After we were engaged, my fiance designated the basement in his townhouse for my sewing room.
PLAN A
Taking measurements of the room, I plotted it out on graph paper, then used the same scale to cut pieces representing all my furniture options. (see header photo)
The 3’x3′ cutting table on the graph is my amazing creation my son built for me in the apartment, perfect for smaller projects.
For larger projects, I expected to use the dining room table for a cutting board due to all the wooden floors throughout the house, I planned on bringing my beloved living room furniture to create a cozy area in front of the fireplace for hand sewing and reading.
Although I liked that idea a lot, my fiance asked questions about how much space it takes to cut out sewing fabric.
Laughing, I explained how it various, depending on the size of my skirts: A-line, circle skirts, or 18th century petticoats.
Overwhelmed by details, he said to find as large a table as I could to fill the room, since I had the space for it.
As a result, I gave most of my living room furniture to my son to use in his new home, after his upcoming marriage.
PLAN B
A few weeks before the elopement, all I could find were the giant Koala sewing tables on wheels, where I could drop the machine down with a mechanism, roll the table out, and prop a drop leaf to enlarge to a giant cutting space.
Meawhile, the 3’x3′ cutting table, which I refuse to give up, would work for small projects.
When I showed that to my fiance, he asked how efficient that would be.
Not much, as ideally I need a large surface to lay the parts I’m sewing, like a quilt.
He told me look for a cutting table separate from a sewing table.
PLAN C
Finding a 5’x5′ tabletop at Wayfair like the one on my cutting table, all I needed to do was find a good base, and decided to have my son help me think that out.
Also finding the perfect sized table top to fit the niche, I planned a floating desk top for my sewing table.
Bookmarking them as favorites, I finished packing, we eloped, then we became overwhelmed by immedite projects that put the sewing room on the back burner.
A YEAR LATER
A year later, the wood fireplace, which blew freezing air into the room every winter, was beautifully and practically converted into a closed in gas unit!
Here’s a photo during the install, of my beloved 3’x3′ cutting table that I designed and my son made for me, where I sometimes squeeze in to eke out little projects.
This table is the perfect height to stand at and it’s gorgeous!
The base are two short bookcases that I bought at Hobby Lobby, placed back to back, which remind me of 18th century chinoiserie.
On Wayfair, I found a restaurant supply company that offered these gorgeous butcher block table tops, made completely of real wood.
Quickly my son secured all three parts so that it’s quite sturdy!
Well, these same table tops in the other sizes I need, have been on back order forever, so I sadly gave up.
PLAN D
While searching for another large cutting table, my husband suggested I buy new shelving for all my fabrics and patterns, since the other bookcases hold all my homeschool books.
Happily finding a link to more of my black bookcases, purchased when I first moved to Virginia in 2009, my hubby showed me similar options.
After a very long discussion of pros and cons, my favorite where some white bookcases where the sides look much like the sides of the legs of my 3’x3′ cutting table…which means they remind me of 18th century chinoiserie.
Measuring the back wall, my hubby bought four to fill the back wall.
After he assembled three of them, I auditioned them to see if they seemed to be too few or just right…
When I asked for the fourth one, he assembled that which filled the space nicely.
Unpacking all my stuff to place on the shelves, it all looked meh.
After living with it a few weeks, I cleared off all the shelves so that I could wallpaper the backs, like I did with my IKEA PAX wardrobes in the master bedroom suite!
Wow! I love how the updated 18th century design transitions between the stark white of my sewing wall and the stark black of my library.
Nevertheless, I’m considering painting my black bookcases white, with a touch of the black rustically showing through, French Country style. Hmmm….
I finished just in time for a very special deliver the next day…my brand new cutting and work table! Stay tuned
