Ohhhh let me tell you…..I really got fed up with the MESS in my studio. I have this beaut big space BUT to be honest, I simply was not getting the benefit out of it. I couldn’t find anything and it was beginning to get down right depressing! In fact….It was more like the disaster area of the aftermath of a cyclone!
As for my cutting table, if you could even call it that, it was a teeny little table with an even teenier amount of my cutting mat peeking out for me to cut anything on! LOL Plus it was just too low and my back always ended up aching when I worked……anyone else have that problem?
OK….now I am REALLY embarrassed to show you my mess BUT I am going to grit my teeth and show you anyway!
I did warn you, didn’t I! LOL
And here’s a closer look at my cutting table:
As you can see, there is hardly any room left to do any actual cutting! LOL I normally DO clean up in-between projects BUT nevertheless…I always seem to be surrounded by MESS and disorganisation! Gosh is it just ME or do any of you have a messy work area? LOLL
Here’s another shot:
Well….last Saturday it got the better of me so off I went to do some shopping! I found some cheap but nice and bright book shelves and also some white shelves with doors….they were all the same height bar one (which hubby pruned to size for me)…..and just about the perfect height to put them altogether to make a cutting table/work bench!
So…that is what I did…..I worked it out so I just had enough to support a large melamine board for the top. I lined them all up together in a rectangle with the shelves facing outwards, laid the melamine on top and ……here you have it:
It took me all of Sunday to shift my machines around and re-organise and pack my shelves etc BUT I am SOOOO glad I made the effort! Even Kenny (my cat) likes it….see him in the photo? Just behind him you can see a basket in one of the shelves close to the floor…..it is still empy as I plan on puting fabric scraps in it BUT Kenny has decided he likes it instead and sleeps in it! LOL
I now have a TON of space….just look at my new cutting area:
There is heaps of extra bench space and also space for my works in progress undernerath:
To the left I have all my zippers. There was just a small space left which wasn’t quite big enough for a shelf BUT low and behold a little trolley I already had, slipped in there just nicely!
Now here’s the nifty part….Pull the trolly out and there is a huge space inside to store all the crap supplies I don’t use every day:
Here I have most of my thread collection:
And on the end of the bench I have hardware ready for packing. Yes the empty baskets are for new stock that I am waiting on! LOL
So there you have it! Now I have so much storage space some of it is even still empty….not for long though…it’s a good excuse to go shopping! LOLLL
A bit of an improvement, don’t you think? LOL
NOW I had better get back to some serious sewing! I have Janelle’s Butterfly Sling Purse from this months Bag of the Month Club to make….been itchin to get to that….not to mention my club design which I am working on….Good job I have June as my allocated month! LOLLL
Your space looks wonderful! I love when my sewing room is all neat and clean. It never stays that way for long, so you appreciate the small amount of time it is. I love all the storage areas, and my cat would also declare one of those little cubbies his nap spot. Thanks for sharing!
Love it! What a nice large space. I’m in need of some organization but haven’t found the time yet. You’ve inspired me.
Wow !!! Very nice work space. I work in my kitchen table (small kitchen=small table) and I have to pick up everything each time that we´re going to eat, I´m so jealous lol
Enjoi it
I know exactly how you felt with the little work space and no storage. I am in a double garage and all my fabric in totes along one wall to the ceiling. My work space is a butterfly table but I need more. How many bookshelves & white shelves did you use? and the empty space for bolts in the centre is a great idea.
I love the bright colors too Chris! We tend to want to get more done when we are organized too.
Thanks for sharing – can’t wait to see your butterfly sling 🙂
Wow, what a transformation! I love the cutting space and the shelves with all the small compartments. And the different colors and.. well, everything 🙂 It looks like a room you can’t wait to get back to and start working on projects. Nice job!
So impressive! You have motivated me to re-organize. I have two weeks until Spring Break here in Texas. I’m sure I’ll do it then. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
It’s so nice to finally see where you work. That’s an amazing space you have. The cutting area is gorgeous, I love all the space you have and the colours are great too. I’m seeing coordinating blinds and wall hangings in there in the future and a nice big soft matching sofa for when you get too tired of sewing and want to just sit back and relax.
I had the same problem with my table being too low and getting backache but solved the problem by making it higher. Never had backache since. Also the sewing table I had was too low so I checked the internet for the correct height and adjusted it accordingly. It’s amazing how much a difference it’s made.
You’ve got no excuse now, get busy designing.
Ohhhh.. very nice.. love the little areas for storage and the hidden area for bolts etc.. My sewing area in the basement was just finished a couple weeks ago. I aslo wanted a cutting table using shelves and a top but my husband decided to build on from scratch.. doesn’t have the segmented storage but nice and big.. (not as big as yours though).. it’s great having a proper space ..
What’s that tool with the lever? A paper cutter? I’m nosy.. 🙂
Thanks Dyan….I love it all nice and tidy and clean too …..the only way to keep it that way though would be if I sat here and did nothing else except admire it! LOLLLL yes my cat has claimed that spot….for now anyway….until he decides on another! LOL
Thanks Marilyn! You should do it! What a difference it makes! My only regret is not doing this much sooner……….like the day I moved into the studio! LOL
Hi Sue,
I have all my fabric in one of the larger taller cupboards I have along one wall and some in a filing cabinet. I must say though that I wish I could come up with a better storage solution for both my fabric and also my bag prototypes! Most of my bags are in tubs…..haven’t been able to come up with a better idea than that yet! LOL I must admit the empty space for the bolts was a bonus I hadn’t planned on! LOLLL I really love the bright colours and YES…you are certainly right about being more productive when we are organised!! 🙂
Hi Lorena,
Thank you……yes I am so happy with it ….the best part is not having to clear one thing away to do another….which was the case on my little table. If Ii had to pack some hardware for a customer, I had to pack my sewing away to have room to do it!
You hit the nail on the head Anna…….now I can hardly wait to get up here (My studio is a few metres from the house up a little rise) first thing in the morning…..who needs breakfast? LOLLLL
DO IT Annie…..it is the BEST feeling to have everything in its place and sorted! 🙂
Maria I feel REALLY lucky to have such a big studio with a great view too……Now I just have to figure out how to display something I have that is very special to me! (I am sure you can guess what it is! LOL) There is a perfect empty space on the wall above one of my machines, next to the window…..I want to get a shadow box BUT so far I haven’t found one big enough….might have to get one made! Anyway./….YES…..having a higher work bench in just what the doctor ordered…..Not that I am tall BUT the old table was really low and stooping and my back just do not go together! LOLLL I never thought about what is actually the ‘correct’ height! I only knew it needed to be approximately what my kitchen benches are….it is slightly higher than that BUT it suits my back perfectly! My excuse for not designing now is that i have been playing with my old sewing machines which I have had in storage who are not finding their way back out into the light of day! LOLLLLLLLLLLLL
BIG is good…even if you don’t have the segmented storage….you can always add baskets etc! The tool with the lever is a Hand Press for setting rivets, grommets and snaps. It wasn’t the cheapest gadget I’ve ever bought BUT it certainly makes light work of setting them! Hubby was always complaining about my ‘banging’ and hammering while he was trying to watch TV etc so that gave me a good excuse to invest in one! LOLLLL
What a lovely BIG cutting table, Christine!!! And even better with the vast amounts of storage space underneath. Love the bit in the middle where you can hide / put things you don’t use often.
Hi Pam,
Yes that bit in the middle is GREAT! LOL! Actually it was a ‘bonus’! I didn’t realise it would be there until I had almost finished! LOLL
Looks great – I look forward to the day I have my own studio space. Currently working off my kitchen area not the best but it works for now. However we plan to sell in 3 years so I’m planning my studio space out now. You’ve got some great ideas here I will be implementing.
-Carole at GardenUp green
Oh Christine this posting of yours couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. Just minutes before I saw this my husband was ranting about my sewing room mess! I have things all over the place much like your “before” pictures, lol!!! I did buy years ago some bed risers for my tables to raise them up high enough to avoid the backaches. So if anyone doesn’t want to build or buy a new table they can just purchase the be risers. I paid less than $8.00 here in the states for the set of 4 risers. What I need are those cubby spaces under the table to put my stuff, but my cutting table isn’t as large as yours and they wouldn’t fit. Hubby is insisting I clean it now!
Now that’s a WOW! cutting table. Colorful and lots of storage which all of us Sewist never have enough. Congrats on acquiring the needed work space.
Wow, Christine… how I envy you, Lol. Your space turned out great. A space for everything and everything on it’s space!! It doesn’t look anything like mine. About the height of the cutting table, yes I know about pain. I opted for using a high cutting space from the beginning. And about buying the hand press I say of course you needed it. Men have a bunch of excuses to buy tools they only need a couple of times. And they are the stronger ones. We women should always get tools for the things we do. I even think there should be more tools for us. LOL Well, I should go clean up my space now. Specially after a cutting session. I had no electricity all day yesterday and my only thing to do was cut and cut. Now I have a big mess.
Thanks Carole….it’s amazing how much better you feel when you have more space and better organisation! 🙂
Glad to know I am not the only one with a messy studio! LOL Well tell hubby it would be soooo much easier to keep clean if you had cubby holes under your table….maybe he will be inspired to make you some that fit? LOL What are the bed ‘risers”….i.e. what do they look like? I haven’t heard of them before?
Thanks Joy and you are right…..us sewists never have enough storage space! The more we have, the more stuff we accumulate! 🙂 Next I have to sort out a better way to stash my fabric! LOL
LOL….Thanks Norma….Last night I made Janelle’s Butterfly Sling Bag so really got to test out the height and it is perfect now…..NO backache! YAHOOO! Mind you……I have started to create a new mess! My nice tidy floor and bench space didn’t stay that way for long BUT at least the mess is spread out and I can see everything without it all being buried! LOLLLL Yes…you are right…..we should have a lot more tools! As for no electricity….that is where my Singer Treadle comes in mighty handy! LOLL
I love it! It will make such a difference to your sewing space and time. I should show off the pics to my similar overhaul. Aren”t cats funny?! I frequently find mine on on a pile of fabric on top and every time I pull something out of a cubby one of them will immediately jump in.
One idea for the rough edges of your table top – If you glued some cheap tape measures to it, you would have a cute cover strip and it could even be useful if you need to measure long pieces of fabric (for knowing what you have etc) It would also mean that the rough edge of the chipboard won’t rub on your tops and make little pulls when you are working at he bench (wanna guess how I know this little tid-bit?)
Hi Dee….yes cats are funny! Mine is forever going into cupboards whenever I open a door……often I don’t even notice…I only realise when I hear a pitiful meow some time later! LOL! Once I found him inside my Front Loader washing machine…..Now I have to make sure he isn’t in there every time I load it or else one day I will have a disaster on my hands! Oh and I have some special tape you iron onto the edges of the chipboard….I just haven’t got around to doing it yet! LOL LOVE the idea of gluing a tape measure on there though…..I might even add one as well….it would come in mighty handy I am sure!!!
Wow!! Awesome cutting and work table you have now. Definitely inspiring, and I’ll be keeping track of it for when I get my larger studio space when DD#1 moves out in a couple of years. I think the middle bit is my favorite part. Where did all the furniture pieces come from, and is that a separate top?
Oops–I missed the part about the melamine top! I’m blind apparently. 🙂 Would still love to know where the furniture came from though!
Love it- so much space. I bet you’ll get more quilting done now.
Where did you find all the storage stuff IKEA
LOL…yes I am really liking that middle part! I can even crawl in there myself and hide from DH! LOLLL Don’t worry….I can be blind as bat myself at times! LOL The furniture pieces were flat pack book cases from a furniture store called “Fantastic Furniture”….I don’t know if you have them where you are?? Yes…the top is separate….I got it from a building supply place (Bunnings) …..I checked out the sizes they came in first, worked out the best size to fit my studio, bought the top and then bought the qty of shelves I needed to support the top! I have some iron on melamine edging for the top to cover that raw edge you see BUT I just haven’t got around to adding it yet…..too busy enjoying working on it to worry about the edges ….yet anyway! LOLLLLLLLLLL
Thank you Amy, I am certainly lovin it! 🙂
Hi Michelle…No….”Fantastic Furniture”!
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful project on The Inspiration Board at homework. You were featured in the spotlight!
Have a wonderful weekend.
carolyn ~ homework
I SOOO MUCH appreciate this Carolyn! Thank you! What FUN to see my work table featured on another blog! WOOHOO! 🙂
Oooh so jealous! What a wonderful workspace. 🙂 I bet you feel a zillion times more productive just looking at it…
Zoe you hit the nail on the head! I can hardly wait to get at it each day and the frustrating part is that there always seems to be SOMETHING crop up to keep me away from it! That’s life with kids, elderly parents, animals and not to mention hubby, I guess, LOLLL