Welcome to my sewing space in the lower level of my house! My living room doubles as my sewing area – much like our dining room has basically become a computer lab. We’re happy here, so no judging please!
Do I have a lot of sewing supplies? Yes, and I want to make sure I can use them, so organizing is super important. I made a video for my YouTube channel (Enchanted Pines Sewing – please subscribe!) about this, but I couldn’t cover all of the little details that make things work. These are the same pictures you see from my video, but check the captions for the extra details!
Fergus is posing in front of some of my apparel fabric in the storage boxes – including the fabric box on top.A couple of Command hooks and two curtain rings with clips make an easy way to display a small quilt.A project bag for my current cross stitch hangs off the metal post.Move the ring and reveal the fabric baskets, organized by color.Every space is well-used, but Fergus doesn’t quite fit.File boxes organize and protect patterns.Inside the boxes, I sort and label patterns by designer.Shelves allow me to organize smaller collections of supplies.The sturdy metal shelving allows me to add storage to the side. On top, a small collection of mini boxes houses my collection of themed zipper pulls.A Divided Basket (Noodlehead patterns) makes a great place to keep more patterns that don’t need to be grouped by designer.
In addition to what I keep in this storage space, I have lots more fabric in the garage! We haven’t kept a car in the garage since long before I took up sewing.
A car length of fabric…Plastic storage containers keep things visible, accessible, and in good shape. A few large rolling storage bags from Target hold apparel fabric.Small plastic containers (in 5 packs fro Michaels) are perfect for small fabric collections.Bigger containers are better for apparel fabric – less reason to drag the whole box into the house.I do my best to avoid wasted space.The Tula tower…organized by colorLove my Tula collection!Yes, I did find my labeling strategy to be clever…Extra interfacing/backstock is easily accessed from a cart.Labeling the containers is important to finding what I want easily.
Back in the main sewing space, my space is limited and my cats are very busy, so I have to consider my set-up very carefully. Once these sweet babies get going, they can knock everything down!
Fergus and Gemma – littermates and playmates (along with their sister Ana)Sweet Ana…all 3 of these precious (yet naughty) littermates are almost a year old.
My sewing desk is the “Alex” desk from IKEA. It has cord storage toward the back and lots of space underneath and a coordinating cabinet beside it.
One wide desk, two machinesMy serger lives under this cover.My main machine is a Skyline S6. I added a noise-absorbing mat and tape that doubles as a conveneint measurement device.My main thread storage is in the boxes along with more patterns.Serger thread is grouped by color.Two big drawers in the desk are perfect for the most needed items.A utensil drawer insert can hold more than spoons and forks.My most useful notions cabinetEasily accessible, but out of the cats’ reachBusy kitty Gemma…I have to make sure my storage can stand up to her shenanigans (and Fergus and Ana’s too)
The big cabinet with the glass doors is also an IKEA find. Adjustible shelves and visible storage are protected from the furbabies. They will go inside this if they can even get a paw inside!
Well-used storage items such as carts and a huge bookcase with a cabinet below are functional way to collect items.
My travel sewing machineThe cart is easily moved when needed and sturdy enough to take kitties launching themselves from the top of it.Patterns such as these Simplicity ones are organized by number.The top part of my big cabinet with fabric bins and bags holding pattern magazinesBottom shelf holds the booksLower cabinet is the perfect spot to stash all sorts of interfacing and batting.Magazine storageSturdy decorative bags hold my collections of European pattern magazines such La Mia Boutique (Italy), Knipmode (The Netherlands), and Ottobre (Finland).If I don’t fill in the bookcase space, I get kitty capers…Big bags can easily hold collections of larger patterns.Another sturdy metal cart holds baskets of precuts.
With these 3 kitties, taping down the smaller storage units becomes a necessity – as do lids keeping them out of as many places as possible. They are busy!
Open items have to be up high enough and on places where the cats can’t get a perch.Label as much as possible – I get my monety’s worth out of my P-touch label maker.Taped down drawers don’t get knocked off the cart and hold lots of useful things.Vinyl and cork rolls stand up nicely in this crate.Inside the gkass door cabinetCurious kitty poking around…A metal cart with colorful plastic drawers holds all sorts of notions – including my backstock of thread.Locking plastic containersSmall patterns in a small boxRulers are stored and protected in these pretty bags.An open cart makes a good place to store a few more patterns and supplies.A little whimsical wall decor
In another room, I have my Bernette Deco embroidery machine along with other craft supplies and my home office.
My machine sits on a cabinet and countertop set-up with the hoops on hooks above.Embroidery suppliesMessy, but all in oner spot – my most-used threadA rainbow of additional colors – luckily these are not easy for the cats to mess with.Round containers with matte embroidery threadNovelty vinyl for small projects
So…is it a little cluttered? Maybe, but it’s organized, colorful, and protected from nutty kitties. Plus, I have been able to add little touches such as some of my Disney souvenirs.
The other thing that goes along with this are my digital storage solutions. I’ll be sharing this in an upcoming video and blog post.
