We all would love to have large dedicated sewing rooms. Sometimes I find myself dreaming about what that would look like! The reality is that I need to make my current space work for me today, next week, and probably the next few years! I am going to show you how I am using my spaces somewhat unconventionally and give you a list of my tips and tricks. A sewing space doesn’t have to be fancy, in fact, mine is a shared space in an unfinished basement! It’s okay to be moving things around as you need to. If you are moving things around, you will develop a system that lets you reconfigure spaces quickly and efficiently. Watch the YouTube version here My home may be larger or smaller than yours, each level in my townhouse is about 450 square feet. I have an unfinished basement, main floor, and upstairs with bedrooms. I also share my home with my husband, piano studio, and quilting studio. Most of the year, my quilting stuff is set up in the basement. Living Room: The living room is mostly my piano studio space. I have a corner desk set up that I work from. If I’m doing computer work with the quilting side of things, I’ll sit at my desk. My desk is a glass top style, I have lots of room underneath for a printer and a multi drawer storage cart. If the weather is good, I head out to my little patio and enjoy some sunlight on my skin. I use a laptop and love having the option to be anywhere I want. When I’m not as busy with teaching in the summer, I will move my sewing table and machine into the living room/piano studio so I can work in the sun light and Air Conditioning. Basement: The unfinished basement has truly been to my advantage. However, cement walls and floor aren’t the nicest things to see and it’s cold during our Saskatchewan winters! I bought an indoor/outdoor carpet to cover up the primary open section. That carpet makes a big difference in the overall visual feel and helps a bit in warmth. Having the “living room” down there also helps it feel homier. The basement also serves as storage, laundry, home gym, “living room”, quilting/sewing space, and a waiting area for piano students during lesson hours. My top priority in setting up the space was to make sure students weren’t going to be walking past any of my sewing stuff. The cutting table (a dining room table that I inherited from my grandma) separates the two spaces. I have my sewing table and sit down machine facing the sitting area and my long arm close to the back wall. Leaning against the back wall is my design wall - it’s really a bunch of plywood pieces secured together and leaning up against the wall. Against another wall is an old, second hand, entertainment stand that holds my thread, books, fabric, notions, etc. I also have a treadmill that is rolled from one area to the next a few times a week depending on what is happening in the basement. I also have a fold up ironing board, small folding table, and a couple more multi drawer rolling carts that can easily be moved to a spot that is convenient as I need them. I also have a lot of totes stored under the long arm for things like client quilts, fabric, batting, works in progress, etc. Tips and Tricks to set up in a small space:
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As the year passes through the familiar rhythms of spring, summer, fall, and winter, we also experience various seasons of our lives. Each phase brings its own challenges, beauty, and growth. Just as spring signifies new beginnings, summer embodies growth and maturity, fall brings reflection, and winter offers rest. Our lives often mirror these cycles. We find ourselves trying new things, reaching new heights, taking stock of our achievements, and retreating to recharge. And just like the Earth's never-ending cycle, these seasons of life repeat, each bringing fresh experiences and lessons.
Spring seasons in our lives do not necessarily coincide with the calendar. Sometimes you come across a photo or idea that sparks something deep inside that needs to be let out and grow. My current personal spring is somewhat in time with the calendar, but also emerging through a very big dream I’ve had for closer to a year. I know that if I want to see that dream become a reality, I need to take some actionable steps to start moving towards it. I also know from personal experience that my big ideas don’t always go like I originally think. As I take steps towards that dream, I often find the road curves towards a direction to new things that are better. However, that journey could never have started if I didn’t go after the dream to begin with. This “spring” is about using digital software to turn my quilt ideas into projects that others can do. I don't know about you, but having the right tools to help that design come to life are sometimes tricky to come by. I have been developing some basic design tools for others to use - colour and cut out quilt blocks. The idea is to use them to build a larger block or explore quilt colours and layout options to your hearts content before cutting into fabric. Gone are the days redrawing and colouring a new graph paper sketch every time you want to try a new layout. If you are looking for something that I don't have in my products menu, let me know in the suggestions form and I will add it! The best part, these tools are free to you. On the other techy side, I have been learning how to expand my website and social media. The website now has a products page and blog. As for my various media outlets - YouTube will have a video series coming in this summer and developing my Pinterest. Sign up for the newsletter so you don't miss the latest releases in YouTube content, weekly blog posts, and other "spring-like" announcements. Are you in a spring season or want to reminisce about a past spring? I would love to hear about your quilting journey in the comments. You can also interact with me on my Facebook page, Krista’s Quilting Services, to share in the latest projects and engage in a community with other quilters. Embrace the seasons of your quilting journey, whether you’re in the spring of learning something new or the summer of perfecting your skills. Every quilt has a story and every quilter is an artist. Let’s stitch our stories together, one quilt at a time. |
Krista RussellLong arm quilter, budding quilt designer, and teacher. ArchivesCategories |