I made 4 resolutions for 2020, the first of which is: "I will tidy my sewing room and keep it tidy all year."
To organise my sewing space, I first had to sort out all the fabric cluttering my work area... But where could I start with such a mess?
I decided to follow a few principles from Marie Kondo and her famous tidying method, and I must say it was well worth taking inspiration from it.
For anyone unfamiliar with the queen of tidying, her books are widely available, and she even has her own show on Netflix.
28/12/2019 - Shame on me
28/12/2020
First step
I completely cleared the top of my work area and emptied the 4 large storage drawers. This allowed me to see every remnant I owned.
Marie Kondo recommends sorting things into 3 main categories:
- what to keep,
- what to give away,
- what to throw away...
I skipped this step, as I had chosen all my remnants carefully and had no desire to part with them.
I did, however, have to set aside two large remnants that had faded along the folds, despite being stored in the drawers. These went into the scrap corner to be cut up for smaller projects.
Second step
I sorted the fabrics by length. When you keep buying fabric, even with a project in mind at the time, you eventually lose track of how much you have... so I had to unfold and refold everything... Allow a little, or a lot, of time for this step, depending on the size of your stash.
I divided them into 5 categories:
- less than one metre
- 1 m
- 1.5 m
- 2 m
- more than two metres
Sorting remnants into categories
The three middle categories were the ones I most wanted to organise, as they gave me a clearer idea of which projects I could make with each remnant.
Most of my remnants are woven cotton, as it is my favourite fabric to wear. However, I also have cotton jersey, velvet and faux fur, which I grouped together in another category.
Finally, remnants that could no longer be used to make a garment, namely:
- lengths under one metre in a 110 cm width, or under 80 cm in a 140 cm width
- those I had already cut pieces from, making it difficult to fit in every pattern piece
- the faded ones
went into the scrap corner.
This sorting session also confirmed that I am definitely a big fan of printed fabrics.
The space is clearing... I can see my sewing machines again - 6/01/2020
Third step
After thoroughly cleaning the drawers, I folded and rolled the fabric remnants to fit inside them. Once again, I used Marie Kondo's method for rolling the remnants. It really did help me save space, which was very welcome!
How you fold will depend on the size of your remnants and storage containers. I had to get a little creative, as I have many remnants 110 cm wide and others 140 cm wide. I could not fold them all in the same way, or they would not fit in the drawer...
Find the right dimensions for your own storage space!
1 m and 1.5 m remnants
2 m remnants
As you can see, I managed to fit 3 rows of 1 m and 1.5 m remnants into one drawer. For the 2 m remnants, I had to leave a longer folded length so I could roll them, which meant I could only fit two rows.
The 1 m, 1.5 m and 2 m remnants filled my first two drawers.
The jersey, velvet and faux-fur remnants filled the third drawer.
Remnants longer than 2 m, such as wax-print lengths and the large 4 m remnants I bought in Japan at Nomura Tailor, went into the fourth drawer with the ribbing and interfacing remnants.
That still left a few velvet and wool remnants without a home... so I sacrificed a drawer in my craft area, where I keep paint and beads, to store the last remnants. There was no choice...
Fourth step
I cleaned my worktop and the little shelves where I keep haberdashery supplies, overlocker thread cones and decorative objects. I put the things I use most when sewing on these shelves.
I particularly like:
- my little magnetic bird, where I keep the machine needles I am currently using.
- my two recycled pencil pots: one holds mechanical pencils and bamboo measuring tools; the other holds scissors, seam rippers and marking tools
- and all my little souvenirs from Japan.
What a proud moment to have a clean, practical workspace again, and drawers I am no longer ashamed to open.
The goals following this first victory are now to:
- keep the space tidy
- get back to a maximum of 4 fabric drawers quickly (that will be the hardest part!)
- carry on organising the scraps, haberdashery supplies and patterns... and I promise to share my tips and tricks.
The sewing room on 19 January 2020
And you, how are your resolutions going?
