A Quilt Sewing Room Has Special Needs

Read on for Hints on Making Your Room More Productive

The Sewing Center

The positioning of the sewing machine of a quilt sewing room is extremely important. Because you are quilting such large heavy pieces, it is important that the machine be level with the surrounding counter. If the machine is higher than it's surroundings, the quilt will pull when it is being machine quilted and the shape and stitches will be out of line.

The machine should be set in even with the surrounding counter. If this is not possible, a portable counter can be set up surrounding the machine. You can find a "Sew-Steady" portable sewing machine table quilt and sewing centers or online at Clotilde's.

Along with an even counter top, the counter should also be as large an area as possible. If you find the counter is not large enough to hold your quilt, you could set up a portable table alongside the counter to extend the area. You may also be able to open some drawers and lay a piece of hardboard over them to make a temporary larger counter.

The Design Center

A design center is essential in a quilt sewing room. Here is a list of several components that you might find useful in your sewing room:

• A Design WallThis can be made to fit whatever wall space is available. Cover a piece of foam board or Styrofoam insulation with flannel, felt or heavy quilt batting. You can also buy a flannel fabric that is marked with 2-4" squares just for this purpose. Attach it to your wall and flannel "grips" your quilt pieces making arranging and re-arranging your quilt squares a breeze.

• Computer and Quilting SoftwareThere are many types of quilting software on the market to make your job of planning and designing your quilt fun and easy. You can find a great variety of computer quilting software at Electric Quilt.com. If you can attach a printer also this will be great. One word of caution however, don't get so involved in playing with this software that you forget to make quilts! Once again, I've been there1

• A BookcaseI've never met a quilter yet who could resist buying just one more book. How many quilt books do you have?

• A File CabinetAlong with being a great place to keep your magazines and quilt ideas filed, there are organizational trays that can be installed in your file cabinet for keeping your fat quarters organized. These can be found at at fabric stores, quilt shops, and online at Clotilde's.

• A Comfortable Chair and LampPlanning a quilt takes time and dreaming. What better place to do this than in a comfortable, well lit space of your own.

Lighting for a Quilt Sewing Room

Because color is of major importance in planning and designing a quilt, lighting is a major concern. Remember that north light will show you the truest color. If you work at night in your quilt sewing room, be sure to have a least one Ott light available to check out the color of your fabric. This is a light made to show you the true color of your fabric. This light comes in both floor and table models. It is available at local fabric stores and also on line.

Fabric Storage for a Quilt Sewing Room

The pieces of fabric you are working with may be small, but most likely you have a fabric stash that would make a fashion sewer green with envy! Because you have such a variety of fabric, storage and accessibility is extremely important. Use the space lost between the studs on interior walls. If your home is 2x4 construction, the shelf depth will be about 3". Cut out the wall space and install wooden dowels for hanging fabric. You can probably get about 6-8 dowels from floor to ceiling between the studs. Be sure and check before you cut and be sure nothing (plumbing, wiring) is in that area.

Pizza boxes make excellent storage for pieces that are already cut or for fat quarters. Over the door holders that can be obtained in baby stores and are used for disposible diapers can also be used to store fat quarters and yard pieces of fabric. Hanging plastic sweater bags that zip shut could also be used for fabric storage. Do keep in mind however, that fabric stored in plastic for a long period of time tends to yellow, so rotate your fabric stash if possible.

If you store fabric in boxes, be sure to purchase clear boxes so that you can see the contents without having to lift them off the shelves to see what is inside. Try to have a variety of sizes so that the smaller pieces don't get lost in the shuffle.

Displaying and Hanging Your Quilts

What could be a better way to decorate your sewing room than by displaying your own quilts? Are you unsure of how to hang your quilts correctly? Well here is the best way of hanging quilts:

Cut a piece of fabric 4 1/2" wide and 2 inches shorter than the width of your quilt. Fold right sides together and sew a tube using a 1/2" seam. Turn right side out and press. Hand sew to the back of your quilt at the top. You now have a sleeve to put a rod through. I have found that making the tube provides a more stable sleeve than by merely just turning under a 1/2" seam on a single piece of fabric.

Now you are ready to hang your quilt anywhere. You can purchase decorative drapery rods to hang them from. This way you can change the quilts often and display more of them. If you plan on displaying one quilt permanently, you can put a wooden 1x2 board through the sleeve. If you are going to use this method, you may want to cut your sleeve 5" before making the tube to allow a little play for the board. You can then nail or screw the board to the wall in a permanent position.

Either way, you will be able to enjoy your creative works of art and this will inspire you to create more lovely quilts.

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