losing my sewing room

I like to sew in the middle of things so I try to set up
in a corner of a busy room. If you could fit some armoire
type thing that would help. I got a great sewing table at
the thrift store. It was expensive new but was $10 old.
'Wonderful' mediterranean style but I refinished it and
changed out the hardware and it is pretty nice looking now.
There are some ideas on this page:
http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_g/g-412.html

HTH, Taria

Lisa wrote:

whaaaa!
I went from having a whole bedroom to the laundry room and now in a
few weeks we will move to a house with an even smaller laundry room.
(That's what happens when you have kids--they get the bedrooms!)
Anyway, my question is how to organize my stuff so that I can still
sew. I was thinking of finding some sort of wheeled cart that I could
put my machine and serger on along with the most often used notions,
iron and such. I'm not sure what to do about the ironing board. I
guess I'll have to haul that out every time. I need this portable
stuff to be easy to put away whether or not I'm done with the project
(small kids around!)
I hope this is only temporary. We'll only be in this house for a year
and then who knows what the Navy will do with us next!
Lisa R

When we lived in base housing (five years overseas), I put my sewing desk in
a corner of the living room. My husband put a mirror on the wall behind the
desk so I had "eyes in the back of my head" and could watch the kids without
breaking my neck turning around. It worked out really well.

"Lisa" wrote in message
m...
whaaaa!
I went from having a whole bedroom to the laundry room and now in a
few weeks we will move to a house with an even smaller laundry room.
(That's what happens when you have kids--they get the bedrooms!)
Anyway, my question is how to organize my stuff so that I can still
sew. I was thinking of finding some sort of wheeled cart that I could
put my machine and serger on along with the most often used notions,
iron and such. I'm not sure what to do about the ironing board. I
guess I'll have to haul that out every time. I need this portable
stuff to be easy to put away whether or not I'm done with the project
(small kids around!)
I hope this is only temporary. We'll only be in this house for a year
and then who knows what the Navy will do with us next!
Lisa R

"Tom Farrell" wrote in message
om...


You don't really need to iron when sewing. Really, you don't. I
promise. Finger pressing is plenty good.

What an odd thing to say. The first thing I tell someone I teach to
sew is "90% of quality results come from proper pressing." I'm not
talking about "ironing", which I do rarely, but
"pressing-during-construction". Skipping that step results in shoddy
work, IMNSHO.

--
Beverly
---to reply, delete no spam and .invalid---

"BEIDesign" wrote in message
news:2L%%c.141424$9d6.76923@attbi_s54...

"Tom Farrell" wrote in message
om...


You don't really need to iron when sewing. Really, you don't. I
promise. Finger pressing is plenty good.

What an odd thing to say. The first thing I tell someone I teach to
sew is "90% of quality results come from proper pressing." I'm not
talking about "ironing", which I do rarely, but
"pressing-during-construction". Skipping that step results in shoddy
work, IMNSHO.

I couldn't agree with you more, Beverly. Press, press, press......set the
seams closed before pressing open, use steam, press both sides as long as
the fabric type allows it. That pressing and shaping during construction
makes a HUGE difference in the finished product and it can NOT be done when
the garment is finished.

Val

My sister and I both learned to sew from the same teacher (although I
had already memorized whole books on the topic by the time I took her
class!), but our sewing was vastly different. The qualifying factor was
that she was too lazy to press her seams open as she sewed. The result
was always pretty sloppy.

Later, when she was an adult, she reformed, but she was much more
interested in other things in high school!

Karen in Ohio

Valkyrie wrote:

I couldn't agree with you more, Beverly. Press, press, press......set the
seams closed before pressing open, use steam, press both sides as long as
the fabric type allows it. That pressing and shaping during construction
makes a HUGE difference in the finished product and it can NOT be done when
the garment is finished.

Val

On Thu, 09 Sep 2004 16:43:42 +0000, BEIDesign wrote:


"Tom Farrell" wrote in message
om...


You don't really need to iron when sewing. Really, you don't. I
promise. Finger pressing is plenty good.

What an odd thing to say. The first thing I tell someone I teach to
sew is "90% of quality results come from proper pressing." I'm not
talking about "ironing", which I do rarely, but
"pressing-during-construction". Skipping that step results in shoddy
work, IMNSHO.

Totally with you on this Beverly...

Mavis

"Valkyrie" wrote:
"BEIDesign" wrote:

"Tom Farrell" wrote:


You don't really need to iron when sewing. Really, you don't. I
promise. Finger pressing is plenty good.

What an odd thing to say. The first thing I tell someone I teach to
sew is "90% of quality results come from proper pressing." I'm not
talking about "ironing", which I do rarely, but
"pressing-during-construction". Skipping that step results in shoddy
work, IMNSHO.

I couldn't agree with you more, Beverly. Press, press, press......set the
seams closed before pressing open, use steam, press both sides as long as
the fabric type allows it. That pressing and shaping during construction
makes a HUGE difference in the finished product and it can NOT be done when
the garment is finished.

I look forward to you reading the book I'm working on, which is about
defying conventional sewing wisdom. You'll probably think I'm the
antichrist. (Does anyone know a company that can do
print-on-demand in full color and handle fulfillment?)

I made some major changes to the way I sew a few years ago. For one, I
switched to a much smaller seam allowance, usually 1/4". (That's 2/8"
folks.) Each and every seam must be finished: Primarily, I either
overcast or use french seams, as I don't have a serger yet. And, some
of my more controversial choices: I do not pre-wash any fabric, and I
do not do any pressing (other than finger pressing) during the sewing
process.

The results of these decisions: I was asked to teach classes on
advanced shirt tailoring, and gained a reputation for being a snazzy
dresser at the office.

Now, I don't think there's anything morally wrong with pre-washing or
with pressing with an iron, I just think they're a waste of time. I'm
not having problems with puckered seams on anything but my quilts, and
I *want* puckered seams on my quilts, it makes them more snuggly. If
anything, I find it easier to sew with fabric I haven't pre-washed
because it still has the structure of the manufacturer's starch in it.
(After experimenting with pre-washing and then re-starching, I decided
it's a waste of my time: the re-starching process undoes any potential
benefit of pre-washing.)

The only time I can think of that I get into pressing like a maniac
with an iron is when I'm making a placket on a sleeve. I can do it
without an iron, it's just easier to press all the folds in it in
advance and then install it. Of course, then I'm not really ironing as
part of the sewing process: I pre-iron all the folds, and then I use
the pre-ironed piece.

I don't even own an ironing board, and I'm not sure where my irons
are. If I want to iron something I'd have to go upstairs and ask my
neighbors if I could use theirs.

Tom Farrell
http://www.SewingWithTom.com/

Lisa:
Here's what I did when we had kids filling the bedrooms. I bought
one of those baby changing tables that has plastic or wicker deep
trays for storage. The top will fold and the trays will nest, so
the unit goes from being about 18" X 36" to about 18" square when
closed. It is about counter height, so is handy for a small work
area. Keep a watch for this at garage sales and thrift stores.
Check consignment stores that feature baby/children's supplies.
Hey, eventually the kids grow up and move out and you'll have all
the room and time you want! Al the seasons of life are such a
treasure!
PAT in VA/USA

Lisa wrote:

whaaaa!
I went from having a whole bedroom to the laundry room and now in a
few weeks we will move to a house with an even smaller laundry room.
(That's what happens when you have kids--they get the bedrooms!)
Anyway, my question is how to organize my stuff so that I can still
sew. I was thinking of finding some sort of wheeled cart that I could
put my machine and serger on along with the most often used notions,
iron and such. I'm not sure what to do about the ironing board. I
guess I'll have to haul that out every time. I need this portable
stuff to be easy to put away whether or not I'm done with the project
(small kids around!)
I hope this is only temporary. We'll only be in this house for a year
and then who knows what the Navy will do with us next!
Lisa R

Tom Farrell wrote:

"Valkyrie" wrote:

"BEIDesign" wrote:

"Tom Farrell" wrote:


You don't really need to iron when sewing. Really, you don't. I
promise. Finger pressing is plenty good.

What an odd thing to say. The first thing I tell someone I teach to
sew is "90% of quality results come from proper pressing." I'm not
talking about "ironing", which I do rarely, but
"pressing-during-construction". Skipping that step results in shoddy
work, IMNSHO.

I couldn't agree with you more, Beverly. Press, press, press......set the
seams closed before pressing open, use steam, press both sides as long as
the fabric type allows it. That pressing and shaping during construction
makes a HUGE difference in the finished product and it can NOT be done when
the garment is finished.


I look forward to you reading the book I'm working on, which is about
defying conventional sewing wisdom. You'll probably think I'm the
antichrist. (Does anyone know a company that can do
print-on-demand in full color and handle fulfillment?)

I made some major changes to the way I sew a few years ago. For one, I
switched to a much smaller seam allowance, usually 1/4". (That's 2/8"
folks.) Each and every seam must be finished: Primarily, I either
overcast or use french seams, as I don't have a serger yet. And, some
of my more controversial choices: I do not pre-wash any fabric, and I
do not do any pressing (other than finger pressing) during the sewing
process.

The results of these decisions: I was asked to teach classes on
advanced shirt tailoring, and gained a reputation for being a snazzy
dresser at the office.

Now, I don't think there's anything morally wrong with pre-washing or
with pressing with an iron, I just think they're a waste of time. I'm
not having problems with puckered seams on anything but my quilts, and
I *want* puckered seams on my quilts, it makes them more snuggly. If
anything, I find it easier to sew with fabric I haven't pre-washed
because it still has the structure of the manufacturer's starch in it.
(After experimenting with pre-washing and then re-starching, I decided
it's a waste of my time: the re-starching process undoes any potential
benefit of pre-washing.)

The only time I can think of that I get into pressing like a maniac
with an iron is when I'm making a placket on a sleeve. I can do it
without an iron, it's just easier to press all the folds in it in
advance and then install it. Of course, then I'm not really ironing as
part of the sewing process: I pre-iron all the folds, and then I use
the pre-ironed piece.

I don't even own an ironing board, and I'm not sure where my irons
are. If I want to iron something I'd have to go upstairs and ask my
neighbors if I could use theirs.

Tom Farrell
http://www.SewingWithTom.com/


Crisp cottons and silks made into garments with simple shaping respond
reasonably well to such treatment, and I'm way too lazy to press
anything that doesn't really need it. However, there are things and
fabrics that do a lot better with real pressing (nasty cheap poly bridal
satins, for example, that do not finger press AT ALL!), and some areas
of sewing where pressing is more than half the job - as in some
tailoring processes, where fabric must be stretched, shrunk, molded, and
set into specific shapes in order to fit, and this needs to be done in
one area before the next stage is completed or you won't be able to get
the iron in there to do it! There's no way to get the banger in a
sleeve once you set it into the body of the jacket, and without it your
seams will definitely look amateurish and half done. I shall be using
vast amounts of steam and pressing on the lovely Melton cloth for the
1808 era 71st Glasgow Highland Light Infantry jackets I cut out
yesterday. Each seam and pleat will be steamed and walloped with me
trusty chunk of wood until it is crisp and flat... Nay, FLAT!!! In
some places, seam allowances need to be pressed flat while the seam
itself has an elegant curve to it... Fun doing that, and the back seam
and the very curved sleeve seams must be done before the sleeves hit the
body of the jacket.

HSSSS! HSSS!! Thump! Thump! HSSSS! HSSS!! Is this the Hogwarts
Express, or Kate, pressing a sleeve seam? It's Kate... ;D
--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

On Thu, 09 Sep 2004 07:52:32 +0100, Kate Dicey
wrote:

Lisa wrote:

whaaaa!
I went from having a whole bedroom to the laundry room and now in a
few weeks we will move to a house with an even smaller laundry room.
(That's what happens when you have kids--they get the bedrooms!)
Anyway, my question is how to organize my stuff so that I can still
sew. I was thinking of finding some sort of wheeled cart that I could
put my machine and serger on along with the most often used notions,
iron and such. I'm not sure what to do about the ironing board. I
guess I'll have to haul that out every time. I need this portable
stuff to be easy to put away whether or not I'm done with the project
(small kids around!)
I hope this is only temporary. We'll only be in this house for a year
and then who knows what the Navy will do with us next!
Lisa R

Will you have room for something like a Horn cabinet? I know those
things are expensive, but it would mean just closing it up and it could
live somewhere like the dining room or the corner of the living room, so
you could sew where the kids were under you eye.

Isn't there something better looking out there anymore? The Horn
cabinets I was able to find were ummm...uh....utilitarian is the best
thing I can say about them. We shouldn't have to hide our cabinets
under something because they are ugly. A cabinet can look good while
being useful. My mom's cabinet looks like an expensive wood writing
desk when it's closed so it looks great in her livingroom. It's got
plenty of drawer space for notions and such too. I'm looking for
something similar, but it doesn't have a brand mark on it anywhere.

Debra in VA