Monday, April 10, 2023

Sewing Space Declutter

Spring cleaning my house? Not on my todo list! Spring cleaning my sewing space? Absolutely!

I reorganized my sewing space back in 2019 (see that post) and it was time to do it again. There was a lot of visible clutter plus projects and supplies that I didn't remember even existed.

Besides not being able to find things, anything I needed usually required moving two other things in order to get to what I actually wanted. 


Before (on left) my bag making supplies were on the very top shelf - zippers in one plastic box and swivel hooks etc in another. Now (on right) everything I need for bag making is in one basket. And, these baskets did not need to be purchased - they were stacked inside each other (empty!) in a closet and purchased probably ten years ago. The bright yellow you squares are sticky notes describing the content. I hope to replace these tags with something a bit nicer to look at.

Under my sewing table, I had a white 3 tiered shelf. I thought perhaps it would be a place for project storage but instead it just grabbed random items and served no purpose.

So I shifted the table that sits next to my sewing machine about 15" away from the corner and tucked the tiered shelf into the nook. My thread sits on the top shelf (as do 2 minis I want to hang up!) as do my basting pins. Using 2 acrylic bins from target, I created an extra storage area on the second shelf. That shelf is for scraps I actively want to use (sorted and stored in plastic bags) plus my sewing machine feet and wound bobbins. It is working so very well - I wish I had thought about it earlier.

The final trouble spot was the little storage cubbies that sat on top of the table next to my machine. In this photo (from 2019), you can see them in the background - my wonderful cutting table is in the foreground.




Supplies were randomly stored in those cubbies and on the table and every time I needed something, I had to move something else. It was very frustrating and created clutter.

All the commonly used items were moved to that little storage shelf so I now am busy turning those cubbies into something filled with things I love to look at like Buzz and Woody! Sliding things over gave me some nice wall space for more minis (hence the pile I referenced earlier!) My chocolate supply is hidden there too - shhh, don't tell my daughter!


Everything I used for my project was repurposed from something I already owned. To the aqua tray (right next to the iron), I added some tiny plastic cups so things can stay sorted.

My pressing mat and wonderful Mini Project Oliso iron  remain right next to me when I sew. I've got an old ugly desk lamp sitting there too which serves both to give some extra lighting while pressing and also remind me that the iron is on! I do the same thing for my big iron too. (I've had that pressing mat since 2018 and it is holding up quite well. (Read my review of pressing mat and of iron.)

Besides some basic rearranging, I did sent some scraps and blocks to new homes. Happy sewing!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

3 comments:

  1. Good on you & your space looks light & quite spacious. I need to rearrange mine as I've been sewing in a small bedroom (10'x10') for the last 8 years after having a lovely big studio, in our old house, before retirement, which I miss. You may have spurred me too start in a small way & work towards a goal. Thank you, take care & hugs.

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  2. Wonderful refinements in your arrangements. I like how you repurposed what you already had, so you weren't spending more money.

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  3. Decluttering and rearranging is always helpful. Every time I sort my sewing area and change things I wonder why I hadn't thought of the new system before. Repurposing is great and helps to save money.

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