This is a Guest Post by the Super Amazing One Hundred Dollars a Month reader Mel {she’s the one who made A Freezer Meal Menu Plan for Four Month’s Worth of Meals, and then made a Big List of Freezer Meal Recipes and Freezer Meal Cooking Tips.}
Mel has also shared how she made all those AWESOME gift bags and shared her recipe for DIY Lemonade Concentrate} and her Super Simple Summer Tomato Pasta. She also told us about her Experience Joining a CSA and Eating More Vegetables. I think at this point, we pretty much all want Mel to be our neighbor. I know I do! Here is her latest post:
I started sewing a few years ago, and I’ve been trying to figure out a good sewing setup ever since. We have an odd little bonus room on the first floor of our house, so that room was the natural spot to stow everything, but that space serves a number of functions, so I couldn’t just outfit the whole room for sewing. Not only that, but the bonus room has an open entryway (no door), a sliding glass door to our deck, and a bathroom, so it really was not a full room to start.
Essentially, my sewing “room” was more of a sewing wall, and the only thing on that wall was an incredibly heavy table that was too big for the room but somehow still too small for sewing. Other than a few rolling bins for fabric (that could not even slide completely under the table), I didn’t have any storage space for tools (scissors, cutting mat, etc.), so everything just ended up piled on the table. If you can’t handle clutter look away now. If you think you can handle it, look at this mess:
Now, I could clean up the mess in between sewing projects, but this year I have been sewing nonstop. I made a skirt, a set of Valentine’s gift bags, and about 30 pencil cases before the pandemic started, and then I transitioned to making well over 100 face masks (I literally lost count), office door curtains for coworkers to use during Zoom meetings, etc.
So, not only does the sewing mess never abate now, but that doorless entryway to the bonus room means I see the mess all the time. I decided it was time to rethink that space. My goals for the space were to:
- Find more flexible furniture. That heavy table was unmovable, had no storage, and took up a ton of floor space.
- Add storage without adding more rolling bins. The bins work great for fabric, and I like that I can move them out of the way (or out of sight), but they are not good for small tools I need to grab regularly. If possible, I really wanted a place to stow the sewing machine out of sight as well.
After a little research, I found that I am apparently not alone in these goals; rolling sewing cabinets that fold up and convert to normal-looking furniture are a thing. Many of these convertible sewing cabinets can cost up to $2000.00, but I found this one for just $214.00. We have convertible coffee tables from the same brand, so I had a feeling I would like it.
I decided to go for it, but I still needed to figure out a bit more storage. The cabinet has some bins on one door and shelves for another, but those features seemed better suited to storing things like buttons or rolls of elastic instead of tools. Ultimately, I decided on this IKEA pegboard. I figured a pegboard would allow me to quickly grab any tools I needed while still keeping everything looking neat. Here’s how it looks now:
The cabinet has a drop-leaf table, so the whole thing folds up to about half the size when not in use and even has room to stash the sewing machine on a shelf inside. And, now that there’s more floor space, I was able to stow the rolling bins of fabric out of the way (and mostly out of sight) in a corner.
I used the cabinet to hold storage bins for items like snaps and buckles, and I added a Command hook to the inside of the door to hold quilting squares.
I put additional Command hooks under the drop-leaf part, on the back of the cart, and underneath the cart to hold my cutting mat, larger quilting squares, etc.
I used my label maker to label the door bins to keep them a little more organized. There are some random items sprinkled in there (like extra pegboard accessories), but the labels are mostly accurate.
The pegboard has several options for accessories. I chose hooks for scissors and rulers, cups for seam rippers and pencils, clips to hold face mask patterns, containers with slide-off lids to hold sewing clips, grommets, and mask nose wires, and trays to hold thread and bobbins. I ultimately decided that the pegboard looked just slightly too cluttered, but IKEA has several sizes, so I ordered another 14-inch panel to go on the left-hand side and space out some of the items.
There’s still one furry little problem due to not having a door into the bonus room, and the space is still small and awkward, but at least the sewing chaos is contained now. And I am a very slow sewer, but I have found I work much more efficiently with the new setup. I don’t have to stop and hunt down the scissors hiding under a fabric pile, and the space looks cleaner even when it is in use. All in all, I’d say this project was a success!
~Mel
Cheryl says
I’m not a sewer but the space looks beautiful. I will say your masks are beautiful.
Mel says
Thanks! My husband decided he wanted an “ugly Christmas sweater” mask, so that will be the next round, I’m sure.
Janet says
Mel, awesome job!! You are inspiring once again!I
Thanks for sharing.
Mel says
Thanks! I’m glad it’s inspirational! The change in the space has definitely made me more productive.
Mama Cook says
Beautiful Mel!!!! Organization just makes me all giddy and your space looks awesome!!!! Thank for sharing!
Mel says
I’m glad I’m not the only one! I just reorganized my kitchen drawers, and I catch myself opening them just to admire how orderly everything is now.
Brianna says
Me too! I love organizing and looking at before and after pics. I hate some of those shows where they do an organization makeover and buy super expensive organizers. Drives me bonkers the ‘organizer Market’ full of ridiculous overpriced organizers. I do feel that tons of bins and organizers allow people to keep more. My neighbors garage is full of 50 plus totes and I never see them open or use anything from them.
Mel, you space is beautiful and a huge improvement. Your masks are amazing. My kids are in school full time at the school as of now and it is so hard to put the muzzles on them before the bus comes. They only get to take them off for lunch. My daughter decorated hers with bits and bobs and glitter and one son did tie dye and my other son did his best attempts to draw dinosaurs. The dinosaur son licks and chews his masks all day long and his teacher looked at him the other day and had to give him a replacement as he chewed a huge hole right through it, big enough to stick his tongue out and lick around. I was laughing when I had to go and drop off another mask at the school. He had a bloody nose one day too in a mask and thought the mask was like a Kleenex, the teacher was not impressed with that either. He didn’t know what to do since they cannot remove the masks.
Mel says
Oh, your poor son! I’m teleworking and very rarely leave the house, so I only made myself one mask which was fine…until I sneezed while wearing it. So, I’ve started carrying a spare. I have a friend that lives in NYC, and she doesn’t have laundry in her building, so I made her 12 masks so that she always has one clean.
If your son dislikes the feeling of fabric against his face, they do make silicone “mask brackets” that are like a little cage that fits between the mask and the face to keep the fabric raised. I haven’t tried them, so I don’t know if they’d work for kids, but I have a friend who uses one for working out in a mask.
Jennifer B says
This is super timely, as I’ve been staring at my sewing setup and trying to figure out what do to. My current situation is similar to yours – awkward table, piles and inefficient use of space. Love the use of the pegboard! This has given me some food for thought – my sewing table is under a window and I appreciate the natural light and ability to look out but the neatness and convenience of the pegboard storage might be worth giving up my window seat…
Mel says
Oh, I’d have a hard time trading natural light as well. You can’t tell from the photos, but that room is kind of cave-like. I wonder if they make rolling pegboards so you could park it out of the way when not in use but not lose the window. The pegboard really does help though–I never noticed how much sewing requires you to pick up and put down tools, so it’s nice to have everything within reach but out of the way.
Teckla says
Do you have wall space to either side of your window? Maybe you could install a swing out peg board that would put things close at hand when you sew, and out of the way when not sewing?
Tamara says
Clever and attractive! Nicely done!
Everyone needs a furry supervisor! 🙂
Mel says
Thanks! And yes, the furry supervisor was originally a stray kitten that wandered into our yard. After two years as a yard cat, he decided he didn’t like spending winters outside and has made himself right at home.
HollyG says
That looks fantastic. I can hardly wait to find our “we get to retire now” house and set up a place to keep the sewing machine out. Mine’s an old, heavy Pfaff from the 1950’s so dragging it out to mend things is a heavy task. Your set-up looks fantastic.
P.S. Best of luck with your distance teaching. I retired the year before, but Hubby is upstairs right now teaching HS Economics on-line. It’s so much work to change up your teaching so dramatically. Bless you all.
Mel says
I hear you about lugging the machine around. Mine is a newer model, but it’s still sort of awkward to store, so I’m glad the table I got has a space specifically for that. If your machine is especially heavy, you might want to look for a table that has a sewing machine “lift” built in. They let you lower the machine into the table or cabinet without lifting. They make them for stand mixers as well.
And good luck to your husband! It certainly is an adjustment, but I’m not feeling the full effect of it yet since I don’t have to teach classes until the spring. I’m working with students in other capacities, but it’s not the same intensity as daily instruction. I’m also luck to have a pretty small group, so I’ve been doing my best to keep them feeling involved. I sent them care packages at the start of the semester, sewed them all face masks, sent them birthday cards, etc. I mailed them craft supplies last week, so they are meeting on Zoom today to do a craft activity together.
Tracy says
Amazing space makeover Mel. I love the desk/table you found. Thank you for sharing!
Mel says
Thanks! The table is working out great so far. I never realized how much I needed space to the left of the machine (as opposed to behind it), so it’s been great even though it’s smaller than the table we had in there.
Kath says
Nice setup. I bet that sewing table will be sold out soon! I think I need one!
Mel says
Thanks! And it’s been great so far. It comes in a couple other colors, I think, and it’s sometimes available on Amazon as well.
laura says
Love this! I’m having the same issue as I now have a sewing room/spare bedroom and i’m trying to make it look neat while having easy access to my supplies. I’m currently using a drawing table for my sewing table but I might try this idea in the future. I want to add shelves and a peg board above the table to store things so this inspired me!
Mel says
Shelves are a great idea! I have other craft supplies that aren’t used as much on a shelf on the opposite wall, but so far I’ve been okay with the mini shelves that attach to the pegboard for sewing stuff. I think the combination of shelves and pegboard could work really well though.
Jamie N. says
Your sewing space looks fantastic!
I was wondering what the flap and hole was for in the masks you’re making. I’ve never seen any like that before? Thanks for sharing your makeover!
Mel says
Thanks!
The flap and the grommet allow the person wearing the mask to drink through a straw without fully unmasking. The school where I work and my husband’s job both allow people to remove masks to eat and drink, but it’s sort of a hassle to take masks on and off, and it’s probably better for people to wear them more continuously, so I started adding the flaps and grommets.
Jennifer P says
This is so smart! I have to spend several hours at the doctors office every few weeks for infusions, and this would make keeping hydrated so much easier. What size grommet do you use?
Mel says
Thanks! It’s not my idea originally, but I just modified the pattern I use. I think the grommets are 1/2 inch. I originally tried little rubber stoppers to plug them when not in use, but I found that the velcro flap was easier to use. Etsy has some ready-made masks with grommets as well–just search for “straw hole face mask.” I find reusable silicone straws that have a bend in them are the easiest to use, so I’ve been gifting them to everyone I make a mask for.
Ramona says
Thanks for showing the new sewing table. My daughter-in-law may need something like this to tidy up her sewing area she shares with her husband as his side is his office area. Wanted to ask about your mask, do you use elastic that goes behind your head for the top part? Looks like the bottom part is a different kind of webbed material with a cord stop. Asking because my son dislikes the masks with elastic around the ears. He has to wear a mask all day at work. I’m working on trying to make an adjustable one using velcro. Any thoughts. I know you are very busy. Thanks
Mel says
Yes, I use a single piece of elastic that goes over the ears but all the way around the back of the head. I originally used 1/4 inch elastic, but I find it wears out faster, so I switched to 3/8 inch. The 3/8 inch isn’t quite as comfortable, and you need a bit more because it’s less stretchy, but it’s far better than ear loops for me. The bottom is cotton twill tape, which I used to just tie, but I ultimately just started putting cord lock sliders on the twill so they don’t have to be tied. The mask stays put and has a good seal without the bottom tie, so the cord lock doesn’t have to be super tight. I also add an interior pocket to hold removable nose wires. I use this pattern (but with the above changes and the grommet straw hole):
https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/
I did have to enlarge the “men’s” pattern slightly to fit most men I know though.
Velcro may be a good bet. Alternatively, if you look for “mask ear savers” online, that might work–they convert any ear loop mask to one that wraps around the head.
I hope this helps!
Ramona says
Thank you for the pattern link. I did make a few masks with heavier elastic and he had those stretched out or thread bare where the elastic was sewn onto the mask. He likes the ease of taking on and off with the elastic around the head.
Mel says
No problem! And yes, my husband did the same with the thinner elastic. The 3/8 inch has worked well so far, but I do really reinforce that seam. In that pattern, I tuck the elastic under the folded edge and stitch in place and then fold over and stitch again when I topstitch around the whole thing. I backstitch both times too for extra security.
Another option might be to put grommets in the corners. So, instead of stitching the elastic to the mask, you could loop it through there and either stitch it to itself or tie it somehow. Or maybe even attach it to a fabric strip that velcros shut in the back. That would allow you to replace the elastic as needed without any extra wear on the mask itself.
Laura L. says
Mel, you are such an inspiration! I’m always excited whenever you do a guest post here and wonder where you get all the energy to do the sheer amount of projects that you accomplish? Your gardening, canning, and cooking alone, plus your freezer and fridge organization is enough to tire me out. ☺
Good for you giving sewing a try! I took some lessons from a very talented seamstress when my 5 kids were younger and bending down on the floor to cut out patterns wasn’t such a big issue but these days. I’m not sure I could do it again. It’s been years since I sewed but I never had confidence in myself plus I didn’t have the time to devote to it with my 5, and always thought that others could sew much better so eventually I gave it up. Maybe I should give it another try since I still have my trusty Bernina sewing machine, some good scissors, etc. I just don’t have any fabric whatsover since I sold all my ‘stash’ at a neighborhood sale years ago. I could stick to smaller items that would be quicker to make but I wish you were my neighbor so you could give me a refresher course. ☺
Keep up the good work and keep those guest posts coming as I always read each one when I know you wrote it! All the best,
Laura L.
Mel says
Laura, I have to say that raising 5 kiddos is the true inspiration!
And yes, sewing can be super time-consuming. I took a few classes with a neighbor when I was a kid, but I mostly just got a machine for my birthday a few years ago and taught myself. I would totally give you a refresher if we were neighbors, but there are some really good tutorials online! I recommend YouTube for tutorials on how to use your specific machine (winding bobbins, etc.), and Pinterest has some great easy projects. I’m also in the process of writing up a super easy project for Mavis that doesn’t use much fabric, so maybe that will be a good start!
Barb says
You gave me some new ideas for 2021. Thanks