I moved into my new flat just a few months ago and have really enjoyed setting up and refining my new sewing space. Like so many of us, I have been spending a lot of time at home recently, it’s been great to have the opportunity and time to work on getting my sewing area just right.

I live in a small 2 bed flat (that’s an apartment for all you non-Brits) where space is at a premium. I work and sew from my living room, where my dining table doubles up as my sewing space, office, kiddy craft table…. You get the idea.

While Susan drafts Homer + Howells patterns in her workroom (and stores our grades and back catalogue of toiles and garment samples... thanks Susan!) I am more likely to be working behind the scenes on Illustrator or replying to customer emails, my home office space is just as important as my place to sew.

I have never had a dedicated sewing area at home, so I’m used to working in a multi-purpose space and have learned a few things about what works for me over the years.

Multipurpose space:

Living room. Dining room. Playroom. Preschool craft room. Office. Sewing space.

Moving to a new home between lockdowns, had some unique challenges, but the knowledge that I would be spending a lot more time at home was a great incentive to create a super functional space, that I felt great in.

This is a small apartment yet it’s the most functional sewing space I’ve had at home. As space is tight, I’ve been forced to think super practically about storage and solutions to make this space work for me.

I opted for a pretty large dining table which has become the focal point of my family and work activities. It gives me so much flexibility while I’m working, and as the table isn’t against a wall, I can use the whole worksurface to the max. I usually set up my sewing machine and over-locker at one end of the table, leaving me plenty of space at the other to work with my garment or get my laptop out. It’s ideal to be able to grab lunch at one end without having to pack everything away.

Everything in its place

Storage is everything, having a place for each tool and trim isn’t just a nice-to-have. I feel like it’s the only way I can keep my space under control.

As we also use this space to play, watch TV and relax, it was important for me to be able to pack everything away. When planning the room, I knew that I was looking for closed storage solutions that everything could fit inside. There really are not any other places around the flat I can use for storage; every other cubby hole and corner has been commandeered by toys!

One of the main ways I manage storage is by trying to work on just one (or two) projects at a time. I don’t have a large fabric stash and tend to buy specifically for each sewing project or pattern we are working on. I get the fear that I will buy cloth then not have quite enough for the garment that I finally decide I want to sew with it. Getting 3m of everything would probably combat this, but’s then it’s likely I would have lots of waste, with no project in mind for it. Trying to be a minimalist sewist is an endless battle, but I am game for the challenge.

I keep overflow fabric under my bed along with a bag of scraps. But as there’s minimal to no available storage elsewhere, everything else is stored along this one wall in my living space.

I find it harder to control my pattern stash than I do fabric. I keep some patterns folded in envelopes within my cupboards. Recently I have started to roll up multiple patterns in one big roll which I store upright in a big pot. I think this might be a better solution for me, it’s almost time to find a bigger pot.

My Set-Up

The idea of setting up and putting away all your sewing equipment each time you sew may be off-putting. It has been for me in the past. While I was writing this blog, I decided to time myself as I set up my sewing space. I was stunned by how quickly I was set up and ready to go. It takes me just over a minute! Yup, 70 seconds, and that’s without rushing. Just enough time for the kettle to boil.

I really wish I had timed myself before now, as I know this little nugget of knowledge would have been enough to overcome the phycological block I often had about getting started. I have the same thing with going out for a run. Finding the motivation to get my kit on and step out, is always the trickiest part. I love that I now have this mind-hack to stop my ‘set-up dread’.

One of the crucial things for my space was finding just the right spot for everything. After a few reshuffles, I’ve found the best configuration for a speedy set-up while also being super practical for grabbing what I need as I sew. Having my haberdashery just behind me while I sew works really well, it means I have easy access to grab pins or even a new machine needle. Putting my machines in the same cupboard at the end was a game-changer, they were in separate cupboards at different ends before and it just didn’t make any sense. It took so much longer to set up and I had cables everywhere, what was I thinking!

I use this space as an office much more than I do for sewing. I store stationery, my laptop, charging cables, my mini tripod, and lots more, in the drawers. And I’ve managed to squeeze in a small printer in the end cupboard too, so my office set up is just as snappy as my sewing. I love finding practical solutions to problems and relish the opportunity to research the hell out of storage solutions on the internet.

When checking instructions for our patterns I like to be able to work on both my laptop and sewing machine interchangeably, and love that I can do this so easily in my new space.

Cutting

I handily, keep my cutting board under my living room rug. I had seen a few sewists store their boards this way on Instagram, it’s such a great solution, I’m so thankful that they inspired me to do the same.

I use a double-sided self-healing mat for cutting fabric and tracing patterns on top of my table. I wanted a mat the same width as my table and I was lucky that this A0 size from Ansio, fitted perfectly.

My table is a great size for cutting most projects, but not the ideal height. As it’s a little low, I don’t batch cut projects usually, and I try to have a good stretch out afterwards to protect my back. The table is used for so many different uses, (many at the same time) I won’t be changing the height for now.

I hope that it’s been interesting to have a little look at my space. I’m sure it will evolve and change more over time. Nic x

Nic’s Home Sewing Space: Small Sewing Room Tour

Multipurpose space:

Everything in its place

My Set-Up

Cutting

…..as seen in