Workable Chaos Theory…
Realistic Look at The Creative Space…
from me, Debbie Wendt of Wendt Quilting
Wendt pronounced WENT and yes I’m usually GONE…teaching, to a show, traveling…and I do like it that way! So, I have spurts of time to design, sew, Longarm quilt and clean. The latter, not so much. (Or I should say, clear the clutter, not so much)
I have filled my house with my passion, QUILTING and FABRIC. My dear husband knew I liked fabric when we got married 22 years ago. But he didn’t know, fabric has this way of multiplying while waiting to be made into just the right project. 😉
I am going to give you a strategic look around my house, as my bits and pieces have managed to find their way into almost every room. For those of you following my Two Tips Tuesday, you will find many tips included in this post!
My “sewing room” (now “office”) is the keeper of my original sewing table purchased when I taught Home Ec. This room also has the prized design wall with the Egyptian Sampler I designed for my quilt group when I lived in Maadi, Cairo, Egypt. (Blocks are only 15 years old). The cabinets are organized with projects labeled in storage boxes (thanks Becky!) and quilts hung on pants hangers. I find it best to keep most of my quilts behind closed doors so they don’t fade with exposure to sunlight. It also helps keep the wrinkles out. Very little sewing happens here anymore. My husband took over the desk and surface of the “original sewing table” as his office when he works from home.
Sewing Room Cabinets
Sewing Table set-up with plastic bins for class handouts under the printer.
The “fabric storage” can be found in the two spare bedrooms, on shelves in the basement (and under the master bedroom bed, shhhh! Who am I fooling, he knows it is there.). These wire basket units were purchased from IKEA. And the absolute best for the stash! Folded and arranged by color and fabric type! (Yep, organized chaos!)
Awesome IKEA baskets
More IKEA baskets!
The “cutting table” can be found in the basement with more shelves for bolts of fabric storage, the sewing machines and the most used design wall. I have three adjustable height tables, insulation board for the design wall (never got it covered with flannel, but great to pin into). A drawer unit lives at the end of the cutting table. The top of the drawers is to catch the fabric as it is cut and the drawers keep all the extra bits, selvages and pieces that are too big to throw away.
Cutting and design wall
End of cutting area
The “Longarm studio” is also in the basement. A curtain hides the unfinished space. Thanks to my dad, I have finished walls to separate the shop and furnace room from my space. All my pantos live in a shoe organizer and huge wall organizer that a friend made me. Threads are tucked into more plastic drawers and class kits and supplies are in a TV cabinet (yard sale find!)
Hi! That me!
Shoe organizer for pantos
Panto holder made by my friend!
Yard sale find for Class Kits
The “teaching/lecture” organization lives in several areas. Back in the sewing room photo, under the printer is some of the paperwork. Each class has its own pull out box (a scrap booking drawer unit). My treasured Egyptian Tentmaker pieces live in cloth bags I purchased while living in Cairo.
Egyptian Tentmaker storage
I’ve expanded to fill my space! I even have shelving units at my parent’s house with show booth extras. Here, there and everywhere…The chaos has worked for now!
So tell me…do you have everything in one room? Add a comment by the end of the Studio Spotlight Hop (Jan. 23rd) and I’ll enter you into my two drawings…..
“Brilliant Bindings” + “Twirl-A-Tool” pattern
and “Brilliant Bindings” + “Brilliant Swirl” pattern.
Get extra chances by signing up for my newsletter on my website, liking Wendt Quilting on FaceBook and following my blog. I post TWO TIPS every Tuesday and other quilty things as they happen.
I’m flying to Albuquerque this morning for the AQS Week! I teach two classes on Friday, “Stitch it Slow – Handwork on the Go” and “Hexies and Honeycombs”. I’ve really enjoyed getting back to handwork. That is how my quilting journey began. Hope to see you there! Or along life’s quilting pathways!
Debbie ~ Wendt Quilting
DebbieWendt's Blog 
Well, mostly everything is in one room. I do have some storage drawers (large!) on shelves in the basement. That’s where I used to do all my sewing and when I moved to the spare bedroom those containers stayed where they were. Mostly they have pieces of fabric collected from my garment sewing period.
I have slowly given away my clothing making fabric…more room for quilt fabric!
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I have a sewing room plus the room next to it I have the closet completely filled and organized with mostly containers of projects to do.
Yeah for filled closets!
My quilting things are in 2 rooms in the basement. I am in the process of finding shelving so that i don’t have to lift several rubbermaid totes to get to the one I need which is always on the bottom!
Of course it is always on the bottom! That is why I am in love with my IKEA system.
I just signed up for your newsletter and am looking forward to your tips.
I don’t have a sewing room per say. I have a cutting table and my sewing machine and ironing board in the living room, material and all other items are in 3 other rooms of the house!
Mine often make it to the family room as well 😉 !
All my sewing things are in various places–sewing machine in the dining room, and everything else is in two closets in my bedroom (which are FULL) and on shelves in the basement. II will have everything in one room (and my own sewing space) when one of my boys moves out. Which may or may not happen in the next few years.
One space is great to look forward to!
I just signed up for your newsletter also.
All my quilt supplies are in one room, but have several projects “here & there” to pick up and work on 🙂
When we moved into our current house, I was able to put most of my quilting supplies into one room. There are a few boxes of fabric in the master bedroom under the bed. I like having everything in one place.
I have one room but it is packed to the ceiling! Looking for a way to compress time and space! 🙂
churcae(at)auburn(dot)edu
All of my items are in one spot in my basement, which is also our bedroom. I hope to someday have a dedicated sewing room, but when that happens it will mean my children are gone. So no hurry, I will make do with the space I have. Have a great day!
Well, my sewing machine, embroidery machine, ironing station and longarm are all in the same room! My cutting table is on a “porch” attached to the room that recently got glass in place of the screens, but it is still not heated so cutting is time-sensitive to when it is warm enough to not get frostbite!! Fabric is stored in a walk-in closet in tubs, on 2 shelving units in the hallway and in the guest bedroom. Rolls of batting live in another walk-in closet in my main quilting room.
I signed up for your newsletter and liked you on facebook (Farm Quilting).
I took over one of the bedrooms for my sewing studio. But I also have a small storage room that I store my fabric and supplies in. Makes me get up and move more!
i signed up for your newsletter.
My sewing stash is ALL OVER THE HOUSE! I should confine it to one room , but that is just not possible. I have hand applique stuff at my tv watching station, rotary cutting mats and cutters upstairs in the official sewing room with the machines and ironing board, and fabric stash in the extra bedroom, and in my bedroom! Quilting is ever present in my 8 – 5 office too with a couple of (actually finished!) quilts hanging on the walls to keep me happy when I’m not sewing. I’m eager to start receiving your newsletter, too.
Love your tips! Now if I can just figure out how to sign up for them. I’m truly not techie challenged. 🙂
Loved seeing your sewing spaces and knowing that I am not the only one with all nooks and crannies filled with my creative stuff! I try to mostly keep everything in one room but it has a way of sneaking out-especially when my husband’s work takes him away from home for a few days. Thanks for the chance to win your great giveaways!
I have a room for sewing only but have a Juki and quilting frame in the living room.
Well, I am sort of forced to keep my quilting materials and supplies in one room. In July of 2014, our son, DIL and their 5 children ages 8, 4, 3, 2yrs, and 10 mo. moved into our home with us. It is such a blessing to be with the kids every day, but Grandma’s stuff needs to stay tucked away if she wants to keep it safe. Hand-sewing and pattern tracing is sometimes done in my bedroom sanctuary, but they are not allowed in there either.
My sewing area is being set up in the bottom part of our house. It is 3 rooms and I am sure I can fill them all.
I am impressed with your organization — alas, mine is greatly lacking, but things do get done — and sewing/creating rooms/space can never be big enough!!
Most of mine are in my sewing room in the basement.But my embroidery things seem to make it up stairs in a few different places .Love the way you have your room organized.I signed up for your Newsletter.
I have my sewing stuff in our finished basement. The basement is where the cats hang out and my husband has his office and a workbench for his shooting supplies. I also have sewing tables in two areas and a large cutting, work table that is piled high at most times. Organized chaos.
I share my sewing room with my husband’s TV and computer but he’s covered three of the 4 walls with shelving for all my craft supplies. So mostly I’m in one room, except for the storage bags of yarn I have stuffed behind the sofa’s in my family room! Thanks so much for sharing your space and for the great giveaway!
Thank you for your tour. I too have a large stash, but it is in the shop building in the back yard. I sew in the computer room and spread out to the guest room. I have to stay organized because the kids come to visit and I have to clean up the guest room in a quick minute. My design wall stays up in there though. I am learning to shop my stash, do my cutting, then move to the sewing room. I quilt on my regular sewing machine, but I have a Singer Futura that I do embroidery on and it has a nice throat space so I will try it out for quilting next. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com
I signed up for you newsletter. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com
I have everything in our very crowded rec room….where 5 other people in our family have their wares…mostly loaded on top of a ping pong table. There’s no room to sew. I usually take my machine downstairs and set up a table in our living room….but, you can see the problem. Everything has to be moved when someone comes….so I don’t have my own spot that I can sew freely if I have an extra 15 min. I would say that I long for the day when one of the bedrooms could be made into my sewing room….but that would mean I’d be wishing the kids weren’t here…..which isn’t true at all….
I enjoyed seeing your tour!!!
Thank you for showing us your space. I love your pantograph holder! I have 2 rooms, one for my regular sewing machine, cutting table, and fabric and my longarm is in it’s own room.
I’m a new follower via email.
I also liked your Facebook page. 🙂