While I’m not quite ready for the complete reveal, I have been hard at work this week improving my sewing space. After reducing my fabric stash by about half, I spent the early part of this week combing though my entire collection of notions and supplies and getting rid of as much as possible. That sure felt good. 🙂
What a mess! Going, going… gone!
For example, I kept hanging onto a huge supply of stencils for years, hoping that one day, I’d use them on the perfect quilt. Then I quickly realized that I actually prefer to quilt more organic shapes on my quilts that don’t need stencils and usually require little to no marking. So they are on their way to finding a better home…
Stencil Stash – I may keep just 1 or 2…
As I’ve been dejunking and reorganizing, it’s helped me realize just who I am and how I like to work. I previously opined about being a minimalist. The more I reduce the clutter, the better I feel.
After rearranging furniture and getting rid of ugly plastic bins like these, I realized I enjoy negative space not just in quilting, but in decorating, too.
Lots of junky bins and stacks of clutter to get rid of!
I was able to completely empty them out and organize them into prettier containers – baskets, bins, and on shelves behind closed doors. It’s amazing how much you can clean up the place when you stash it away where no one can see it!
Use pretty buckets to hide things away!
Instead of cramming shelving and bins all together haphazardly, the closed shelving units look much better by themselves with a little empty space around them.
See all that blank space on the right side wall? That will soon be my huge design wall area. I used to have both white storage units there and it really took up too much visual space. By getting rid of excess junk and furniture, I was able to separate the storage units, tuck them into corners, and free up some wall space so that I have more room to design!
Getting there – but I still need to replace those clunky tables!
Now all I have left to do is create the design wall, hang my rulers on the sides of my storage units, replace the junky basting tables, and maybe throw up a couple of valances for a touch of color. I plan on being a busy bee over the next few days until it’s done. Then I can quilt again. 🙂
Updated – Ok, I’ll give you guys my stencils!
After I posted this I was inundated with requests on where they will go. So I will give them to you guys. I’ll make them my giveaway for next week – so stay tuned. 
Christa Quilts 
I’m very happy for you and all the success in the future!!! Your sewing room looks grat!
That beautiful media center is screaming to the compulsive crafter in me that it wants to be sanded down and painted a distressed white…just saying… 🙂
Ha ha! How close do you live? I’d love for you to come do it for me!! 🙂
Oh how I would love your “junky” bins and some of those stencils!! I need to reorganize, too, but,
I need the stuff I have, just need more stuff to store it in to organize. Such a dilemma 😦 Of course, if I had a room the size of yours, I wouldn’t be cluttered 🙂 Good for you!!!
You make perfect sense when you say your space needs empty places. I think I need to re-look at how my room is organized and implement some of your ideas. There are times I hold on to clutter because I spent money on it. Much better to set it free so I have freedom in my space.
Looks great, Christa! I would think I’d died and gone to heaven if I had such a huge space for my sewing room!!
Wow, you have really accomplished everything that I wish I could do. But I just shuffle stuff around and try to organize but never seem to be able to get rid of much. It’s driving me crazy!!! How do you convince yourself to do it??
It’s more of a “need” than a “want”!!
That’s awesome progress! It took me twice as long to reorganize half as much : P Jealous of that amazing design wall space you’re going to have!
It’s looking good. I know exactly how you’ve been feeling. I too have been reworking my studio space. It is much better but still has a little bit to go.
Looking good, you inspire me.
Christa, this looks really good. I have those big clunky tables too. They come in very handy, I have to hang on to mine.
Question: where is your iron station?
Thanks
Hidden in the corner next to a cabinet. I pull it out as needed. 🙂
Wow! The minimized space looks great! I agree that it’s difficult to be creative if other projects and piles of things to tend to are in the way.
Looks great…but the stencils? Well I know a home that would love them to pieces. Hint hint. Lol. Really I can’t get stencils for quilting around here so I have a grand total of 3 and love love love using them for quilting. If you haven’t already found a home for them, I’d love to have them.
Wow. You are going to have so much room. It looks wonderful. I saw that big box of stencils and quietly yelled send them to me. Then I got sad when it said they were on their way to someone because I too would love some. I was thrilled to see this post saying you will be giving them in a giveaway soon. Yay.
Great job, love the space. I just donated fabric to my quilting guild have to stop buying!
Now this is inspiration to de-clutter! I agree with you that it feels sew good to get organized and purge the fabric and notions you won’t ever use.
Thanks for the inspiration….I need a bit of decluttering too!! You are very kind to give the stencils as a giveaway..
Wow Christa, you are a busy quilter indeed! How fun to have such a nice BIG space for your creating. Can’t wait to see the finished pics.
Less is always more! enjoy
I only wish I lived next door and could buy those used bins from you! I love that kind of storage, and it works very well for me, I just don’t have enough, and it’s getting more expensive all the time.
OK, I have two questions???? What are those two ugly big black (boxes,printers,speakers,breadmachines??) in the cabinet?
And how do you like your sewing table, I have bought the same recently, and my machine( i think the same as yours) makes it move, Maybe I am sewing too fast,but I do not want to give that up.
It just is not a sturdy snug fit??.
Love the huge space for designing wall. And why get rid of those tables! Maybe paint/ cover them.
janneke
Those are a decorative element! Just kidding – they are my big ugly printers that unfortunately have to go there because of the wiring 😦
In the future I will replace this whole unit with something prettier that can hide more ugliness, LOL!!
My table is pretty sturdy and I haven’t had any problems with it. The legs are pretty thick and it has an extension which I think gives it more stability.
Who makes your sewing table? Thanks.
Looks awesome so far! Love the idea of hanging up the hangers. I wish I could dejunk like you!
I love it! It is going to be such a great space to create in! I can’t wait to see what you come up with! I wish I lived close enough to take those basting tables off your hands.
Ha ha – thanks! I think we are going to put those in the garage as utility tables when I get some new ones 🙂
I love it! But I have a question about your sewing table – What kind is it? Is it sturdy? I have a 750QE too and I’ve had such a hard time trying to find a table that is sturdy enough to quilt with the BSR on. I have my machine on an old kitchen table right now, which is great, but I NEED a drop in table! I would get so much more done!
It’s just pressed wood and I got it from a dealer 15 years ago who’s now out of business. However, what makes it sturdy is the fact that it is really big and has the extension on the back.
I purchased the nice Sauder sewing table from Walmart and measured the top for an opening for my machine. Then I cut it with a jig saw, sanded the opening. Then measured the length and width of the opening underneath to make a support shelf for my machine. All said an done, flush mounted sewing table for under $300. Has storage on the right side and a lift up extension on the left with storage in the door. One adde thing I did too is make a drop leaf extension for the back that I can lift up for when quilting larger quilts. It sounds way more complicated than it was, and I’m very pleased with it. It’s on locking casters so I can move it when I want. And it’s very stable even with high speed sewing.
One other thing, the machine I had previously didn’t have a thin extension table with it like my janome does. So with it I had to make a tracing of the free arm and use the same jig saw to cut a piece of thin acrylic and sand it to cover the excess space and mike everything fit perfectly. Just used glue dots to hold that in place. But now I have a big janome and it has a big table so I just cut the hole bigger and raised the machine to the height of the table plus the extension so it’s flush still.
I had “The Great Purge of 2012” last year, and got rid of furniture, artwork, xmas stuff, lots and lots of things I kept lugging around as I have been a renter for a long time, but no longer. I really wanted to be surrounded by only meaningful, beautiful items. I purged anything that I did not want around me, I wanted new artwork, new visions, new things to imagine. Every now & then, I question where an item is. Oh well, it went in “The Great Purge of 2012”. Seriously everything I got rid of filled a 2-car garage… What a relief… Good! For! You!
Looking great Christa!!! You are just going to be in heaven with all that room to move around 🙂
I love this post. I am a minimalist at heart with a NASTY craft supply addiction. I find myself avoiding my workspace because it feels so overwhelming. I need a serious purge … but have yet to come to terms with all the wasted money. Donating it all just seems so painful.
Your space looks like you can actually think, plan, and create in it. Congrats!
I agree with you. But here’s how I think of it – donating all in one fell swoop is a little painful but then it’s gone right away, all of it. And I no longer have to think about it or fret about it. And I’m way more efficient when I don’t have things cluttering my space or my mind.
Good for you! It is so much easier to accumulate than to purge! I find just getting my stash behind closed doors and my tools in a drawer out of sight, helps a bunch!
Oh wow. You go girl!
You go, girl!
It looks wonderful! So much more space! Have you thought of painting the cabinet?
Yes I have and that is an excellent idea. Too much for me to fathom now – but maybe next year when I get the itch again!
wow you are really coming along. Good for you. I like simple also. I just bought a heart stencil that I am going to try for placemats for valentines. We will see. I am just learning to FMQ.
What are you doing with stencils ? Selling?
I should take the time to do that but it was just easier to take it all and give it away to charity 🙂
Kudos on achieving such a nice space. You are inspiring
What are you going to do with all of the stencils? I’m just learning how to fmq and that is what I’m using to learn with.
Marty Askins cpup40@aol.com