Welcome to my (temporary) Sewing Studio! Come on in!
I love seeing other people’s workspaces and tools, so I thought I’d show you mine. I cleaned up after a big project, and it looks so nice and neat! (I can be a messy maker!)
I’ve been in this space for a little over a year now and I just love it.
I mean, isn’t it gorgeous?
The Quick Backstory
Where was I before?
Eleven years ago, I wrote this blog post about my prior sewing spaces, just as I was moving out of a home studio and into a commercial space. I stayed in that dreamy commercial sewing space for 7 years. Click to see all of the photos.
In late 2020, my husband and I bought ourselves a property on 28 acres of woods with two fixer-uppers, which we are slowly renovating bit by bit. (My husband is a carpenter. DIY is our thing.) The 1970s house is where we now live (and work). The 1910s house on the property will someday become the Sew House.
At that time, we were “house rich” and “money poor”, so I moved out of the commercial space and I started renting our former home as my studio. I commuted to that temporary studio for 3 years. Thinking my stay would be more temporary than it was, I never really “moved in”. I mean, all my stuff was there, but I never took any time to give things a place and make it a dreamy space. There are no cheery photos to share.
And over time, it did start to darken some of my sewing shine.
So when this new temporary space was ready for me, I made sure to make it NICE.
The Future Bedroom Suite
Welcome to the room that will someday be our Bedroom!
At the end of our home, we combined two smallish bedrooms to become one large bedroom, a large closet, and a large bathroom. Someday.
But for now, it’s my workspace. My dreamy workspace.
A little over a year ago, this part of the house was ready enough for me to move in. If you look closely, you’ll notice the lack of trim and some unfinished bits. It’s all a work in progress, slow and steady style.
I love seeing the art in the view from my “desk”! I’ve got an Ann Tilley original knitted artwork! I also have few favorite crewelworks found in thrift stores.
This 3’x8′ pinnable worktable is now 23 years old! Since I first learned to sew, all of my academic and professional sewing experience has involved pinnable tables, and I never want to give up the habit. I encourage anyone who is interested to give it a try. It can make everything about everything easier and more fun!
Click to read the blog post all about creating your own pinnable worktable.
And having an ironing table, instead of an ironing board, is also a luxury that I highly recommend.
Click to read the blog post all about my 60″wide ironing table.
For curtains, I cut lengths of muslin with pinking shears, push pinned them to the window trim, and sash them with twill tape.
A full-length mirror is a must. My custom padded dress form sports my most recent make.
Click here to learn how to make your own custom padded dress form.
My studio chair is a height adjustable “dental assistant’s” chair I found on Craigslist about 20 years ago. When you sit in it, the bar hugs the front of the body. It’s designed for support when leaning forward, which can be great for sewing!
My machines are the same as they’ve always been: The Bernina 1080 that my grandmother Agnes bought me in 1997 and Agnes’s personal Baby Lock serger.
Over the years, I’ve accumulated a lot of stuff. In my new space, I made sure to have some accessible long-term storage, and also places to stow away all the bits of current projects.
And I love having a starlight mint as a sweet treat!
I love my big framed bulletin board for current projects.
Underneath my Silver Star Gravity-Feed Iron (Amazon affiliate link), I have an antique thread cabinet from the display counter of a family drugstore founded by my uncle’s great-grandfather in the 1800s. It’s a special treasure!
Here’s a peek inside my drawers!
The top three drawers get a lot of use!
Lower three drawers are filled with “littles” I rarely use. One houses my entire commercial pattern collection! (I’ve only ever opened a few of the envelopes. I’m a custom patternmaker.)
Then there’s the bookcases….
The bookcases (found at UNC Surplus) are filled with fun stuff, including fabric scrap storage, extra tools, admin paperwork stuff, and lots and lots of books.
Each shelf of books is very roughly sorted by topic. Zoom in to see if you can find any of your favorites!
My most used tools stay out on the worktable most of the time.
Cutting tools, measuring tools, sewing tools, camera tools, pattern paper… you name it. It hangs out over here, when not in use.
The Suite Spots
From the other side of the table, you can see through to the rest of the Suite.
My current Office/Writing Room is inside my Future Closet– along with an assortment of random items and a lot of Me-Mades.
I’m a small person, so a laptop atop jewelry caboodles on my child-sized desk offers a cozy spot for computering.
Continue on, and you’ll enter my Future Bathroom! All the extra stuff goes in here, when not in use.
My lighting/filming equipment comes and goes between the spaces as needed. I no longer make wedding dresses, so my Dress Form Gang spends most of their time in here.
The bins are (where my clawfoot tub will someday sit and) filled with an assortment of Everything: interfacings, self-drafted patterns, home dec fabrics, millinery stuff, experiments…
I made the mirror! Click here to learn about one of my former professions.
Click here for the blog series about the shiny green jacket.
I do dream of the future when this becomes a Fancy Second Bathroom, but for now, it is a very nice Catch-All.
Thanks for Taking the Tour!
Though I do dream of the future where this becomes a Fancy Bedroom Suite, I have zero complaints about this Sewing Studio- and it’s right at the end of the hall!
This cheery space really gets me jazzed and makes me happy. I’m grateful to have learned that, no matter how temporary, I need a workspace that feels good.
I understand that this is a huge luxury, and am forever grateful for the people who support my small business which allows me to work here every day.
And you won’t believe where I’ll be moving next. If you could peek through this window, you’d see the Future Sew House.
Someday this will be where the Sewing happens. Someday.
Slow and steady…
Did you enjoy the Couture Tour? Spark any ideas to glow up your Sewing Space?
Even if you don’t have a dedicated area for sewing, consider how your surroundings affect your sewing mood. Where you are physically can influence where you are mentally. Adding just a touch of something beautiful or comfortable could shine into your projects!
I’d love to see where you sew! Tell me about your favorite tools or organization/decoration tips! Was there anything you saw in my space that you want to know more about? Ask me! Comment below, or send me an email. Spread the Sewing Space Love!
And thanks for peeking into my bedroom, bathroom, and drawers!
NEXT POST: I need some new clothes. I’ll take you along as I make something for myself from start to finish. Stay tuned!
Want to learn more about the way I sew?
Enrollment for the final 2025 session of my Intro to Custom Sewing eCourse Skirt Skills opens for enrollment on Aug 9! The classroom opens online Aug 20.
“You never know what you don’t know, till you know. Boy, did I learn a LOT!” – Francesca
9 Responses
Gorgeous! I’m jealous! I’m proud that most of my sewing books are represented, but you have a lot more! I’m also lucky enough to have a dedicated (smaller) room, because who needs a guest room? And I have slowly been making it into a great space for me. Slow and steady, and making do with what I have as much as I can has been my mantra. Thanks for the inspiration!
Lovely spaces. Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful studio, looks like an amazing space to work from. Love that you have a place for Nimbus to be with you as you work.
You never cease to amaze me. This concept of your surroundings effecting your mental state really resonates with me. And SO many other pearls like that you have offered as you teach have helped me stay “grounded” with my sewing. And those pearls transfer, of course, to life in general. Thank you! Love your space. Look forward to seeing the future spaces evolve.
It’s lovely. Sometimes it’s great to have a space with other artists, but sometimes the commute just can’t be beat when it’s so close! Can’t wait to see your next iteration!
Love studio tours! Thank you for sharing yours. Makes me want to go out in mine and sew! I’ve imagined that eventually I would upgrade to an industrial sewing machine, but seeing your set up with a Bernina table top makes me wonder if maybe an upgrade to my current table top machine will do just fine.
I absolutely believe your future shop will be amazing, you already have a wildflower-lined walk way to the shop. So cherry, hope you keep them ;)
Looking forward to your next project.
Very nice blog post. I’ve been meaning to sort through the sewing books that I have and get rid of some of them. I’m going to use your book picture to decide. I have a lot of the same books that you have. This is very helpful. Thank you
Hey Brooks Ann, thank you for sharing your studio tour with me! It looks like a homey and welcoming space to sew in…. Love it! The dentist chair for a sewing chair is genius!! I want one 😊. I also love your antique thread cabinet. How special that it has been in your family for generations!! You are so correct that your mental state is impacted by your surroundings! So happy to hear you have created a sewing space that supports your creativity!
Looking forward to hearing about your next sewing adventure! I have taken several of your courses and love them! Laurie
Brooks Ann, you might be like me and own more pairs of scissors than pairs of shoes!