Sew Dazzling!: Sewing Space Organization-Getting Started (part 1)

Ever wondered what you did with that satin purple piece of ribbon? have you ever spent an hour looking for that lost needle when you just had it i your hand a minute ago? Well I used to all the time, until i finally realized that my space needs some work!

i was sewing one day and i reached over to grab the scissors. but..they weren't there. this has happened to me hundreds of times and i always have to go get some new ones. so i looked around but i still could not find them. i was tired of this happening every other day and thanks to my un-organization i now have triple of everything that i need. So i set to work on my sewing center and ever since then, i have been able to find Everything i need.

My sewing room is located in my garage, it's the only place i have some empty space. Since i work in a small space it is extremely important to have things organized, this is what makes a good sewer. Although i move things around everyday it is important to have some kind of system. Where i work doesn't have the best system but i try my hardest to keep things in their place. I am still working on how i will organize things in my sewing center so let's just say it's a work in progress.

The first step to having an organized sewing space is to have a plan or layout for your space. know where the machine will go, where will you keep the fabrics, and know where other simple items will be placed. Having a layout (or sketch) will help you a lot. if you are starting out new or are having trouble, below are some helpful tips/ideas.

You need to start off with:

A sewing table to put your sewing machine on.
A cutting table to cut fabrics on.
A pressing table for ironing certain projects/fabrics.

Weather you are using a small corner, closet, or a full room for your sewing center all requirements are the same. here are some other tips:

check the lighting of your area, this is more important than most things.
you can be creative with your storage and use lables.
this is something most people forget for some reason, your chair!
do one thing at a time, this will make your cleaning much easier.

here are some simple layouts:

if you are shopping for new storage items or other supplies you need to have all of the measurements of your space.

Use cabinets, racks or clostets, cedar chests, shelfs, drawres, bins or containers, and others to organize threads, fabrics, and more sewing supplies.