Create The Perfect Sewing Room

How many of us have the home sewing room we dream about? Inspired by all of the amazing posts we see on instagram, I thought we’d find out the best way to create our own! And who better to ask than our friends at Modernize – who are pretty crafty when it comes to designing workspaces. Here are a few of their amazing tips to get you started.

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Plan A Functional Workspace

First, you’ll need to pick a room to serve as your sewing space. Easier said than done, right? A spare bedroom is ideal, but if you don’t have that space, don’t let it hold you back. Think outside the box. Perhaps your office could double as a sewing room, or when was the last time you used your garage? I know some people who have a sewing shed in the garden. (Remember, however, you will need a power supply.) Or maybe you have a loving family/housemates who won’t mind you taking over a corner of the living room.

Choose your space and think about how to set up your equipment. You’ll need enough room to spread out fabric when measuring and cutting, either on a table or the floor with your cutting board which you can click this to find. If you specialise in apparel, you will need a dress form for draping, pattern-making, and garment construction. Full-size ironing boards require extra space, but you could easily transition to a tabletop or mini-size ironing board instead. You could also get a steam iron that will require less space and get the wrinkles out, check these out here.

Storage is a huge component of a well-organised sewing room (more on that later.) For now, just calculate space for cabinets, shelves, plastic bins and anything else you may need. Shop for the furniture you don’t already have, like extra bookshelves or cubby systems to store all of those awesome materials. Planning stage is complete!

Organise the Chaos

Remember when you were a kid and you could go crazy with finger paints, crayons, markers, watercolours, and just about everything else, all in one day? Sometimes sewing seems like that. You have to use so many materials, accessories, and tools that if your space is not well-organised, it becomes chaotic in a matter of minutes.

Browse craft stores when they have clearance sales to score sweet deals on thread and fabric organisers. You can also store fabric in large plastic bins, which you can find at most dollar stores and budget retail stores. When it comes to organising your fabric stash, try separating by type. You’ll probably want to keep your apparel fabrics separate from quilting or general craft fabrics. Group your interfacings together for easy navigation.

Fabric can easily become tangled and creased, so fold it in neat squares every time you’re done cutting, and store any small pieces in a scrap basket or jar. Pro tip: Wrap fabric around small pieces of cardboard for crisp, flat, and wrinkle-free storage.

[Tweet “Pro tip: Wrap #fabric around cardboard for wrinkle-free storage. #win”]

Threads, lace and ribbon are versatile when it comes to organisation. Hanging racks, tabletop stands and plastic bins will all keep your workspace nice and tidy. Make sure to label everything for easy access. You wouldn’t want to break up your artistic flow looking for that shiny black ribbon.

Light Up Your Space

Research shows natural sunlight can improve your health, enhance your mood and boost your productivity. Plus, natural light illuminates aspects of a fabric that you might not notice under artificial light. If possible, position your sewing machine on a desk by the window so you can pull inspiration from the beauty of nature and enjoy some happy sunshine. If your workspace doesn’t include a window, install soft overhead track lighting or light bulbs that replicate natural sunlight. You’ll probably want a tabletop lamp as well.

Now it’s time to decorate! Whether you’re inspired by Paris couture, colourful sewing supplies, vintage wine labels or something else, make your workspace your hub of creativity. Branch out with new paint colours, wallpapers or vinyl decals, then display fun accessories on shelves throughout.