My Ever Changing Sewing Room!

I was asked in my Facebook Group, Lányos Handmade Pattern Party, what kind of sewing table I use. So, of course, I wondered if anyone here was curious too?

I used to use a small folding wheeled cabinet, which was actually perfect for a long, long time. I think I have been using that ever since we got married. My Mom made me buy it. 🙂 I stood there in store staring at it and playing with it for hours until she finally said something like “just buy it already!” I think it cost $200 or something? I bought it anyway.

I still have that small cabinet. It was easy to move from apartment to apartment and to the house we are now in. It was also easy to pack up and move from the family room into the bedroom when we had visitors or needed the extra room.

I think I still have a photo of it … and Simon.

Now I use my small cabinet for storage of all the binders I have that contain my sewing pattern covers/envelopes. Which brings me to another organizational idea – I keep all my sewing pattern covers/envelopes in plastic protectors in binders in an order that makes it easy for me to find “dresses”, “handbags”, etc. Then I keep the actual contents of the pattern envelope in a zip lock bag in a numbered bankers box. I love looking through my binders to find the perfect pair of pants or top to sew, looking at all the covers and checking out the details of the pattern on the back. Then when I have decided, I pull out the appropriate box and BINGO there’s everything I need!

Oh yes, and then of course there is the fabric stash! Well I keep a photo of every piece of fabric in its appropriate file folder on my laptop – like “Blue Large bin – woven fabrics”, “Pink Small bin – interfacings”, “Grey Bin – bag fabric”, etc. All those bins are put away in my closet. I browse through my computer photos and head to the correct bin to pull out whatever I need at the moment.

I know there are apps and programs that can do these jobs for you, but I have been doing it this way for so long, I can’t imagine taking the time to set it up in an app! How do you keep your patterns and fabrics sorted out?

Anyway 🙂 my domestic and vintage sewing machines are stashed in cabinets and cupboards. I only keep a couple out on my sewing tables at a time. Right now, my Janome HD3000 and my Singer 500 Rocketeer are out, as I am using them for bag pattern design and bag making. My Singer 421G and my Janome 3160QDC are close by and handy on the shelf though. The rest of my vintage sewing machines are in storage and do get rotated out. (Click the names above and you can read up on each machine in my previous blog posts!)

Oh, to get back on track … My Ever Changing Sewing Room! It’s been many, many years of sewing projects for me and to finally have a room of my own is just heaven! Some place where I can leave a half done project, some place where I know where everything is stored and easy to find, some place where I can close the door and hide it all!

Recently I purchased a Sauder sewing table and a Sauder kitchen island and reorganized my sewing room. I even assembled both pieces easily all by myself! I loved the very detailed instructions given. This is a big deal for me, the only time I use a hammer is for smacking rivets and a screw driver is for changing sewing machine feet!

These pieces are perfect for my sewing room. My sewing table is now at a better height than my small cabinet was. I leave the door open all the time and that door hides behind it even more bins of bag hardware and sewing notions. It makes everything look neat and tidy! 🙂

The Sauder kitchen island is also the perfect height for standing and cutting out fabrics and ironing too. No more backaches bending over a table! It is also just right for when I use my Cricut! (The box underneath has a purpose, I promise! I’ll explain in the video!)

Enough talk! Why don’t I just show you! Here’s a look at My Ever Changing Sewing Room on the Lányos Handmade YouTube Channel! Notice Sophie always claims her place in my sewing room?

I can’t wait to read about and see your sewing space! To quote Virginia Woolf “a woman must have money and a room of her own …”. Well as far as I am concerned, whether it is a 30 year old small folding wheeled cabinet or a “she shed”. Women DO need their own space!

Thanks for reading and watching!