Question: How do you organize your sewing area ...

[norahkate]

wow!  i'm slightly humbled by all the great and innovative ideas...
and to think that i was just posting to giggle at the fact that you used the terms "organize" and "sewing area" in the same sentence.
 

[funda62]

This months Martha Stewart has a beautiful fold-up craft space made out of two book cases, with instructions! I got it a week ago & just read it today, silly me, could have mentioned it the first time I replied 

Ooo that sounds intriguing.  Does it actually look doable?

[SpottedFrog]

It's very doable the only hitch (which isn't much of one, just a few more bucks) is the bookcase that swings needs to be solid wood, most cheap book cases are masonite on the back and not as structurally sound as a result. My Billy ones from Ikea wouldn't fly on this project.

[mrsflibble]

I don't have space to created a sewing area. my sewing area is my kitchen table!! therefore my sewing stuff is scattered far and wide.
I also live with a clutter nazi who has given up complaining!!!
we've not eaten at the table for the best part of a week 'cos when I hit a bout of depression, I sew...I'm coming out of it now so expect the posts to die off a little lol!

[Kymy]

well this is mine....

http://everythingyourmamamade.com/2008/01/21/getting-ready-for-the-sewingmamas-feb-stash-game/

[multicrafty]

I completely feel your pain.  Our old house had absolutely NO room for a sewing anything for me.  I managed though and used my daughters changing table (that she had outgrown) to hold all my fabric and what nots in our bedroom.  Then I took a bookshelf (bought at Walmart years ago) that we had and put that in the dining room to hold my sewing machine, buttons, and any project that I was working on.  When it was time for me to sew, I used my dining room as my "sewing room".  It sucked because it meant that I couldn't leave any project lay out because, well, it was our dining room.

Now that we have moved, I have my own sewing room (which strangely I'm still trying to organize).

My suggestion is to keep your stash and stuff to a minimum.  That way you don't have hoards of fabric and ribbon to worry about organizing and finding a place for. Another thing that I have in my craft room is a clothes line that I use for my patterns that I'm working on.  They aren't all over the floor for my girls (or myself for that matter) to trample on and when I'm done with my pattern, everything goes back into the envelope and put away.

Here's a picture of what I'm talking about.

I just took clothes line (got at the dollar store) and nails and attached it that way.  It's actually very useful and I love having it.

[JennasMommy]

Hoping we can keep this thread going, would love to see more cheap & creative organizing ideas. Keeping note of everything so I can make the most of my small future sewing room.

Penlowe --You give the meaning to the phrase IF YOU WANT SOMETHING BAD ENOUGH YOU WILL FIND A WAY. I can't believe you fit all those things in that 10 x 6 area, including feeding the dog . What an inspiration! The floor plan we are looking at right now has a storage area that size (10 x 6 or 10 x and thats what I am planning on using for my sewing room. Its going to be ajoined to my laudry room. I want to maximize every square inch of space. For weeks DH has been telling me we have no where to put a machine right now, but I proved him wrong. He just doesn't get it, having a desk at home means I can spend more time at home instead of at my parents sewing. I don't think he truely understands the passion I have for sewing and machine embroidery. I'm sure most hubbys don't though.

Thanks for the heads up about the Martha Stewart article, sounds very interesting. Need to check it out. REAL SIMPLE has alot of nice organizing articles too.

Angie --love the clothesline idea for patterns. Sure most of have wasted space UP in the air. Told DH he will have to build shelves that go up to the ceiling, bet you can imagine how excited he was to hear that .

Kymy--nice neat sewing area. One day I hope my fabric stash will be neat as yours.

mrsflipple--Our dinner table is perminately used as our office area, so no eating there. Once we build its going to be so nice to eat at a table for once .

[shewolf]

What I did was I found a old electric organ cabiniet and used that as my surface - Then I got some cheap plastic drawers and piled them on top of each other for my fabric.

Large stuff has to be cut on the floor or kitchen table, but most shirts/kid stuff fits fine. My only issue is the organ bench (which holds my thread organisers) is huge so the kids like to join me. and 2 year olds aren't helpful.

I posted the recon here. Linkage: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=207042.0  Only change since then is the awesome red rotaty phone I got to replace the $10 walmart phone I had there

[SpottedFrog]

I love my space now bacause I have so much natural light, I'm a morning person & I have double French doors that face East As much as I love those doors the two doors and trhe side lights take up ten feet of wall space :/ not to mention their doors... So my challenge now is dealing with storage solutions that are freestanding.

[jasar31629]

We have a 2 br apt.- 2 adults and our dd.  She is in our room with us and has her own little niche in there...many think we're crazy to room with her until they see our place    It just makes sense for us right now.  Our 2nd room is our 'workroom'- we have many craft hobbies and also homeschool so it's quite necessary!  We also have the TV in there with a couch that pulls out into a bed if we have company over for the night (only happened once so far but hey!).  A 6'table holds our printer and some supplies as well as my sew. machine.  There's a cube type shelf with our art stuff and a little end table with space in there for our paints and some misc. things. 
That being said, my fabrics and stash are actually in the hall.  We have a wider hall that is wheelchair accessible and we really didn't need the space and so decided to put a bookshelf there (we have 9ft ceilings so they are about 8ft high)...at the same time we decided why not go the length of the hall and do a cupboard the same size and a half one (where my dd's clothing is except her dresses- they used to be in there but finally grew too long so they're in the 2nd room closet now).  I got them from IKEA- see here for the 2 door one: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S69826598  It was a great investment for us as it's probably tripled our closet space.  They're about 13" deep and we still have PLENTY of walking space in the hall...you could still fit a wheelchair down there! 
I guess it's just trying to find nooks and crannies you can put things in (like toys and books etc) that otherwise take up precious floor space you need.  Most of E's toys are hidden away in nooks and crannies- she knows right where they all are.  I've devoted a corner in our living room for her- it blends with our decor but it's 'her' corner- her desk and cube shelf with books and toys (in nice cube boxes so it's not an eyesore) and some small shelves hung on the wall for her library books...
See what you can use vertically as well- is there enough space in a closet to add an extra shelf up top for things not used as often?  We put swim stuff up for the summer and games we take out usually only at family gatherings... 
Oh- and my mom thinks it's funny but she's grown to love it- I'm obsessed with putting things in nice boxes.  Who wants to open a closet full of junk staring you in the face??  I love my closets with designated boxes!  Many things that would be out in the open (like the endtable in the 2nd rooms that stores paints) have pretty boxes or baskets that hold our art supplies- easy to pull out and 'contain' and it keeps the jumble from the roving eye 
Sorry for the novel- hope something in that mess of a post gives you a fresh idea you could work with in your home!