Decisions, decisions, decisions on decor for the sewing room!

I've given this a lot of thought and was considering using Tiffany blue and brown but finally decided on pale pink, white, french graphics, and lace.



This is as close to the color as I can find.

Do I think I might get tired of it - perhaps but I think like everything else, it will be a work in progress. I might add a little black here and there for punch.

I'm going to paint the furniture white and add graphics from the Graphics Fairy DIY blog. She has a lot of french graphics to put on table tops and linens. I also have some vintage napkins and doilies made out of Battenburg lace.

My living room is going to be green with touches of another color - perhaps natural in muslin, cotton and linen. On the green, I have no choice - it's the color of the carpet. It's not a bright nor dark green but more of a sage plaid or diamond - there are two different types in the apartments and I'm not sure which I'll get. Time will tell.

I'm also going to finish other pieces in white paint and french graphics. I'm considering using chalk paint but I don't know enough about it at the moment to make that decision. More research is in order first.

I thought I would have touches of french graphics everywhere. I've been collecting free printables for different areas of the house. Now that I'll have a garage to work or paint in, it should be fun to redo my house.

Have a great day!

A new sewing room for me! Yippee! LOL

My messy sewing area now!

This is my sewing area now and it's tight I'll tell ya! It's in my bedroom and I would guess the whole room isn't over 18 feet long. Probably 12 to 14 wide. By the time I get two bookshelves, a queen size bed, a large dresser, a bed side table and a cedar chest - you got it! Not hardly enough room to walk let alone sew! It's better than not having a place at all and I wasn't complaining but still...
I'm just looking at the poor serger LOL. I didn't want to take down the thread holders and I tried to cover it with the original plastic and a doily! I should have tidied up a a bit before snapping this pic but what the heck!
Over the next few months I'll be moving into a two bedroom apartment. It's absolutely lovely and I'm excited about many things but definitely having a sewing room takes the cake!

If I see my grandkids visit often, just maybe I would put a day bed in there - but I'll have to think about that! I'm chuckling - of course I would put one in there for them! They come first after all! On second thought, the couch might be comfortable, you just never know! :)

So, sewing, serging, pressing and cutting. Perhaps someday draping but that won't be until I get a dressform. Then I get to decide on decor! As you can see, right now it's a hodge podge of different colors. Whatever I decide on, I thought I could cover the containers in coordinating fabric, make a chair cover, paint the table and buy another one also then sew machine covers.

I absolutely love Tiffany blue, but also black and pink. More decisions but this will be the most fun!

Setting Up a Sewing Area on a Budget

My sewing area needs to be set up on a budget and I've modified my plans to buy an expensive machine. I can have a fully functional sewing area without spending thousands or even hundreds of dollars. I'll need the same basic elements as mentioned in my last post but there are places I can save money.

The Machine

I've researched budget machines and found the Singer Stylist 7258 has good reviews on Amazon.com and Pattern Review. It has won awards and for around $200 you can't beat it! It has 100 built in stitches, a top drop-in bobbin, adjustable stitch width and length, automatic needle threader and comes with 10 presser feet. It makes 6 automatic buttonholes (out of the stated 100) that I'm sure would cover my needs.

Furthermore, it's only $188.00 at my local Meijers department store, the attachments, needles and bobbins are readily available and did I mention that it's inexpensive? Fits right into my budget and I won't have a heart attack bringing it home because I spent so much!

A Serger

Again, I've looked all over the internet for cheap sergers that would do what I want them to. I found good reviews on the Brother 1034D lay-in thread serger. It's $199.00 from Amazon.com and again, fits in my budget. No heart attack there either.

I expect to have a big learning curve with the serger since I've never had or used one but it comes with an instructional DVD and I've read that it's very helpful.

I could explain the stitches it does, the feet it comes with and describe how easy it is to thread but I wouldn't know what I was talking about. I'm simply choosing from advice received from Pattern Review on the boards, and from the reviews on Amazon.com. I simply want to sew knit fabrics without difficulty nor do I want to be limited when choosing patterns because I don't have the right equipment. I'll post more information after I've learned to use it!

The Sewing Desk or Table

I spent as much time researching sewing tables and workspaces as I have on the machines. For those of us who are older, being comfortable while sewing is important. We don't have the stamina for pain or fatigue that we did when younger.

I love the Scrapbox and Koala sewing desks but unfortunately, the price puts them far out of line for me. I researched the cost of other sewing cabinets, desks and tables and found that nothing was going to work for me. My sewing area will be a part of my bedroom and very small. Some of the cabinets I saw would take up my whole bedroom! Not an option in my small 600 sq. ft. apartment.

What I found was the VIKA Annefors table legs from IKea. Each costs $40 and I would need two. They are open shelves that you put on each end of the table top. I would prefer closed storage but it isn't in the budget at the moment and this option will give a nice look at an affordable price. Add the table top for $25 and I have a sturdy sewing desk. Another option would be to use the VIKA Alex drawer unit on the other side and it would be more convenient storage. It's $79.99 and might require more thought before I actually purchase it. The height of these are 27 1/2" which is the right size for me when you add the width of the table top. Unlike some of the other options, I've not heard of the table being flimsy or bouncing when sewing - that would drive me nuts!

Those three options will get me through setting up a workable sewing area. By the way, I found a great article about sewing ergonomics at OSHA. It's talking of professional spaces but who wouldn't want to be as comfortable while sewing? The measurements are the same no matter if we are professionals or hobbists!

Next post will be about decorating the sewing area - my favorite part!