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Rearranging my sewing room & blog hop winners

On the spur of the moment last week, I decided to rearrange my sewing room. I had this idea in mind since the New Year, but no solid plan for how it would come together. All I needed was a day without an agenda and a little determination!

Sewing room details @ The Crafty Quilter

Sewing Room Rearranged

Three days later, I have a clean, mostly uncluttered sewing room – along with a sore back. The room is 12 feet square (approximately) and it has two walls with built in cabinets. Originally, I had my cutting table in the center of the room and my sewing table underneath the window. It had a nice flow, but I wasn’t getting the most use out of the space.

Visually, I think it looked better before. But I can live with that as long as the functionality has improved. Below is a little before and after. If you’re reading this in your browser (not email), you can slide the arrow over to compare the two.

I have more open floor space now, and I might even get a small design wall set up in one corner. I’d like to do more “thinning” of inventory when I get a chance. My stash and especially my scrap bins are still overflowing. Below you can see all four corners of the room. There’s a lot going on in that room!

Sewing Room @ The Crafty Quilter

The built in cabinets are so nice to have. My stash is sorted by color and placed in clear plastic bins. I have precut bundles displayed on open shelves.

The other wall of cabinets has a mix of office supplies, paper crafting supplies, books and another sewing station. I like to have two sewing machines set up (when I can) so that I can have one machine dedicated to quilting or an applique project and the other machine can be used for piecing. I also have a pull-out extension table that is great for ironing and trimming. The photos below are from two years ago, but the layout is the same now.

Sewing room with built in cabinets @ The Crafty Quilter provides perfect work space for quilting and sewing.

Sewing room product details

Because I know you’re going to ask, I’ll try to list as many of the products and sources as I can.

  • Cutting table: This is a Martha Stewart Craft table I purchased in 2013. Unfortunatley, I can’t find it anywhere online.
  • Sewing table: Again, I couldn’t find my exact table anymore. This Kangaroo Sewing Cabinet is almost identical to mine. I absolutely love it.
  • Sewing Machines: Baby Lock Crescendo and Baby Lock Soprano (smaller)
  • Ironing station: I purchased an Ikea Kallax shelf unit ($149) and had Mr. Crafty Quilter install caster wheels along the bottom. We purchased 1/2″ thick x 20″ wide plywood and had Home Depot cut it to fit the length of the shelf unit.
  • Craft Storage Cart (aqua): The Container Store
  • White sewing chair: Purchased at Home Goods in 2019.
  • Clear plastic bins: The Container Store – large shoe box size
  • Shelf with drawers and quilt hanger – A lucky find at a consignment store 20 years ago.
  • Quilt ladder – made for me by a friend’s husband.

For more sewing room photos and ideas, check out three ways to make your sewing space more efficient.

Sewing room bliss @ The Crafty Quilter

Blog Hop Winners

I completely forgot to announce the winner of my prize for the Fast & Fun Blog Hop! All of the main blog hop winners can be found at the Villa Rosa Designs Blog.

The winner of a prize package from me is Tonia Conner. Congratulations! I’ve emailed you for mailing information; you will be receiving one charm pack, 3 VRD Rose Cards, my Arrow Stone quilt pattern, and a few other goodies.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

And… HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY my friends!

Quilted hearts made by Julie Cefalu @ The Crafty Quilter.  Tutorial is there too.
Quilted Heart Tutorial

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18 Comments

  1. I am patiently waiting for our building permit to go through and my contractor is already selected to build a sewing studio. You have such beautiful fresh ways of storing and displaying your craft. Thank you.

  2. I am patiently waiting for our building permit to go through and my contractor is already selected to build my sewing studio. You have such a beautiful fresh ways of storing and displaying your craft. Thank you.

  3. My goodness! I’m currently in the process of re-org myself and envy you having finished yours!. Your room is just GORGEOUS!
    My room is only 10×12 and it’s also our office, and one whole side is computers, printers, files, supplies, etc.
    Needless to say, I have to get creative because I don’t just sew, I collect and refurbish vintage machines. So I have to try and make use of every inch of room. I hate having things sitting on the floor, so I’ve installed shelves everywhere possible and interestingly, I’m doing the reverse of what you just did! I have two walls with windows so my big quilting/sewing machine in an Arrow Bertha cabinet will go on one window wall where I can look out at the view. A few of my vintage machines are in tables and they’ll probably go on the other window wall so I have easy access to them. I have purchased two smallish, narrow, wooden kitchen islands with locking casters, which I’m putting together with a large sheet of painted plywood on top, big enough for both cutting and ironing. Each island has two shelves where most of my vintage machines will go. The office is on the only side with a solid wall space and the fourth side is a big closet with sliding doors. The closet has shelving units in it which hold my stash and scrap bins, along with lots of other useful things like batting, precuts and fashion fabric. I’m pretty sure I’m clear about where I’ll be putting everything, but due to getting over Covid, I haven’t been able to work on it much. It’s frustrating, but I’ll get there.
    I took note of your Baby Lock Crescendo. Interestingly, my machine is the Brother Innov’is VQ3000 (ridiculously pretentious name), which is exactly the same as your beautiful Crescendo, just with the Brother name. I think Brother is the parent company which produces the Baby Lock line as well. They might even have been built in the same factory! My husband bought it for me roughly 3 years ago (bless him) and we got it as a demo model (nice – any/all kinks already worked out), at roughly 25% of the original cost and a full warranty. I actually love it – it makes free motion quilting much easier and lots of fun!
    How do you like your Crescendo?

  4. Hi Julie, I had to laugh when you mentioned a sore back. Not that’s it’s funny but the way you wrote it sounded so when reading! 🙂
    Your room looks great. It’s nice that you can still look out the window while sewing even though you moved things around. I’ve been a lot more organized lately. I don’t know what’s gotten into me but I’ll take it! I’m finding that I am more prolific when I can find things. I also purged a lot last Fall and that felt great. Now I have everything I love and the rest went to others.
    I have that ironing station. I bought the same one after seeing yours. I just treated myself to an Oliso iron. I hope I like it as it wasn’t cheap. So far so good.
    Love your pooch!
    Happy belated Valentine’s Day!

  5. Julie,
    Your sewing room looks so inviting! I love the little mini-ironing station you have next to one of your sewing machines. I’m going to figure out something, maybe something I can purchase, or hubby can make.
    Carol

  6. Hello Jul
    Thank you for this blog. Love your room and arrangements. Very practical. And inspiring to chance things in my own room.
    Love the extractable table. Work for me at the carpenterclub.
    Thank you and Hartelijke groet uit België.
    Marjolein

  7. Looks so nice Julie, and you are using all your space in the best way. Makes me realize what
    a mess I have in my sewing room . I think I better get busy!

  8. WOW Julie!!! I am not usually an envious person but I sure envy you your sewing room. I like your new layout the best. Would you mind if I used some of your ideas? Maybe then my husband would have a better idea of what I would like. He just looks at me with this confused look on his face when I try to describe what I want for my sewing room. Thanks for sharing. Love your site and so glad I jointed up with you.

  9. OMG, you sewing room is a Dream. mine looks like a cyclone has gone through, there is no room to swing a cat ( that’s why a don’t have one )
    Your dog seems to like it too.

  10. As one of your previous prize winners, I would like to thank you again. Not only for the prize package that I won, but also for your blog continuity during this pandemic. It seems to me, that you never missed a beat. Thank you, Julie, for the great tips in your blog, for answering my email to you last year. My middle name is organize; I really like what you’ve done with your sewing room. It seems that you have another fan, lying on the rug in your sewing room. So adorable. I hope 2023 is a great year for you and your family. Blessings, Lisa V. King

  11. Happy Valentine’s Day! Thank you for sharing your beautiful sewing space, no wonder you are so creative! Very inspiring. Love all the colors and orderliness

  12. Awesome I like the after very much. I have a sewing cabinet with the side arm. Have my lap top on it now but thinking to place iron and pad so I won’t need to get up to iron.

  13. Love your sewing room. Everything arranged to make it “sew” functional! Happy Valentines from Alberta!
    Carol Anne

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