Date: 10/16/09 7:05 PM

It is with great shame that I am posting pictures of my sewing annex.

Ever since moving last June, I've not really ever managed to get it set up in a way that works and flows well. However, with the latest furniture shifting, I think I may be close.

The sewing annex houses not only my sewing stuff, but other craft supplies and all of the vintage jewelery, accessories, games, toys and pop culture things I covet. With no structure in place, it's turned into a dumping ground.

I've made a few efforts over the last several months to sort it out by purchasing racks for under my sewing table and along the low/apex walls of the annex section (DH hung those for me).

The room is stifling me. I've done nothing this last week because I walk in and don't know where to begin.

Hopefully these shameful pictures will motivate me into getting my back side in gear. I've just printed off labels for plastic storage bins that need sorting out. I thought that would be a good starting part.

I also need to address lighting, but I'll do that after it's organized.

OK, I'm running for cover!

Main Sewing Room:







Annex Section:

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A bad day in the sewing room is better than a good day at the office.

Getting through life, one stitch at a time.

http://when-ladies-dressed.blogspot.com/

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Reply to Kellie R.
Date: 10/16/09 8:03 PM

Kellie, you have sewn in excess of 76 yards this year!! WOW...congrats! Mess is going to happen! Doing the lables was a great start. I have heard it said that a label machine may be the most useful tool to organization. I don't know if that's true, but what a great start! Remember, one step at a time. While organizing, also thin. Just do one thing at a time, and one thing a day if that's all you can handle. David Allen's organizational training taught me that in 10 short minutes you can do SOMETHING. I think that was the most valuable thing I learned in the course! It is very freeing. Good luck! I love the space you have!

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"Let's play librarian. I'll read and in 6 hours you come and tell me the library is closing."
--Brick Heck

"Begin each day as if it were on purpose."
--Mary Anne Radmacher

Blogging at http://eyeletsintheseams.blogspot.com/

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Date: 10/16/09 8:44 PM

Wow! You have fabric on bolts! That's cool. Your space looks used, not particularly disorganized.

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Reply to Kellie R.
Date: 10/16/09 8:51 PM

WOW.. I LOVE the dog in the background...do you have another pic of him ?? and is that pine chest a broyhill piece..its pretty too..
NOW the way I look at it is with everything out in the open it can't be too hard to find things, so bet you can spend more time sewing, and less time looking for things, or even cleaning, since whats the point anyway.. cleaning takes a lot of time away from sewing and it just has to be done again, and again.
So leave it like it is, and take the time to play with your dogs instead.

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Date: 10/16/09 9:01 PM

It looks like a great space that just needs some tweeking. You have plenty of empty shelves under your cutting table that could take up some of your clutter. If the wire shelves are difficult to use line them with cardboard or vinyl or measure and buy bins to fit. Your fabric annex would be great lined with shelves and keeping some of the hanging space. How about a cork board and some pictures on the walls to give it a more finished look. My dd the organizational queen took photos of each side of my sewing room and studio a few years ago and came up with a re organization plan that moved things to point of use. I had changed my use, but not where I stored things. This made a huge difference to workability in my sewing room. She also suggested bins for current projects to one, keep my work space uncluttered, and two, I don't lose pieces and notions. I measured my fabric storage closet and when Target had a sale I bought covered storage bins to hold my fabric. I bought a Brother labeler to label what type of fabric is in each bin, as well as keeping a spread to keep track of them too. I have multiple tools at different stations like pins, rulers and markers. It still gets messy, but it's much easier to put it back together now.

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www.nancyksews.blogspot.com

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Date: 10/16/09 9:14 PM

I love the dogs. They can stay It's fun to try to fix up someone else's space, so this is just my opinion and you can hate it all if you want!

I think you have the right idea by using your annex for storage. It has a door that you can close and keep the mess out of sight. That was the most important thing for me when I decided to have a dedicated sewing room, was that I could close the door and not see it. (and husband could not complain about the mess).

If I were you, I would take everything out of the sewing space that doesn't belong, and stuff it in the annex. So, clothing rack, books, bins, shelves, and leave yourself a sewing table and cutting table. Then pretending that you're working on something, act out cutting, and sewing, pressing and fitting. What do you need back in there? Dress form? Another table for bits and pieces? The TV definitely. That lovely bureau. Keep your work space for your active project.

The second step is then organising the annex. You've got a lot of nice wire shelving. I would run that down one side to make a work in progress and hanging space, using your existing clothing rack too, and then towards the end have the wire shelving with your bolts. Across the back wall I would build deep shelves, like 20" deep using basic L brackets and white laminate from Home Depot. (cheap). At that point, bin as much as you can and label it with your newly purchased labelmaker. Put a reading chair along the along long wall, with a lamp and a beer fridge and that is your area to muse what you want to work on next. You'll see items in progress, bolts of fabric and the dribs and drabs of things will be hidden. A dog bed has to go in somewhere too.

You've got a lot of shelving things, but they don't really work together. Pick one style you like, or is most useful, and donate the rest.

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Date: 10/17/09 9:54 AM

Wow, I can't believe what a disast... wait a minute, that is a picture of my sewing space I'm looking at, not yours.


Seriously, I think it looks like a great sewing area in the middle of some remodeling. My suggestion: Get the fabric off the floor & on to those shelves, and you will start to feel better immediately. Don't expect the space to be perfect, just aim to get rid of the immediate clutter and then you can formulate a longer term plan.

And I'm definitely not showing you any pictures of what my sewing area looks like right now. I really need to do some organizing right now also. Too many UFOs piled on top of each other.

-- Edited on 10/17/09 9:55 AM --

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With a great wardrobe that's still in the flat-fabric stage.

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Reply to Kellie R.
Date: 10/17/09 12:10 PM

When I saw need to organize thought I would take a look maybe I'd feel better about mine. Didn't help looks like a true sewing area. I'm going to get busy organizing mine. I do like your sewing annex.

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Date: 10/17/09 12:43 PM

Kellie - you can do it, you have a great space to work with so you are positioned for success.....keep us posted on the progress.

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2009: bought 140 yards, used 184 yards, net increase in volunteer fabric 44 yards ... total stash 385

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Reply to Kellie R.
Date: 10/17/09 12:47 PM

You have a really nice sewing space! Your mess is not huge but I think I know what you mean since piles and things without a place in my sewing room make me crazy and keep me from sewing.

Is that a window on one wall in your main sewing area? I see a frame that looks like a window. Daylight illuminating your sewing machine table is great so maybe the sewing table would work there?

It's hard to get a feel for the layout of your rooms with all the doors in the photos but it seems like there is a traffic problem. What comes to mind is placing the sewing table beneath the window (if there is one) and turning the cutting table 90 degrees to create an easy path through the room and to the storage. The wall with the pegboard might be better with more flat to the wall things like more pegboard and a mirror. Somehow the wire shelf there is a visual clutter magnet. Perhaps that shelf style would be better to have in the storage room.

Love your storage room. With shelving that is deep enough and functional it will be your sanity saver for organizing and storing all your valuable good things.

That wood or wood like shelf with the cube box storage is visually pleasant. How about putting that in the sewing area? After moving the sewing table I might put it where the sewing table is now. With the vintage machine on top. And the oval mirror on the wall above.

OK, i'll get out of your house now. I just can't help it, I always arrange rooms that I go into whether in real life or virtually.

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Liz

thefittinglife.blogspot.com

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