My Sewing Room
I've taken over most of my bedroom and set it up as my sewing and crafts area.
For table space, I have a set of counters from the local building store set up on filing cabinets and rolling shelving units.
It gives me room to get under and to store all my goodies, like the hundreds of yards of fleece and multiple spools of serger thread that have accumulated over the years ;)
I use rotary cutters and fabric weights on a self healing cutting mat to cut the fabric, and if I need more space to cut I have a HUGE measured cardboard cutting mat that I put on the floor.
Other really useful items include a few rolls of brown kraft paper (mailing paper), carbon paper and a tracing wheel so I can transfer or design custom patterns and make alterations without losing the originals.
hint - if you iron the kraft paper on the dry setting before you start using it, it'll come out nice and flat and you can cut it really easily.
Necchi Maxima 4595 Free Arm Sewing MachineI bought this at the local department store from an ad that was selling school machines. I bought the most expensive one they had. It was $699 and well worth it.
It's all manual, no electronics or bells and whistles and it's HEAVY, but it is a workhorse. You can contact them
here for more information.
TIP - If you can avoid it, do NOT get a flatbed machine. Spend the extra few hundred to get the free arm, otherwise you won't be able to do things like sleeves and cuffs because you wont have the clear space. If you design clothing or other fabric items, you'll kick yourself if you go the cost route over the versatility route.
Brother Serger
Brother Embroidery Machine
Combine this with an Amazing Box and your PC and you're doing whatever you like.
Sewing with Nancy
I've used this book to make MAJOR changes to lots of patterns and once you learn the basic technique, it's practically automatic.
Wild Ginger Software
Pattern Master.. ooohh.. what can I say.. Check the Fall/Winter issue of Active Living Magazine as this is definately an Editor's Pick.
