Organizing My Studio - Part 2

Once I got my shelves organized, it was on to the rest of the studio. I've made a lot of progress, and wanted to share some of my storage, display and sewing solutions.

My budget isn't large for my studio, so I've tried to be creative with my storage solutions. It helps to have a handy husband! This is my quilt "ladder". It's made of two 2x4's that were sanded and painted white. Then holes were drilled in the 2x4's about 22" apart, and 1" pvc pipe was put through the holes to make the "rungs". I can lean it against the wall and hang quite a few quilts on it, as well as my purses and bags. With the quilts on it, it's heavy enough to be fairly sturdy. It's also easy to take apart and move and the width is adjustable.

WIP's or UFO's -- there are always lots of projects "in progress" that need a place that is visible, so I'll finish them! This wooden drying rack was very inexpensive, but works great.

Cutting Table, Sewing Table and Quilt Frame:

I like to stand up to cut fabric. I get better, straighter cuts that way. So we put together 2 sets of cube storage shelves -- the backs were left off and they are screwed together. A piece of 26" x 37" melamine board (very thin, very hard) was attached on top so my cutting mat would fit.. I attached my cutting mat on top with 2 sided tape. As you can see, I have lots of storage underneath. I put items I don't use often toward the back of the shelves. Some of my larger rulers are stored on the side of the table.

My latest fun organizing find was a freezer paper holder made of a short curtain rod that I attached to the side of the cutting table. I saw this tip on the internet, at  Sew Many Ways...: Tool Time Updates.

Sewing machines that sit on top of the table are awkward for me, and having a large surface for the quilt really helps. We carefully cut a hole in a wooden table, and attached the cutout underneath to hold up the sewing machine with metal straps. Notice my rice bag on the table? Made from scraps and a bag of rice, and it is a great weight to keep the quilt from slipping off the table.

I piece and do some quilting on my small machine, but most of my quilting is done on a Grace frame, with a "stretched" Juki sewing machine. It takes up a lot of room, but I really love it. In another post I'll tell you about getting the machine stretched.

I hope you enjoyed this tour of my studio  Let me know what you think!

Mary