Thanks for that link. I really like her cutting table. Did you read where she put a different top on it so she could sit by it? I like that idea, too. My husband has a woodworking shop on our property. He looked at that and told me it wouldn't take a lot of sweat to make the top just like that! The room is also so airy and bright. That's exactly the way I want mine. Again, thanks to all who have helped -- you are the BEST!!!

I forgot to put in my posting that I had a separate circuit brought in for the iron. That way I never have to worry about plugging it into the same outlet as my sewing machine and blowing a fuse or frying the machine. I saw that happen to a brand new machine at a retreat once. There was a huge “POP!” and the smell of burning electronics. Needless to say, the machine was destroyed.

Good luck with your renos! Be sure to read _Creating Your Perfect Quilting Space: Sewing-Room Makeovers for Any Space and Any Budget_ ( http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Creating-Your-Perfect-Quilting-Space-Lois-Hallock/9781564775696-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527sewing+room%2527 ) and _Dream Sewing Spaces: Design & Organization for Spaces Large and Small_ ( http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Dream-Sewing-Spaces-Design-Organization-Black-Palmer-Gosche/9780935278415-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527palmer+and+pletsch%2527 ).

And look at http://www.flickr.com/photos/athomesewing , which someone mentioned in another thread. That woman has some terrific ideas, and completely furnished her studio from Ikea.

Geez, I sure wish I could put punctuation right up against URLs and still have them activate!

Anne in Vancouver, Canada

It's too late!!! I already have soooooo much stuff that it's in every room of my house (except the kitchen). That is one reason my husband is building the addition (besides the bedroom on the main floor of the house -- we both have arthritis in our knees and using the stairs has become a painful journey -- our orthopedist says we have the "kneezles ). I have been better since he showed me that every room had something in it from the quilting standpoint (oh, yes, and the bathrooms don't have stuff [yet] ). And the UFO's!!!! Last count was 22. I haven't bought any more 'stuff' since I counted them. I am working on reducing that number, also.

The thing is, the more space I have, the more "stuff" I accumulate. Wire baskets will overflow, shelves will be crammed to the max. Personally, I think it's quite hopeless! Every time I straighten up my fabrics (somewhat), I find I can't "stash dive" without messing the whole thing up. I sold real estate for many years, and often after showing a house the listing agent would pester me for "feedback". I would finally get them off my back by saying "too much closet space". Anyway, for me it's a big challenge, and yes, I've gone out and bought something I KNEW I already owned, simply because I couldn't take the time to find the darn thing. But gosh, I love to mess it up!!! Where's my chair?? :shock:

Here are the best things I did:

Installed full-spectrum fluorescent lighting. I have sixteen 48-inch tubes. I also have full-spectrum fluorescent task lighting at my sewing machine. I hate track lighting, because it creates shadows punctuated by pools of light that you block with your head when you lean over your work.

Installed electrical outlets in the ceiling over my ironing board and my cutting table. There are no cords to trip over on the floor! Of course, I have to stand on a chair to plug anything in, but that's okay. And I can see from across the room whether the iron is plugged in.

Had an L-shaped sewing cabinet custom made (for my sewing machine and serger) with bookcases underneath the table top on three sides. In one place, across from my machine, I've interrupted the bookcases with a knee hole that just fits a rolling cabinet with a seat on top. Guests can sew there, or I can work there when I don't want to sit at my machine. Both my sewing chair and the guest stool have drawers beneath the seats.

Had my sewing table built so the machine and serger both set down into it, flush with the table top. This gives me a perfectly flat work surface at a level that's ergnomically correct for me. I have a Sew Steady Portable Table for my Featherweight, and while it's very nice, it's too high to be comfortable for long periods when it sits on a regular table or desk.

Had a long wall cabinet built with heavy-duty doors that hold an 80- by 80-inch design wall. The doors are oak covered with donacona (insulation board) that I can stick pins into, and then covered with gridded flannel (adhered with 404 spray). One of the cats thinks it's a giant scratching post, though, so I've thumbtacked clear vinyl over the bottom three feet. In four years I've never had to take the vinyl off to use the bottom half of the design wall, but one day I might.

Had my cabinet built with shelves that are 12 inches deep and 20 inches wide. This is just the right size to hold two stacks of fabric (dark on the left, light on the right) that's been folded into quarters lengthwise and then fan-folded into 9.5-inch-wide piles. I can count the folds to see how many yards I have.

Had a wood-slat pegboard-style surface built along one end of the wall cabinet, to hold rulers, stencils, etc. I wish I'd had one built on the other end, too. It doesn't look like a pegboard, though, and I don't know what it's actually called. But it sure is handy!

Bought a high-quality (i.e., sturdy) drop-leaf cutting table whose drawers open on both sides of the table. I don't have to walk around the table to get into a drawer.

Co-opted the family room for my studio. Since it adjoins the kitchen, I can get a few stitches in while dinner is cooking . . . when I actually do cook, of course.

Anne in Vancouver, Canada

I have thought about that, liiddz. I have also thought about a designing desk and spaces for reference books, my computer and even a small 'knook' where I can entertain a friend on a small table with comfy chairs and serve coffee, tea or soft drinks; whatever they desire. I have also thought about how I'm going to have enough room for my husband to work along side me, as he does many times. As I said earlier, I'm going to put casters on everything I can, in order to re-configure my workspace as I need to. The casters will be lockable. I also think I will use 3 banks of flourescent light across the 12 foot width, running all for about 4 feet from both ends. In that space, I will put moveable track lighting, especially over the sewing machines, serger and the long-arm machine and over the design wall. See what I mean about scary?? -- I hope I have room for all the myriad things I already have!! I do know that some of it will have to go on shelves at the bottom of my stairs, just outside my sewing room. We have almost 60 feet (not continuous!) of shelf space there and have recently cleared non-essential off and gave it away or sold it, or threw away those things that were no longer useful (believe me they weren't useful in ANY way! ). Thanks to all you have had suggestions for me. You can't know how much I appreciate it. I now have a direction in which to head, thanks to you. You all are the greatest! Quilters are special people, Ive discovered once again.
MEMA1

Hi, mema, have you considered having enough space to set up more than one machine ALA Rami Kim? space for a quilter friend to work with you? How about your reference library?

hurray for you mema1!!

when i set my studio space up my husband custom made my shelving. we took my tallest quilt book (Art Quilts no longer published) and that space became the shelf for all my tall books etc...other shelving is deep enough for the way i fold my fabric....BUT i am still searching for a proper light for over my ironing board; i find it hard to press acurately at night, so yes! lighting is so important
good luck

I like YELLOW! Most of my walls in my sewing room are yellow and I find it to be cheery. I do have a white ceiling and multiple full spectrum light bulbs in the room (plus two windows).

If your design wall is large and a neutral color that should help to keep from distorting your color perception. If not, you can always repaint the room, right?

You've already received many great suggestions that I would ditto. However, no one mentioned a large cutting table covered with a large cutting mat ( approx. 3' x 8'). This will come in very handy for cutting large pieces of fabric and for sandwiching/basting large quilts. It would be great if you can place your cutting table in the room centered such that you can work from all four sides.

Depending on your personality and family situation, you may prefer to have a private quilting hideaway to be undisturbed while you quilt OR you may prefer to have your space separate without being isolated from the rest of your family. I think this is important to consider when designing your sewing room. In either case, you may want enough separation to be able to keep things out while you have a work in progress, rather than having to pick up the room each time you stop working.

In my sewing room, I like the convenience of having my ironing board hidden and up at all times.

Cute name! I really like that. Are you a blues fan? I have no particular music that I admire. I'm kind of eclectic. Now back to quilting! . Thank you for those suggestions. The one that my DH gave me, acutally. Then, he is an engineer, so he tends to plan EVERYTHING in detail before he starts. I have drawn the shape on gridded paper -- at least I've got that far The suggestion that I be careful to keep my fabric protected from the light, whether it be the sun or artifical light was especially welcome, as my current room is in the basement and I never had to contend with the sun's harmful rays in relation to fabric before. There are so many things to consider -- that why I said it's scary! I appreciate your answer.

Lucky girl! The best thing you can do (and I do this even when I want to rearrange furniture in any room) is to draw your floor plan on gridded paper, to scale. Show where the windows, doors, outlets, overhead lights are. Then draw on gridded paper, to scale, all the furniture you plan to put in the sewing room. Everything you have, and want to have, including your design wall, bulletin board, ironing board, as well as the cat's basket (which you may or not have Cut out the pieces.

Arrange the furniture on the gridded room layout. Rearrange them. You'll see the best lighting (and shadowed) areas, where to put furniture in relation to each other, etc. When you move your stuff into the room, you'll probably change some things around. But doing this method will hopefully keep you from having to change the big things.

Windows are lovely, but you don't want to be looking into the sun while trying to work.

I would draw in a large walk-in closet, lined with wire shelves, to store fabrics, batting, UFOs, etc., so they wouldn't be in the sun, and out where it would look messy.

I currently have two ruler holders on the wall behind my cutting table. I have wire shelves over the cutting table where I can put odds and ends that I need every day, such as odd rulers, wireless speakers, pencil holder, a turning thingie (made to be used in the kitchen for cooking utensils) where I keep my rotary cutters, measuring tape, protractor, q-tips, etc. I have a tiny drawer unit in which I keep large and small safety pins, paper clips, rubber bands).

I have bookshelves for books (!), quilting videos and my tiny TV, one contains baskets that contain tops to be quilted, semi-finished projects, magazines, and those little pretty decorating objects you simply have to display.

Since I can't fit any shelves or drawers under my folding cutting table, I just have baskets and a cute laundry hamper in which I store rolled fusible, freezer paper, interfacing. The large square-up rulers are under there, also.

Along one wall is a small desk that has my computer and printer, that I can reach by just turning my chair from my sewing table, which is in the middle of the room.

Hope all this helps! Brita

Thanks to Alex, Bridget473, Lorchen, liiddz and MaryRNWI for you replies. They have helped a lot! I looked at the links that Bridget473 posted. Wow! you have a lovely room! I hope that I can do as well. Thanks to those who said that the color needs to be somewhat neutral. I'm sure that I agree. Vibrant colors energize me, but I don't want to make a room that 'disagrees' with the colors in my quilts. Lighting and outlets are no problem; my husband is an electrical engineer and has the 'outlet deficit' problem handled. We have many outlets throughout our home and have never been sorry about any one of them being put in. I don't think I can afford an architect, but would love to consult one. Thanks for the suggestion about the magazine that has studios in it; I will definitely look into finding copies. This will be an adventure! I really am looking forward to being able to design a great space. Thanks to all, once again.

I just finished my 8' x 20' room recently and here are some things I am happy with....

* Lots of lighting - natural if possible but good artificial lighting is helpful too. I have four windows, the door has a window, a long set of track lighting over my design wall, a lighted ceiling fan, and separate lamps where needed.

* Storage - I bought wire drawers to keep my fabric in and keep them underneath my 8' work table hidden by a table skirt to protect them from the sun.

* A sitting area where I can relax and read a magazine or enjoy a cup of tea.

* Lots of outlets - you never know when or where you're going to need to plug something in.

* A large design wall - Mine is behind my work table but is still accessible. My "guys" attached wooden legs to an 8' counter top and then put locking wheels on the bottom.

I have photos available here....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10982304@N05/sets/72157623196081773/

And definitely get "Studios" magazine -- there are some wonderful ideas in there! Good luck to you! Keep us posted!