Coming "Clean" ...the Truth About My Sewing Room

I woke up this morning and thought, "I'd like to post about my sewing room, but it's such a mess." I don't have the time (nor do I want to take the time) to straighten up my little haven for visitors--even if they are just 'virtual' visitors. Chewing on this thought for a while I became aware that in my quilters mind (you know, where I'm wearing blinders), my sewing area is always perfect and pristine. Sadly, as I walk through the door to tackle a project or locate some sewing-related-must-have-at-this-minute geegaw, I'm always stunned by the ...well, let's be nice here...by the lack of organization that greets me.

So what to do? Make a mental note (and let's be honest, I'll forget in about ten minutes) that next time my sewing room is clean I need to take pictures for a blog post--or do I do something brave and daring? Do I march in there and take photos of a room that is well-used, or to be nice,"lived in"? Yeah, that works for me.

Here is the way I think my sewing room looks all the time, the way I envision it before I walk through the door:

Notice there is NOTHING on the "Big Board" other than the iron and also nothing out of place on the counter tops. The Sewing table itself is uncluttered except for a few necessary items (like the Bernina).

In the following video, I think I called this, "A nice place to sit and read."

Compare the above pics to today's reality:

I think the drying rack in the corner is a nice touch, don't you? And just where are those clean counter tops hiding?

Ha--There will be NO sitting and reading on this sofa!

When we moved to our home about 10 years ago, I claimed the master bedroom for my stitching haven and scrapbook/crafting area. I found this video from when my hubby and I revamped the room in the fall of 2010...adding cabinets and counters. Notice how incredibly clean everything is...it didn't last very long!

 

More shots of my gently used room. In my defense, I am getting ready for a guild talk and trunk show, along with working on my own patterns--there's a lot going on right now in my special room.

Finishing bindings and stacking up quilts for a trunk show.

I LOVE my Big Board and I made it a little wider than most.

The "rats nest" in the corner of my table where I toss scraps, chunks, and bits. Lately I'm never far from a ready supply of caramel/cheese corn--notice the bowl on the table!

The sofa is a perfect place for fabric to 'rest.'

I labeled the drawers with these color coded labels. I easily know which drawer has what color fabric in it.

My mustachioed baby.

I designed the Big Board with some cheap-o tables on rollers from a Big-Box store. I can roll it around wherever I need it. Love it.

Looking across the room to the scrap-booking area.

Nice big cabinet that had been slightly bruised. I got it at a great price.

Organized fabric and kits lurk inside the upper cabinets waiting to see the light of day.

Button storage

Whether we hole-up in the corner of a shared family room, or stake our claim on the dining room table, or have the luxury of a dedicated room, our sewing spaces are our sanctuary, our haven, our cocoon which buffers us from the busy world in which we live. I hope you enjoyed the tour of my sewing space...with and without the clutter. Maybe I'll clean it up today--nah, no point in that!
Happy sewing.