Anyway - think about the different kinds of work you do -- designing, sewing, reading (oh yes, I've got a reading chair too), fabric stash, ironing (ironing board permanently open under one of the design walls), etc etc. There's a lot to this quilting biz! Then figure out how to work in the stuff the way it works for you (iron on the left, desk on the right, for example) as well as makes sense (no direct sun on fabrics, for example). (PF)
For my dream sewing room.....a large walk in closet for Fabric. Shelf space for books and patterns. A full wall for a design wall. Space for a sewing machine table that will hold both a sewing machine and a serger. Plenty of space in the center of the room for a cutting/design table. Lots of good lighting, preferably halogen lights. Room for a comfortable chair for relaxing with some handwork....facing the VCR/TV. Room for a desk for my computer, a phone (might as well have a phone, gotta have the line for the modem). A window with a nice view of the mountains (I live at the foot of the Rockies) would be pleasant too. I'm sure I'll think of more, but that's it for now. (SW)
Be sure to have a design wall: a large, empty space on which to pin blocks, swatches, and works-in-progress. I have a 4'x8' sheet of cellotex (sp.?) mounted on one wall; it's so wonderful that I wish I had room for two sheets, side by side. I can even pin quilts on it to photograph. I got in it a lumber supply place for $13.00. My son mounted it for me with an electric screwdriver. At the very least, mount a length of flannel on your wall and use it either for pinning or as a flannel board. (PS)
Mary Mashuta has written articles for Threads and maybe also for QNM or AQS on how to design a sewing room. She gives recommendations for lighting and window covering, etc. You certainly need storage for fabric (out of light) and books (I ran out of room so books are going into another room) and a 8x8 design wall (or 10x10) as big as possible. Cutting table at standing height is great, etc. Good luck. (S/B)
I've made two changes that have really helped me. First, my sewing area is beside several windows, the second is halogen lighting. At first I was afraid the 500 watts would break the bank! I haven't noticed it at all!! Of course I use the natural light as much as I can. (TS)
I have a room for my sewing and computer. It is small, but it is mine!!!! The best feature, besides the sewing machine and computer, is a remote control CD/stereo. I can sit and sew, talk on Internet, and punch buttons to hear whatever music I like. This room has only one window, though. I would rather have a wall of them. Outside the window I have bird feeders and bird bath...Quite nice for entertaining the wildlife and me! There is a large folding table and only one bookcase. I was going to put shelves on the wall, but we are probably moving in about a year or two, so no holes in the walls. I have (a must) a design wall--white felt up with push pins around and above my sewing machine.
When we move, one of the main features I will look for is a room for my sewing and computer. Right now I am working full time., but in 24 years (sooner if I can help it) I will retire, and now I am buying all the toys I might need! The other thing I would recommend in two tables for cutting and rotary stuff. The one table I have seems to keep getting occupied with exchange envelopes, etc. Room for two would be nice! (PK)
We must have a design wall. Mine is portable and has been in the studio apt, my previous sewing room and now rests in the "Wing". I took an 8' length of thin wood (molding works well) and use about 4 nails to nail it to the top of the wall where the ceiling meets it. then I used some cheap muslin (as mentioned above) and tacked it to the wood molding. During my last move in Nov. I just pulled the wood, and the nails, off the wall and rolled it up (with a few projects still pinned to it!). My farm house is old and has no closets, there are a few nooks here and there with narrow shelves so I use them for my ever expanding quilting library. My sewing machines are scattered all around. My latest acquisition is in my "fabric room" along with my antique sewing table.
I'm using self standing closets to store my non-quilting fabric, batting, ufo's, etc. I have a small (24"x36") drafting table that I use as a cutting table but will use my huge table out in the porch when it warms up outside. Use peg board to hang your tools. You'll only need a couple of nails to secure it to the wall and then can hang lots of goodies from it. Also use the hanging thread racks. They keep your thread neat and visible. (MB)
My sewing room is about 10x12, so not particularly large. A double-size window is in one wall, the door from the hall is in the opposite wall at the corner, and a sliding-door closet is in a third wall, the one the door is nearest to. When you walk into the room, to the immediate right of the door is a small desk with shelves and drawers. The shelves currently contain books not pertinent to sewing (and so can be moved out to the new bookcase if I need the space). My sewing machine sits on top of the desk and the drawers have stuff like attachments, needle cases, and other small impedimenta for sewing. To the right of the desk is a tall (over 6') set of shelves. The shelves are something like 15" apart. One shelf is all sewing books. The other shelves hold UFO's, finished projects waiting to be mailed out, fabric for clothes (as differentiated from fabric for quilts), and yarn. In front of these shelves is a floor lamp. The shelves tuck into the corner of the room.
The wall right of the door has a 2-yard length of ecru flannel tacked up on it. This is my design wall. In front of it are a couple of little picnic end tables...I put my current project on one of these, and the other is for guests and for projects that have to be put on hold while (for example) a round-robin exchange block gets done or something.
In the corner opposite the door, and next to the window, is a small bookcase (3' high?) holding magazines, safety pins for basting quilts, fusible interfacing, ribbon, knitting needles, marking equipment of all kinds, floss, templates, clothing patterns, all that stuff. Next to the bookcase is a cutting table: a 3'x6' slab of melamine (like Formica but not slick) on tubular sawhorses. The cutting table has a couple of cutting mats on it, the rotary cutter, various sized rulers, and sometimes a pair or two of scissors. The cutting table runs under the window. On the wall next to the window on the other side from the little bookcase is a spool holder.
The corner next to the spool holder is occupied by the closet, where I hang clothing to be mended (and hide my ironing basket when I have company!). Between the closet door and the door in is another bookcase. This is the bookcase I emptied out when I got my new bookcase. Now it holds all my quilting fabric. The top holds fabric I haven't sorted into colors. The bottom shelf holds large chunks (3 yds or more) of fabric that aren't needed yet for UFO's.
What the new bookcase did for me was: when all my fabric was on the shelves right of the sewing desk, I put all my UFO's and FO's on the cutting table. This got to be quite a heap, and discouraged me psychologically from working on anything but the current project (which had to stay on the design wall). Now everything is both at hand and in its proper place.
On the bookshelf where I have my quilt fabric, each piece of fabric is folded into a rectangle so that its narrow dimension is a touch under 1/4 of the shelf length (so I have four stacks of fabric on each shelf), and the long dimension is a touch under the depth of the shelf. If the fabric came off the bolt right sides together, then I fold one strip of fabric over so that the right side is visible. The sun from the window can't reach this bookcase, and the lamp is on the other side of the room, so I expect fading to be minimal. And the neat rows of fabric on the white shelves are quite inspirational, too! (CB)
I recently moved and was able to designate one room in the place a sewing room. I consider my arrangement a masterful response to a difficult situation! My new home is a 2-story duplex apartment, with two tiny bedrooms on the first floor, and one tiny and one enormous bedroom on the 2nd floor. The 2nd floor is built right up under the eaves, so in the tiny bedroom the ceiling slants from 4 feet up off the floor nearly to the center of the room. The full-sized walls are taken up by a window and the doorway out. There's no room at all for a design wall. In the enormous bedroom, however, one wall is shared by the other apartment, so I have a full-height wall about 12 feet long, uninterrupted by anything like windows. The tiny bedroom opens onto the stairs; if the door to the enormous bedroom is left open, one can stand in the tiny room and look across the length of the apartment to that big blank wall.
The tiny bedroom upstairs is now my sewing room. I have adjustable shelves that reach 7 feet in height; I rearranged them to be two smaller sets of shelves 3 1/2 feet high and tucked them under the eaves. Another 4' bookcase also fits nicely under the eaves. These shelves hold UFO's and equipment. One 6' bookcase fits just barely between the eaves and the window; it holds my stash. A jelly cupboard fits just barely between the eaves and the door; it holds my knitting supplies. A 6-foot cutting table runs from under the eaves to under the window; it holds my current project plus cutting mats, etc. A wicker trunk also sits under the eaves and holds batting, large hoops and embroidery frames, etc. A small desk sits next to the door opposite the jelly cupboard and holds the sewing machine and its detritus. The ironing board stands in isolated splendor in the middle of the room; from it everything is within reach. And if I'm sitting and slaving over the hot sewing machine, I can lean a bit to my left and look out the door and see, on that enormous blank wall in the bedroom, a 6 foot by 7 1/2 foot design wall with my latest creation forming on it. (CB)
B. Good ways to organize sewing room/studio space
Place storage containers under your worktable to take advantage of the "dead" space there. Keep the ironing board right beside the worktable. With an auto-off iron you can keep the iron plugged in at all times (GH)
Take one or two 4'x8' paneling, really cheap and thin. Nail with paneling nails to studs. These nails make a very tiny hole. Staple white felt to them and voila, there is your design wall. (SC)
I ordered a book by Nancy Crow that had wonderful pictures of her workroom. Huge. She had free standing board with feet that formed a v. If you have seen the blackboards that are movable, you can get the idea. {The name of the book is Nancy Crow: Quilts and Influences, published by AQS.) She had a stepladder standing by it. It could be used on both sides. Of course, you can never have too much pegboard. Maybe the free standing design wall could be pegboard on one side. (KS)
We have two pegboards mounted, one for each of us, and shelves mounted high on the wall above our worksurfaces. We also hung two shop lights over our desks for better light. We plan to have a house with a finished basement someday. When we do, we'll set the basement up so that we can each have our hobby areas. I'd like enough space to allow me to have my sewing table (which has insets for the sewing machine and serger), my cutting table (32 x 60 inches), a couple of shelving units, pegboard on one wall, a flannel wall and an ironing board all setup at the same time. I make many of my own garments as well as quilting, so I'd also need space for my dress form and some sort of drawer system for notions. It would also be nice if I could have a separate table for my jewelry
making. (DS) I have a "crafts room" in my house, but it's only 10'x10'. There are shelves built in on one wall, and a closet and built-in desk on another wall. I like to stack fabric and "stuff" on the open shelves, but don't like that it gets dusty. I also have a wardrobe chest out in the hall that I use to store yarn. It doesn't have shelves, so if I want the yarn at the bottom, I have to take it all out. The desk is good for planning projects, while a big table in the middle of the room is good for spreading out and working on them. (ER)
We just bought new furniture for my sewing room. We got two desks that set at an "L" shape. That way I just move my chair to get to the serger or machine. We then took off the closet bi-fold door and converted the closet into a storage unit with built in shelves and table top. I also have a cutting table on one wall. Plus the best part my color tv so I can watch my soaps and sew. It is great. (KR-W)
I use a tackle box for my notions, too. Spools of thread and various packages of seam binding, hem tape, and elastic fit into the flat little nooks in the trays, and bigger items, like a pin cushion and button box, go nicely in the larger storage space in the bottom of the box.
I use a tackle box for my rubber stamps, markers, stamp pads, etc. and a plastic (because everything rusts in Hawaii) tool case for my paints, ribbons, bows, etc. It is great because one side pulls out like steps, just like my Mom's sewing box did. It came with smaller clear boxes which hold beads and findings right now. These fit in the box too. My tool box goes on a shelf when not in use. I can just pull it out, open it up and be ready for most of the crafts I do.
I also have another computer paper box for my needlework books, floss, aida, needles, etc. and that goes on the shelf next to my tool box. Again, easy to store and pull out, top off and ready to sew. (NR)
C. Workroom floor - preferred materials
I would recommend linoleum for a sewing room floor, especially if you have multiple machines. It is a lot easier to move between your machines &iron if you have a rolling chair. I used to sew in a room with carpeting &it was very difficult to move between the sewing machine & the serger. Also, if you're planning on pin or QuilTac basting your quilts on the floor a hard surface works a lot better - it's next to impossible on carpeting! (SC)
If it were my sewing room, I'd have something smooth, like linoleum, preferably with hot-water heating tubes under it. First off, smooth linoleum makes it much easier to scoot about on a wheeled chair, from machine to ironing board, and so on. Secondly, I'm a klutz, plus I like to work barefoot. Klutziness means I drop pins a lot... and it seems as if whenever pins land in a rug, they nestle themselves in with their points up - working barefoot means you find them the hard way. A smooth linoleum floor is much easier to sweep clear of all the little thread ends, etc., and because there are no cracks in it (as you would have with tile), things can't get caught in the spaces and fester. The heating tubes also make it more comfortable to work barefoot in a New York State winter.... this may or may not be a factor where you are. (LR)
D. Best height for cutting boards/tables
To avoid back pain the surface at which you are working should be high enough so that you can carry out the required activity (such as cutting out quilt pieces) in your preferred position without having to hunch over or stretch your arms and shoulders uncomfortably high. There is no precise height that will be comfortable for all people nor any single surface height that an individual requires. Tall people work more comfortably at high counter our table tops, short people at lower surfaces.
As a rough guideline, however, try for a work surface which allows you to have your arms at the side of your body with your elbows bent and your fore arms angled slightly downwards. The surface is too high if your fore arms are angled upwards and too low if your hands are more than a couple of inches above the worksurface. I am 5'4", and for me a work surface of 36 to 40 inches will do, but 39 inches is just right. If the height is right you should be able to work comfortably for hours if you are careful to do small shoulder and back exercises, like shrugging your shoulders, turning your head from side to side, and twisting from the waist a couple of times an hour. (DR)
The book _The_Motion-Minded_Kitchen_ by Sam Clark has a chart for determining the best height for a kitchen counter. Probably the best height for a cutting table would be similar.
Stand straight, wearing your usual shoes. Hold your arm so that your forearm is level (parallel with the floor). Have someone measure the distance from your elbow to the floor. The most comfortable height for a counter is the measured distance minus 3" (about 8 cm for people in the real world). Too low a work surface causes back and neck ache. Too high causes arm and shoulder ache. (Of course, if two or more people use a kitchen, you negotiate. Cutting tables may be shared less often.) For reference, the Nancy's Notions catalog has a cardboard cutting table that is available in heights of 34" and 40" (for the same price!). Presumably the legs could be trimmed. (CB)
E. Workroom lighting - general
My husband and I had our house built and of course is has the mandatory sewing room. For lighting I had a four bulb incandescent ceiling fixture installed in the middle of the room. Four bulbs really lights up the space quite nicely. What I find annoying however is the shadow that I sometimes get on my workspace caused by the light coming from my back.
As the saying goes "if I had it to do over again"...I would install lighting directly over my workspace instead of in the middle of the room. I might even consider using fluorescent bulbs. I am not a fan of the harsh white light given off by fluorescent bulbs but I'm told that there are softer fluorescent bulbs (that give off more of a pink tone). (TC)
I am truly blessed to have 2 sewing areas: an upstairs "design area/quilt library/stash closet/pinning table" and a 1st floor laundry room with built in cabinets and countertops with knee holes for sewing and serging. I just had track lighting put in the upstairs room with 2 canisters pointed at the fabric closet and 4 pointed at the work table. So far I haven't encountered a problem with shadows but the lights are movable so I'm not worried. The laundry room had 5 recessed lights that used standard bulbs with a glass filter flush with the ceiling -- it was kind of dingy so I had them changed to new recessed fixtures with flood lights. Yo baby its bright in there now! But I can now sew well into the night which my tired old eyes wouldn't allow in the old lighting. In talking to the electrician he did mention the possibility of fluorescent lights using "full spectrum bulbs". He described these as the lights that would not distort colors like the regular fluorescent bulbs. (SG)
F. Work room lighting - safety of halogen lights
Halogen and Fluorescent Light FAQ
World Wide Quilting Page