If you’re looking to make your own sewing room, there’s a good chance that you’re already pretty deep into the craft. Whether you love the hobby so much that you want to dedicate more time and space to seeing your ideas made real, or you’ve even found a way to make a little money out of it, having your own dedicated sewing room can be a great way to level up your output. Here, we’re going to look at a few things you need to set it up just right.
Dedicating the space to sewing
If you’re not able to claim a whole room for your sewing activities, you should at least make sure that you’re able to lay claim to the space that’s going to be dedicated to the craft so that no one else uses it or intrudes on it. Given how expensive the equipment and fabrics can be, you want to set some ground rules. Placing down a cutting mat on the area that is dedicated to sewing can help you claim that space. Of course, if you’re able to get your hands on a whole room, then this tip isn’t necessary.
Work out the layout
You want to make sure that you have space for every piece of furniture and equipment that you’re looking at, and you want to avoid the disappointment of buying everything that you need, only to find out that something has to give. As such, when you’re looking at any furniture and equipment, make a note of the measurements. You can cut up either card or fabric to match their floor dimensions, and place those cutouts around the room to see how they fit in the space. You want to make sure that there’s plenty of space for you to move through the space, as well.
A decent sewing machine
Given that you’re looking at setting up a sewing room, it’s not very likely that you’re going to be working by hand, so you should look to get at least one decent sewing machine for your space. Choosing a sewing machine is all about knowing what your needs are, and ensuring that you choose the piece of equipment that can meet those needs. For instance, if you’re primarily making things like quilts, then you might want to get yourself a long-arm machined, while those who are aiming more for detailed embroidered pieces will want a machine that can work with embroidery patterns to make the process a lot easier. Whatever the case, make sure that you check the reviews and reception of the machine in the greater sewing community to make sure that you’re not steered wrong.
The right workspaces
You’re going to need somewhere to put your sewing machine, as well as a sturdy and decently-sized cutting table that can allow you to work with your fabrics without either damaging a good piece of furniture or having to sit with a bad posture. Getting yourself a good piece of multitasking furniture like a hideaway sewing cabinet could be just what you need, allowing you to extend the surface space when necessary, as well as having a lot of drawers to help you keep on hand the materials and tools that you need. There are all kinds of sewing tables that you can look at, take the time to find the right one for the space that you have available.
Reliable and supportive seating
Of course, whichever surfaces that you’re working at, be it your cutting table, sewing table, or even ironing table if you have one, you want to make sure that you’re using more than just an uncomfortable kitchen chair. Make it a real workspace by investing in an adjustable office chair. Aside from being a little more comfortable on your rear, these chairs let you adjust the height and angle of the various components so that you’re able to make sure that you’re not sitting with awful posture. Ergonomics is vital to help you prevent issues like a sore back down the line. Of course, standing up to take breaks is still always recommended.
The right storage for all of your fabrics
The sewing cabinets mentioned above can be great for keeping everything that you need while sewing on hand and can serve as a great place to do your work. However, if you’re really getting into sewing and you’re getting more and more productive, then you’re going to need extra storage space for all of the raw fabric materials, as well. These can quickly take up a lot of room, so you want to make sure you establish some orderly storage for them. A lot of people will use filing fabrics, using hanging files to store pressed and folded fabrics, while you also want to look at setting up a closet with a garment rack that can be used for much the same.
Keep track of all your supplies
We have already mentioned how a decent sewing table and cabinet can give you plenty of space for all of the little supplies that you need to keep at hand. However it is that you store them, you want to make sure that they’re accessible. Getting an additional organizer on top of the desk is a good way to make sure that your most-used items are always visible, which might be your scissors, threads, fabric, rulers, pins, needles, and cutters. Then, your lesser used item can be kept in your drawers, but you might want to make sure that each drawer is labeled, as is every container inside them, so that you’re quickly able to reach in and grab what you need, not spend hours searching for it.
Make sure that the lighting is good
Safety is paramount when sewing, especially in a space that’s supposed to be dedicated to helping you do it. What’s more, good lighting is crucial to make sure that you have good visibility while you’re working. Typically, you also want to shut out natural light when you’re sewing, as strong sunlight can bleach the colors of the fabrics that you’re working with, and otherwise cause them to degrade and damage. Of course, you don’t want things to be too dim. Look at getting decent, full-coverage lighting for the room, but keep a lamp handy on your desk so that you can turn it on for task lighting, allowing you the extra visibility you need when doing detailed work.
Don’t forget the mirrors
If you’re working with fabrics, and especially if you’re creating garments, then you want to make sure that you have at least one full-length mirror available in the room. You want to make sure that the pieces you create can quickly be checked for fit without having to send them out to the person that they’re made for. Of course, if you can fit even more mirrors in there, then that is even better. A fold-out trio of mirrors is going to be the best setup as it allows you to see the back and sides of the garment a lot more easily, as well. Keeping a smaller mirror around your workspaces can help you quickly check details usually out of sight, while helping to bounce light around the space.
Get some inspiration in there
The practicality of the room is the number one concern, you want to make sure that you’re able to sew in there without interruption as best as possible. But that doesn’t mean that it should be a purely perfunctory workspace, either. You should ensure that there’s space for some inspiration to help keep you in the spirit when you’ve been in there for a while. Whether you want to display or hang some of your best works, or others’ work that has inspired you, fabric and notions, or even photos that get the creative spirit stirring, make sure there’s room for the pieces that get your creativity itching. Just be aware of any potential fire risks if you’re hanging up fabrics.
Schedule your care for the room
Once you have everything set up and good to go, you should make sure that the room always stays fit for purpose. One of the best ways to do that is to plan out the upkeep as well as the editing that you need to do. Aside from cleaning your surfaces and making sure that all of your supplies are kept nice and secure, editing is all about sorting, donating, or otherwise getting rid of the materials that you’re not going to be using, lest they clutter the space and take up room that could be better used. Once a month, set aside a couple of hours to purge, while you should be cleaning on a more regular basis.
There are all kinds of sewing rooms to meet all kinds of needs. The tips above are a good place to start off but don’t be afraid to do your research and find the configuration that works best for you.
Leave a Reply