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Friday, December 30, 2011

My Sewing Space

We have been blessed that every assignment we get sent to, my sewing room just get's better and better. I was lucky enough to have a dedicated sewing room in our last two homes but our new home just takes the cake. Here I started out with a somewhat small second bedroom to work in (lucky thing about being so far away in Norway, I seldom have to make room for guests in my sewing space.)

My sweet husband noticed that I had spent less time sewing than usual in my new space and he suggested that it was too cramped, and that I should spread out. We have a large upstairs landing and he helped me turn my studio from a one dark room to a large open bright space, plus a room for the overflow!
 

 I'm so happy to have a big open space with plenty of light to work. And at my back I have a great big sewing table with adjustable length, my birthday gift for this year.


I plan on filling the walls with sewing pattern and vintage fashion memorabilia.

A 1950's Anne Adams catalog, the first of many to be hung in this room.


 The art is a collection of vintage lingerie magazine ads from Vogue that I acquired from this great shop on etsy.



This one is my absolute favorite.



The bolt of fabric in the background of this one is just idea for a sewing room!
UPDATE: You ask, where do I stash my fabric and sewing pattern collection? In the adjoining room! That's right, when he said spread out, he meant I should use the landing and the second bedroom. The fabric and pattern mess is neatly stowed away in the next room! I asked him why he didn't mind me practically taking over our second floor and he said, "Why would I mind? You love this stuff, and I only go upstairs to shower and sleep."
What a guy. :)

How about you? Do you have your dream sewing space? Or are you creative within a limited space?
I know what I'm doing with my space today. I just got some amazing quilted silk velvet fabric in the mail from fabric.com


and I'll be making slippers today from it using this great vintage slipper pattern pdf I finished recently.

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12 comments:

  1. LLADYBIRDDecember 30, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    it's so pretty & clean! i love your vintage ads :)

    i don't have my *dream* sewing space, but i'm getting there! i do have a dedicated room, though - i just wish the closet was a little bigger, and the floors were something sweepable (as opposed to carpet - ew!). but it's pretty & blue & all my stuff fits in there, so i can't complain :)

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  2. thewallinnaDecember 30, 2011 at 4:44 PM

    Hi Anna! Lucky you! Your sewing space is a dream! =)

    I live in Tokyo. With my boyfriend we occupy 40m2 of total area. My sewing space = living room/study/dining room/place where we dry laundry. Pretty sad. Every time I sew I take out all sewing equipment from 100000 boxes, shelves and bags and when I am done I have to immediately put it back. Besides, there is no much light and I use a standing lamp otherwise I'd go bling.

    So I dream of a huge room with lots of big windows! I would love to move to Laos and live in a big house in the middle of the fields! They also make beautiful fabrics! Maybe one day ^.^

    Happy New Year to you!

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  3. AnnabelleDecember 30, 2011 at 4:47 PM

    Wow, you have the ideal sewing space - I love it! My sewing space sounds more like what you had before you moved rooms (oh well, it's better than the kitchen). I'm looking forward to seeing your slippers, the pattern looks darling and the silk velvet is lovely.

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  4. Katrina BlanchalleDecember 30, 2011 at 5:08 PM

    Fantastic! In my experience, light is as important as space. I have a pretty big sewing room, but sometimes I have to use 4 lamps in addition to the overhead just to get enough light. Looks like you have the perfect space there.

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  5. GinnyDecember 30, 2011 at 6:53 PM

    I'm quite jealous right now! I can't wait for the day when we can afford to move and I can have a better sewing space. At present I'm cramped into a corner of the kitchen/dining room with all my supplies stashed in various upstairs cupboards. Before I relocated I had a seperate sewing room, so I had a room's worth of fabric and patterns to fit into what is effectively a wardrobe at our current home.

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  6. RockabillyKittenDecember 30, 2011 at 7:44 PM

    It is so neat and clean! Where do you store your fabric and patterns? It looks like a fabric monster threw up in my room! Do tell!

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  7. osovictoriaDecember 30, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    What a wonderful guy to take notice of your cramped space and move you to a larger brighter room. Love those framed ads and the dress on the cover of the catalog.

    I use my spare bedroom once my son moved out, all my returning children who visit can have the sofa, it is the reason I bought a large comfy sofa.

    My room is cramped because I use it for my office, storage for the vintage I sell and photo studio as well as sewing. I would love to have a very large warehouse space with lots of wall space and work tables so everything is visible.

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  8. Melizza MakesDecember 30, 2011 at 9:30 PM

    Those prints are divine. I definitely will keep them in mind for when it's time to set up my sewing room.

    Alas, I don't have one and cannot wait until we move into a house so I can set up ship in a nice sized room.

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  9. lakaribaneDecember 31, 2011 at 4:25 PM

    I think you new sewing space is beautiful. I dream of the day when I will have a sewing room of my own. You are so lucky. I'm sure it will improve your creativity and productivity to be in such a great setting!

    I just have one problem. Well, it's more to do with my training as a museum technician really.

    I think you should move the lower row of catalog images up the wall. The light will damage the already vintage paper by fading it in the shape you see the shadow/light make and it will also render it brittle. This will happen over time, of course, so you need to worry more about static things like decoration but it will be permanent.

    I would also not put vintage prints on the outside walls. Not only because that wall gets the most sun=heat but also because the temperature will vary the most, especially in winter (hot house, cold world).

    This also affects paper and other organic materials (like cotton fabric) in contact with the wall. Instead you could put up things that are less susceptible or less valuable on that wall.

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  10. JenJanuary 9, 2012 at 1:27 AM

    It looks wonderful, Anna! Funny to read this today, as I finally got my office/sewing room painted this weekend, and today Hubby helped me move the furniture back in and anchor my own fabric storage system to the wall. I do miss my old office/sewing room, as it was larger despite being in an older home, but as I told someone today about her own craft room: go vertical with storage!

    The prints are lovely, though I agree with lakaribane so far as preserving those beautiful pieces of history (though if they are behind UV-resistant/blocking glass, you may be all right). Last weekend we visited an enormous antiques mall and Hubby pointed out a bunch of vintage (30s and 40s) McCall's ads to me (much to his chagrin, I'm sure, as I snapped them all up)! I can't wait to buy frames for them all so I can hang them up above my sewing area. :)

    I have to say, though: I'm totally surprised you don't have some darling retro curtains up!

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  11. Paper Doll GirlsJanuary 9, 2012 at 2:53 PM

    Anna, it's so lovely to see what you have done with the ads you bought from our shop! Your sewing space is so light and bright. I am so envious of you!!

    The advice about keeping the ads out of the light is definitely something to consider. I've learned the hard way this past couple of years just how fragile paper can become. The ads you chose are so perfect for your space, it would be a shame to damage them!

    Patty

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  12. SANNEMarch 2, 2012 at 10:19 AM

    I wish I had a sewing rook! With a large table to work on and my sewing machine should stand ready and plugged in all the time. With drawers and boxes to organize everything in and lovely decorations on the walls - you just inspired me. I cannot wait for son to move! :D

    And I've just bought the lovely pattern for the slippers - I simply have to try it and make a few pairs for next winter.

    Have a nice weekend. :)

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