Setting Up a Quilting Studio

I thought I would take some time to give you a peek at how my new studio is coming along. I’ve abandoned the basement – one cold winter in the dark was more than enough for me, thank you very much. I feel like I’m a pro at setting up a quilting studio at this point. Not only do we move often, but I also relocate within my house as my business needs change.

I wish I could show you a beautiful room, with all matching white furniture. Alas, I’m too cheap for that, so most of my furniture is household discards that I can’t bear to waste. I’m like a furniture magpie – if it has a horizontal surface or shelves, I drag it to my nest. (I like to spend my money on fun stuff, like fabric and thread.)

My new space is upstairs, over our garage. It is a bonus room, and right now only half of it is finished. The main space is 15′ x 16′, which is just lovely. Smaller than the basement, but I have a window and central air.

My first step was choosing a glorious carpet from Wayfair, my favorite furniture store. It makes me smile every day – it looks like a box of crayons exploded. I chose to put down an area rug over the hardwood to keep things warmer, and also because the hardwood floor in here was like an ice skating rink. It’s lovely, but not good for when we want to wander around in socks.

Next was moving the furniture around a bit. I decided to put my desk on one side of the window, and my sewing table on the other. This way I have a bit of a view from both work stations. It isn’t as dramatic as my lake view from other parts of the house, but it is way better than the basement. I have a view of one neighbor’s willow tree, which is quite pleasing. I can also be a creeper and watch my neighbor putter around in his garage.

For my sewing station, I have found the most effective work area to be a u-shaped setup, with cutting table, ironing station, and sewing table. I will put up a small design wall over the ironing station, along with my ruler holder. I might swap the cutting table and ironing station, but I’m not sure just yet.

In between the desks, I have a comfy chair for handwork and daydreaming. Also, a tiny fireplace for Oscar. I’m not sure why you would have a dog, if not to spoil it. Oscar agrees. The fireplace also serves as a cozy footrest, although Oscar prefers it if I treat THE FIREPLACE with respect. He’s a fireplace addict. As a bonus, I can make it look like a fire without throwing heat, so I can take photos of my dog in front of his personal fireplace all year long.

My design wall has to be re-done. Right now I’m limping along with an old one that is falling apart. I’m trying to figure out if I can make one with a hinge, so I can open it up and have a bigger space, but also be able to use both sides of the part that swings. As you can see, I haven’t even bothered to put it up straight yet. It’s just up there with two push pins.

One piece that I have added and really love is a kitchen cart for my Accuquilt system. Once again, Wayfair to the rescue. I have an unnatural fondness for furniture with wheels. This one almost seems like it was designed for Accuquilt storage. Plus, having my system set up and ready to use, rather than under my cutting table has encouraged me to use it more.

I’m considering adding a large table in the middle of the room, for more project spreading, but I’m concerned it will make the room too crowded. We shall see.

This is the second room. It is currently unfinished, which means it is hot or cold, depending on how the wind blows. It is 12′ x 20′. I have a contractor ready to finish it off for me, but the schedule hasn’t been set yet. The longarm will live in here, along with shelving to hold my fabric stash and quilting library. Also, some additional sewing machines, like Mom’s serger and embroidery machine will be in here. Her main sewing area is now in her bedroom – she doesn’t like the basement, either.

I’m so excited about how this space is coming together. I’ve got a wall of my mini quilts, which makes me smile. Over my desk I’ve got a growing collection of color wheels. This year I have been studying color with Color Lab at Gotham Quilts, and also through SAQA. A topic I felt I was fairly comfortable with last year has me fascinated and a little overwhelmed. The more I learn, the less I know. But, I can tell you for sure that I love color wheels, especially grouped together on a wall.

Since I find just a grouping of photos to be confusing, here is a little video tour. I cannot tell you how relieved I am to have a nice space to work in. The basement was really making me sad, especially as it got colder and darker as the winter wore on.

Most of my stuff, including my longarm, is still in the basement. It will stay down there until the space is ready. I’m trying to be more organized, and that means not cramming everything into a room that isn’t ready. That also helps me to stay focused on what I’m working on, not get distracted by all of the half complete projects laying around. The only downside right now is that I’m up and down two staircases many, many times each day. I’m considering it to be part of a healthier lifestyle.