Smaller spaces are more likely for most of us, and even beyond that, SHARED spaces are most common.  Combining functions within one room makes it possible to use space more effectively, but to still keep your sewing machine and tools out where you’re most likely to use them.  The tedium of taking out and putting away your sewing machine every time you want to sew is enough to deter many of us from getting a project started at all!  Check out these clever solutions to that problem, and ways that some amazingly talented crafters have made it possible to get their sew on in the tiniest of places:

Joyful Lova set up a table in a seldom-used corner of a room near a window with plenty of bright sunlight, and captured that space as an inspiring place to create.  I especially love the colors and the clean lines of her storage solutions–lots of drawers for all the tiny things.  I love the display frame full of thread? fabric scraps? to one side of the machine, and I love that all this space is doing double duty: the machine lives on top of the cutting mat, the chair is covered by fabric with pockets for storage, and the tablecloth looks like it might be vinyl-coated for resisting paint or dye.  So clever!

In a similar vein, Sharilyn over at Lovely Design has created her sewing space in a teeny nook.  She’s tucked most of her active workspace into a closet, with a bench shelf for her machine and storage along the back wall.  I love how inspiring that is and how simple it would be to carve out a space like this in a guest room or laundry room, or in an office.  Almost any place can be a sewing space if you are willing to pour in a little sweat equity!

Megan over at Crafty Intentions has her sewing space in a teeny room that some might consider too small for a bedroom or guest room–we have one of those in our floor plan, and out teen chose to have a loft bed to make the 9 x 10 room make more sense for her.  For others, a little bitty room like that would be a lovely sewing retreat, and just right with the perfect wall color and lots of natural light, like here.

Thrifty Decor Chick has created a honey of a sewing space in an unfinished basement.  Rather than assuming that she’d need to drywall and finish out the whole area before it was ready to craft, she glammed it up and added lighting to make a budget-friendly re-do that’s full of sweetness and inspiration–without the expense or time necessary for finishing the whole space.  Added bonus: if you rent, this would be a quick fix for a home where you don’t want or aren’t permitted to invest in construction!

I think we all know how fabulous I think Dana is over at MADE.  Her shared sewing space–part of the office in their new home–is a great example of bringing sewing into the heart of our families, and making it possible to craft while spending time with those we love!  One of my favorite parts about having my own studio space in our finished basement/family room/playroom is that we can all be in one place together, each pursuing a different agenda, but all interacting and enjoying one another.  I love not just Dana’s attention to detail, but the way her sewing space reflects a commitment to family time.

So, what about you?  Who’s been resisting getting out that machine and giving it a home of its own because you weren’t inspired to carve out a spot or clean out the spare room or sweep up the basement?  Next post, we’ll do one last installment looking at some really edgy and clever sewing spaces that you might not have thought of, solutions that will make us all think a little more outside the box.  Sewing Goal Task 1: Carve out your own space to create!

Not all of us are fortunate enough to have an entire room dedicated to sewing and crafts.  In fact, judging by the responses to the survey, the vast majority of us–me included!–utilize space that is multipurpose or just plain small.  But when we see someone with great taste, fabulous vision, and lots of space really go to town, the results are nothing short of breath-catching.

Kari of Spring Chick Designs was featured on Modish, Apartment Therapy and Ikea Hacker with her amazing craft room.  Not only do I admire the light and clean sense this room provides, I was so enamored of it that I made very similar tables for my own studio–and for the Whipstitch shop!  She has a fantastic sense of style, the level of natural light she has in this room is enviable, and the colors are so light and inspiring.  On top of that, the “burden” of having it near the front entrance of her home requires her to keep it tidy, and I’m convinced that leads to more productivity in the long run.  Most tasks that slow us down aren’t cleaning tasks (scrubbing the baseboards or mucking out the gutters) but rather are tasks of organization (doing the laundry or washing the dishes), and that lack of being able to get to the stuff you need when you need it always slows us down.  Kari’s great strength in this room is that she has everything at her fingertips!

Or how about the bucket of sinful yummy that is Yvonne’s sewing room over at Yvestown?  The bright white might be what attracts me most–the clean lines, the uncluttered feeling.  Walking in here must be like a combination visit to an incredible art gallery and your favorite boutique.  My fingers itch just to browse her fabric collection and untidy those perfect piles so I can go back and tidy them all up again. I think my favorite part is that this was a total transformation–check out the before picture in her Flikr stream to see what I mean!

Speaking of organization, Gigi’s sewing room over at Behind the Seams is clearly the domain of a pro.  Do you see the variety of work spaces she’s carved out for herself?  And the way each tool has a home so that it’s just at fingertip distance at any moment?  Her level of attention to detail when it comes to organizing her fabrics and patterns is mind-blowing, and enviable.  Makes me think of the blog post I read a couple years ago where a crafter had been down with flu and scanned all the covers of her pattern collection into a searchable database.  How hot is that?  And to have a space like this one, where you can grab a pattern at any level and get going?  Awesome.

And can we not even get started on Martha’s jaw-dropping attic craft room at her new place?  The green!  The vintage office furniture!  The insane level of tidiness!  I get a little drooly and envious when I see these images, because I adore the whole concept.  On the whole, I’d like a little MORE space (greedy, greedy) but the vibe of this room is so soothing and inspiring that it makes me want to create.

The key to all these rooms, if you’re analyzing along at home, is what your Gramma always told you: a place for everything, everything in its place.  If you spend all your time digging through bins and wondering where you put that fill-in-the-blank, there goes valuable crafting time.  This is even more true as we look at smaller spaces the rest of the week: if your machine doesn’t have a dedicated home, then setting up and packing up eats into your sewing time–make sure you’ve got stuff where you need it, no matter what size space you have!

Want to design your own fantasy room?  Play the game over at Craft Stylish! Their contest is over, but the game is still online, and you can view images of the winner.  And dream a bit…

This weekend, I decided it was nigh upon time to finally re-organize my studio, now that the bolts of fabric all live at the new shop.  I figured, an hour or two, no worries!  Right?  Right.

It took most of Saturday.  And it still needs work.  In my defense, a large part of that is the fact that I’ve “misplaced” all the pegs that hold the additional shelves in my Ikea bookcases, but still.

So when resting from nesting, I went to some of my favorite fabric designers for a little studio inspiration:

The always amazing Anna Maria Horner showed off her studio recently on her blog.  How fantastic are all those colors?  I love that she has departments in her studio, sections for the parts of her life that take place there: a couch, a work table, an “office.”  And I love that her work is so integrated into her everyday life.

Then there’s the fabulous Patty Young, designer of the Mod Kid patterns you’re all clearly crazy about (and set to release an amazing line of knits that I can’t wait to get my hands all over).  Her light, bright, organized studio makes me want to categorize and fold and stack all my fabrics into tidy little color-coded piles.  I am convinced that once I do, I’ll be at least nearly as productive and creative as she!

And of course, there’s Amy Butler, with a whole other feel and look to her studio.  It’s modern and chic and clean, and looks just like you’d expect from her.  It’s such a clear reflection of her sense of style, of her identity as a designer that you take one peek at the photos and you just know it’s hers.

I know not everyone is as fortunate as these big names, and not all of us have the space and the time to dedicate to a complete studio for our sewing.  But shouldn’t we all have a place to call our own, a place that inspires us and encourages us to create and attempt new things?  This week is all about tackling Sewing Goal #1: Organizing Your Space.  I want to explore small spaces and huge spaces and everything in between, with the hope that each of you will discover exactly the configuration and solution to give yourself a refuge and an inspiring spot to call your own.  Worked for Virginia Woolf, after all!