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kaybee884
10
Jan 26, 2019
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You don't have to decide on everything all at once, especially since you are new to sewing. I've been sewing for 55 years and have sewed on different surfaces as I moved my household (18 times over the years) - an end table with a knee space cut out in the bottom shelf, with a storage bench to sit on, a card table, sitting on a folding chair, dining room tables, sitting on dining chairs, and now recently on tables made for sewing, sitting on office type chairs. Ahh, definitely my favorite. I have my Janome on a Janome Universal Sewing Table, which I love for it's small size and stability. I have my Pfaff sewing/embroidery machine on a Tailormade Quilter's Vision and Chest cabinet, which I also love for the work space and storage space, with a leaf that will open up if I need space for a larger quilt. I put my serger on a small nightstand that has 2 drawers and a bottom shelf that holds my Scan 'N Cut. I have found that I will use my serger more if I don't store it in a closet or cabinet. This stand sits to the right of my Janome, so I just have to turn my chair to use it. My ironing board is set up between the two sewing tables. One of the small dining tables I used to sew on is now my cutting table, with space below for my sewing machine roller bag and embroidery unit bag, and next to it is a cabinet with 2 shelves behind doors. I have my Accuquilt cutter on top of it with the dies stored inside. This current arrangement has all taken place over the past year, as I was getting used to what I hope is my permanent house. Start with a sewing surface that works for you and a good, adjustable chair on wheels and good lighting. Sew awhile and figure out what you need to go forward. I think if you make a bunch of decisions now, you'll either get lucky with your choices or have some regrets. I had a folding cutting table with a cutting mat that fit the top, and I hated it. Sold it. My sewing tables are next to windows, but when the sun goes down, the lighting is not great. An estimate for adding wired lighting was way over my budget, so I put hanging lamps next to both tables, as well as between my cutting table and the Accuquilt cabinet. I have sewing and quilting thread on wall mounted racks and notions in a 7 drawer cabinet behind my Pfaff. All my fabric is on metal wire shelves. Larger cuts are on bolts on the tops (fabric stores will give you empty bolts for free); collections in plastic shoe boxes, and I have larger plastic boxes for pieces sorted by color. You can use large, clear plastic bags over the bolts, if pet hair and dust are a concern, plus the bolts will be easier to move on and off the shelf. I have books and binders on a small 3 shelf folding bookcase, and I have other supplies on the same metal shelving as my fabric, craft supplies on 2 stacked folding bookcases. I have a closet in my long arm room, and I use it to store quilts ready to quilt, on hangers, and have another folding bookcase in there that holds pillow forms and packaged batting. All of this has evolved over many years, so if you have limited space, take some time figuring it out. Anything that has multiple usage options, space above or below is worth considering. Your storage needs and working space needs may change over the years as you add machines or equipment, and if you're like every sewist/quilter I know, you will need lots of space to store fabric. Not everything you put in this space has to be designed for sewing. I found a wire shoe rack that holds my plastic boxes of embroidery thread, and it takes up very little space. I've changed how I use different pieces as I've moved around, so think about how you could use something, if your first option doesn't work well. Those folding bookcases are great, night stands and small tables can be tucked in a corner. One thing I did when I moved was make paper footprints of some of the furniture to see how it would fit before I moved it in, so if you have measurements of what you're considering, try that. Or use a couple of tape measures to mark out the space. You can buy exam table paper and kraft paper on Amazon, and the kraft paper can be reused for wrapping packages.
Jan 26, 2019
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