The Sewing Place
Tools of the Trade => Sewing Spaces and Furniture => Topic started by: Lowena on February 27, 2019, 15:58:00 PM
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I am hoping to have the use of a former bedroom as a sewing / craft room.
It will be upstairs and the dimensions will be 2.5m x 2.6m ( 8ft 3" x 8'9" ) Window and door on opposite walls.
At the moment I think I will need.... a table for sitting at and cutting out.... Somewhere for the sewing machine........ storage for half a dozen plastic storage boxes, a few books and notions.
OH has suggested that I splash out and buy a Horn Cabinet for the machine. OH also thinks that this room will be too small, but I disagree - I don't need much room ( I have to sit down to cut out so the table can be dual use )
Does anyone have a Horn Cabinet? Which size? Are they useful? User friendly?
How would you suggest I furnish such a room Everything will probably be new ( 2 chairs, tables or table / cabinet, storage etc )
Please don't suggest IKEA as OH won't countenance self assembly
I'm relying on you friends :sew: :pin: :snip:
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Well, if OH is offering to get you a Horn cabinet, they do a quilter's version (https://www.sewingmachines.co.uk/products/horn-furniture-the-quilters-delight-2032-cabinet/295) with plenty of room around the machine and you could sit on the opposite side to the machine for cutting out.
A cupboard such as this (https://the-brand-box.myshopify.com/collections/fetzen-kunst/products/die-ultimate-sewingbox-neu) would give you plenty of storage!
Edited: I've found a couple of UK suppliers of tardis-like cupboards:
http://www.storage4crafts.co.uk/shop/furniture/the-foldaway/the-deluxe-foldaway.html
https://www.exmoorfurniture.co.uk/quilting-cupboards
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Wow Lowena you certainly are getting ahead with your plans.
I have a Horn Cabinet, which I absolutely love, and is slightly different to the norm, mine opens up to the back and thus gives an enormous work space - Whilst several years old now it is called the Sewmate 2. This cabinet when not in use can be folded down and put back against a wall, but in order for the top to open it has to be pulled away from the wall, and there is a fold away support at the back which has to be opened to support the top flap.
I love the fact that you can work on huge pieces of fabric - think wedding dresses, curtains here and with the sewing machine on its platform in the lower position the fabric slides through the machine and continues onto the table top so there is no drag. I also much prefer sewing with the machine in its lower sewing position, i.e. with the plexi around the machine - it is amazing not to have the drag of the fabric falling off and pulling against you. I also have a separate Horn Cutting out Table, and find that this is so useful especially when cutting out as it is higher than my dining room table. This table folds down when not in use and has two useful cupboards, it is also on castors so can be moved around easily.
Something else to think about with a Horn Cabinet, is the way the doors open, on mine the main door that opens with the machine immediately behind this, has caddies on the door, now if this was the other way around any fabric you have could catch and snag on the open door's caddies - I think you really need to get hold of a Horn leaflet and then you will see what I mean.
Why not get in touch with David, Jason or Angela at Horn in Swindon and they will send you a leaflet of the current range - I have always found them to be extremely helpful phone no. 01793 834304.
Good luck with your plans, how lovely to be able to plan ahead and get your new sewing room just how you want this to be.
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https://www.direct-sewingmachines.co.uk/shop/Horn-Sewing-Machine-Cabinet-Secondhand-p132080056
This is where I got my machine from. I noticed an advert from them a couple of days ago offering horn cabinets. I sew from a horn cabinet, and have a desk behind for office work. The combined tops work well for a good size cutting area.
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I would love a Horn cutting table but did balk at the price.
I bought one of those 6’ plastic folding banquet tables and find it really useful, mind you if I ever go to a banquet and am asked to sit at a plastic table I’ll be pretty miffed.
I raise it up with the plastic chair lifts to get a better height but if you cut out sitting down @Lowena that won’t be a problem.
The best thing I did when I got my new room as to go for a laminate floor, so much easier to move things round.
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Ah @Elnnina and @StitchinTime I forgot to mention... the room is not big enough to have anything which isn't permanently against a wall :(
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Horn cabinets are great and OH has said getting one is a good idea so go look at the range.
Any of the storage4crafts storage units are worth the money - really well made.
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@Lowena this is my Horn Eclipse cabinet in a room that is 9' wide (there is a wardrobe on the left hand side behind my chair). I find it useful having the back flap - as you can see I have a cutting mat on it and when I am doing p&q I do all my cutting and trimming there. In this one there is a drawer beside my chair and space to store my overlocker. It all folds up into quite a small cupboard which is useful as this is the spare bedroom and there is room then to open out a sofabed
If you are considering Horn get a catalogue - they have very good diagrams with dimensions.
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Any of the storage4crafts storage units are worth the money - really well made.
I looove those, they have stands at all the shows and I just stand there and drool over them!
Imself showed interest last FOQ, but nothing came of it, mainly because the sewing/art/craft/wardrobe/spare (who am I kidding there?) room has 4 walls with a window in one, a chimney breast on the second, a door on the third and the door to airing cupboard on the 4th!!!
But oh for a small lottery win ... just enough to move mortgage free to a bigger home!
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Thanks @Ploshkin food for thought.... perhaps there's not enough room after all, the room is only 8'3" x 8'9" :(
Bite the bullet @Iminei you'll be surprised how much more equity you have in your house now.....just think.......sewing room :devil: you know you'd love it :devil:
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@Lowena my cabinet is one of the bigger ones. Really and truly a cabinet like a Horn is mostly useful if you need to be able to pack the machine away for the room to be used for something else. I wouldn't have spent that much if I didn't need to do that.
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I think that I bought my Horn cabinet about the same time as Elnnina, it’s a Decor Mk 2. It doesn’t have a back piece though so is flat along the wall most of the time. When I want to quilt a large piece, I pull it forward and use DS’ desk which is a top on two trestles behind it. My sewing area is in the dining room I’m the area that was the kitchen before the kitchen extension was built so it’s useful to be able to pack it away quickly when necessary. I do love working at the lower height and find it strange when I have to use a machine on top of the table ( it’s the same cooking at OH’s sisters as her gas hob is on top of the worktop instead of flat in it).
I would love a sewing room as at the moment sewing stuff is spread throughout the house, even in the roof. My choice would be to have a room downstairs so that I could get on while cooking but I suppose it would be a good workout if upstairs.
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Thanks @Ploshkin and @Francesca It will be a dedicated sewing / craft room, just for me and my stuff. No one else need ever venture inside 0_0
I do like the idea of having clutter, mess notions and bits and bobs out of sight although the machine has a solid cover so will probably stay out. I do not quilt by machine ( can't get on with a walking foot ) so the space needed will be for piecing and binding only.
I just fancy a cabinet, and having had a quick glance, they're not as expensive as I thought, although I would need a couple of chairs and another table as well.... and possibly some shelving.
I'd need to see things "in the flesh" as OH won't buy from online or a catalogue.
Do you think the room dimensions 8'3 x 8'9 will be adequate ... OH is concerned and I can't invisage what I'll really need, so am unsure -<
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Yes, Lowena, get a Horn cabinet. even if you don't have to pack your machine away, having your machine and work surface all one height is a godsend. They are just the right height for sewing as well. If you've got a shop there that sells them, go and take a look and you'll see the advantage straight away. They are brilliant!
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I am not a great lover of Horn cabinets. All those things to fold out I find two cumbersome, and I have had two. Couldn't get out of them without falling over the doors or something stored in them.
I have had a sewing room about that size (sadly no longer since GS moved here). MrC built me one long worktop (kitchen stuff) on one wall where all my machines stood. That's sewing machine, overlocker, coverstitch and occasionally embellisher. All set up and ready to go at any time. Above that, deep shelves high up (but reachable) containing all my bits and pieces in plastic boxes and labelled. That way I could easily put my hands on all the usual stuff but also eyelets, button covering equipment, trims, etc. etc. Underneath a thinner shelf containing overlocker threads (I have loads in nearly every colour).
On the opposite wall, I had a large cutting table on trellis legs which could be pulled away from the wall if necessary. If I was doing it again I would use the IKEA set of 3 folding tables, although they are a little low.
Now, here's the clever bit. No carpet! I had laminate flooring. And a chair (you will only need one). The office type on casters that you can wizz round on. You can work all day without standing up just scoot from from machine to machine to cutting table. Highly efficient.
Oh and above the cutting table I had a pinboard so I could put any paperwork and samples relevant to what I was making.
Just my suggestions.
C
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@Lowena
Ask OH why he is concerned. He may have noticed something you do that you have not allowed for.
Francesca has a pegboard, I think, that is very useful for keeping odd things tidy.
I have a chest of drawers a bit like a merchants chest with drawers of different sizes which is useful for tools and supplies.
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@Lowena head here to see what others have done with limited space for inspiration:
https://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php/board,43.0.html (https://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php/board,43.0.html)
My sewing room in Hong Kong is of a similar size, you’ll find pictures of it in one of my Flickr albums if you’re interested.
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I too bauked at the price of Horn cabinets, and as others have said they are most useful if you need to pack all the sewing stuff away regularly. If you have the luxury of a dedicated sewing room, even if it is small, that doesn't have to double as a bedroom or a dining room then look at proper office furniture.
I have a large corner desk for machines which is solid enough to stand on when putting Christmas lights in the window. The Husqvarna and the overlocker are side by side on the wide part of the desk (pushed to the back when not in use) and the coverstitcher is on the narrower side. I've also got a narrower desk/table opposite it for one of the 201s. The other 201 is downstairs on my office 'desk' which is really a 6 seater dining table, but again very solid and sturdy.
Thank about what you really need. In your position with only one machine I'd go for a nice big desk and top it with a really big cutting mat. The machine can sit on the back of the mat if needs be when not in use. Then look for an office storage cabinet for all the bits and bobs, and somewhere to keep an ironing board or maybe a worktop hight cupboard with an ironing surface on top.
https://www.officefurnitureonline.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI66Wx4ITe4AIVSIjVCh3mcgXQEAAYASAAEgJNavD_BwE (https://www.officefurnitureonline.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI66Wx4ITe4AIVSIjVCh3mcgXQEAAYASAAEgJNavD_BwE) for the sorts of stuff available, but there are lots of other sources of office furniture.
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I have a small Horn cabinet which I keep the Singer 611g in, and although it's very nice, I wouldn't go out and buy one. Mine came to me with a Singer 320 (I think), and I kept it rather than getting another table.
My advice would be to look at examples of what other people have done with their sewing spaces, as Manuela suggests, and then think about what would work for you.
I drew a plan of the room on paper, and worked around that.
It is great to be able to walk away, shut the door and not have to clear away every time.
Jessie
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Thank you friends, much food for thought. I'm not good at envisioning how things will look so I'm off to browse the links people have so helpfully given me...... back later :loveit:
P.S. I have ( and only ever will have ) one machine, a Sissix, a travel iron, a large cutting mat and I only do p&q for those who are not familiar with me or my needs ;)
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I've tried to give you an idea of how things might look using room planning software. Unfortunately it does not include sewing cabinets, sewing machines etc as part of the included furniture so you'll have to use your imagination a little bit.
I've used the measurements of the Horn Calypso cabinet (https://hornfurniture.co.uk/horn/calypso/) as this seems the biggest cabinet that can fit against a wall. Seeing as you don't have a stash (!) I've just included one set of shelves and rather than an extra table, I've put in an ironing board just to give an idea of what might fit.
I don't know the exact sizes and locations of the door and window so I've used the estate agent photos to estimate them, and I'm guessing that the radiator is on the wall to the right as you walk so I've not put furniture there.
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You're a real star @StitchinTime ( and so tecchy :D ) thank you so much <3
Thanks @Francesca I'll consider tables although OH won't go near IKEA :D
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I'm another who has hung her nose over Horn, many times. I've gone for collapsible, 'banquet' plus two smaller 30inch and an Arrow Gidgett. Easy to move, easy to store if I don't want, and if I decorate, which it does badly need, easy to shift anywhere I want. Horn look beautiful, but cumbersome and would be awkward to move if I wanted downstairs. However I wouldn't mind that cutting out table they have although I think I might settle for the smaller cheaper one.
My folders didn't cost a lot, look fine with covers on (for sticking pins in) and are just more flexible altogether. I'll still hang my nose over the Horn though.
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@Francesca it's the brand he won't go near. We're a lot older than you and have hopefully left the self assembly part of our lives behind....40 years ago. It would be a backward step.
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@Francesca Perhaps the price point is not the main issue for Lowena, but rather the self assembly required. Buying ready assembled furniture may not be luxury for some but a necessity.
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Oh thanks for that @Francesca I hadn't realised that Horn cabinets are chipboard!! :S That needs some thinking about.
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Yes @Francesca we are fortunate to be at a stage of our lives where money is not of paramount importance when buying furnishings. We're not rolling in money but, we don't go out socialising, buy many clothes or accessories, go on Hen weekends / baby showers, holidays ( any more ) spend money on in- home entertainment so it tends to mount up a bit . Hardwood ( or softwood - but definitely wood ) is our preference but I'm still not discounting stylish storage which might be of other materials as no one will go in there bar me :D
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@Lowena Have a look at the Quilters Cupboards (https://www.exmoorfurniture.co.uk/quilting-cupboards) from Exmoor Furniture. I don't know if they are hardwood or softwood, but they certainly don't look like chipboard.
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Oooh thanks @StitchinTime I'm off for a quick shufty <3
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When a Horn cabinet is delivered it is set up for you and the air lift adjusted for your machine by the delivery person.
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:D :D Fran, I sympathise :loveit:
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Oh, mine wasn't :( Then again the man who delivered it was about 80 and frail (according to my Mum who sat in for the delivery) and she said she worried about him bringing it in let alone doing anything more on it!
Hmm. I have a Horn cabinet and a Horn cutting table from different suppliers and about 2 years apart. The delivery for both came from Horn itself and on both occasions the thing was unpacked and set up for me - the cutting table only needed the castors putting on. I had therefore assumed that would happen wherever you got one from.
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Hmm. I have a Horn cabinet and a Horn cutting table from different suppliers and about 2 years apart.
How do you find the cutting table @Ploshkin ? I assume the castors lock so it is stable when you are using it.
Just checked the size and it would be five inches higher than my dining table.
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@Sewingsue I'll admit that I originally got the cutting table for my machine because it was considerably cheaper than a cabinet. But, I hadn't realised that it was much higher until it was delivered (I should have looked at the dimensions of course) and I couldn't use it as a sewing table so really it was an expensive mistake. I did use it though and really liked it because the height is very comfortable for me to cut out standing up and I don't end up with a back ache (I'm 5' 2"). It's also useful for layering and basting quilts. The castors do indeed lock. It folds down to quite a slim unit and there's enough depth one end to store sewing machines.
When I eventually decided to buy a cabinet I tried to sell the table but had no takers so I've still got it but currently don't have the space to open it right out. We do have some building planned which will give me a lot more room so I'm glad I've still got it.
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I cannot stand to cut out, so that's why I need another table and comfy chair :D
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My son in law has a desk which I covet. It is a perfect height for sewing on. It has three small drawers at the back, lids flush into the table and they have holes in the bottom so you can plug in the machine and the wires go out underneath.You can also leave the cable for another machine, e.g. overlocker, ready for when it is needed. Also has a couple of ordinary drawers along the front. I don't know what it is called, or where it is from but the top is waxed hardwood, so I'm guessing out of my league. If I was rich, I'd have a joiner make one to my spec.
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My son in law has a desk which I covet.
Does he know this. I mean, if he's a good SIL ....
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If it's not the brand you dislike, you can order online. I found them really great for their mod-ability - hard to find that with other furniture stores.
I can't understand why someone wouldn't shop at IKEA though personally. I don't think I've ever had the luxury to NOT shop there for furniture! (Most of our home is IKEA).
@Francesca , some people do not shop with them due to their use of political prisoners as slave/ forced labor (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2659038/How-IKEA-Siemens-Aldi-profited-enormously-slave-labour-former-communist-East-German-study-shows.html) as recently as the 80's.
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Not something I knew about either. Not that I've ever used them much.
Anything bad about WayFair? I've just used them for the first time, and I'm looking at another purchase.
Jessie
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:| :D :D :D
Shows what I know!!
Jessie
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The Guardian has an extensive and frequently updated list of brands that produce/source their products ethically. This one is for clothing and fashion brands:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ethical-fashion-directory-uk-clothing-brands-fairtrade-vegan (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ethical-fashion-directory-uk-clothing-brands-fairtrade-vegan)
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I should think most companies have dodgy working practices if you look back far enough. If IKEA have admitted historical mistakes and don't do them anymore I would be happy to buy from them. (Tesco on the other hand continue to treat suppliers with contempt and flout planning regulations)
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I'm completely on the same page as you @sewingj - Tesco is one company I will not use. I was involved in opposing their application in a small town and know the underhand methods they use to get planning permission.
I wouldn't punish a company that could be seen to have changed, although I might treat them with a bit of suspicion until I was quite convinced the change was genuine and thorough.
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@Manuela
I couldn’t find your furniture in the gallery, but did spot the man in the coat, with cape. Do you ave any details anywhere about the coat at all?
Thank you
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@Barcoded
Here the link to the album with pictures of my sewing room in Hong Kong:
https://flickr.com/photos/108322972@N04/sets/72157664934298494 (https://flickr.com/photos/108322972@N04/sets/72157664934298494)
The chap in that coat is Mr Manuela, I made the coat for him a few years back as a Christmas present. I started out with Butterick 3993, and then went to town with it..... Here the link to the album with more details:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/108322972@N04/9r98do (https://www.flickr.com/gp/108322972@N04/9r98do)
Pictures of my little sewing nook in Thailand are in a thread is this section if you want to have a look at that too ;)
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@Manuela
Thanks for the links, most useful. I found the pattern and of course your review and fanous price of Mr M
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I had a Horn cabinet which I sold after about a year as I found it very uncomfortable to use so I'm back to using the dining room table. I do have a Horn cutting out table which is great to use as it is the right height for me.