My sewing room has been a mess….I’ve gone through a couple times thinking it was how I wanted it-thinking I had purged-thinking I was set. But, I’ve not been completely happy….so I started gutting it.
I started last week…I think it will take me the rest of the month to finish it. Here’s how it’s looking right now.
Cringe worthy, I know.
The part that is the worst for me….the adjoining closet. It was terrible. No matter what I did, I couldn’t figure out how to get it under control.
I’ve gutted before but I still end up with some form of this mess.
I decided that I wanted all new shelving in the closet. I wanted the shelving all to be the same. What is in there now was a shelf I got at a garage sale and another that used to be somewhere else and another that Hubby built long ago for a different space. Some were wood-some were metal. I was thankful to have that but…I really wanting all the shelving to be the same and go for a neater more clean look….so I broke the bank and went and got some nice matching shelving at Home Depot.
Then the shelves stayed in the garage and nothing got started. I was waiting for Hubby and although he’s awesome at helping, he HATES assembling shelving. So I finally decided it was time and tried to tackle it on my own. Oh my, I tried getting a set of shelving up the steps and about died….and that’s about the moment Neighbor Girl came over with her cousin. It was perfect. They helped me assemble two sets of shelving. It was actually super easy to assemble. I didn’t need a single tool to do it.
I thought I could put the shelving in on one side, transfer the stuff to the other side and not have to drag it all out but UGH. That didn’t work….and I hated the way the shelving was…see how it overlaps the door way? UGH.
I thought I had this all figured out….but this isn’t going to work….so in with plan B. I would used three of the new shelving units and one of the old ones. I picked the one that had the silver metal so it would be most likely to match.
I ended up having to take EVERYTHING out of the closet. Slowly I’ve been putting it away.
In the meantime, this is the look of my hallway….
The actual sewing room is still a terrible mess. I’ve been thinking through this as much as possible. My next plan is to take the ice chest that is on the wall on the right and swap it out with the cupboard that I use for a cutting table that is on the far left….so this project won’t be done for quite awhile. For the most part I’ve only been working on it in the mornings. I’ve been avoiding sewing at all until this gets more under control.
I think it all looks more terrible than it actually is. If I have about four good hard hours at it, I think it would all be looking good.
I have to say, that closet is looking awesome. I couldn’t be happier with it. I’ll save the after pictures of it until I’m completely finished. I’m hoping I can get a good amount of time to dedicate to it on Sunday…I’m over the worst part. Now I just need to stick with it through to the end.
Find me back here next week…I’m hoping I might have my sewing room a little further along.
Oh my gosh Jo! Your closet is looking good! I ended up buying matching shelving at Ikea and it was definitely worth it! It will never have to be replaced and it makes it so much more organised. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and spend the money!
You should have had your handy husband build them to fit the room :) When we built on my sewing room I had a closet that was the same size as our bedroom closet on the opposite side of the wall. My husband used plank and made them just deep enough for the clear plastic totes. It’s awesome. I can see what’s in the tote and slide it on out…..there is also a curtain to pull over it all. That’s not saying it can’t look messy :)
Ok Jo, the closet is Awesome!!!!
Most quilters live the same life on “our stuff”. I’ve cleaned my sewing room…..MANY TIMES over the years. Looks good for two days and then…..business as usual. It doesn’t hurt to keep trying however…and hope you don’t trip.
Wow, you seriously have more fabric than I’ve seen anyone else have! LOTS of inspiration there!
You’re doing a great job on the closet. I’m sure it’s going to be fabulous.
Wish I could get a surge for Spring Cleaning like you’re on!!
You are going to love those shelves! We bought ours at Sam’s, but they look the same. I have 2 and will soon add another…for hubby’s reloading room this time. :) One fun thing about getting everything organized – besides the wonderful end result – is that you’ll no doubt unearth some forgotten treasures! Cheering you on!
I love the look of those shelves… I wonder if my big sterilite bins would fit on them. I might push for this type of shelving when we re-do the storage areas. I’m tired of sagging shelves and wooden dividers that waste space and limit the size of bins I can use.
do you have an Ikea near by? The Billy shelves are nice but you look like you are on a roll there. I am a professional interior decorator and I do computerized floor plans for clients. I recently helped another quilter with her room and she is thrilled after adding some shelving and moving furniture around. Send me an email, I have a proposal for you. stearnsdec@cox.net
Those shelves are nice but you almost need another shelf between the bin and the top. wasted space above the bin. Let me see what I can find for you. I was at Joann’s yesterday and they have these wooden bins on sale that you could put on its side and have the opening facing out. for fabric. Then put fabric on top of it also.
My sewing room is a giant mess right now too, but I’m choosing to ignore it. I usually get mine 80% clean and give up. Wish I had your closet for storage!
The best thing about reorganizing is discovering treasures I have completely forgotten about. For anyone close to a Younkers that will be closing, check out the store fixtures they are selling for $25-$30. My store (Cedar Falls)closes in about two weeks, but there are still a lot available and if you buy a couple, the price goes down.They have all sorts of tables, shelves etc.I am thinking about replacing my current cutting with a table with shelves underneath. Very sturdy and tons of storage.
Great work Jo, moving mountains in your sewing room. You stitch a lot so the goods stack up. Love your shelving. Really not to hard to put together? That sounds magical. Maybe I should investigate. You will be well rewarded with inspiration when you’re finished. Hope we find you again in your wake.
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Shelving feels like an impossible task for one person. Add some extra hands and it almost always is pretty easy. You’ll be so glad you worked on this when it’s done. Wishing you a second wind and sprint to the finish.
I had a friend over to see my new machine yesterday. She said, “Its always so clean in here.” No, its always clean when a friend comes over because that’s the only time I take time to straighten up. Have to do it every once in awhile to keep things from getting completely out of control. The same friend has a plaque in her sewing room that reads, “Creative People are Messy People.”
Whoop! You are human! HA! My room is giant disaster right now, but I am pushing through on these graduations quilts and ignoring the mess. HOWEVER, this summer things will change. I have GOT to get some things figured out and re-organized. Got the 4 patch quilt going from Husker fabric and black and white on Monday and binding. Plus Prom over and grad invites out.. . .4 day weekend due to snow storm and 2 late starts this week due to road conditions. READY FOR SUMMER!!!
I’d say you have the same problem that so many of us have…..way too much stuff for the available space. The shelving in the closet looks good. I know you’ll have it all looking good in no time.
You were smart to empty the room and then refill it the way you want it to be. How nice that another reader has a plan idea for you! It’s great to get someone else’s take on a space that we are used to seeing a certain way. My daughter in law is a whiz at decorating and style, she’s my go to person.
That’s the problem of trying to straighten things up. To do a proper job, all the stuff needs to come out of the space which makes a bigger mess in the beginning. If you don’t have a holding area then you need to plan for a large chunk of time to do the clear out and put back activity on the same day. It looks like you are making progress. Keep up the good work.
ty for posting your photos….feel so much better I thought I might be the only one with a messy sewing space….now time for me to go back to the mess and clean a path thru ,enjoy the process,Jeanne
Jo, I have 2 of the same shelving units. I tore out the sliding closet doors in my (now Sewing room) spare bedroom and put the shelving units in the closet and made curtains to keep out the light. They work great. I have the shelving separated by yardage, i.e….top shelf of Left shelf unit is 1yd cuts, top shelf of Right shelf unit is 1 1/2yd cuts then on the the middle shelf of Left unit is the 2yd and middle shelf of Right hand shelf unit is 2 1/2yd etc and so it goes. Then there are tubs everywhere that need to be addressed. And an Ikea Billy Book Shelf unit with fabric, WIPs, UFOs etc. But the end results are as everyone is saying, the shelves are great and it’s fun finding all the lost fabrics and things started. Have fun on your adventures.
Jeri in TX where the weather can’t seem to make up it’s mind to be Spring or Winter.
Jo, I do computerized floor plans for my clients, measuring all their furniture and setting it onto the plan. I recently helped another quilter with her room long distance. She sent me me measurements and I gave her suggestions on what to move and where and what to buy. I would do this for you. She is thrilled to pieces. I normally charge but would welcome a blog from you about it. Get in touch if you are interested.
One trick I try to use is to put new additions in a extra closet I have and organize them into my somewhat organized sewing area! I also put my projects together in bins when I have pulled or purchased most the fabric needed. I have too many of these bins!!!