Don’t let your supplies and fabric take over your space. Here are some helpful tips to declutter your sewing room and get organized.
Now that you have a pretty good idea of what your sewing room can look like and how to organize it– let’s chat for a quick minute about decluttering your sewing room.
This is not an easy subject as I find that I really like what I have and I really don’t want to give it up! But in the end there comes a point in time when you are sooo overloaded with fabric and supplies that declutter is the only option.
The process is the same really for each of these areas. Don’t overthink things. Just concur it section by section. By the end you’ll be done and you never would have thought it could happen!
Questions to ask yourself while sorting:
- How old is this? I know we all keep things for a long time. But really consider this.
- What is this for? If it’s for a project- try to collect all the elements together
- Is this quality? The last time I sorted through my sewing room I got rid of a ton of fabric. Gasp! But really it wasn’t good fabric. It was thin. It was crap. I didn’t want that in my projects anymore. I need fabric that will last- so that was a big helper in deciding whether I kept it or not.
- Do I have multiples? How many scissors does one need? Ok- bad example. But other supplies. Do you have 3 – 6″ rulers? 2000 zippers?
- Will I really use it? Be honest with yourself. If it has sat there for soo long and every time you could have used it, you passed. That’s a pretty good sign it won’t be used any time soon. Time to move it on.
Here are a few spots that most of us have that you can work on.
Declutter your Sewing Room by Space:
- Closest
- Drawers
- Shelves
- Counters and work space
- Bins and containers
Declutter your Sewing Room by topic:
- fabric
- books
- patterns
- notions – zippers, ric rac, hem tape, ribbon, lace, buttons, yarn
- supplies – scissors, pens, rotary cutters, pins, needles
- misc- batting, interfacing, fusibles
Either way will work. It will take time, but then when you are all done you’ll know what you have (it’s a great reminder of what you have!) and you’ll be able to get going on the next project because you can find everything needed for it!
Have a solution for sorting or decluttering your sewing room? Share it with us!
Becky Jorgensen is the creative quilter behind Patchwork Posse, the Patchwork Planner and her online quilt group Patchworkers Plus. You can find her patterns in books, magazines, and her quilt membership. Gather your quilting supplies, organize your sewing space, explore the process of disappearing quilt blocks, or finish a free quilt pattern. I'll help you use what you have, finish what you start and make your quilting journey fun!
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I had to move from a large space to a small space. Two things helped, first, listening to my daughters tell we to give it up, having a yard sale and seeing people happy to find great bargains. The second I have been doing alone, I ask myself if the house had burned down would I really missed it. Yes to my favorite sewing machines and sergers, yes to fabric for quilts,yes for fabric for little dresses for Africa, yes for American Girls patterns and fabric to go with them, Yes to fabric for pillowcases. Now I am starting over with the fabric I have in boxes. If I can use it for the above mentioned projects I will keep it, if not it goes. This is very time consuming but it is working. One box at a time.
I am so overwhelmed that I dont even know where to begin. I just look at it then walk out andclose the door
Fran– that’s been me a few times as well! I decide to just either set the timer and do something for 15 minutes or whatever time I have OR I pick a spot and say….. this pile. This pile I am going through and putting away. Then if I feel like it I pick another pile and keep moving.
I’ve been working on my closet right now and it is taking a long time!
Another thing I do is just sort. Like I have a shelf that should be my display things. I’m not worried about what it looks like, I’m just putting what I want to display on it. Then when i have the energy or time I go back to the shelf and make it look nice. So I get it where it needs to go, then I can fix that spot once everything is there.
Good luck!
– Map cabinet – long flat drawers for works in progress
– Ikea – table tops in various sized, table legs that are adjustable height – legs can be used on other large/flat things like luan doors, for those into repurpose
– Ikea – mini ironing board, sits flat next to your sewing machine, also has a hook to hang it away on the back of a door or in a closet – can also be made by those who repurpose, with a coathanger, heavy cardboard, batting and teflon fabric from Joann’s
– Ikea – small drawer desktop cabinets, fat quarters fit perfectly in them, also good for binning trims – can also be made with shoeboxes and outside finished with simple spraypaint or glue on fabric.
And the biggest organizing tip: too good to toss, but you KNOW you’ll never use it? Someone out there is waiting for it – donate it to Goodwill, or any sewing group having a sewathon for charity.
Is this a book — 30 days of Organizing Your Sewing ?
Thanks, Judy
It’s not. It is just a helper to find topics to get your organizing your sewing room. An ebook would be a great idea though!
I love some of these ideas. I have a hard time parting with fabric. Lately I have been making up baskets and donating them to basket parties. I really have not made a big dent in the fabric, but if I keep it up I will And the charities really appreciate them.
This is a big help as I will start this process next week. But not over 30 days. I am giving myself 7 days. Full days with a helper. I plan to donate to my after school program and to a few friends on limited income. I want get on my Christmas projects and can not until I do this clean up!
I have been able to send some of my extra fabric and sewing supplies with a friend on a mission trip the past couple of years. The missionary she goes to work with sews dresses for the little local girls. So by sharing my surplus and love of seeing with her I am helping a missionary in her quest to share God’s love.
Wowzer, I’ve gone from everything’s in funky boxes and mismatched bins on the floor and in every available space, to nice shelving and labeled, somewhat matching, bins. It was all nice and organized until I: 1. Inherited a TON of stuff and 2. People started bringing unsolicited leftovers from their projects and their inherited stuff. I finally realized that I could say, no thank you. That was after I realized that my “stuff” had stretched into the spare bedroom, aka, the child who moved out’s room and it was at the point that I had to turn away a potential guest. Oh the shame of it! I’m still clearing out a whole bunch of that extra stuff and slowly making headway.
My motivating motto is: If it doesn’t fit – in my sewing room – then I must acquit (let it go). Oh, bad joke! Sorry. But, sooner than later we’ll be considering downsizing and I’d rather not drag unwanted stuff to a new location.
In the spring I painted the one bare wall and hung all my pretty, fun stuff and sayings and finished hanging the rest today. I’m looking forward to enjoying a clean, attractive workroom that I can enjoy and my clients and students will admire.
My sewing room is my living room. I live in a 1 bedroom apartment, with a very understanding boy friend. Any suggestions. I have a large desk I use as a sewing table ( among other things ) and I’ve added a bookcase on top for stuff and a cabinet.
I was lucky enough when I bought my house in that I could have a dedicated craft room. The only blank wall I have is now covered with a huge piece of white felt for a design wall. Another wall has built in adjustable shelves for fabric and yes there is more than I can use in my lifetime. A third wall has built in shelves specifically made to hold bankers (filing) boxes, I bought some pallets on plain white ones. These boxes hold Christmas decorations, embroidery and knitting supplies, notions, and arts and crafts “stuff”.
The best part of this room though is a folding conference table. The table is raised with slip on PVC pipe to bring it up to a good cutting height. One end has a hole cut in it to hold my sewing machine, there is a kind of shelf which supports the sewing machine. The center part of the table is where I put my cutting mat, large mat for major cutting work or small mat or trimming and squaring up. The other end of the table is my ironing center. I bought some yardage of white toweling and hemmed the ends. If I need to, I can open this out and use almost the whole table to iron yardage or quilt tops. In back of the table clamped on the corner is an engineers (my dad’s who has passed away now) magnifying lamp which is used for very fine detailed embroidery. I am so blessed to have this room.
I recently had three of our four bedroom house painted anticipating the ‘move in’ of my elderly mother. Clearing the stuff out of my 1st sewing room into the slightly ‘smaller’ room was a nightmare but it did allow me the chance to do a some downsizing. The closet is wall-to-wall sliding doors & I purchased two vinyl 4 shelf putty colored storage units (Wal-Mart) that fit perfectly under the hanging rod leaving about 3 feet extra in the closet. I also purchased slender plastic storage bins (Dollar Tree) for each shelf for my 2 1/2 inch left-over strips by color. The best purchase was from Big Lots Sterlite Stack & Carry two layer plastic storage box with handle on the closet shelf above the hanger bar for work-in-progress items – I bought two sets for $15.00
My quilting fabric is stored vertically bolt-style with self-cut 6 x 10″ fiberboards (99cent store). I have an excessive collection of fabric but most of it fit on the 8 shelves. I have my sewing furniture layout in an “L” shape. On the table against the wall to my right is my ‘pressing station’, the overlarge sewing table (perpendicular to the wall) houses my cutting mat, sewing machine & small lamp. Rulers are stored in a stationary holder affixed to the wall behind me with a hanging ‘key’ holder to the right for my rotary cutters, scissors, tape measures etc. Across from my sewing table I have a two-shelf ‘hall table’ that the TV perches on & my drop leaf desk w/a laptop. The drawers are full of yarn for my second favorite: crochet. I have a large 8 foot folding table under my bed in the master bedroom for pinning/basting quilts. I love my ‘new’ sewing room painted a soft dusty blue with all white furniture & accessories. It’s organized, everything is with easy reach and the sewing furniture hides all the electrical cords – no tripping! Mom pined for her own home after staying with me for a few weeks, so she returned to her home with caregivers & her tiny pooch!
I lost my best friend just before Christmas.She willed me all of her sewing stuff.I knew there was a lot because I tried to help her organize her sewing room(or as she called it-her kingdom of crap,)But once I started moving the stuff out,I was shocked.43 huge totes of material,5 sewing machines,a dresser full of thread and other miscellaneous stuff.I have kept 12 totes of material and passed along the other 31 totes to 9 other sewers along with all the machines(I have 3 of my own)Now is the time to be totally ruthless and try and organize what I have.I’ve started cutting the smaller pieces into strips for quilts.I bought a pantry to store the material but still have 6 totes that won’t fit in.Any suggestions on how to organize them would help so I know what’s in them?The rest of the miscellaneous stuff I’m weeding through and donating to a local charity.
There are too many ads on your page. I can’t even see the content of the articles.
When my son moved in my craft room became his bedroom. Well, it was his bedroom before he moved out. lol Anyway, my very small dining room became my sewing area. It’s the only room I had. We don’t eat in it because it’s full of sewing stuff. My cutting table is in the living room. My sewing area has a desk with sewing machine and 2 drawers. A love seat. The ironing board. My sewing dummy…name Vicki. and a plastic container with 3 drawers. I have to keep it clutter free otherwise I can’t do anything. Not too long ago I actually organized my buttons. Sewed all the sets together and separated them all by color. Put them into plastic see through divided containers with lids. It took an entire Saturday to get this done but I’m glad I did it. Now when I want buttons all I have to do is pull out the container and glance into the divided areas to see what I have. (Note: I have over 3000 buttons.)
Very useful. I’m going to start tomorrow. Well, actually I’ve already started with a box into which I’m tossing unwanted stuff with a view to donating to the Sewing (something!?) which is a charity in Sydney (Australia) which accepts any craft items to sell. A loooong way to go yet, but your idea of 15 minutes a day resonates with me.