Sewing Spaces - latest updates!

So, you start quilting.......... get a sewing machine to replace the old one, create a stash, get rotary cutters and mats plus rulers, obtain the AccuQuilt cutter and several dies and mats, embroidery hoops, tons of thread, light box, grid paper, colored pencils, serger, serger cones, threads of many kinds and colors, iron, ironing board(s), quilting books, quilting magazines, patterns, etc. - The big question: How do I organize my stuff for the teeny, tiny space I have?  Maybe the bigger question:  where on earth do I put it all when I have no free bedrooms?  It has taken me nine months to get this far, so I felt I wanted to share with you all!


First, I needed inspiration.  I started with my great grandmother's tea towel - it has red roosters with black and white checkered fabric and red rick rack, which is why I bought a rooster chandelier for my dining room about six years ago and a few rooster items, then ....

when I saw this kitchen in an area store, I knew what color scheme I was after!

red, white, black, and yellow

After visiting five or six stores featuring 80% discounts, here's what I did last week for my sewing space within my small dining room/living room space:

(I scored big!  The huge rooster picture was only USD $4.60 from Hancock's, org. $50.00!)

I found the Fitz & Floyd Garden Medley ceramic rooster for only $18.00 at Herberger's, great grandma's tea towel was inherited, the basket of sunflowers was $14.00 from JoAnn Fabrics and the two button jars to the top right were $6.00 and $5.00 each from Hobby Lobby.

I've had the Pfalzgraff dishes for years ;-)

This looks like a dining room cupboard, but look a little closer....

Center:  The three egg cups are German pottery from the Herz Mtns. sit on my 

Madeira embroidery thread chest

drawers hold AccuQuilt dies and mats plus

embroidery machine hoops, mini iron, etc.

The baskets on either side of the chest hold small AccuQuilt applique dies,

material, and a box of machine embroidery CDs, plus

the small tins on either side of the middle shelf contain fabrics for future dining room curtains, 

table cloth, placemats, table runner and chair cushions.

Now for the entryway closet:

Is this full of coats, hats and shoes, or....?

surprise!  A folding ironing board, UFOs, quilt batting, quilt kits and yes, a couple of jackets and a pair or two of shoes ;-)

Closet Re-do

This hangs to the right side of the entryway closet...from a quilt blog buddy!  It always makes me smile :-)

Grandma and Grandpa Volker's 1918 wedding photo sits next to the silver platter my Mother gave to them for their 50th wedding anniversary, upon which sits my coffee service from our wedding.  The new red & white polka-dot fabric napkin (90 cents from Kohl's) helps tie it all together.

Underneath we have quilting books and supplies...plus

a chicken wire basket for $9.00 from T.J. Maxx holds all the rest!

The chalkboard off to the left is new from Hobby Lobby, 80% off at $3.58

I need to purchase chalk so I can write WELCOME on it.

Roosters to welcome you to our humble abode.

There are machines in here, right?!?

Yes, but a bit of storage on the back side of my central sewing cabinet area first...note the AccuQuilt cutter, small bookshelf holding my OttLite and a rolling cart filled with fabric, UFOs and notions.  

OK, here's my sewing area.  There's two sewing machines and a serger in here ;-)

The Sauder sewing cabinet in front was around $100 from WalMart and the sewing cabinet on the other side was FREE when I bought my used embroidery machine.

I finally got a decent chair for under $100 from Staples Office Supply store!  My back is much happier :-)

Got the floor rug on sale from Kohl's for $18.  No more frozen toes or rolling over toes :-)

Here it all is!

Here's my serger, thread cones and 3 ring binder of projects.  To the left are fabrics and UFO's in what used to be in the trunk of our van to hold groceries, but I now use here.  The iron sits on a silicon pad.

If I'm feeling like using an ironing board near the machines, then I just set this little one up...on sale this week at Hancock's for $10.00 and it included an iron rest, too.

Didn't I say there were two machines in this small space?

Since I'm constructing a purse right now, my Pfaff is set up and ready to sew...

the little drawers hold small items and are very handy next to my 12" x 12" cutting mat.

Look below!

I keep my Brother embroidery machine and its parts down here while using the Pfaff.

For now, the center dining room closet actually holds dishes, candles, linens, silverware, etc., but that might change eventually....

the bookshelf on the right holds lots of stuff....

The dining room table is Mother's.  She bought it in the 1970s and gave it to me when I got married.

Every year for Christmas, my husband gets me that year's tin from the Nuremberg Christmas Market.  Instead of cookies, it's holding fabric now ;-)  The jolly little garden gnome is also from Germany, as is the .5L bier stein.  The tin star is from JoAnn Fabrics and the glass rooster was only $7 from T.J. Maxx.

I found a neat Italian pottery bowl for $10 at T.J. Maxx that now houses patterns for future curtains in the dining room, sewing machine covers, tablecloth, table runner, placemats, etc.

The second shelf has another chicken wire basket from T.J. Maxx which houses my quilting magazines.  On the right is my American Jane fabric-filled tin suitcase and in the center, my DD got me this butterfly clock for Mother's Day.

This third shelf needs pretty-ing up...I need the info in these 3 ring binders, but am not exactly sure how to get it looking better without having to purchase all new binders.  Any ideas?????

My teeny, tiny kitchen pantry hasn't escaped from use!  I bought a $12 behind the door magazine rack from JoAnn Fabrics (supposed to be used in college dorm rooms), but it works great for patterns, printing paper and pieces of cardboard that I save for some future projects....

this reminds me that there's also the door to the basement and the door that leads from the garage into the house....hmmmm...have to give that some thought for the sake of storage....

The best deal of the week, though, was this huge Rooster picture (framed and all!) from Hancock's at 90% off!  The grand total was $4.60!! There was a matching chicken, but I didn't have room for two of these babies!

Great grandma's buttons are all housed nicely now in clear jars.

I hope she would be pleased.

Do you think so?

Thanks for following along...

I just love hearing from you....

your comments are so encouraging!

All the Best,

@

P.S.

Did you miss out on this?!?