Sewing room

Last December we moved house, and one of the most exciting things for me was that I finally got my own sewing space!

This weekend I finally got around to re-covering my ironing board and some pillows, which means the only thing to do now is to put some more fashion plates on the wall. Nevertheless, it’s done enough to do a little tour!

Just as a quick note: these pictures were taken right after cleaning up, and in no way reflect the natural state of messiness which prevails in creative spaces…

A little video tour:

 

The Desk:

I knew I wanted a large desk in this room, to fit both my computer and sewing machine. It’s not a very deep desk, but that’s not a problem as I have plenty of storage space with the shelf and drawers.

The shelf above the desk houses my sewing box, two drawer boxes, a tin with boning/busks, and my pattern weights. In the grey drawers I keep practical supplies such as boning, twill tape, etc. The green drawers store pieces of lace and ribbon.

 

 

In my sewing box I have little things such as buttons, hooks and eyes, and spare measuring tapes. At the bottom some larger supplies I don’t use that much. The little Delft-blue box I use to store my pattern weights.

The drawer cabinet is used for sewing supplies I need most readily on hand. The top drawer is for scissors, thimbles, seam rippers, and pens etc. for marking. The one below that I use for office supplies. The larger drawers house thread spools, more scissors and heavy tools, and notebooks respectively.

 

Right next to my desk I have my ironing board set up, so I can use the plug beneath my desk for the iron. I re-covered this with a fun Victorian-style print cotton I got ages ago. I did not have any plans for it, but just couldn’t leave it. When we moved in here, I knew it’d be great for accessories!

 

The costume closet:

One this wall, I have the closet in which I store most of my costumes and some supplies. Next to the closed is the ‘messy space’, with my crinolines, sleeve-ironing board, hem marker and some fabric bits. My dummy is also here when it’s cleaned up, but she’s usually somewhere in the middle of the room when I’m working on things.

 

On the other side of the closet are an antique clock which used to belong to my grandmother, and some boxes. These store some masks, hats, and the little suitcase is the perfect size for my Truly Victorian patterns.

 

The main hanging space in the closet is taken up by costumes. This is not everything, but the most recent/worn things. I have some extra space upstairs for the rest.

 

Below the costumes is a box with old sheets/fabric for mock-ups. Next to that are boxes with gloves, fans and stockings. The spray-cans hold a vinegar-water mix and vodka-water mix, for setting pleats and cleaning respectively. At the bottom of the closet are more boxes, these are filled with some of my traditional Dutch clothing pieces.

The right side of the closet is for more storage. At the top some things for my dancing group (wooden shoes are a pain to store…), at the very bottom photography bags and camera etc. The other shelves hold hair stuffs, antique bits and pieces, and crafting things.

 

The remaining storage:

The wall opposite the desk holds more storage, and a lazy chair. This chair used to belong to my mother, and has been in my room for as long as I’ve had one. The pillow has seen quite some iterations! For this room I re-covered it with fabric matching my ironing board.

 

The book closet holds my sewing and costuming books. One section is for historical patterning/how to books, one section for traditional costume books, one for hand-craft boos, and one for misc (museum books, 1940’s bound magazines & lace-making).

 

Two of the fabric boxes hold patterns, one commercial and one my own drafts. The bottom right box is for fabrics for modern projects, the bottom left is for putting away in-progress projects.

 

The other closet has one of my antique Singer’s on top. I have two, one having belonged to my father’s mother’s mother, the other to my mother’s fathers’ mother. Both are from the 1920’s I believe. I only keep one on display at a time, but will probably change them out every once in a while.

 

This closet is for all my historical fabrics. Silks are at the top and middle, linen in the middle, cotton at the bottom, and the wool on the right.

 

Finally, on the walls I have a collection of fashion plates! I currently have plates ranging from the 1830’s to about 1880, 14 in total. 6 are currently up, and I hope to fill up more of the space with the remainder! (Also, my mouse-mat is printed with a painting from the Rijksmuseum, because I could!)