Sewing Room Tour

October 26, 2011

I have had a sewing/crafting room since forever.  Even as a little girl I've been a collector of lace bits, spools, fabric, yarn, beads, shells, glitter, you name it, I have collected it, organized it and sometimes even found uses for it!  I've just given my sewing room a good cleaning up and clearing out plus a fresh coat of paint.  Since I LOVE to see other crafty places, I've been wanting to share my space with you.

I am crazy mad for my little space and LOVE any time I spend in here.  I find calm in my room, and for sanity's sake I give this room a different lower standard of clean control than the rest of the house.  I am not so crazy as to think I can keep my sewing room neat at all times, but it's almost always sorta clean and sorta organized.  I love the freedom to be messy in here, then close the door and walk away. Now with that said, please step inside and poke around, and today I consider it about as tidy as it gets.


The color is Benjamin Moore's Sweet Butter, makes me feel like I'm inside a squash blossom, bright and cheery, sunny and warm.

Step into the room and you are right in front of my main work space.  About 12 years ago I employed a teenage friend of my son to put up laminate cabinets. These cabinets and the black and white vinyl stick on tiles were close-outs from Home Depot, super cheap but have held up well.


There's plenty of storage in the cupboards.  Boxes and bins of buttons, glues, glitters, shells, stamps, feathers, beads, patterns, trims, and all kinds of fun stuff.


If you can think of something that might be in a crafty place, 'tis here, tidily organized.


Below are two heavy-duty solid oak chests salvaged from a store downtown that was remodeling. We topped them with a piece of Formica which is the perfect indestructible surface for my endeavors.  The large swing arm lamp is great, I pull it around to any angle and get excellent light for detail work. 


I've covered up the units with some soft black pin-stripe linen shirting.  I attached curtain rods to the top of the units, just under the Formica top.


 The curtains are really easy to flip up or push aside to access the down under.

Linen pinstripe fabric was half price at Joann's Fabrics.
So what is down under?  Behind the curtains you'll find a big basket of fabric stash, a shelf for oversized paper, quilt stencils, paper cutter, and a bin of acrylic paints.  It also holds my space heater that is needed for the winter months.  This little room can be so cold! 


The DVR on this TV has the best stuff saved on it...Masterpiece Theater, Fashion Police, old movies from the 40s.  It's a great TV to watch.


But what is behind that curtain below?  OK, here it is, get ready for the big stash reveal.

These drawers are huge!
I know I should have warned you, right?  Mine is bigger than yours, I just know it, I'm not proud of that.  Four big drawers hold 1) fingering and lace, 2) dk weight, 3) worsted and 4) aran and bulky.

In these drawers are some projects that need to be started, like this nice yarn purchased early this year for Veera's stripe study shawl, I would love to get cracking on this.

Pretty Hand Maiden fingering weight yarn.
Oh there's plenty more new projects in the waiting, but most is left over odd bits of finished projects waiting for that day when I make the large scrappy afghan, scrappy adult and baby surprise jackets galore and who knows what else.  The yarn is the only bit of knitting supplies that is stored in here.  My books and needles and other knitting notions are in the family room where I seem to do more of my knitting, a little more social, ya' know?  I posted about that here.

Another tall cupboard with more boxes of trims and laces, needlepoint supplies, stickers, pipe cleaners, paper dresdens, doilies....


My favorite organizer is this DMC thread case.  I bought it 35 years ago when I worked at a needlepoint shop.  It holds my floss so nicely.


Next is the closet.  The room is so tiny that I had to take the door off, it couldn't fully open with the large sewing table in the way.


Behind the curtains are big, deep shelves that contain more shocking examples of the hoarder in me: designer fabric samples I've collected,  the remains of a business I used to have and can't seem to let go of,  patterns, files, pillow forms, unfinished projects, paper, etc.


The big sewing table is from Ikea as is the notions drawer next to it.  Each drawer is labeled for quick access.  Another swing arm lamp, I need good light!


The only window faces north and looks onto the quiet street, not much to see but our big pretty magnolia.


My sewing machine is a trusty Viking.  This table usually has a project on it, but it's been tidied it up because I knew you were coming!


 Above the sewing table to the right is a vintage plate shelf that holds my pretty ribbons.


To the right is this bookcase rescued from a book store in town that was going out of business about 25 years ago (does any Los Altan remember the Book Nest on Main?)  It's also oak and super sturdy.


Crayons are in this vintage doll wagon.


All my craft books are housed here, over 40 years worth.  Most haven't been opened in years, I use the internet now.  Still, I just can't get rid of them.  Anyone interested in re-learning the cool craft of macrame?  I love my dollies, dressed in cute little knits.  I've blogged about these little dears here.


I needed a tiny but comfy chair for this little space and found this at Restoration Hardware.   The wool blanket is used even in the summer, did I say this room is cold?  A tiny chest of drawers holds handy little items and is topped with another essential reading lamp.


Behind is the built in ironing board.  What a great invention.  (You can see how I've used every INCH of space!)


Well, we have completely circled around my little room and are at the end of our tour.  Thank you so much for coming by!

Edited to add:  This post was shared in a blog party over at It's Overflowing with Creativity and a linky party at No Minimalist Here and Naps on the Porch.




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15 Comments

  1. Kristen, I simply loved having the tour of your amazing craft room! Thank you so much for inviting us in to share your fabulous space. It is just perfect - I can only imagine how much you love having it. You have indeed utilized your space perfectly. And I have to say: I used to take such comfort in the fact that you said you would never show us your stash, imagining that it must be so large and I could feel better about my own. Alas, I'm afraid my stash could hold it's own with yours. :-)

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  2. Thank you for inviting us! What a great little room! So organized! So yellow! (My favorite color - always makes me happy!)

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  3. What a wonderful room! The warm yellow paint job is fabulous and I love how you have squeezed so much utility out of the space. The DMC thread case is really cool; I have all mine organized in binders but this is more aesthetically appealing.

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  4. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your crafting room and how you have it organized!!!! I also share a penchant for beads, buttons, feathers, stamps, and whatnot but have no space for any of it - LOL Nor, if truth be known, am I a tidy nature. Hence my crafting supplies are squirreled away in bags and bins all in a muddle. I'm amazingly resourcefully at finding things when I want them though! You certainly have inspired me to try and do better :)

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  5. I very much enjoyed this tour! Thank you so much for posting it and sharing it with us! Its beautiful and very well organized.... My sewing space is the happiest place on earth for me :)

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  6. Kristen, it looks beautiful. I see my little Doll that Santa brought me when I was nine. Also love seeing the old Coffee cans from my Parents. You did save many things when you were young and you also collected many shells. I am very proud of you for many reasons.

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  7. Thanks so much for sharing! I have the same sentiments about my play space too. Don't know what I'd do without my sewing room. Matter of fact, I'm headed there right now to work on a new raffle quilt for Carenet Pregnancy center :) You can check mine out here if you like http://kwinrc.blogspot.com/2010/03/new-sewing-room.html

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  8. Oh my, you have a dream craft room. A place of your own! Space for every hobby and so organized! (even though you assure us it's not always this tidy :o). I have a "fiber and art room," but my crafts have also migrated to other parts of the house, with sewing in the dining room, fair isle in the living room, and so on. Thanks for the tour of your room! Your remodel looks so bright and sunny.

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  9. what fun - thank you so much for the tour! love how you've tailored the space to match your passions...colors, storage, light, seating, even what's on the DVR!

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  10. Kristen, I wanted to tell you that this post was a wonderful present for my birthday. I admired your sewing room, but got a phone call and forgot to leave you a comment.
    I love you room! You are so organized! Love the color palette and especially love the floors! I loved how you reused some items and mix old and new. Thank you for sharing!

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  11. That is so unbelievably awesome I can hardly stand it! Be careful what you share on here...someone like me may come and visit a bit too often! That's a crafter's DREAM! Thanks for sharing at Overflowing with Creativity! I’m excited to continue being inspired by you in 2012!!! XO, Aimee

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  12. LOVE you sewing room. The colors are wonderful. Love all of your boxes and storage spaces. I can only dream of having a space that nice.... some day.

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  13. wow what a wonderful sewing room, you have space for all the things you need...what a pleasure it would be to create in this great space...I loved the tour and the great shots of the space...I am a new follower of yours and I will be back to see more...Please come over for a visit...

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  14. Your craft room is wonderful, Kristen! I, too, have my own dedicated space and love it. I'm with you on surrounding myself with the little things that make me smile. I think I may just have more schotzkies in my space than you. I'm also a very "visual" person, especially in sewing and crafting, and like having most of my things out in full view. While some would see it as clutter, I see it as art and wonderful inspiration -- well, that's my story and I'm stickin' with it! I have that same corner unit from IKEA, and it's my sewing area (I used to use it for my computer area). A lot of my room decor and storage came from IKEA. Anyway, I truly enjoyed your tour!

    Carol

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  15. wow! To have that kind of space and you've put it all to use so beautifully.

    - The Tablescaper

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