A New Sewing Room

A New Sewing Room

GOAL: Create a sewing room from an underutilized attic room

TIME: 4 Hours  COST: Labor

BEFORE
The sewing space had been on a small table in a guest room.
When it was time to redo the guest room,
the homeowner decided to turn the attic room into a sewing room.

This attic room has one dormer window and one overhead light.

 

It was underutilized.  Bits and pieces lay about the room.

The room had no designated function.

Quite a few things were moved either into storage or other areas where they could be used.

 AFTER

Using what we had on hand, we created a working space for sewing

and a space for relaxing. A folding table was brought out of storage 

because two sewing machines are used. Lamps were also brought out of storage.

The small TV and DVD set were placed on the end of the larger table until 

another solution can be found. Its placement is suitable for sewing, 

sitting in the rocker, or relaxing on the day bed.

The art and accessories we discovered in the attic room set the color tone.

Later, the homeowner plans to paint the room a beige color.

With the Americana Country accents on hand, 

I discovered complementary fabrics in the homeowner's collection.

The fabric on the day bed isn't trimmed yet,but it covers the old covers for now.

The old white valance was removed and a new valance was made to match the new color scheme.

Below, art was centered over the daybed.  The trunk was moved to create a side table and fill a space under the low ceiling.  Small lamps were added.  The left side table was what the small TV

 sat on before the room redo. For now, a single pillow was found to match the color scheme.

When I agreed to take on the sewing room project, I didn't realize 

the day bed had to be included at the time.

Because a guest room makeover meant a new, larger bed, 

the day bed was moved out and found a home in this new space.  

The day bed became the linchpin because of its size and it established 

a mood that would include rest and work.

As a result, the bed was the first thing to find a place in this room.

Several pieces need to stay.  The large shelf unit would prove useful for sewing supplies.

Over-sized rolls of fabric find a space between the shelves and a storage room door.

The rocker and side table became part of the rest and relax goal.

THE DETAILS

The small sewing table was used for the older sewing machine.

A hoop was hung to fill an empty spot on the wall.

The sewing table has a fold down edge which just fits against the slanted ceiling.

 

A basket beside the day bed holds fabric which compliments the color choice for the daybed cover.

It will be used later to create throw pillows and a dust ruffle.

 

Five quilt pictures set the Americana Country scheme.

The sewing table has mason jars recycled to hold sewing tools.

A basket holds booklets and patterns.

 

Tucked into a nook, under an eave, this basket holds guides and rulers. 

A small table top ironing board is tucked into a back corner.

 

The old blanket chest makes a great side table in a tight corner.

WHY DIDN'T YOU PAINT FIRST?

Sometimes you want to get a project started but keep coming across obstacles.  Add painting to the list and you may never get started.  Besides, for this project, painting wasn't on the check list to begin with.  It wasn't until I saw what we had to work with, that I developed a color scheme on the spot.  Originally, the idea was to create a sewing room because the homeowner was redoing a guest room and needed to move the sewing stuff somewhere else.  She had an unused attic room and decided to "just do it".  Sometimes this impromptu spontaneity is just what it takes to get a project rolling.  So, as far as painting goes, she can paint later...after she begins using the space...after she sews the day bed cover... after she makes pillows....then, when she's ready, she'll paint, because by then, she'll have made this room her own and 

created some great things in it and for it.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

This is the TO DO LIST for the home owner now that the room has been set up with a working lay out.

1.  It's time to paint the walls.  The home owner didn't like the color and we settled on a beige / tan with gold undertones.

2. Now that there's a nice space to sit, it's time to take stock of the sewing supplies.  Loosely grouped in containers and baskets, take inventory.  Tag every box with a label on the end to make it easier to identify contents.

3. After painting, secure the power cords to the back of the tables to clear the visual clutter.

4. The rug needs spot cleaning.

5. The day bed has a temporary coverlet.  We found some great fabric she already owned.  The largest piece serves as a temporary cover and needs to be trimmed out.  To the left of the day bed is a basket of scrap fabric with complimentary patterns and colors.  These smaller pieces can be used to make throw pillows.

As for buy recommendations, live in this room a while, and see what you really need.  Then, IF you can't make do with something already laying around the house, buy only what you really need.