As often happens, a needlewoman’s workplace is formed spontaneously. First, we do our first creative work and we have enough space at the kitchen table, and all the tools and equipment fit into a small bag. But with each new work there are more and more bags. Cuts of fabric, shreds, threads, accessories, tools occupy more and more space in the apartment, taking up an increasing number of shelves in the closet, and then move to window sills, floors... All surfaces in the apartment are “overgrown” with stacks of magazines, folders with patterns , boxes for small things, various tools and devices, bags with leftovers and scraps from creativity, codenamed “what if it comes in handy.” I think that many craftswomen are familiar with all this.
How to free yourself from creative clutter, how to organize your workspace so that it is always comfortable, beautiful and cozy?
Agree that it is always nice to do what you like when you have your own workplace, your own corner. Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention and time to preparing your workplace. Let not a whole room be allocated for this, but only a small corner - a small table, where all the tools and materials will always be at your fingertips. You won't have to waste time looking for tools that have gone missing somewhere.
The arrangement of the sewing area depends on the area of the room or part of it that can be allocated for your activities. The smaller the space you can allocate for your workshop, the more organized it should be.
Let's first consider the option when we have no restrictions on the area for your creativity, let's consider the requirements that apply to the arrangement of all work areas. And then we will consider placement options when space is limited to a small area. So let's begin.
For sewing, three zones need to be distinguished:
- Area for manual work;
- Machine work area;
- Area for wet-thermal work.
Organization of a workplace for manual work.
Manual work can be very diverse, so the workplace is organized based on its type. However, there are still general principles of approach to arranging a workplace for manual work. So it should be equipped with a table, chair and footrest. You can choose the design of the chair to your liking, but it must be able to rotate, and the height of the chair must also be adjustable. The chair must have back support. On the table, within the reach of your hands, there is a specialized stand for spools of thread. On the right side of the table there should be a bedside table with drawers, where all the necessary tools for performing manual work, as well as product parts and semi-finished products, are stored. On the table to the right of the worker there should be a special box with compartments for tools that may be useful during the work process. Particular attention should be paid to the lighting of the work area; your vision, fatigue, and the quality of your product directly depend on this. The illumination of the workplace should be good and the light source should be on the left side if you are right-handed (on the right if you are left-handed).
Manual work can be performed while sitting or standing. If you do the work while sitting, then the product is placed on your knees, and if you are standing, the product is completely placed on the table. The size of the table depends on this. Based on this, the optimal table size would be length 120 cm, width 70 cm and height 80 cm.
In an atelier, when a team of 8 people is working, a table 1.5 m wide, 3 m long and 80 cm high is used for manual work. If you have room at home, then it is good to install such a table and combine its use for both manual and for cutting work.
Upon completion of work, the workplace must be thoroughly cleaned. All parts of the product, tools and devices are put away in table drawers or cabinets upon completion of work.
Organization of a workplace for machine work.
The workplace for performing machine work is equipped with a table and a chair with the ability to adjust the seat height. The working surface of the table should be smooth. The sewing machine and all the necessary tools and accessories are placed on the table.
Particular attention is paid to the lighting of the machine workplace - it must be well lit. After all, your health, fatigue and, of course, the quality and speed of product manufacturing depend on this. There must be local lighting. The lamp can be mounted into the body of the machine or stand separately.
The area of the working surface of the table should be determined by the nature of the work performed and the dimensions of the product parts being processed, as well as the dimensions of the equipment and devices. When processing light clothing, the length of the work table cover is 110 cm, width 60 cm, height 80 cm.
During the work process, only the workpiece parts of the product and those tools and devices that are necessary to perform this technological operation should be on the table.
Upon completion of work, the workplace is cleaned, the workpieces are put in cabinets, and tools and devices are put in table drawers. With proper organization of the workplace, labor productivity increases and the quality of the manufactured product improves.
Correct posture when performing work has a great influence on your well-being and on the quality of the work performed. According to safety regulations, the distance between the worker’s eyes and the product should be about 30 cm (not less than 25 and not more than 35 cm). This distance is adjusted both during manual and machine operation by lowering or raising the chair seat. The legs are placed on a crossbar or stand. An important point is also the use of technical breaks and periodic exercise throughout the working day.
Organization of a workplace for wet-thermal work.
The workplace for performing wet-heat work is equipped with an ironing table with an electric steam iron and various pads, a rubber mat or a wooden stand.
To perform wet-thermal work, a specially equipped table is used. The table board is covered with cloth or canvas. The workplace should be well lit and, if necessary, use local lighting, for which a lamp with a flexible leg is used. The iron stand is installed on the side of the board. An asbestos gasket is placed on the iron stand. The size of the table depends on the size of the products being manufactured. The requirement for determining the size of the table is that the product or workpiece must fit completely on it.
According to safety regulations, an insulating (rubber) mat or wooden stand is placed on the floor in front of the ironing table, so that you are always on the mat or stand while working.
Organizing a sewing workplace in a small area.
Of course, ideally you need a separately equipped room. Everything is in one room and dust and scraps of fabric do not scatter throughout the apartment. But not everyone can afford to dedicate an entire room for sewing. In this case, you need to think about organizing the sewing corner more carefully. You can find a way out of any situation.
The most important thing to pay attention to when organizing your craft corner is lighting. Try to place your corner closer to the window. Consider also the possibility of additional lighting. Your corner should be very well lit, this will save your eyesight and reduce fatigue. By placing a corner by the window you get daylight, which is an important point when choosing color solutions for your products.
It is necessary to think through two more important points when arranging a corner: arranging a working area and arranging a storage area. Let's look at a few ideas for creating a sewing corner. Let's start with organizing the work area.
If you can give some space to a handicraft corner, then in this case you can choose transforming tables for the work area. Today there are quite a lot of them. At the time of work they are unfolded, after work they are folded. After work, all sewing accessories are put away in the table and nothing reminds you of your hobby.
This could be a cabinet table, for example:
Or this option, in my opinion more convenient, but also takes up more space:
Computer tables can be used as a work area for manual work. They are usually equipped with a large number of different shelves, which is convenient when organizing your workspace. The tabletop itself is used for machine work, and the retractable keyboard shelf can be directly used as a table for manual work:
An equally important part of arranging a handicraft corner is the storage area. Correctly and conveniently organizing even a small storage area will give you the opportunity to save time on searching for the things you need and will allow you to spend it on creating a new beautiful masterpiece. Various shelves, cabinets, bedside tables, and drawers are used for this area. The more there are, the better. To make the storage area look neat and tasteful, try to choose boxes, baskets, and drawers in the same style. To do this, you can decorate them yourself, for example, paste them with paper or fabric. To make your search easier, attach labels to your boxes with the contents of this container. 
It is convenient to use transparent containers.
If you are interested in various types of needlework, then try to allocate a separate shelf or cabinet for each type.
Now there are many types of different tables and transformable cabinets that allow you to conveniently organize your space.
To store small items, it is good to use various pockets on the back of a chair or on the door, which you can make yourself.
It’s interesting that you can decorate your wall with a panel like this:
If you decide to arrange your workplace, then on the Internet you can find a lot of wonderful and interesting ideas for decorating your handicraft corner. While preparing the material for this article, I myself was inspired by the idea of remodeling my sewing workshop. What ideas do you have? Please share them in the comments.
What you love is not only a lot of pleasure and inspiration, but also... boxes, materials, threads, patterns, ideas. Sooner or later you have to think: where to put it all? The thought of having your own work area (or maybe even a studio) comes to the minds of many people who are creative at home. The workplace should be comfortable, beautiful and as functional as possible.
A home workshop has several features. On the one hand, it is very convenient to work at home. On the other hand, lack of space and distractions can seriously stall the process of organizing it.
In fact, a comfortable workspace is an important factor for productive creativity. Therefore, do not deprive yourself of the opportunity to create your own small creative studio, even if it is limited to the space of one table and a couple of shelves. The most important thing for a work corner is not square meters, but a creative approach to its design.
We offer you some tips and ideas on how you can set up your workshop at home. Feel free to combine the ideas you like, and you can create a design for your creative studio that will inspire you and suit you perfectly.
How to organize a work corner for needlework
Choose where you want to place it:
- think about where you will be least disturbed;
- One of the most convenient and comfortable options is a seat by the window. Natural light is not only necessary for eye health, but will also put you in a good mood and ready to work;
- if there is little space, pay attention to the following options: kitchen, window sill in the bedroom or living room, corner by the window, insulated loggia.
Choose furniture
Please note that not only the sewing machine should fit on the table, but there should also be room for working with patterns or a laptop. Since needlewomen usually stay up late, it is better to choose a soft chair. Don't forget about additional lighting - a lamp or lamp.
Organizing the storage of creative materials is not an easy, but exciting task. Drawers in the table, shelves above the table, a separate chest of drawers or shelving, various organizers and boxes that can be neatly placed in a visible place can help you.
Workspace decor
Many creative people are visual people, so they like to surround themselves with beautiful things and trinkets. It could be your work or something you found at a flea market - the main thing is that the thing gives you inspiration and lifts your spirits. A great idea is to hang a mood board above the table where you can place beautiful pictures, motivational messages or collect cards and illustrations. You can make it yourself or purchase a cork board.
What color should I make my work area?
A universal solution is to choose light shades that visually increase the space and allow the eyes to rest. If you want to add color, liven up your workshop with accessories in bright colors or interesting prints.
Once you've decided how you want your workplace to look, it's time to get inspired by the ideas we found online.
A well-equipped sewing corner in the apartment is the dream of any needlewoman. I don’t advise a beginning seamstress to sew at a kitchen or desk; firstly, it’s inconvenient and you’ll have to constantly carry the sewing machine. Secondly, from such constant rearrangements from place to place, the sewing machine can break, especially if it is a computer one.
Also, in a workspace for sewing at home, you need to think through such little things as a storage system, lighting and much more. Today I will talk about all these useful questions about arranging a sewing corner in an apartment in this article.
Where is my sewing space in the apartment?
Beginning seamstresses are always interested to see how the space and sewing process of tailors is organized. Therefore, today I decided to take a short excursion to my workshop, and perhaps someone will take my advice into account. I have experience in setting up a sewing workspace in an apartment; I often had to move.
In all the time I've been sewing, I've never had to set up a sewing corner anywhere in the house. It was in both the bedroom and the kitchen - this is the worst option, because the clothes can become saturated with food odors. And I always dreamed of having my own separate office, where household members would not have access. But as you yourself understand, one can only dream of such luxury in an ordinary apartment.
And finally, after so many years, I had a workshop. Where did I find a place for her, you ask? But if you think about it, space for a study can be found in any apartment. This is, of course, a loggia or balcony. Yes, before I put sewing equipment in it, I had to insulate it - I talked about this process in detail. But now this is my personal space, where I can create, sew, where no one and nothing interferes with the work process.
What should be in a sewing corner in an apartment?
1. Tables
All household sewing machines require a table. Before purchasing a table for your sewing corner, think about where you will place it. It will be better if it stands near the window, because good lighting is an important factor when sewing. If the window seat is already occupied, then you need to provide additional light to the table. Therefore, there should be sockets near it to connect lamps and a sewing machine, by the way, too. So having sockets near the table is a must!
The second is a stable table surface. If your table vibrates while you sew, this will not have the best effect on your sewing machine. It will start knocking and may even fail.
Third - area, tabletop dimensions. I had different tables for sewing, but now I’ve settled on the option where I have two tables - one for sewing machines, the second for cutting and working with fabric. In my opinion, this is the best option, as I can save space without taking up a large area in the apartment. In addition, my work goes many times faster, because I have demarcated the areas of work - cutting and sewing. I bought my tables to order, the sizes were selected for the room. I recommend rounding the corners on the tabletops, because the fabric can cling and get damaged.
My table for a sewing machine and overlocker has dimensions of 60*80 cm. As I said, I ordered it, I bought the legs for the table separately at Ikea, where they cost about 200 rubles.
My second table for working with fabric has a larger size, but here I was more based on the width of the loggia - 1 m. *65 cm. Of course, I don’t cut on it, I have a separate folding table. But when I’m too lazy to assemble it, I can quickly cut out the parts on the floor, as probably 90% of everyone who sews at home does.
This table serves me for assembling clothing parts; it is convenient for making patterns on it. And I work on it with a laptop.
2. Shelves, cabinets
I now have three wall shelves above the cutting table, which, firstly, save space, and secondly, everything is visible in them. On them I can put patterns, magazines with patterns, books, threads and other small things so as not to clutter up the space on the table. I plan to buy plastic transparent containers that will protect things from dust.
3. Trash can
To be honest, for me, a trash can is one of the most necessary things in my sewing workspace at home. You can’t imagine how much debris accumulates in one hour of working with fabric, these are scraps and thread trimmings, and sometimes broken needles or pins. If you don’t immediately throw this trash in the trash, then you can spend a week collecting them from the floor. They will disperse throughout the apartment and your household will constantly grumble at you.
4. Carpet, rug
Sewing-related work means constant inhalation of dust, especially if the sewing involves coats or woolen fabrics. When I laid out a rug in my sewing corner, I noticed that there was much less dust from my work because it settled on the carpet. My carpet acts like a sponge, and holds not only small particles of fabric, but also large debris, preventing it from being dispersed throughout the house.
Moreover, with a rug, you don’t need to be afraid that when ironing, when the fabric crawls on the floor, that it will get dirty with dust. And twice a week I go over it with a vacuum cleaner. By the way, I remove dust not only from the floor, but also from inside the overlocker.
5. Mats for a sewing machine
It is advisable to lay carpets not only on the floor, but also under sewing machines. Why is this necessary? If the machine is placed on such a surface, it will not vibrate or knock during operation, which will avoid premature wear of the equipment.
You can buy such a rug, or you can make it yourself from ordinary carpet. For example, I bought two rugs in Leroy, these are ordinary rugs that are placed in front of the threshold in an apartment, and they cost me 20 rubles apiece. Then I cut them to the desired size.
6. Mirror
It is advisable to have a full-length mirror. If you have nowhere to hang such a mirror, you can buy a folding floor mirror. I also had such a mirror, but it has one drawback - it does not show you from behind. Now I use a corner mirror in the built-in closet; it is more convenient for me, since I can see myself from all sides.
7. Ironing area
To speed up and simplify the sewing process, it is advisable to place an ironing board and an iron next to the sewing machine, since the sewing process is divided into main stages: make a stitch - iron it. The size of an ironing board is as important as a sewing table. It is better to choose a board that is not already 40 cm, but you can save on the length. You can find out what other qualities of an ironing board you should pay attention to.
8. Vacuum cleaner
I’m not a fan of unnecessary things in the apartment, so when I bought a second vacuum cleaner, my loved ones were slightly perplexed. You also want to know why I needed this home assistant for the sewing workshop or is everything clear? I think anyone who has been sewing for a long time has come across how much garbage remains after work. To remove all these threads from fabrics, trimmings and other small rubbish, I had to pull out a bulky vacuum cleaner every time. Cleaning took up a lot of time and it really annoyed me. That's why I got this mini vacuum cleaner, which I was absolutely delighted with! It is light, compact, easy to clean, and can be used to vacuum not only the floor, but also tables and sewing machines. Now I clean in five minutes, and still have time to vacuum the floor in the adjacent kitchen. In short, what I’m telling you is then see for yourself how much this thing makes the seamstress’s work easier. I ordered it through a Chinese website, the price was about two thousand.
Additional accessories for your sewing station at home
These sewing tools are not that important and you may only need them on special occasions. They should be considered as an addition to the sewing corner to make the work process easier.
Why you need to equip a sewing corner in your apartment
1. If you have children in your apartment, then this is primarily a matter of safety. While working, you may end up with needles or pins falling on the floor. Even an adult will feel pain when he accidentally steps on such an object. And a child may, out of curiosity, pull small or sharp objects to taste.
3. If you have your own sewing corner in your apartment, your work will go faster, because all the necessary tools will be at hand. When it takes a lot of time to find something you need, any desire to create goes away. And what a joy it is for a needlewoman to know that she has a place for sewing in her house, where she can turn ideas into masterpieces!
Dear needlewomen, how are things going with your sewing corners in your apartment? Have you managed to set up a sewing area at home?
To begin with, let’s talk about the basic parameters important for organizing the workplace. Its size and equipment will not least depend on how much time you devote to sewing and how professionally you do it.If sewing is, in fact, your profession, if you sew a lot and often, almost every day, if you have several machines and a special cutting table, ideally, your workplace can occupy an entire room or a significant part of it.
@theoriginalscrapbox
If sewing is more of a hobby for you, or it is not possible to allocate a separate part of the apartment for a working corner, a compromise option is possible. Read about the main parameters for organizing a sewing corner and ideas that make work and storage easier.
First of all, for work you need a table, a chair, lighting and an outlet - in order to connect the sewing machine. A computer desk or a comfortable writing desk is also suitable. Special chairs are produced for seamstresses: they are similar to a swivel office chair, but with a straighter and stiffer seat and back, eliminating the possibility of sitting too imposingly. Such a chair is not necessary, the main thing is that your seat is stable, suitable in height and allows you to sit on it for a long time without fatigue.
A good table lamp with the ability to adjust its position and tilt is important for work. It is better to use fluorescent or LED lamps. Firstly, they do not heat up, and there is no possibility of getting burned by accidentally touching the lamp. Secondly, unlike conventional lamps, such lamps do not distort the color of materials and threads (this is especially important if you embroider). Plus, they make your eyes less tired.
Stand with pockets for a sewing machine and a pincushion on a clothespin
Photo: howjoiful.com
To ensure that the sewing machine stands firmly on the table, you can use a special mat. Or you can sew such a backing with your own hands: it is also convenient with pockets for small items. Bonus - pincushion on a clothespin.
You will need:
- dense fabric of two types;
- metal pin for clothespin;
- glue;
- a little padding polyester or other material for stuffing the needle bed;
- sewing machine, threads.
1. Determine the length and width of the future substrate. Cut the fabric, taking into account that the pocket piece will be double. You will also need 4 parts for processing the edges.
Photo: howjoiful.com
2. Fold the pocket piece in half with the wrong side inward and stitch, stepping back a little from the fold. Sew the piece on one of the short sides to the edge of the main piece.
Photo: howjoiful.com
3. Fold in folds to form a voluminous pocket and stitch.
Photo: howjoiful.com
4. The remaining three pockets will be flat. Mark the stitching lines and stitch. Sew the entire pocket piece at the bottom.
Photo: howjoiful.com
5. Now you need to process the edges of the backing.
Photo: howjoiful.com
6. We process the bottom edge of the backing in the same way, carefully closing the corner.
Photo: howjoiful.com
7. Let's start making the needle bed.
Photo: howjoiful.com
8. First, let's install a bobby pin. It is better to glue it from the inside with glue.
Photo: howjoiful.com
9. Attach the colored parts to the main one and, folding it inside out, sew the needle bed, leaving one of the sides free.
Photo: howjoiful.com
10. Turn the needle bar inside out, stuff it and sew up the hole. By the way, this pincushion can also be worn on a belt.
Photo: howjoiful.com
Options for mats for sewing machines:
Photo: katiesquiltingcorner.com
Photo: stitchesoflovequilting.com
Photo: atesewingblog.files.wordpress.com
Sewing machine cover
The cover protects the sewing machine from dust, hides it from children and can become an element of interior decor - with the appropriate choice of fabric for it.: master class
Here is another detailed master class: sewing a case with convenient pockets.
Options and ideas for covers for sewing machines:
Photo: love-to-sew.com
Photo: whip-stitch.com
Photo: craftsfromkaren.blogspot.com
Photo: feelincrafty.wordpress.com
Photo: cheekycognoscenti.blogspot.ru
Thread storage stand
Photo: sugarbeecrafts.com
Such a stand can be hung on a wall or cabinet door from the inside, or placed in a tray or drawer of a bedside table. It is as convenient to store bobbins with thread as it is to store spools. The main thing is to choose a perforated panel of the right size. Often home improvement stores that sell these can help you cut the panel to your size.
You will need:
- perforated panel;
- sticks or rods on which you will hang the coils (for example, wooden kebab sticks are suitable);
- wood glue;
- jigsaw;
- optional - paint and finishing strips.
1. First, use a jigsaw to cut the sticks into pieces of the required length - such that the coils fit on them. If you have larger spools or bobbins, make some longer rods.
Photo: sugarbeecrafts.com
2. Coat the tip of each pin with glue and insert into the hole. For extra strength, glue the attachment point of each pin and the back side. Leave to dry.
Photo: sugarbeecrafts.com
3. In principle, the stand is already ready. If you want to decorate its edges with decorative strips, saw off the slats to the required length at an angle of 45 degrees, paint with acrylic and dry. Afterwards, glue the strips along the edges of the stand.
Photo: sugarbeecrafts.com
Spool and bobbin storage options:
Photo: edge2edgequilting.com
Photo: running-w-scissors.com
running-w-scissors.com
Ideas for storing needles:
Photo: letitshinedesign.blogspot.com
Photo: letitshinedesign.blogspot.com
Photo: patternskid.com
Photo: thedomesticdiva.wordpress.com
Photo: thedomesticdiva.wordpress.com
More storage ideas:
Photo: twopeasinabucket.com
Photo: scrapbooksetc.com
Photo: spelloutloud.com
Photo: scrapbooksetc.com
Photo: running-w-scissors.com
When you sew your first doll, the craft supplies are placed in a single bag. But with each new doll, there are more and more packages. Scraps of fabric, skeins of yarn, threads and accessories crawl across shelves and cabinets, displacing books, jewelry and clothes.
And then there comes a time when your favorite hobby suddenly turns into your own business. And there is an urgent need to allocate at least a corner in the living space of the apartment - for a workshop. Only competent zoning will allow you to separate the work process from family life so that no one’s interests are harmed. Today, the creators of the home doll workshop “Two Shreds” share their personal experience.
The working area of a needlewoman can be divided into two parts: the “work zone” and the “storage zone”. Moreover, the presence of the latter is an important organizing point. A properly planned “storage area” can significantly save time. A lot of time is spent searching for the necessary tools and materials during sewing, and organizing materials during regular cleaning.
Workplace
When arranging your workplace, you must remember:
- The work table must be of sufficient size to install all the necessary equipment on it: sewing machine, overlocker, carpet locker, iron. It is optimal to arrange them in such a way that they can be used “without getting up from your seat.” In our case, the full size of the desktop is 0.8 x 1.7 m. We used a dining table-book with a cabinet in its central part. Such a table can be folded if necessary, removing equipment inside and freeing up space in the room.
- For the work area, provide additional light sources: these can be several spot ceiling or wall lamps. But working under one bright lamp, especially when the rest of the room is buried in darkness in the evening, is not recommended.
- In the work area, do not forget to set aside space for a desktop “storage area” for what should always be at hand. You can store accessories, bobbins, needles, small tools, pendants, bias tapes, etc. on the work table. For storage, install several mini chests of drawers, fastening them into a single unit. Or take the plastic storage boxes (organizers) sold at hardware and hobby stores (pictured). To make it easier to search, the boxes have stickers made of self-adhesive paper with signatures.
The crossbars on which hang hangers with outfits for future dolls and two rows of satin ribbons (under the clothes for the dolls) are made from a shoe rack mounted on the wall.
Storage area
The size of the storage area depends not only on the needs, but also on the capabilities of your room.
Materials for making dolls must be covered so that dust does not settle on them. Simple washable storage racks can be easily made from children's plastic chests of drawers, connecting them into a single structure (pictured in the foreground).
A more thorough option is to store it behind glass doors, for example, in a bookcase. The required material is immediately visible behind the glass, and the room retains a residential interior without turning into a sewing workshop.
The shelves have space for all the necessary materials for sewing dolls: nicki velor, interlock knitwear, pique knitwear, footer knitwear, flannel, cash corse, silk velor, cotton frotte, Italian boucle, warm fabrics (wool, mohair, angora, llama , alpaca), yarn for doll hair and blanks for dolls, as well as for lace, natural fur, wool for felting.
If there is not much free space in the room, choose special furniture. For example, a loft bed allows you to place a workspace or storage area under the "bedroom".
Whatever manual work you do, spend a little time setting up your work area. Think over the most rational arrangement of furniture, calculate how many storage containers you need. Very soon you will realize that your time was not wasted. Rational organization of space is one of the foundations of successful work.