Sewing Room!!!!!

The Easter weekend has also resulted in the completion of my (our) spare room project - to turn it into a sewing room!! Yay!!!!  I finally have my first space EVER where I don't have to take everything off the table so we can eat / do school.

Major problem that needed tackling whether I got my own room or not (did I mention I DID???!) was storage of stash. The spare room was the only candidate for a room with a possibility of some cupboard space for that. and  I am sick of having the stuff in crates (even semi-organised), stacked on top of each other and pretty much totally inaccessible to me without Matthew's help (and me making a lot of mess). So a while back I decided I'd prefer drawers or something like that, and have been resisting Matthew's offers to take me to IKEA because I wanted to sort the stuff a bit first, decide what I needed, and decide what furniture / storage we have already that can be re-used.

Shock tactics first. Here is what we were working with. Bear in mind, we've not long moved (OK, 6 weeks, but  I AM 30 plus weeks pregnant with baby#5 so things happen a bit slower... plus the room's been full of different things that have been sorted and put away, the sewing stuff is the last major "spare-roomy" problem).

So - the BEFORE photos:

Left hand cupboard, stacked boxes (inc dress ups - now a better home has been found for them in the children's bedrooms!)

Right hand cupboard - much stash and sewing table which is awkward for finding a home at the best of times.

Just general mess from sorting!!

So. Now the results.

I am glad we waited. I had the idea of using one of the children's Trofast IKEA cupboards redundant since the move inside one of the sliding door cupboards, taking its doors off and having it as an open shelving unit. Matthew thought we should keep the doors on but now he's seen what I had in mind also agrees it works really well. I have all my stuff I need to access when sewing in there on the shelves, so i will be sitting in front of it and can just turn around, get things, and put them back. (Note to self: Put. Them. Back.).

Trofast cupboard adapted for storage in the left side of the fitted robe (and new plastic pots to organise everything into useable pots), new hanging storage from IKEA containing small projects, fabric bits and bobs, etc. Also a hardly visible new little table top ironing board that I discovered by accident also has a hook to hang up on the clothes rail above the cupboard.

Right hand cupboard:

The stash has all been sorted and put away so I can access it. In the cupboard on the right we have recycled the wire basket drawers the boys had been using before we solved their wardrobe problems, and I have different bits and bobs of larger fabrics in there, with all my smaller fatquarters, childrens print bits and leftover plain quilting fabrics at the top. So I can choose what I need from there no problem. Have also got a mending drawer (or 2) full of boys’ trousers from last winter which was particularly hard on their knees, and a few pairs of trousers that can be sacrificed to mend the others. When I choose to!!!!!

I have only one crate in use on a higher shelf - full of IKEA "as-is" purchased heavy cotton drill, which I don't need to use a lot but do need to be able to get at it easier than if it were stored in the garage. (Bag next to that says "Quiltaholics" by the way, one of my favourite hang outs and where I made my first project. That's the only "...holics" round here!).

So - the table has been commandeered from the playroom (we don't need a separate table for school work in this house) and the angle poise lamp is another new IKEA purchase. The table is drop leaf so can be kept down when the machine is not up and being used.

And finally, the room also doubles as a retreat for any of us needing some time alone for reading, music, prayer... Wicker basket contains books and bits and bobs to use during those times, and the CD player is for the children, really, for audio books. I plan also to have my iPod dock set up in here for watching podcasts / listening to music as I sew.

So we enjoyed some audio story Bible time in there before the children went to bed!

Voilla!!!