Keeping Your Working Space...
Working For You!September 25, 2025 So last year I bought that new supped-up Bernina Overlock/Serger machine. I know my Bernina folks pretty well, and
on of my fav techs looked at me and said, "Claire, this is the one you want!" I listened heartily and when my sewing friend came into town (we always trek by the Bernina store to see what's new), they were having class in the back while we were looking at this new machine and the air threader. We appropriately squealed with joy, and the class teacher told us we were having too much fun. Yes, this is our idea of fun. What can I say! And, I'm here to tell you that
this thing needs to be up for canonization!!!! It's fabulous. So both of us bought one, brought them home to play with them in my studio.
I really didn't have room for it, but dang-it, I was going to make room for it and put it next to my B790 and it worked okay, till I had a very bridal summer this year, and several times I had to move it to the hallway to work on those large dresses. That's not good. I knew I needed a remodel.
My original design has worked really fabulously for me, but it can not accommodate another machine. The room is large enough (it was originally the "living room"), that I had space to adjust a little, and there are some other priorities that have become
just as important as a work space. Walt often comes in and sits on the sofa and we laud over the dog or otherwise have intellectual conversations about the temperature and goings on of the day. I enjoy this as much as using this space as my work space. So it became just as important to have a functional work zone for writing these newsletters and notes on sewing as well as sewing, drafting and cutting. This mean this sofa had another job besides seating my
clients. Here's the new space, and it's a little hard to see the change.
. I have often been a huge advocate of a sewing space that does not contain built-ins. I lived with what might be called a "dream" studio for 40 years, but the huge draw-back is that you can not change anything around. Believe me in 40 years, that space changed from strictly sewing, to an office for my business, and that was literally busting at the seams when I moved out. It still
puzzles me today that I have the same square footage, but my kitchen is larger (enough to accommodate a real table and chairs when my old kitchen didn't), a comfortable den or TV room (with my piano at the other end), and this large living area, transformed into my sewing/business space, but an extra bedroom and two full bathrooms (I only had 1½ in my other home). But this is the value of a one-level home with the additional knowledge that hallways and stairways take up a lot of space - I
have 2 extra rooms and 2 full baths. But more than that, when I moved into my one-level dream home, I purposely did not have built-ins.
Even though this sounds like the perfect solution and a dream come true for any sewist. The truth is that it traps you into a layout that you can never change...well, you can if you want to yank out all the built-ins and start all over again. I learned quickly that this isn't the dream studio it purports to be.
Although this looks dreamy, I would never do anything like this. Once your machine changes (and it will change) you are trapped into the template that's built-in and that's it. So when I moved, I updated my machine and got the cabinet to go with it. This was from Koala before Covid, when they had so many wonderful modules and parts you could ad to the unit.
This is about as close a shot that I could find of what my unit looks like. Those fold-away sides can spread out into a V that supports another surface, which makes a palette for another machine. And my unit came with two - one for each side. At
the time I moved in, I really didn't think I could have either one of these on the machine and have enough room to move in and out It's amazing what can happen when you get a new fabulous machine and want to use it as much as my regular workhorse! Hence I pulled out the right palette, and not only does it work, but the whole thing fits in the studio with ample room for me to move around, and even more space for my clients with extra large dresses.
The most fun in all of this, is that even though it is a very small rearrangement, it makes my studio feel new and exciting again. As before I've still got my original work spaces in order of their importance. 1. Sewing Space, 2. Office/Writing
Space (and really it's hard to tell the difference between the two. They are both equally important. 3. Cutting and Drafting Space and 4. the Client Space, or as has happened the "Walt Space" so that he can come in and share his latest trick he taught the dog!
Just a little turn here or flip there, and it feels like a totally new space, something I could have never done in my "dream" built-in space. Not only that but because the cabinet has been designed specifically for
sewing, if a new machine comes out with a different footprint, I can still use it in the cabinet.
We creatives never stop growing, thinking, ruminating and creating. That pertains to our sewing space as well. Limiting yourself to one template in your studio limits your creative space to one function. We will all grow and develop other creative endeavors. Limiting that growth, can be increasingly repressive and stagnant. That can always affect the
creative powers and endeavors in your studio.
I treat my studio as a sacred space, where not only beautiful things are created but also where the whole process of designing builds upon itself. Anything that can make those procedures successful and easier, have to be considered in your studio. Here's to your great space that nurtures your creative process.
The SewingArtistry Resource Library is designed to contain information to not only make your sewing better, but to aid in you fitting and flattering your shape, size and style. Check it out.
I'm taking a break from teaching right now, but I am able to do Zoom demos or talks for your sewing group. Contact me for details.
|
This is a sad day - the loss of a classic tradition. Armani held the line
to fashion style that ...
Tracking a fashion trend isn't all that hard after seeing a few of them.
Living from Mid-Century Modern through Twiggy...
It's worth the time to look at these styles, particularly today as
there is a group of that wants to look....
This is the way fashion used to be -- pretty, flattering and I can't wait to make some of...
NOTE: There are some folks who can't get my email, or it's sporadic, or something is hinky. I will always respond to any of you who send a private message, whether it's about the topic of the week or something else. If you don't get anything
from me, it's probably because the support@sewingartistry.com email is blocked, and even a private message can't get through. In that case, I'm on Instagram often, and you can always PM me at @sewingartistry.
As a precaution,
please ensure I'm in your email Address Book and check your spam, junk, and trash folders. Some email clients get extra excited when they see emails coming into the Inbox that go to many other receivers. They automatically think it's trash or spam, and it never makes it to the Inbox. I must constantly check my spam and junk folders to ensure I'm getting the emails I subscribe to.
To view in browser along with past emails, click here. We respect your email privacy. |
Tracking a fashion trend isn't all that hard after seeing a few of them.
Living from Mid-Century Modern through Twiggy...
It's worth the time to look at these styles, particularly today as
there is a group of that wants to look....
This is the way fashion used to be -- pretty, flattering and I can't wait to make some of...
NOTE: There are some folks who can't get my email, or it's sporadic, or something is hinky. I will always respond to any of you who send a private message, whether it's about the topic of the week or something else. If you don't get anything
from me, it's probably because the support@sewingartistry.com email is blocked, and even a private message can't get through. In that case, I'm on Instagram often, and you can always PM me at @sewingartistry.
As a precaution,
please ensure I'm in your email Address Book and check your spam, junk, and trash folders. Some email clients get extra excited when they see emails coming into the Inbox that go to many other receivers. They automatically think it's trash or spam, and it never makes it to the Inbox. I must constantly check my spam and junk folders to ensure I'm getting the emails I subscribe to.
To view in browser along with past emails, click here. We respect your email privacy. |
|
|
