2nd Annual Messiest Sewing Room Contest Makeover
by Linda Griffith, The Organized Option
Drowning in fabric, unraveling thread and loose
stabilizers? You aren't if your name is Connie Coon! Connie is the lucky
winner of Phoenix's 2nd Annual Messiest Sewing Room Contest. Envision this: a
cramped 10x11 foot room overflowing with baskets of fabric, a small sewing
table, and a narrow wardrobe closet. With the help of my Contest co-sponsors,
Classy Closets and Sew From the Heart, I transformed this non-creative space
into an enticing and productive mini-sewing studio!
Every inch of space was maximized thanks to Classy Closets.
Their Designer added adjustable shelving to the narrow closet, and I optimized
the storage space as much as possible. If you look at the photos, you'll see
what I mean. I never stack more than two clear plastic storage containers per
shelf. You know what will happen if you do -- you'll want the bottom container
and you have to remove what's on top just to get to it (and that'll definitely
drive you crazy!).
The closet door was an old lightweight aluminum bifold. I
removed it and replaced it with sheer pink drapes, which are held in place with
a spring-loaded curtain rod. The curtain rod (and the sheers) can be easily
removed for even greater access.
While a narrow closet is unfortunate, the upside of it is
that it meant she had extra wall space. I used that space to create a
badly-needed design wall, and by removing the bedroom door, that opened up the
wall space to allow the design wall to be even larger.
Classy Closets also designed a new work area with upper and
lower storage cabinets. Connie didn't have room for a cutting table, so their
Designer took 1/3 of her new work surface and raised it to cutting table height
of 34 inches. The remaining 2/3 of the work surface is designed like a desk for
her serger. The storage cabinets also have adjustable shelves (of
course!).
Connie invested in a new Koala sewing cabinet, and it
is fantastic! The mini table she was using before was so narrow that she could
only sew small amounts of fabric. Because she is a quilter, she needs space to
the left of her sewing machine and to the rear. Her new Koala cabinet is
perfect for this because the back flap can easily be raised to hold the weight
of her quilts as she sews.
My other Contest co-sponsor is a local Bernina dealer, Sew
From the Heart. They donated a beautiful Bernina 700D serger and a
Bernette IS60 iron! Since Connie already had a serger, she opted to upgrade to
a georgeous Bernina Aurora 440QE sewing machine! By replacing her 28-year old
mechanical sewing machine with a new, computerized sewing machine, Connie will
create even more intricate and lovely quilts than before!
I had a wonderful time with this sewing room makeover. I
would like to thank my co-sponsors, Classy Closets and Sew From the Heart.
Without them, the Messiest Sewing Room Contest wouldn't be possible.
I'd also like to thank my judges, Jude Vegso, owner of The
Quilted Apple, Susan Visotsky, owner of Quilter's Ranch, and Julie Sowinski,
owner of Quilters Delight. And, of course, my thanks to Connie Coon and all of
you who entered.