You don’t need a dedicated room for sewing, but there are some things to consider that will make your sewing life better whether you’re at the kitchen table or in a studio space.

1. Keep your iron close by. When you’re sewing it can be very helpful to be able to iron where your machine is so you’re not tempted to skip a step. If you can turn around and press without even standing up, that is a dream!

2. Store your fabric in a way you can see it. You’ll save precious sewing time and avoid buying the same fabric more than once if you know what you have. This could be neatly stacked in shelves, or stored away in clear boxes, we are looking to make sure it is out of direct sunlight to prevent fabric fading.

3. Use the largest cutting mat you can store (or leave out if you have a dedicated space). If you only have to fold your fabric once – or not at all – to cut, it will be more accurate than trying to cut through more layers at once. 

4. Make a quick-grab notions kit. This is particularly important if you have to put your machine away regularly when the family needs the table for something other than sewing. If you have a container with machine needles, seam ripper, snips, pins and any other sewing tools you use a lot when sewing that you can just grab, you’ll save so much time hunting down all your essentials.

5. Wherever you sew, you need good lighting. Whether you’re sewing above grade, in a basement, by day or by night, looking after your eyes and preventing headaches is important. Consider the lighting fixtures you already have and increase bulb wattage if needed. You can also add desk lamps and even apply adhesive LED tape to your machine arm.