A New Beginning

It seemed appropriate to finish off the Busy Girl Sews Tour with a look at how I'm setting up my new sewing room in Texas. There's a part of me that wanted to wait until every piece was in place, but I knew that would mean holding off on showing you the room until some time this fall. I'm working slowly through everything, trying to take my time and really organize things instead of just stuffing them in baskets and cupboards. It's time consuming yet so worth it to do things this way. I'll spare you the photo of my unsorted fabrics, notions, and tools, but believe me when I say that there's quite a bit left to be organized before I'm through.

My new sewing space is, quite frankly, a dream come true. Our house has an enormous loft at the end of the upstairs hallway which is large enough to hold my husband's office, our home gym, playtime and library areas for the girls, and a sewing area that is at least twice the size of what I had in California. It gives me plenty of room to spread out as well as add a few new areas to my studio that make it even more friendly.

I'm probably most excited about my new cutting station. Being rather tall (almost 5'11"), it's been a painful thing to lean over my sewing desk and cut fabric over the past few years. The first thing I did after arriving in Texas was purchase a high square pub table from Amazon which is the perfect height for me to work without straining my back. I added an adjustable stool from Target so that I can sit at the desk too whenever I want. Bonus tip: most tabletop desk organizer units are absolutely perfect for storing your cutting tools. I've had this one for months, and I'm absolutely crazy about it!

The area that used to hold my cutting mat will now be my pressing station, and it will be so convenient to sew and press seams at opposite sides of the L-shaped desk that used to belong to my dad. I still have all my tools lined up along the edge in glass and wooden containers as you can see in the picture at the top of this post. Did I mention that this is part of the view outside my sewing room window? I tell you, it's been hard to get any work done since I arrived. All I want to do is gaze out the windows all day long...

Right now I have at least half of my fabric folded and sorted. I decided to go back to my old system of storing linen and canvas prints in this black wire drawer unit, and larger scraps are still being kept in my wooden Melody Miller drawer unit above that. The big plastic tubs to the right are waiting to hold quilt backings and works in progress.

I'm still using my great grandfather's old cabinet to store fabric, and I put my wooden cubbies and my antique scale and typewriter back on display above that where I love to see them. Sometimes I think the non-sewing things we keep in our rooms are just as inspiring as the fabric!

I saw this linen storage bench at Target over the weekend and immediately knew that it belonged in my sewing space. Batting, interfacing, and pillow forms fit perfectly inside, and my sewing files and some inspirational design books are in the baskets to the left. This bench makes a great spot for me and the girls to curl up with a good book or get together for a little mother-daughter chat during the day.

My scrap tins are now lined up along a table that also used to belong to my great grandfather. Having them out on display instead of tucked inside a cupboard makes it so much easier for them to be used. The girls can stand next the table or sit on the storage bench while they sort scraps for me.

Just to the right of my sewing space is the new library that I've set up for my girls. I've long been wanting to create a special reading area for them, and this spot next to a big window couldn't be more perfect. The large book display works as a natural divider between my space and theirs. One side holds their picture books and the other side shows off a good portion of my sewing library.

My husband teases me that I said I was buying it just for the kids, but seriously, how could I resist?!

I can't tell you what it's meant to me to put together this sewing space over the past week. Somehow it's both a new beginning and like coming home. The crazy schedule with our move meant that I had to pack up most of my sewing room back at the beginning of May. I've gone for two months without sewing a stitch, and it was so hard to lose that part of myself. While it's good to know that I can still exist without my sewing, I can honestly say that sewing continues to make my life a happier one. And really, that was the whole point of my book after all.

May you have the happiest of weeks ahead of you, my friends.