New sewing space (update)

We've been busy with life, and this weekend busy installing new front doors. Yep, doors, plural - two lovely big doors right in our lounge room. The room is unfinished - we have most of the internal walls, but not all; no skirtings or cornices or niceties; and only an undercoat of cheap ceiling white on the walls. But the doors are lovely and wonderful and beautiful; and the rest is livable. I will post photos, once the mess and debris is cleaned up!

With the new doors in, and, more importantly, the old door replaced with a wall, I could move into my new sewing space. It's taken nearly two full days. Yesterday I focused on organising the old sewing room into a library, sitting room, family storage room. My sewing stuff was moved into the new space and basically just "put".

Today I organised my stuff. It's not a final, but here are some progress photos.

This end used to be the front door. Eventually there will be a cutting bench, kitchen bench height, the full width of the room. Shelves will go behind it and to the right. The baskets will be sorted and no longer needed. They will be sorted! One day. As I no longer need to pack away my every day machine, the Horn cabinet now becomes an overlocker storage and embroiderer bench.

This end will be renovated some time next year and the weatherboards replaced with 'internal' walls. The area was originally part of a covered front porch. When the weatherboards are removed I will shelve the back wall as well. I've got a couple of tubs under the desk. Big one in the corner is for wadding, and I can't think of a way around that at the moment. The drawers hold FQ (I have a very small stash) and the tub on top is my "do next" project box.

I'm considering blinds for the window. The fabric bags hanging on the wall are the last two of my scraps to be sorted and cut. When they are done, I will reward myself with shelves for the rest of that section of wall. The machine on the left is my every day machine, a Pfaff Expression 4; the one on the right is my embroiderer, a Janome.

One of my goals is to get everything out of boxes and to create a "treasure trove" I want people to walk in and go, "wow". I'm also trying to recycle as much as possible. Shown here: ribbon stacks (tutorial planned, easy-as to create) with soft drink bottle dust covers; zippers and lace and ribbons stored in old food jars (post to come); bottoms of soft drink bottles creating useful catch-all containers.

Some of my scrap fabric collection. Fabric boxes contain pieces smaller than a FQ but bigger than 10x10 inches. Plastic tubs contain 2, 3.5 and 5 inch scraps. Currently none of this is sorted by colour.

One of my fabric boxes of large scraps. The boxes were originally very simple single layer 6" calico - four squares sewn in a loop, a fifth square sewn in to create a bottom. I've now added a layer of bag wadding, and re-used my scrap bags to create a liner and coloured edge on the outside.

Spinach leaf container from the local shops holds 3.5 and 2 inch squares.

Writing and drawing shelf. Each container contains a different type of pen - fabric markers, fabric decorating, normal textas, gel pens, fountain pens, and every day writing pens.

All my rulers hanging on the wall. I started this in my old space and I love it. So easy to grab what I want. This wall will eventually be right near the cutting table. The last little bit (on the far right of the photo) is still to be panelled.

My plan (hahaha) is add my posts as I go of specific ways I use to organise the space. It is both a small space and a large space. It is small in that is only a half room; it's large in that it is purely for my sewing and nothing else. I know I will have to be smart about how I choose to furnish it and how I organise my stuff. Hopefully, as I go I can share some of my ideas and help someone else.