Sewing Room Make Over: Before

Actually, maybe this post should be titled "Sewing Space Makeover" since I lack an actual sewing room.  I've carved out a sewing nook along a wall in my kitchen, and since my kitchen is quite large (and the nicest room in the whole house) it works out quite well.

Mostly. Except for the fact that my upper sewing cupboard looked like this most of the time:

Yikes.

Granted, the doors were closed. Usually. But what a mess! I'd go in there to grab something and everything except for what I wanted would come at me. I'll walk you through the mess. On the very top you'll find 2 bolts of quilting cotton to make my sister in law a clutch.  On top of those bolts are the kits I bought to make said clutch. Why do I have entire bolts of fabric?? Well, my mother in law used to own a quilt shop & when they closed she kept a good part of the stash. Which I raid. And I usually bring home entire bolts since I typically don't know how much yardage I'll need. Also on the top shelf you'll find black serger thread, a little vial of oil for my serger & also my measuring cup that holds water to refill my cheapy iron.

Ok. Next shelf. Left to right. In the very front, yes, those are craft paints. Not sewing related, but I needed to get them out of my toddler's reach quickly. You understand.  Behind that are my sewing books (the ones that aren't stacked next to my glider, that is). Then my patterns, and lastly my stack able notions holder. Stuffed in there haphazardly is some belting yardage.

Ok. Bottom shelf. (Nearly empty) Spray starch in  the front, behind that are manila envelopes that hold patterns & tracings that I've already sewn.  Next to that are my Threads & Sew News magazines. Then there's the gallon ziplock bag stuffed with assorted elastics that my mother in law gifted to me (there's actually another bag, too, I think that's in the bottom cupboard...with my fabric. Why? I don't know.) And finally my cute little sewing basket with a nearly useless thread holder (that has since been retired) thrown on top.

So there you have it. 

I like organization. I really do. But I get overwhelmed by the process.

That being said, I've come up with some plans, and I'm excited to say my sewing space looks much, much better. I'm quite proud of myself, so, if you don't mind, I'd like to share what I've done. Stay tuned for the rest of the weekly series, where I'll share what I did with my patterns, magazines, notions & fabric to make my (sewing) life a little bit easier.