Sewing Spaces: Sigrid's room is a dandy finished project indeed.

This blogger's gorgeous clothes leave me more than a little green, especially her black-and-white coat. Her diligence leaves me in awe. And now that I've seen her sewing room ? well, dear, beloved readers, I think you can figure it out. Can't you? You can. And I know you want to see Sigrid's room, too. So. Pour yourself a cup of joe, and let's go.

Do you have a dedicated sewing space?

Yes, I've one room in the house that's my sewing room.

What do you like best about your sewing area?

The fact that I can leave everything as it is, nobody needs to be bothered by the stuff I keep there and the (sewing) mess around me (can anybody sew without making a mess? I can't.)

What would you change about your space?

Mainly the light. In summer I have enough daylight, but now the darker evenings are rapidly coming, the light is not good enough. I'd like to invest in a good sewing lamp.

How is your space organized?

One of the tables is for sewing machines, the other for tracing, magazines or books I'm using, camera, etc. In the pictures, it looks empty. It seldom is. Making pictures was a good reason to clean.

If you have a fabric stash, how do you impose order?

The stash is larger than I want, but still fits a few shelves in my closet. They're stacked mostly by their intended use: fabrics for skirts/pants, for jackets, for blouses, for knit tops.

How are your patterns organized?

In general: not. I don't have many envelope patterns, and I have them all unsorted in one box. The Jalie patterns are an exception. They are
in a special drawer, but that's mainly due to their size. The magazines (of which I do have a lot) I have sorted by magazine/year. Most patterns I make from magazines I make only once, so I throw the pattern pieces away, as they can always be traced again.

Are your patterns archived? How are they stored?

No archive system at all. I tried once to keep track of patterns in magazines that I liked. I'm too unorganized for that.

Do you have a mannequin made to measure?

Yes, I made a dress form to my own measurements this spring.

Do you find it helpful?

In general, yes, though I've since noted a few deviations from the real me, but as long as I'm aware of that, it's helpful in fitting. But fitting on myself remains best.

What do you cut out your patterns on?

The dinner table or the floor. My sewing room is only 2 meters wide, therefore I use not-too-wide Ikea kitchen tops as tables. They are not wide enough for cutting fabric, and I can't walk around them.

What is your most helpful tool? Why?

I've got a lot of tools, and most of them are helpful at certain points of sewing. Very helpful are the pressing tools (pressing roll, pressing board), I'm happy every time I use them, as the result of a well-made garment depends on good pressing, too. And I love sewing books.

What tools do you recommend for the beginning sewer?

Buy the best machine that you can afford, a good sewing machine really makes a difference. It can be a well-serviced older machine, but a cheap machine gives you headaches and doesn't make for happy sewing. (I know this from experience).

What kind of machine do you use?

Bernina Aurora 430, a terrific machine that I have had now for about three years.

What do you like about it?

Reliable stitches, sews easily through many layers of fabric (even denim or leather), beautiful buttonholes. It has decorative stitches, but I don't care about them, they come with most machines, but it was never a reason to buy this machine.

Do you use a serger? If so, why do you like it?

Bernina 1150 MDA. I like it for neatly finished edges and for sewing with knits.

How long did it take you to develop your sewing space?

Last year, I did change this room to my sewing room. Before that, my sewing space was on the second floor of our house, in a room that was used for the laundry/ironing, too. Also it was further away from the rest of the family than my current room, which is at the first floor. I think it took me a month or so to really decide which tables and closet were suitable for the space available. Bookshelves, drawers, shelves, etc., were already in the house. It took a bit of paint here and there. It's a good place to work in now.