If I wasn’t so embarrassed, I would have taken a “before” picture but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I have excuses as to why my room was so horrible. First . . I’m a slob! Second . . it doesn’t really matter. All that matters is I’m a slob and a pack rat!
Yesterday morning I walked into the sewing room and said “This is no longer a fun place to be!” so I started cleaning. Only the back half is clean . . the front half is cleaner than it was, but still needs work.
And to some of you really clean folks, you’re probably thinking this is not clean but for me, this is immaculate!
When we built the sewing room, because it was built into an existing building, I could not put in floor plugs without chipping out some of the foundation and I didn’t want to do that. I also didn’t want plugs hanging down from the ceiling so I tried to arrange things so that everything that had to be plugged in would be along the walls. It just didn’t work out like that though. Yesterday I gave up and moved the cutting table to the right and moved the table with the laptop and the Singer 301 to the middle . . kinda switched those two around. I do most of my sewing on the 301 so now it’s halfway between the ironing board and the cutting table. I’ll get something to put over those cords . . maybe!
There was barely room on top of the cutting table for me to trim up some 2″ half square triangles so you can imagine the clutter that was on there! Gone! Clean! I can now measure and cut without things falling off or cutting something that wasn’t supposed to be cut.
The ironing table is clean! Just like the cutting table, I had barely enough room on one corner to press the border on a big quilt. Why do I let things get that bad? Oh . . yes . . because I’m a slob . . and a pack rat!
Room on the sewing table to sew! Nothing is piled on top of the extension table! Nothing is on top of the laptop! The laptop is there so that if I’m working on a quilt that is in EQ, I can look at the components and not have to print everything but I generally print everything anyway so I may put the laptop away and give myself more room on the table . . for what though? More clutter? I’ll have to think about that.
The Texas top is loaded but no quilting has been done. Maybe I’ll sew a while and then quilt for a few minutes, then sew for a while. I’m really pretty excited to be sewing with a clean cutting table, a clean sewing table and a clean ironing table. I’d like to think I could keep it clean but I know I won’t.
Missy says
My sewing room is my dining room, at least you can hide your stuff, people walk in and the first thing they see is material and sewing stuff all over the dining room. LOL
Mel Meister says
Same here!
Andrea says
LOL I’m the same way. I don’t want to take time out from working on a project to do something so silly as cleaning up. I wait until I’ve only got a little work space left, think “This is ridiculous”, and then I neaten up a bit. Your studio looks immaculate to me. 🙂
Becky I. says
What can I say, but that all creativity creates clutter. Enjoy the process. My sewing room gets exactly the same way and when I clean it, it is for the same reason you did. I can just think better when it is clean, but boy, oh boy the mess I can create……
Tinkerfeet says
You are not alone, I am the same way. I would rather be sewing or knitting instead of cleaning. After 40years of being married to me my hubby knows how I am. Now that he is retired he even does the cooking, because I won’t stop to even eat.lol
carolyn says
no I was thinking my room needed a cleaning too. I don’t have nearly the room size that you do, and a little clutter really takes up a lot of space! don’t know if I will get to it this week, or next. But it does need to be done. I’ve tried doing a little here and there, but it just doesn’t seem to be enough. Hope you don’t trip on those cords!!!
Amie says
I love that you sew on an old machine! I do too! I have a Janome 6500 that I use quite a bit but my fav one to piece on is my Granny’s Kenmore 117.959, she bought it new in August 1947. I painted the cabinet a beautiful aqua and the top(where the machine sit) pearl white. I’d love to find a Singer like yours, I’ve heard they are wonderful to stitch on!!
Your sewing room looks amazing! And we have the same laptop! Now I need to go clean MY sewing room :o)) Amie
paula.thequilter says
The first time you trip on one of those cords and pull either the sewing machine or the laptop off the table to the floor will be too late. Duct tape works well in a pinch but leaves a gnarly residue. You can get cord covers at those big box home improvement stores. Don’t kill your sewing machine! Just my 2cents worth.
Alberta in N GA says
you definitely need to cover the cord on the floor cause Murphy’s Law says that you are absolutely going to stumble over the cord… so let Vince buy/search his stash for some duck tape and cover it up… from me who stumbles over everything including my own feet
JudyL says
No duck tape on my carpet! If I leave the room set up this way, I’ll buy a cord cover but I’m pretty used to stepping over cords with the longarm. We’ll see how it goes.
Angie says
Have you seen the New Duct Tapes! Neat colors and patterns! I don’ t use duct tape much either, but I had to have one of the new duct tapes just because it was so pretty! I plan to take it to quilt retreat to tape down all the cords from machines and irons we have set up at our tables.
katie says
At the place I work out they have cord covers that are Velcro. They stick to the carpet so they can be moved if needed. That would work real well for your sewing room.. They are pretty flat so no tripping.
Denise :) says
Hahaha!! I feel like I’m in *terrific* company now!! Only I dress it up by saying “my creative genius just moves faster than my clean-up crew”. LOL! 🙂
Margie says
Sounds so familiar. Especially the one about no room to cut. I have made a few “oops”cuts. It is so much fun to get it all cleaned off and work on that big space.
Linda Steller says
That looks immaculate to me, Judy! My whole house looks like a bomb exploded in here. The quilt studio needs to have a billion threads and several dust bunnies vacuumed up. The shop vac is sitting right there, but have I turned it on? Well, maybe you’ve inspired me to get some things done. I actually pulled everything out of my wardrobe in the bedroom yesterday and now have some boxes in there to get everything I don’t wear on it’s way to St. Vinne’s or Goodwill.
Tracy says
I think we all go through the same process! I love that your stuff is all in the same room! My sewing room is upstairs and small but I’m thankful to have my own space and my longarm(new!)is downstairs…which leads me to this: I was wondering Judy if you could do more posts on your longarm. I already went through the ones you have listed on starting a business…I just got a Viking Platinum 3000 and am muddling my way through the learning process. I took a free class at the store I bought it from but am always looking for more tips! Things like loading the quilt, where you get your pantos…if you use them, well, anything at all would be nice! I realize practice is the best teacher and also maybe not a lot of your readers have one and wouldn’t be interested in those kind of posts.
Cathy says
I also sew in my Singer 301, Judy. I have a Janome 6500 and several Featherweights but I like the 301. What foot do you use on yours to get a 1/4 inch seam? I bought a foot that was supposed to be 1/4″ but the edge of the fabric gets caught on it as it goes over the seams. I’ve been using the The Little Foot. It gives a good 1/4″ but I can’t see to paper piece and it doesn’t exactly sit in the right position on the feed dogs.
Marie Brown says
Your sewing room looks neat as a pin to me! I absolutely love the pretty nine patch with yellow border quilt you have on your sewing table. I apologize if you’ve discussed it before, but is it a pattern you created? It looks so soft and lovely and cheery! Thanks for all you share, Marie in MN
Ranch Wife says
Immaculate is highly overrated! I have it in my genes – from both sides, but I must have dodged when it was being installed because I have yet to see any signs of it. I figure that the creativity needs room to bloom. 🙂 I too have piles. Eventually I can’t stand it and have to put things in order, but it never stays that way for long. I envy your space!
Mina says
Wow, this looks clean to me.
Everytime I clean up my sewing room, I suddenly get the urge to want to make a big project. Then I start pulling fabric and scraps and it all gets messy again. So it never stays organized for very long.
Susan says
Looking good! I look forward to having that much space in about 18 months. =)
Rosalie says
Mine is looking like your ‘before’ description! Looks like you did a super job! So much better to be able to work and find things where they are supposed to be!
Norma V says
i’ve been working on mine for two weeks now…course i am only home 3 days a week…at this pace it will take me at least 2 months…but i did get some sewing done today! yay!
Linda says
I have the same style as your before picture on my cutting table. I have good intentions to clean but you know, a seam or something call to me. We can clean when we’re old. LOL
Bon says
Oh, Judy, I am so like you. My sewing area is a MESS. Today I wanted to work on a baby quilt and I had to find my cutting table (I needed a little more than a square foot) and also clear off my sewing table (there were 2 sewing machines on it and I only needed one) and also find my ironing board (stuff from another project was on it). Maybe when I’m done with the quilt, I can do some real cleaning up.
Donna Hollingsworth says
First, I love your blog! Second, I love your sewing room…it is soooo spacious and looks great! If I was worried about getting tangled up in those cords, I would duct tape them to the floor.
Bev says
I have a 10×10 room, a window/door and another large doorway opening so space is tight so we had to get creative.I found an idea lonline for a cutting/storage table. Went to IKEA and got 8 white Lak tables (end tables) We stacked them 2 tables high and 2 x 2 to make a square, L brackets hold them together. IKEA had a large 5′ x 2.5′ table top (very lightweight) and I put this on top/overlapping. I put that rubber shelf liner between the top/tables to keep from moving around. I have it in front of the backyard window. which I call “backyard T.V” for the cats. I share the table with the cats. The part that is not covered by this overlapping table top (about a foot) is where the cats enjoy their “backyard window watching” and I get my space (or so I thought). I have storage tubs underneath, etc.- 8 whole compartments for storage!! I was able to get 2 whole storage closets full into an organized dream under this table.
The tables were on sale and total cost was like $72.00 and I have a table top and I have shelves. Woohoo. But during my working a project….it looks like it got turned upside down!! I bought on clearance a pretty pink/black box and keep my project blocks/pieces/mag or pattern in it so they don’t get lost in all the madness! Clean-up….takes plenty of time but I seem to be rotating my fabrics lately, since I’m finding buried treasures. Your room looks terrific. But if I had that amount of space, you can bet I’d have even more space to pile up stuff between clean-ups!! Sounds like you’ll need to be rewarded with another shopping trip for more fabric!! LOL