Hi again everyone!

In my last post, I showed you some photos of my sewing room after I moved into it back in early 2016. At that time I did the bare minimum to make it a functional space, because I had a lot going on in my life. I didn’t have the time to really “finish” the space and make it mine!

I have chipped away at it slowly over the last year and it’s finally almost done. I guess it will never be 100% done ’cause I’ll always want to change something… so I guess I’d say it’s at a stage where I’m proud to show it off!

That built-in bench finally has pillows! Just have to finish sewing that bench cushion cover and I’ll have a perfect little spot to read or sketch. (My third sewing room blog post will focus on the sewing I did for this room.) Also in this photo is my family wall; more on that later.
My Kallax shelving unit is completely full. Top row is sewing books, oversized patterns, sewing and knitting magazines and knitting patterns. Second row is UFO pile (blah), boxes full of zippers, closures, fusible, and other sewing goodies. Third row has boxes containing muslins, scrap fabric, serger thread and knitting yarn. Fourth row, which you can’t see, has fashion magazines and odds and ends!
The fabric closet is literally bursting at the seams. The doors won’t close, that’s how full it is. 😀 To the right of the closet is my Babylock coverstitch and my serger, and on the wall I finally put up my rack for serger thread cones!
From left to right are my Babylock coverstitch, Brother serger and Brother NX-450 sewing machine. This table from Ikea couldn’t be more perfect for the machines. In the top right is my cork board of patterns “on deck”.
Last year I upgraded my “normal” ironing board with an extra wide Rowenta ironing board. It’s very sturdy and has a little shelf below which is perfect for my pressing tools. I finally made a new ironing board cover. More on that in my third sewing room post!
I ended up selling the hutch for my Micke desk. The desk is pretty small, and the hutch ended up taking up the space I needed to allow for dual monitors. I work from home once in a while and the dual monitors are essential. (PS Like my black cat clock?!)

So, that’s a pretty good overview of the space. The biggest change since last year other than the ironing board is that I had four pot lights put in around the perimeter of the room. It basically puts one above the ironing board, one above the sewing machines, one above my desk and one above the “reading nook”. Plus I still have the light in the middle of the room. The pot lights have made SUCH a big difference for me!! Not only was the room dark, but having the light in the middle meant I was constantly casting a shadow on my work-space, be it ironing board or sewing machines. The bright lights allow me to work comfortably well into the night (which is usually when I have time for sewing, other than weekends).

What you might have missed in these at-a-glance photos are some of my favourite things in the room, things that really make it “me”. First one is the Family Wall. The four photos in the top-middle (two baby photos plus the two next to them) are of my late brother Amish. It has been just over three years since he passed away and I still find it hard to believe sometimes that he is gone. I like to look over at those photos and remind myself why I started sewing again in the first place. Follow your dreams and live your passion TODAY, don’t wait until tomorrow because none of us know if there will be a tomorrow. That’s not morbid; it’s just the truth.

There are a few photos of my babies Niño and Marley, the bottom one is of my dad and my other brother Shalin, and the ones on the far right and left are of my fiancé Dave!

This wall reminds me of the important people (and fur babies) in my life.

This pile on top of the Kallax might look like just another pile of fabric, but in fact it’s my “coats to be” pile! I absolutely love coats, and I want coats to be my bespoke sewing niche. I’m somewhat embarrassed that this pile is so big, but making coats is a lot of work and so it will take a while for this to dwindle.

From top to bottom: Clare coat muslin already made; this will be an early fall blog post! The teal lining and white faux fur are for the Clare coat. Beautiful geometric fabric with mohair, destined for one of two Butterick coat patterns in my stash. COWS! Yes, this print will be a sleek fall coat, pattern TBD. The next three are all wools: deep purple, dusty pink, and grey. I’m still deciding what to do with these, but the grey may end up in my next fall collection.

The cupboard-slash-filing cabinet serves a dual purpose. Some of it is “normal” office stuff, but most of the space is for sewing gear! That entire top shelf is patterns, housed in photo boxes and sorted alphabetically by pattern company and then in number order. Between physical patterns, digital patterns and patterns in books/magazines, I’m teetering over 300. (Yikes.) The shoebox on the top of the unit has my “in the hole” patterns which will go up on the corkboard as the others get completed. Just beside that is my paper cutter. It’s an absolute must if you plan to work with a lot of digital patterns. The bottom shelf in the cupboard has brand new sketchbooks, notebooks and journals. Don’t ask me why I have so many! Some were gifts, some were inherited, and some…well let’s just say, I won’t have to buy a notebook for a while!

The other thing I love about my sewing room is the slow accumulation of art. I have a few that still need to get framed, but a few have made it onto the walls. This piece is a painting by Diane Ottens of the Parliament Buildings here in Ottawa. This view of the buildings and the Rideau Canal is one of my favourite in the city. I’m grateful to my mother-in-law for letting me borrow this piece!

 

These three images are actually postcards I got in New Orleans when I visited in 2001. I feel so fortunate that I was able to visit the city before Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is still one of my favourite cities in the world.

My favourite of the three is the bottom one, entitled “Beignets and Cafe au Lait”. For those who don’t know, beignets are essentially doughnuts and this is a “N’Awlins” specialty.

 

When I was doing my undergrad degree, I was lucky to study abroad for a year in Melbourne, Australia. This panoramic shot is of the city that was my home for a year! (You may have also noticed a boomerang in a previous photo; yes it is an authentic Aussie boomerang.)

So there you have it. In the next post, I’ll show you some actual sewing – the ironing board cover, pillows and bench cushion that I made for the room. And possibly more art if I get around to getting it framed.

What have you made for your sewing room, and what’s on your walls? Can’t wait to hear from you!

2 thoughts on “My Sewing Room – Part 2”

  1. Hi Anokhee! What a well-organized and cozy room! Congratulations! It must be amazing to spend time and create in this sanctuary. I am jealous as I am using my dining table for all three machines and drag them into a closet every night 🙂
    Thank you for sharing, not just the room but your personal story as well. I am sure all those family members on your wall, including the fury ones, are proud of you and watching over you!

    Looking forward to seeing the finished coats. And what about those photos of the fashion show models that you retook yourself?
    Inna

    1. Hi Inna, and thank you! Yes, it is such a treat to have a dedicated sewing space where things can stay as I leave them. It helps my productivity as well!
      I will be finished the photos tomorrow and hope to post an article about the fashion show on Sunday. I think they turned out pretty well! I hope your sewing is going well too – can’t wait to see some photos.

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