This week we are looking at sewing rooms from three different countries submitted to us via our Facebook page. These rooms serve as a good reminder that no matter what our background, particular beliefs, or affiliations, we have more in common than we sometimes think! Of course, sewing rooms vary greatly in size and content. From a corner in the kitchen to a custom designed space, your sewing room is your own, no matter its size. It is the place a sewist dreams and creates, and that makes it a special spot.

Here are a few of the sewing rooms we thought might inspire you in your space.

 

Barbara Sewing Room – Milan, Italy

My name is Barbara, I’m Italian and live near Milan.

I’m a quilter, seamstress,  but most of all, I’m a smocker: it’s my job. I work for a company based in Milan and London who sells kids wear and baby clothes. I make embroidery and smocked dresses for little girls and newborns.

I started to sew by hand at the age of 16 (I’m 49 now). In the year 2000 I started quilting and doing patchwork as an hobby , then , about 7 or 8 years ago,  I began to work as a smocker and seamstress for kids.

Since I work at home, I needed a sewing room where I could do my job. I planned on having one by getting some furniture at Ikea and some other items made to measure by my father.  In fact, he made me a table from an old sliding door in which there is my sewing machine (it is built in, so I can take it out when I need to sew sleeves, armholes, etc.)

He built also a little table for my serger (see main image above) and a high cutting table.

I have an electronic Pfaff sewing machine, which I love (I’m planning on buying a professional one though), a Pfaff serger, and smocking pleater that I use for work.

Check out Barbara’s instagram profile, @BARBQUILTING and Facebook page: By barb-handmadestyle

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Aisha from Abuja, Nigeria

I am an engineer. I sew as a hobby. It started when I had my last child and took a year off work. Six months into it, I was beginning to get bored and one day stumbled upon a sewing video online. I cannot remember the exactly where, but I soon found my self on the Threads website. I have had an online subscription, but due to exchange rate and other issues, I couldn’t re subscribe. I particularly took to heart every issue I had at the time, buying so many supplies on Amazon.

The weirdest I got was the beetle wings from a 2015 edition (see below), I think. I am still waiting a big project where I can put it to good use. 😁 I got a lot of commercial patterns and needles and machine feet. Lots.

I absolutely love to sew my dresses, though I really don’t do it often enough.

I have had some training, here, but I find that following your magazine (and other international vlogs and magazines) exposes me to a lot of things that tailors here are not doing. I really got into sewing more because I love to pay attention to detail and have clean finishes on my clothes, both inside and out.

I learnt to quilt online. Purely by coincidence, I watched a video and fell in love with the patterns. I love to incorporate quilt blocks into reversible tote bags.

I absolutely love my fabric scissors. I loved it so much when it came, I ordered another one, just in case. When I quilt, my rotary cutter and rulers can’t be far away.

My main machine now is an Emel 8500 industrial straight stitch, which I had reworked to be slower. I started with a Brother Project Runway series (now taken over by my 11 and 10 year olds) and a Brother serger. Almost forgot my new cutting table! Ooo my. I am so proud of that table. I had it made to suit my height and the size is huge. By far the biggest table I have ever seen!!! 😂 it is wheelable, so I can move it around very easily. It also has 2 shelves under it. The top one, where I keep my working patterns is a drawer, while the other is stationary.

For now, I am not sewing as a business. I have been under a lot of pressure from my friends and family to start sewing professionally and now, since I moved my sewing room from my outside kitchen, which was really small, into my guest room (what do you even need a guest room for?? Hahahaha), I am giving it a serious thought.

 

Congrats on your beautiful sewing room, Aisha! Let us know if you make the leap to sewing professionally.

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Lucinda’s Sewing Room – Florida, United States

Here is my sewing  room. There is a cutting and ironing area on the left side of a storage closet. Serger on wheels.

Please note the cover on my sit down quilter, because I used Threads magazine instructions, and because of the inscription. (See below).

The wallpaper panel is from Amazon. Mirrored Ikea wardrobe on the inside (see above). The room is 13×11 so I use mirrors, white paint and minimal “do-dah” to make it feel bigger. Windows are a blessing! My secret weapon is casters on everything and everything does double duty.

Casters from Lowes. Sewing machine table from a lab supply (rated to 6,000 lb, so minimal vibration).

Lucinda suggest you put a “kids yoga mat under machines-anti vibration,” and says, “I always make my ironing board covers. I make then double sided like an envelope so I can just flip to the other side when it gets too grungy. This was Ikea material I bought way back!” (See below). “My other secret weapon is my drum throne stool. Moulded to fit the bottom!”

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Our thanks to Barbara, Aisha, and Lucinda for submitting! We received more sewing room photos than we knew what to do with and will publish another post soon with even more sewing room inspiration from across the world so stay tuned!

Submit your recent sewing projects to Threads

Email several photos and the story behind your most recent sewing project to [email protected] for an opportunity to be featured.