How to Redo a Sewing Room

Remove the furniture and other supplies from the room.

Paint the room the color of your choice to refresh and brighten it. Let the paint dry for at least four hours.

Sort through your fabric stash and sewing supplies while you wait for the paint to dry. Discard any empty spools of thread and any notions that aren't usable, such as a 3-inch long piece of elastic. Set scraps of fabric aside in a box or discard if you know you'll never use them. Place scissors and other tools that need sharpening in a box so that you can take them to be sharpened later.

Fold the fabric you will keep and arrange it in piles by type of fabric and by color within each type of fabric. Don't stack the fabric too high. Aim for no more than 5 yards of fabric per pile.

Arrange the furniture in the room after the paint is dry. Position the table for your sewing machine perpendicular to the cutting table so that you can efficiently move from one work area to the next. Place the ironing board near the cutting table. Put the bookcase on the side of the cutting table opposite the sewing machine table. The back of the bookcase should press against the edge of the table. If the bookcase is low, you may be able to slide just underneath your cutting table.

Set your sewing machine on the sewing table. You should have about 2 feet between the needle on the machine and a wall, if not more. Slide the chair under the table in front of the machine.

Place a table lamp near the sewing machine so that you have plenty of light while you work. Finish the room by positioning a throw rug across the floor.