TEXAS gals never cease to amaze me! By FAR, for fabric stash size…TEXAS is the WINNER! My good friend and Houston hostess par excellence, Carol T. was rightfully “busting’ buttons proud” to show off her new AAZING Sewing Studio – which has been several years in the planning. Check out the overall view of this room, just off the dining room/kitchen/living area of their home…. Double doors lead to this Shangri-La so that she can stitch at any time of the day or night that she is up (which is often, with her VERY irregular work schedule), and not disturb her husband (who has an equally schedule-crazy profession!).
Overall view from the doorway…
Looking into her Sewing Heaven from the other main part of the house…..at the back are the ‘hurricane shutters’. At the back right corner is a closet for yarns (picture later), ironing board storage, etc. Check out the HUGE Sewing Table in the center of the room…lit with TWO Stella Edge lights, and cutting mats. Of course, had she not been a helper of mine at the Houston Quilt Festival, she might never have found this great custom sewing furniture-maker! She sits at an ergonomic ‘Saddle Stool’ to sew at this ‘perfect height for cutting’ table. And that storage all around the top of the room is in beautiful custom made cabinetry. Check out the photos below!
Color-Organized stash wound on foam core boards.
And yes, the cabinetry ALL AROUND the top of the room has her STASH stored like this. Knits are separately stored (color-coded of course) from the cottons. I think the Foam Core Idea and trapping is INGENIOUS!!! Oh – and there are no knobs on the cabinets, but rather little ‘finger grooves’ underneath for easy opening. All of her ‘projects’ are in bins in one corner of the storage. Stabilizers, interfacings, etc. are all organized and together in another location.
Carol’s Jacket Kits…she’s just a bit of a FAN of my KITS! The drawer above is full of cut apart sweatshirts…
She even had her cabinet-maker utilize the TOE KICK area of each cabinet – MORE STORAGE!
Toe-Kick area storage…
Countertops are Butcher Block wood… and of course, every sewing room these days needs a computer – perfect in one of the corners! And if You’re wondering if there is a TV – why do you ask? Of course! My friend and her hubby thought of EVERYTHING!
Computer area in a corner…
Pattern storage – OMG!!! This is brilliant! Each ‘brand’ has it’s own color of folder. Londa’s Creative Threads is ORANGE. Then, she’s done as described below each photo…..
And I thought I had too many patterns… Each Brand has a color of folder…
Pattern cover is o ht front of each folder to which a manilla folder has been stapled…..
Then the ‘pockets’ that have been created hold a plastic bag with the pattern pieces!!!
Then…….the directions are INSIDE the colored folder, safe and snug. When using a pattern, she used a wooden tray with a cork tile put into the bottom for which to secure the directions – all standing up, as she sews as seen below.
Below the directions – is a Light Table for tracing. This was a GRAND feature of her central sewing furniture investment.
OH – and Carol is a beautiful BEADER, scrapbooker, AND, by the way, a nurse practitioner! Check out this completely mobile unit that she dreamt up and had made for her beading. It can roll to anywhere in the house she so desires (aka out by the TV with hubby!). The wooden surface pulls out to create the ‘desk’ that she can work at. ALL beads and tools are right at hand in the drawers below.
Carol’s Beading Cabinet – MOBILE!
The pull-out Beading surface.
And those yarns……..cubicles built into the closet that are a full 18″ or so deep – enough to store a full bag of each yarn type/color.
Yarn Storage in the closet.
Lest you say…..where is the ironing board? It is stored in the closet and sets right up in front of the window.
There you are – the Sewing Studio of your dreams. I’m thrilled for my friend. She’s a VERY HARD and devoted nurse, and deserves this Sewing Studio where she can go to ‘be in control’ as we say. She put many hours into its’ planning and execution, and is rightfully proud as a peacock of it. I would be too!
I hope herein are some ideas for YOUR sewing room and organization.