We thought it would be a great idea to start January off with a fresh, clean topic… Sewing Room Organization! We have asked several of our past designers to share their sewing spaces with us and also hope that you will join in with #prpsewingroom!
Rachel of Southern Magnolia Design has an AMAZING setup in her sewing room! She was generous enough to share some pointers for those of us looking to create a more functional, well organized sewing space!
I recently just updated my sewing room this summer. And after taking all that time to make the room look nicer, you’d better believe that I keep it organized and clean.
Tips For An Organized Sewing Room:
1. DON’T BUY MORE FABRIC THAN YOU CAN STORE!
  This is a difficult one to keep to, but it is very important. I used to have piles of fabric in boxes and folded fabric stacks sitting on the floor. It was a mess and constant annoyance when I had to dig through those boxes, or accidentally knocked over the stacks.
2. Square/cube storage shelves are perfect for holding folded fabric stacks!
I used to try storing my fabric vertically, wrapped around a small cardboard rectangle like the fabric stores have. However, the added width of the cardboard meant that I could not fit as much fabric on each shelf. But folded stacks of fabric make it easy to see all my options and still have easy access. I like to organize them by fabric type (woven, knit, specialty, etc.) and by color. That way I know exactly where to find what I am looking for when starting a new project.Â
3. Take care of your fabric.
   Sometimes fabric can get dusty or wrinkled when stored for a long time. And if in direct sunlight, the colors could fade and ruin the design. Depending on where you live, bugs might also become a problem.Â
I use cedar chips to help keep away carpet bugs and moths; adding a couple of discs on each shelf.
I have a small hand vacuum that came with attachments. While it is mostly used to clean out all the fluff and threads in my serger, I will occasionally vacuum the dust off of the fabric edges as well.Â
4. Keep your workspace clean.
   When in the middle of a sewing creation, I have fabric scraps, thread, beads, and cutting accessories scattered ALL over the place. But I always make sure to put everything away and clean up at the end of every project. It is especially important to sweep up and vacuum the floor as well. I’ve found many stray needles and pins on the ground that I hadn’t realized had dropped. Vacuuming also helps to keep the threads from ending up in the rolling wheels of my chair.
   Another part of keeping the area clean is putting away the ironing board between projects. I used to keep it out all the time because I always seemed to be working on something. But when it was out, I also ended up using it as a table to store things. Or it would get in the way when I was trying to get around the room. Now that it gets put up, it forces me to put away the things I would normally set on it when I was feeling lazy.
   Everything has a place where it belongs. And as long as I remember to put things back in their place, I will always know where to find them.
One of my favorite new updates to my room has been adding a mount for my iPad on the wall. Now I can read the sewing patterns and tutorials (or watch my favorite shows) without my device taking up space on my table.
These are great tips! Thank you, Rachel! Don’t forget to show us your sewing space this week with #prpsewingroom! We would love to feature your space in our social media posts and stories!