New Sewing Area

When I first started sewing, it was all by hand and I didn't have very many supplies so they all fit in a tote I had received as a christmas present (I even blogged about it. I'm not sure if the picture is still there because that was when I was still having difficulty but it was orange with lots of pockets). I could carry it from room to room, depending on where I wanted to sew that day.

Then, when I got my sewing machine (my Goodwill one, not my Brother), I was set up on my computer desk in a corner of the library. The rest of my stuff was kind of strewn about the room and in no way organized. (Although the library wasn't very organized either because it was a makeshift guest room as well). So basically I could never find anything (not that I had much to find) and I didn't have a lot of room to actually sew. I also had to take my cutting mat down to our kitchen island (the library is on the second floor) every time I wanted to use it since I didn't have any other flat surface big enough. That was a pain.

I am currently set up in our dining room because we hardly ever use it and it has a nice table. We also have a hutch where I store more of my fabric. The table is big enough for my machine and cutting mat. The room still has space for my ironing board too (although David did make me a little one before I had been given this one). This is working out okay because I have plenty of space but I have to keep everything really neat because we have to walk through this room every day (it's the only way to the kitchen or the downstairs bathroom). Plus, you can see it from the living room so guests can see it.

David and I talked about making the dining room permanently my area but then it would be hard to block off from Teeny (for safety reasons. The doorway is huge, I believe about seven feet, so baby gates would be hard). Plus, we would've decorated it differently and picked a different chandelier and stuff.

So then we had talked about putting my sewing area in half of the loft. The loft currently houses Cocoa's area, David's big L-shaped desk, and our TV with an old couch we want to get rid of. The TV would move to the living room and I would get the half of the room that David and Cocoa aren't in. It has plenty of storage opportunities but not a lot of space for the ironing station, cutting station, and sewing machine station.

We are still undecided if the TV will stay upstairs or if it will eventually move to the living room but my sewing area is going to be sharing with the library. Our library was converted from a bedroom since it would've been hard and a lot of work to put a doorway in plus the loft stairs come from the library. One wall is completely shelves for books, there's only one window, but there is a closet. So we have one free wall that will mostly be taken up by my new work station.

We just bought the materials for it last night from Menard's. They actually cost about 75 dollars (and we didn't even get the pricey things) but for what we have in mind, the real one would easily cost a couple hundred if not more so it's definitely cheaper this way even though it seems expensive.

It will be two tiered (so my cutting station is higher than my sewing station since I usually stand to cut) and will have shelves underneath. It will also have an overhang part so I have space for my legs when I sit at my sewing machine. I will have the option to have shelves above it but for now, I think the shelves underneath will be enough. The table is almost eight feet long and will be two feet wide. I'm so excited for it! We start on it tonight. Then, when it's all put together (which may take more than one day), I will most likely be painting it.

I'll be sure to keep you all posted and I will put up pictures when it's done.