Making Your Workspace Work For You

IMG3 My Big Cutting Table If you want to sew but never seem to do it, maybe it's your space that's the problem. Here are some clever hacks to fix YOUR sewing space.

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ichigo 3 years 1 month

Last edited on 06.05.2017 15:14 by Helena Hultén

Despite having larger work area than most people in Sweden in a small apartment (at hobby level), I do not have room for anything. >_<; My work setup is scaled for doll sewing, it is ok! but for human size, it is awkard. I would love to have cutting table. I could theoretically fit in a foldable cutting table but then I have to sacrifice a work surface table for my non-machine-sewing works. (basically everything else)

If I had a table on wheels, and is height adjustable within 2-3 seconds (without too much straining) and "underpinnings" not taking too much as I store boxes under.. Then yeah. But cost matters too!

Alternatively I could sacrifice the ironing board (I have a normal 70s one, I dislike the metal based one I had!) and make removable ironing board to put on the surface. (also foldable because small width)

redthreaded 3 years 1 month

Small spaces are tricky for sure! Working on a doll scale must simplify a lot of space issues. You could perhaps do something like Denise with a table that doubles as an ironing board if you're frustrated with your current setup.

ichigo 3 years 1 month

Exactly. Doll sewing it works, but when I go human.. ehh.

Someday, someday. :)

clothsprogs 3 years 1 month

Last edited on 06.05.2017 19:56 by Teddy .

Such good and practical ideas but most of them ssume more space than a lot of people have available.

I'm among he luckier ones in that I have a sewing room. I'm a hobby costumer and share a large sewing room with my husband (also a hobby costumer) but he seldom gets to use his half of the room as it's always full of my overspilled sewing stuff...

I love the cutting table and ironing table ideas (although cutting on the floor has the advantage that it leaves the fabric nowhere to slide-off to...) but with the costume hanging, fabric storage, pattern cupboards, trim and other bits storage, the bookshelves, the pattern-cupboards and the worktop with the sewing-machines and overlocker there's not really space left for a cutting-table without taking up the circulation-space for moving the room.

The room seemed SO big when it was first built and we started moving in the sewing stuff too...

I guess we'll have to carry on with the disporganised old muddling along we've always done.

Teddy

dianem 2 months 22 days

Thank you for detailed information about setting up sewing workspace. Particularly liked seeing photos of work shops and custom made tables.

reneeo 2 months 21 days

Storing Fabric

Thank you for such a detailed article. Your list of ironing supplies was a super help. There are a lot of great ideas here. but what prompted me to find this article is the topic of storing fabric. Particularly making your own bolts to store fabric on. I lack cardboard bolts that supposedly come with buying entire bolts of fabric. Probably because companies dont want to spend the money to ship them with the fabric. Thus, a dilemma, storage. My current method is to flip a Rubbermaid tote on its side and neatly stack neatly folded fabric into it. then flip it back and push it under my cutting table. (Which is just a fancy term I use for a glass topped desk thrift-ed for $5 that I should probably put on bed risers, as suggested)

pt 1 of 2

reneeo 2 months 21 days

and the question

what is appropriate to make bolts out of to store fabric?

I'd love to wrap the pieces up in bolts and put them in the bins, to make retrieval a snap. My question is, is regular box cardboard okay or would this be too acidic? should we buy foam backed posterboard or acid-free cardboard for storage?