I can go from my cutting table to the ironing board and sewing machines without any obstructions. I have my sewing machine and serger set up on the same desk and though it's a wee bit tight...it works for now. Ideally, I would like to have another small desk (or corner desk) on the wall to the right for my serger and coverstitch machines.

Because my space is in the basement, I have a ledge on two walls that is perfect for my bookshelf and other goodies. As I look at these pictures...I realize that I am a bit of a minimalist when it comes to this room. I don't have a lot of clutter and I really like it that way.

My cutting table is probably my favorite part of this space! It was an old dresser that my son no longer needed and had actually been my husbands when he was a child. We don't like to toss much out in these here parts!!
I painted it with Behr paint from Home Depot in Drumbeat Red. I love this color and the picture doesn't do it justice. I added new library pulls and husband cut and covered a piece of plywood with vinyl, then attached it securely to the top of the dresser. On top if that is a cutting mat that can be cut to size. Husband bought it for my birthday and it is a self healing mat that is also great because slippery fabrics will stay put on it.

I have mentioned before that I pin all of my patterns on a Pinterest board so I can browse my collection easily. When I have settled on something, I can find it in one of these four drawers where they are  filed by pattern company and then in numerical order. Easy peasy!

I keep my threads...the most used ones anyway... in the drawer of my sewing desk. I use small clear trays to separate all my attachments, labels,needles,snips etc.

I painted this old bookcase and it is great storage for all those sewing books and magazines I have collected over the years. 

Once again I hung up this magnetic white board which is indispensable to me. I pin up the instructions and pattern pieces of the project I am working on at the moment. It is also a great place to jot down little reminders to myself.

Here you can see the other side of my cutting table. I left the top over hanging so that I can slide my chair in comfortably. It worked out perfectly.

When we finished this room, it was necessary to put a closet in because we didn't know then what this room may be used for in the future. I'm so glad we did that! I now have a huge walk-in closet to store my stash!! In the picture on the left, you can see that Husband put up a narrow metal strip that I use to hang PDF or self-drafted  pattern pieces with magnetic clips. To the right, are my totes that hold fabric stash and I also hang some clothes that get only occasional wear in here as well.

Vintage patterns displayed on the shelf. The Simplicity 7358 is one I purchased at a thrift shop when I was in high school and I made it up a few times back then. Husband still remembers those dresses and loved them. Too bad they are long gone now...

Every sewing room needs a good mirror! I also like to keep a pair of heels on hand...sounds silly but a dress or skirt looks and feels different when I try it on with shoes.
And who wouldn't love a comfy chair to curl up in?!! Husband sure does love it! He is a frequent visitor when I am working downstairs.

Even though this is a basement room, I am fortunate enough to have a large window that allows a lot of light in and has a beautiful view of the water. Looks like I need to clean that window though!!

There you have it...my sewing studio, as it is for the moment. As always, I have yet more plans for this room. My wish list includes a wallpapered feature wall, a side table next to my chair to hold my coffee (of course!), art work on the wall behind my chair,  and another desk for my coverstitch machine. Always room for improvement right?!