I want my quilting time to be productive and relaxing. When it’s time to quilt, if I spend less time getting set up, that leaves more time to stitch and enjoy quilting! I know a lot of people may not have a dedicated sewing space, but there are things you can do as well to make your stitching time relaxing as well.

First Tip: Organization! This is especially helpful if you don’t have a dedicated sewing space. If you have several projects you are working on at the same time (be honest…. you do!) organization is very important. To keep the fabrics, patterns and completed pieces from getting mixed up with other projects, consider using these handy art bins.

I have some clear tape on the top where I wrote the name of the pattern in progress. Inside, there is a folder that contains the pattern with any templates needed along with completed pieces and blocks in progress:

These bins are easily stacked on a closet shelf or under a bed …. anywhere you need to store your projects when you are not working on them. These are even great if you have a dedicated sewing room because I do …. and I know I have more than one project in the works at all times!

Second Tip: Design wall. This will work if you have a dedicated space or not. If you have your own room and have a large wall space, create a design wall by affixing foam insulation board (found at your local home improvement store) to the wall, then cover it with felt.

These sheets usually come in 4 x 8 ft sections and can easily be cut down to fit any space. Here’s how my wall looks:

These can also be used if you so not have a dedicated space. You can cover a few of these boards and slide them under a bed or couch when not in use. When you want to use them, pull them out and lean them against the wall in the room where you are working. The advantage of having ones not attached to a wall, is you can take one or two of them with you to a quilt retreat!

Third Tip: Having the space to iron is key to a relaxing time quilting. Of course you need a larger ironing board or a big board for big pieces of fabric and finished quilt tops, but when you are stitching blocks together, a little table placed next to your sewing machine set up with an iron gives you all the ironing space you need. And it’s easy to store once again if you do not have a dedicated sewing space.

Here’s my table:

Set up with ironing supplies:

And the best thing?  It folds down flat to easily store away!

If you like this table, you can find it here: Lifetime Products Table

So these are three tips that you an use to get started on making your quilting time more productive and relaxing!

Share with me some of your secrets to making your design space more efficient. I’d love to hear your ideas!

Happy Quilting
Deanne