Last year my “Sewing Sister”, Claire, spent several weeks diligently sorting, organizing and transforming her basement sewing space. I coined the name Sewing Spa to describe the new space that so thrilled her sewing heart. Sewing, after all, is a rejuvenating experience that produces all the healthy benefits associated with the word spa! If your sewing space evokes more of a feeling of blah than spa, I’ve gathered lots of help from fellow crafty bloggers for you today! No matter where you sew – the dining room, a corner of the bedroom, out in the garage – you can take your space to Sewing Spa level with a little time and just a few dollars. All you need to go from “what you’re stuck with” to “what you love” is a bit of ingenuity, flexibility and persistence, qualities that every sewist already possesses. The Sewing Spa Way to Inspiration & Functionality Create a Wall of Inspiration! A metal plaque on the wall of my personal Sewing Spa says “Blessed Beyond Measure” and includes a graphic of a measuring tape. I love it because it reminds me that sewing is a super-power that enriches my life and maintains my sanity. Do you have a favorite sewing meme or phrase that motivates you to sew? Stitch or print it on fabric, then hoop it in a Susan Bates embroidery hoop to hang on your Spa wall. Your wall of inspiration can also include swatches of fabric you love, patterns and idea images that make your sewing heart beat faster or anything else that keeps you smiling while you’re sewing. My Coats sewing threads live in color order inside a clear plastic, double-sided thread box and I LOVE it. Thread can also become inspiring, colorful wall décor on a wooden wall rack. You can purchase one or both of these at your local sewing store for under $20 Do your tools, supplies and notions inspire you to sew? Consider a piece of pegboard and hooks from the hardware store to mount on the wall beside or behind your machine. Hand embroidery threads make a tidy, colorful display in a glass jar or bowl when wound on wooden clothespins. Use a fine-point sharpie to note the color number on the end of pin. Click here If you have room for drawers, keep them thriftily organized by repurposing cereal boxes as dividers. Click here Ribbons and ric-rac are pretty and inspiring, but can be quite messy. Purchased Paper Towel Holders are a terrific solution or you can make your own. Click here Got scraps? Of course, you do! A hanging shoe rack with clear pockets will keep them organized and provide a colorful accent for your Sewing Spa. Click here Pins, glorious pins! Always needed, often hard to find. Make your own magnetic pin dish with a charming thrifted plate and a few stick-on magnets. Click here Shelves are fabulous, but don’t stop with stacking things on top. An eclectic collection of jars with tight lids attached to the bottom of your shelf become useful “found” storage space. Click here And, finally, here’s an ingenious Sewing Spa in action. Jess, who writes the If Only She Would Nap blog, lives a lovely life with her husband and children in a not-so-big house and her current sewing space is a corner of their Master Bedroom. Using what she already had and a few thrifty storage supplies, Jess created an amazingly spa-like corner for sewing. Click here to read her post, tour her space and collect great ideas. It’s time to get to work now Sewing Sisters and Brothers. Your Sewing Spa awaits you and it’s just a bit of time and a few dollars away!
