A lot of creative energy circulates in the sewing room. Hence, it is likely to be a wreck when there is a project ongoing.
Having constant projects to accomplish means that your sewing room stays untidy most of the time. But worry not. There are some simple hacks to make sure your work or hobby area is tidy and organized.
According to professional couturiers, the state of your sewing room will define the progress you make in your work. A messy room is not the ideal place for creation. A clear, orderly place is required for your mind and body to excel in your line of work.
Therefore, let us get on with the top tips and tricks you can use to organize your sewing room!
1. Button Jars
Buttons come in various shapes, colors, and textures. It is important to have all the different types of buttons assembled in a drawer or jars.
You have to ensure all the buttons are organized according to their different aspects. Visibility and ease of access are also crucial, as you want to grab a button quickly when you need one.
Some people recommend using pill trays to organize the gazillions of buttons you own. Pill trays were not originally designed to keep buttons, but they are pretty useful when it comes to storing buttons.
2. Cardboard Trim Organizers
Trims need a proper organization system in the sewing room. You don’t want it to be lying around all over the place.
Therefore, you should save the cardboard that you receive with supermarket products. In addition, you can cut strips of cardboard to bind trims around them. Color coordinating trims will help you find them faster when you are busy.
3. Repurpose Trash Bins
Although sewing shops will provide with you a range of tools to use for storage and work in the sewing room, you can still re-purpose ordinary items. For example, the trash bin or the laundry basket that you normally use for other purposes can be used to store various sewing items.
Having good storage helps all your stuff stay organized and in one place. So, browsing through different office supply stores, resale shops, and kitchen supply stores may not be a bad idea.
To buy a good sewing machine table may be useful in giving you the right platform to work on. However, don’t underestimate the storage requirements of working as a couturier.
4. Arrange Fabric by Type or Color
It is up to you how you want to arrange all the fabrics that you own. Some people prefer to organize them according to color, some by material, while others do so by patterns.
Moreover, you can arrange lingerie fabrics in one box, while arranging quilt fabrics in another. In all, your life as a couturier will be easier if you have the fabrics sorted out according to type or color.
Some sewers like to save and store small pieces of fabric, but others would rather store the big pieces. There are certain fabric storage techniques that you can follow:
First, cut the fabrics into sizes and shapes ready for use. Ideally, you can cut them 2 ½ inches, 2 inches, or 1 ½ inches wide, and in styles, such as 4-patch or 9-patch blocks, squares, or rectangles for Chevrons, etc.
Then, while some may find this step unnecessary, depending on the type of fabric you are using, iron the fabric scraps. What this does is that if you have them ironed, you can immediately use them for sewing instead of wasting extra time to iron them.
Finally, repurpose jars, baskets, bags, and drawers to organize all the fabrics. Plastic drawers and plastic zipper bags are not bad for storage either, so utilize them as well.
5. Keep the Flat Surfaces Clear
Without any doubt, the main area of work must be clear and spacious. Don’t waste your money on small tables. Get big tables with lots of flat surface on a budget.
The best way to keep flat surfaces clean is to pack up everything once you are done with work. If you have to deal with pieces of fabric, threads, and rubbish from the last time you sat there to work, it is not a good starting point for a new project.
As a sewer, you need a fresh space and clear head to be able to generate ideas into clothes and home decorations. As you understand very well, needlework is not a piece of cake.
It requires patience and concentration to make good items. So be mindful of the clutter on your table and clean it right away after a project.
6. Have a Donation Box
As a couturier, you will naturally produce a lot of waste while you work on masterpieces. Some waste is better off sent off for donation rather than throwing away.
You should understand that there are many aspiring artists and creative people like you who wish they had the tools and supplies you have to do what they love. Hence, by having a donation box in your sewing room, you are giving other aspiring people a chance to pursue their career and goals.
7. Label Everything
If you have been using the same sewing room for years, you may not have an issue with finding items. However, if you have to move from now and then, or change houses often, you should label all the storage boxes and cabinets.
You should do this because when you move houses or workspaces, you have to re-organize everything from scratch. If you have a big sewing room with lots of items, you will struggle.
In addition, sometimes you may need the help of a friend, co-worker, or an assistant. At times like that, you don’t have to invest time in guiding your team and helpers about what is located where.
By simply having labels on all storage items, baskets, cabinets, and shelves, you are making sure whoever is helping you with work can find tools and accessories by themselves without supervision.
8. Sort out Books and Magazines
Just as your fabric straps, trims, and tools need to be organized, so do the books and magazines you use for inspiration and ideas. Don’t keep them on the main sewing table but on some shelf where you can easily grab them. Here’s some great DIY Shelving Ideas to organize your books that I think, not only look great, but would be super fun to DIY!
One way to ensure you can generate excellent ideas is to place a box or bag next to the couch in your sewing room. Hence, you can relax on the couch while browsing through content for inspiration.
Conclusion
Organizing is actually a fun thing to do. In fact, some people enjoy it so much they have made a number of videos on YouTube of themselves cleaning and organizing their homes.
Those videos can definitely help you get started on organizing your sewing room and make working more efficient for you. So you should give them a try!
We would like to finish this article with the hope that you found this helpful and informative. Thank you for taking the time to be here!
