An Update On My Sewing Space

Recently my sewing space has been getting out of control. It has been taking over the room it shares with a shelf, storage boxes, a clothes drying area, guitars, and our bikes. I needed to overhaul the space and make some rules (let's think of them more as guidelines) to avoid the space becoming this crazy again. The top photo is how the space looked in December of 2013 and how the below photo is how it looked last week.

In the last year I've obtained A LOT more patterns, fabrics, notions as well as an overlocker. I've also  been recently gifted bags full of trims, fabrics, threads and every other sewing related item you can think of by Tim's Grandma who is down-sizing. I love everything she has passed on to me and feel very lucky to have access to vintage bias binding, zippers and lace trims that she used. But how to make it fit tidily in my sewing space?  I hear Ikea calling!

I bought another Alex storage unit, this time a cupboard. Tim and I put this one together in record time! I moved all my traced patterns into the lower shelf, organised by garment type. The upper shelf will items that I plan to refashion. If it becomes too full then I'll have choose some garments to take to the opshop (Rule 1). I'm using the space above the units to store works in progress and my pressing cloths, ham and sausage. If I have more WIPs than will fit I wont allow myself to start any new projects untill I finish some (Rule 2).

Buying a storage unit freed up my drawers so that I could sort through my existing and newly acquired sewing notions and dedicate each drawer to one type. The above photo shows just some of the sewing things Tim's Grandma gave me and the photos below that show them sorted, with my existing items in my drawers. I have an entire drawer dedicated just to thread (LOVE those bobbin trays!), one for trims, bias, ribbons and lace, and one for elastics and zippers. I am yet to go through my 5 tins of buttons but there is a draw for those too when I'm feeling up to it.

I had been hoarding two bags of fabric scraps thinking that one day they might come in use. They had to go, along with three more bags of slightly larger fabric scraps and fabrics I knew I'd never use. The only scraps I'll allow myself to keep from now on are those big enough to make another garment or bias binding from (Rule 3). I'll be taking my scraps to kinders/schools or textile recyclers more often. I wont be making a rule around fabric purchases - I'd only break it.

On my sewing table I keep all my paper patterns, although I don't think it's a long term solution. Under the table is one shopping bag where I will keep all "to fix" garments. If the bag gets full I'll have to either fix stuff (no thanks!) or consider whether some garments need to be refashioned, recycled or opshopped (Rule 4).

I like the minimalist look but I have hoarding tendencies. I'm so glad my sewing space is back under control and all of my mess has a place to call home.