It’s hard to put into words what coming home after spending 5 months traveling and living in a 75-square foot space was like. What I can tell you is that after unpacking everything out of Wabi-Sabi Overland, I spent the majority of my first 24 hours at home in my sewing room.
Sewing Room – Just After Unpacking
A lot has changed in my sewing space; I sold my longarm just before leaving on our trip, I have a second sewing machine now, and I gained some very valuable insight into my sewing habits and needs while living in such a small environment. I spent those first hours touching almost everything in my stash and thinking about how best to re-organize my space.
Sewing Room Refresh
I decided that I really wanted to repaint my room white. The green was a big improvement from the very dark walls that were in this space when we purchased the house, but after having the bright white walls inside Wabi-Sabi Overland for 5 months I knew the paint change in my bigger sewing space would be well worth the effort. I did leave one small wall behind my shelving and main sewing table green as an accent wall, which turned out to be a good choice because I used up all the white paint I had doing everything else in the room!
Sewing Room Refresh
This is the new view of my sewing space as you are about to enter. I carefully curated which quilts I want to have hanging on my quilt ladder, and I hung several of my show quilts on the walls.
Sewing Room Refresh
I found a rolling table to set up my Husqvarna Emerald 118, which I had with me for traveling this summer. I don’t know if I’ll need to have 2 sewing machines working at once, but if I ever want to be quilting and piecing at the same time, I can make that happen easily without scrambling to figure out how to set up the travel machine.
My entire fabric stash is currently able to fit on the lowest shelf of my room. The second shelf contains projects that are in work and my notions. The top shelf currently contains my batting roll of Quilter’s Dream Dream Green. I have my 50wt Aurifil thread arranged in rainbow order on a rack to the right of my Juki and a box full of lower weight thread on the lower shelf. The folded beach towel on the floor is a nice soft spot for Puppy the Cat to hang out with me while I am sewing. At 17 1/2 years old, he appreciates having warm, soft places to sleep.
Sewing Room Refresh
And now that Sunburst if finally home for good, I’m proud to be be able to have it hanging on display in my space, too. Currently hanging in my space are Sunburst, Wonder, Downstream, and Crown Mini Quilt. The addition of my larger works hanging on display really makes the space feel special to me, and I find that I walk into the room just to gaze at the quilts from time to time.
Sewing Room Refresh
My design wall used to be on the wall where Sunburst now hangs. Because I sold my longarm, I now have much easier access to the larger wall that used to be behind the longarm, which makes a very large design wall for me.
As you have probably noticed, I am still only blogging and active on social media once a week. We have a lot to take care of after being away for 5 months: doctor’s appointments to be scheduled and gone to and deferred house maintenance tasks that piled up due to our years of preparation for this summer’s travel. In addition to my sewing room, I have painted the wall in our living room that was built (but never final painted) 5 years ago. We have also created a new cozy study for my husband and have a lot of yard and exterior maintenance on the house. It feels good to have the time to focus on getting everything back in shape, but boy my muscles are tired from the hard work!
If you are having a lull in your creativity or need a spark to feel creative, I recommend considering one small change in your sewing space. Organize your scraps, fold or reorganize a bin of fabric, or even just dust out the bobbin case of your machine.Taking the time to touch my fabric, consider the notions I use the most, and get used to re-inhabiting my space has me excited to see what creatively comes next.
Looks lovely and bright and very roomy! I know what you mean about a small task. A good clean up or even making a block for a bee gets me moving again. I’m currently between rooms and moving all my stash out of the tall cupboard to move the cupboard with killing us lifting it was enough to get me back in touch with my pretty fabric. Unlike your neat stash, I have much too much and need to start using some of it up!
Your new space looks amazing! Bright, clean, and in need of more fabric! -this just in fun. I know you only buy fabric as you need it. It seems that all quilters on the blogs are cleaning up in preparation for the fall/winter season! We all seem to be getting ready for 6 months of sewing and creating. Forgive me for being nosy Yvonne, are you considering purchasing another longarm?
It looks great and I am sure it is a huge change! I love how minimal it all is. After years of collecting and having a more minimal space in our house in Maine, I really want to tear out my stuffed to the gills closet and start over. May have to wait for a business trip for hubs or a blizzard – both are good for those activities!
It looks amazing Yvonne! I can only imagine how it feels coming home after 5 months away. White walls in a sewing space is my favorite as it brightens and highlights everything. Happy sewing and I hope you get all the ‘chores’ out of the way so you can create even more amazing designs!
It’s nice to start with a clean slate, isn’t it? Everything looks so fresh and clean. You have a lovely room to work in and I love your hardwood floor, mine’s vinyl, which is OK but I really like hardwood.
I started a big change in my sewing room a couple months ago. It was a bedroom before my computer/sewing room and has a wide but shallow clothes closet with sliding doors. It was an unholy mess of fabric, my knitting yarns, some junk, and some clothes; I couldn’t stand it anymore. So I spent a week cleaning it out (whew!) and removing the clothes rod. Then I ripped out the shelf and moved it higher so I could put tall adjustable shelf units underneath it. So far, I’ve got one shelf unit in it and have begun re-organizing my stash. Another shelf unit is due to arrive any day now and I can’t wait to finish, then open it up and see an organized storage center!
Have a great week!
Very interesting and not surprising that your studio has taken more of a minimalist turn after your season in Wabi Sabi. I’m curious to hear how you settle back in after your travels. We’ve been mobile for 15 years and aren’t quite ready to stop yet, but the idea of a larger and more appropriate studio is veeeeeeeerrrrrrry appealing!
I’m sure it feels quite refreshing to have a clean slate and yet room to expand after living in such a small space for months. It’s hard for me to imagine such minimalism in my studio. I’m quite organized but my stash is ridiculous. Bit by bit I’m pairing down. Enjoy your home.
Welcome home! Your sewing space is very inviting, and it makes sense that you wanted to spend lots of time there when you got home, even to fondle fabric!
Nice job. But that windows screaming for a comfortable chair maybe a rocket and. Little table for my book and coffee Cup nancyhonda
This is so beautiful! I am reorganizing too, although I have much more stuff than you do. Your paint job and the bigger, fewer quilts on the wall does make the place more calming and inviting.
Hi Yvonne! I think you have spent invaluable time redesigning your space. You took your took and reflected upon what you really need handy and where it should be. Not only will that be priceless going forward but you have a fabulous handle on exactly what you have to use in future projects. {{Hugs}} I look forward to seeing where that exciting creativity leads you, and I adore the cushy spot for Puppy the Cat. ~smile~ Roseanne
I love your room! So bright and airy! I love my kids dearly, but I can’t wait for one of them to move out so I can have a sewing room. 😀
I love how spare your room is. I still have a lot of stuff belonging to the guild and I think I will have to let go of some of it. Do you think you will miss the long arm?
Your space looks great, and your quilts make it very homey and you. I have no doubt that you will continue to be inspired in this space for a long time to come!
How is your design wall done? I’ve recently created a sewing room for myself and a design wall is on the to-do list. Looking for ideas. Your room seems so calm and clutter free, love it!
“There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s…” Glad you’re making it perfect for yourselves.
it looks amazing – I like white too! And wow – I bet you felt you were in a palace with the change in space!!
It’s interesting to see you “re-claim” your non-traveling space. I still have a vision of you in Wabi-Sabi, so carefully made, and can see that same attention to detail as you settle in to your home again. I, too, like white/light walls and it’s interesting to see the quilts up for inspiration and admiration. Welcome home!
Your space looks great and I love your quilts hanging there. I bet it feels good to settle back in.
So you still have Puppy? That makes me smile, as does seeing your beautiful quilts on the walls of your sewing room. I’m sure it is good to be back. Will you miss the longarm?
You room looks clean, bright, and ready for some sewing!
Your space looks amazing! I really need to do something with mine – I sew in our basement and there is no natural light so a coat of white paint would help. I also need to do something about my stash storage. It’s a little bit all over the place right now. Maybe I’ll find some time to take care of that over the winter months.
Look at alllll that space you now have!! And it’s looking so bright and cheerful – especially with your quilts hanging on the walls! Good luck catching up on all that house work and general life chores now that you’re back home!
I hadn’t considered what you would learn about how to set up your sewing space from a 5 month road trip. Congrats on the refresh. Hopefully all the home maintenance will be done soon and you can get back to your refreshed space.
Your space looks so fabulous! I love the white walls and having your quilts hung is such a beautiful touch.