This week I'll be touching on where we, as sewers, work, and how our work spaces can function as a tool to help us get the best results possible.

We've all seen pics on Pinterest or Instagram of stunning sewing studios, with carefully folded stashes of fabrics, darling knick-knacks and display vignettes, witty or inspirational quotes hung on the wall, hyper-organized banks of notions and tools, and immaculate surfaces and floors. We think, "Oh, I'd LOVE to work in a room like that." And while these studios are indeed beautiful and even inspiring, I don't think of them as workspace. If I had to maintain that level of studio glamour, I wouldn't get much done in a day. I need my tools at hand, my trashcan big and central, my fabrics in front of me and my hardware easily accessible. I call my sewing room my workroom, because I work hard in there. The room works hard, too.

How can you marry pretty with utility? It'll never be a match made in heaven, but there is certainly the possibility of an ongoing relationship. Make a list of what you need in a work space: cutting space, pressing surface, sewing machine(s) space. Storage for fabric, thread, notions, trim. Book and magazine storage. Power management and a place for electronics. Inspirational space. Will you be integrating other crafting supplies into your sewing room? You'll need a space for that. Don't delve into the details; just make general categories of what you need organizationally. Sounds a little overwhelming, doesn't it? Don't despair. Physically make the list I just mentioned, with pencil and paper. We're going to work on it one step at a time. You won't get into Studio Beautiful magazine overnight, but in a short while you'll have a space that's more functional, and that makes YOU more productive. Think of your sewing space as a retreat--your happy place. When we get done, it will be.

Step one:  Make that list!