October 14, 2022

Sewing Room!

When we bought our house in 2007, Aiden was 5, Zach was 3 and I was pregnant with Nathan. There are four bedrooms in the house; ours, Aiden and Zach shared a room, Nathan got a room and we have a spare room (it has a door to the outside, so we weren't comfortable putting the boys in there, which is why two of them shared a room). There were times we considered turning the spare room into a sewing room, but it's a small room that doesn't have space for much besides the bed, which we couldn't take out because we obviously need it when company comes, so I kept sewing at the kitchen table. The spare room did end up storing a lot of sewing stuff, though!

I said way back in 2007 that when Aiden and Zach went away to university, their room would become my sewing room. Back then that felt like so far into the future as to be almost unimaginable. But suddenly Aiden is in his third year, Zach just started his first year in September and I have a sewing room! I can hardly believe it's real!
Sewing room | DevotedQuilter.com
I have to give so much credit to my husband, Paul. He was the one who first went into the room and started clearing out the abundant 'stuff' that had been left behind and he spent so much time sorting through it all. He and Nathan removed the furniture that I wouldn't be needing. He painted the walls (Coventry Gray from Benjamin Moore). He even cleaned the floor when everything was finished!

There were enough books in their room to stock a small bookstore, including several young adult fantasy series I didn't remember and now want to read. I've had this bookshelf since I was in junior high, I think, or maybe high school, when my grandfather bought it for me to contain my own abundant book collection. The boys certainly come by their love of books honestly! My shoeboxes full of scraps fit nicely on the shelf, though they're really not very pretty. And the rest of the shelf is just a mishmash while I figure out where things are going to go.
Sewing room | DevotedQuilter.com
I've started painting the shoeboxes white, then labeling them. They'll still be random sizes, but I'm hoping this will make them less busy-looking. So far I have one finished 😅
Box for scrap fabric | DevotedQuilter.com
Last night I moved my fabric into the drawers of the two dressers. I've had it in a dresser in the spare room for years, but that dresser was stuffed full and it still didn't hold everything. That dresser has 4 drawers that are slightly larger than these ones, so now with 8 drawers I actually have room to contain it all.
Sewing room | DevotedQuilter.com
The bed is staying, for those times when both boys are home at the same time. Because Aiden is doing a work term until September of 2023, it will probably be a while before they're both able to be here together. If only one is home, like Zach was last weekend for Thanksgiving, he'll sleep in the spare room. But if they're both home, one will need a bed in here. My only concern about that plan is that this is a large horizontal surface with no designated purpose most of the time, and those tend to collect a lot of clutter. I'm going to try to keep it clear, but I make no promises, lol. I should also make a twin size quilt to actually fit it, but this version of Medallion Magic will work for now.

I made sure to have a chair for company! Paul jokes that he may never see me again now that I have my own room, to which I say he's always welcome to come visit! Nathan and Zach both wandered in and sat down briefly while I was sewing over the weekend, which was really nice.
Sewing room | DevotedQuilter.com
The Marbles block is a free tutorial.

There's still plenty to do. I want a design wall behind the ironing board and shelves over the dresser the iron is on. Maybe more shelves in the closet. A cutting table is on the someday list. For now, I put my sewing machine on the floor if I want to cut up here, but that table is a bit low. I'll probably still do most of my cutting in the kitchen. I find cutting at counter height is much easier on my back, especially if I have a lot to cut. Of course, I definitely want quilts hanging on the walls! I think I'll start by hanging my 2020 temperature quilt on the wall behind my sewing machine and I have plenty of other quilts to choose from.
Sewing room | DevotedQuilter.com
These pictures were taken over the course of a few days, so you can see things gradually moving into the room, including the lamp that really helps light up that corner.

And here's the view from my sewing chair. I love watching the leaves dance in the wind!
Sewing room | DevotedQuilter.com
The afternoon that Paul and I moved my sewing machine into the room, I tried to thank him for all he did to make it happen and I could hardly get the words out without crying. It's amazing to finally have my own space. Not needing to put things away every evening so we can eat supper is such a treat and being able to walk in and just start sewing without setting things up first feels so good.

So, any fabulous features of your sewing room that you think I should consider for mine? I'd love to hear your ideas. 

9 comments:

  1. Oh Leanne, what a beautiful space. I'm sure in some ways it is bittersweet to transform the boys' bedroom into a sewing room, but it sure sounds like they are growing up to be young men to be proud of. I hope you enjoy continuing to make the space to your liking. <3

    ReplyDelete
  2. I especially like the visitor chair. And it has arms for comfort.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm so happy for you, that you now have a dedicated space to create your quilts! Clearly your guys are happy to support you in your craft, with all the work they put into helping this space become yours! Enjoy! (And tell me about the book under the sewing table? - Curious!) Could the four-drawer dresser be elevated to a height for your cutting table - just a thought.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for the invitation to spend some time with you in your happy place! I felt like I could have been sitting in that comfy looking guest chair and feeling right at home. Love your stories about how it all came to be. There is lots of love in that room, isn't there?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Leanne, this is a beautiful room! How wonderful and supportive of your hubby and son to help get everything prepared for you. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful mates and blessed to have our own space in which to sew! Happy quilting!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I also have shoe boxes with W I P’s. Never entered my mind to paint them! Good idea. Congratulation on the new space!! Now going to look for the Marbles block!! Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  7. How wonderful for you! Having been spoiled with sewing space most of my life - albeit an unfinished basement! - I can't imagine how long you've put up without a dedicated space. This room sounds well-deserved, and you're on the right track to making it workable. Personally, I cannot sew while on a chair with arms, but perhaps that's just me. In inexpensive thing I did that is my room's favorite feature (other than having a large design wall) is to invest in 3M hooks to hang rulers on the wall. I pre-arranged where each ruler would hang, and then accordingly, adhered hooks to the wall... and filled a small wall! Just make sure each hook fits through the ruler hole; some ruler holes are smaller than others. Continue having fun, settling into and using your new space!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congratulations! I love having a sewing room -- no need to put anything away. And by using a bedroom, it limits the amount of houseguests at any one time. ha ha ha ha One spare room is plenty.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You have been so patient waiting for your own sewing room. It obviously gave your husband a lot of pleasure to make this dream come true for you. The only thing I'd suggest for your sewing room wish-list would be a drop bed table for your sewing machine :-) Like the kitchen counters it would be another great way to protect your back and prolong the hours you can comfortably sew.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to leave me a message. I love hearing from you.