- I want to thank Skillshare for sponsoring this video.
Any hobby takes up a lot of real estate,
but if you're living small,
how do you balance your hobby in a tiny space?
Where does it all go?
You need to have the right mindset
for sewing in a tiny space.
And I have 10 tips on how to get you there.
So stick with me and I'll show you how to do it.
Hi, I'm Karen Brown of Just Get It Done Quilts.
I give you tips, tricks and strategies
to help you make the quilt that you want to make.
And if you like what you see,
please hit that subscribe button.
Some of you have small spaces to sew in,
maybe by choice, maybe not.
And it can be really challenging to have any hobby craft
in a small space as we need supplies, tools, and patterns.
And it goes against the social environment for most hobbies
which is about acquiring as much stuff as possible
as soon as possible.
So here are 10 tips to help fit it all in.
You can't buy a digital sewing machine,
but you can buy a digital version
of the patterns, books, and magazines.
That way you only print what you need and when you need it.
And when you're done,
the pattern can go in the recycling bin.
You might need to make a list
of all the digital patterns you have,
but not having to store them will save you so much space
in your sewing room.
Don't over buy.
Understanding the capacity of your space is so important.
Not just visually, quantify it with numbers.
This container can store 60 fat quarters, which is 15 yards of fabric
which can make 2 quilts.
This spool has 500 metres of thread, which will get me through one project.
This way you can easily relate your space
to what you actually consume in a given time.
And in a small space, you just don't have the luxury
of keeping a 3 year supply.
Keep it tally sheet, what you've used
so that you don't bring in new items
until your outgoing projects create the space.
There are some items that you might just only need
once a year or just for a particular project.
Instead of purchasing them and having to deal
with how to store the object, put out a call to your quilty friends,
to borrow or maybe even jointly purchase.
I just did this with a group of friends.
We were having a stitch-n-chat meeting
and suddenly somebody asked to borrow something
and that triggered another thought
of somebody else needing something and then another.
And then we had 6 tools being used by other people.
A bonus of joining a quilt guild
is having a larger circle of sewing friends
to share items with.
Some guilds even have a lending library
and that's easily worth the price of membership.
Use your walls to expand your storage space
and keep items in sight.
Use peg boards or floating shelves to expand your zones
and keep items within easy access.
You can purchase pegboards systems
from your hardware store or online.
There are hooks, shelves and containers to work with
or 3D print your own,
but remember my Organise Your Space video about zones.
Put your most used items at the bottom
and the least on top.
Think on how you condense your tools.
For example, instead of having a regular iron
and a travel iron, maybe you can combine them both
into a portable iron.
Instead of 4 rotary cutters, can you survive with 2?
The same with thread.
Instead of collecting all the colours of the rainbow,
can you work with a limited range of blenders
and reduce rulers to your favourites
and the minimum amount to get the job done.
It's quite likely that as your skills have improved,
the tools that you prefer to use have changed as well.
So cull all those tools that you no longer use.
You have a finite space,
which only has rooms for the essentials.
So it's not about how you're going to fit it all in,
it's going to be about whether you're keeping this item
or this item and many of these choices
are not going to be easy
and sometimes the choice is darn right painful.
We know how hard we have worked for the money
to pay for that item.
And we also know that life will not be
as convenient without it,
but space is finite and you'll be more successful
if you have room to move and create
than in a crowded space where you're immobilised
by too much stuff.
Last week, I had this little squirt come into our lives.
He's eight weeks old, a golden doodle.
And his name Mando,
and of course I turned to Skillshare
for resources on how to train them.
Not only did Skillshare have training classes,
it had other ones like ones on grooming
and how to draw pet portraits
and like all Skillshare classes,
they include a combination of video lessons
and a class project.
Skillshare is an online learning community
where millions come together to take that next step
in their creative journey,
offering thousands of inspiring classes for curious people
on topics, such as illustration, design, photography,
video, freelancing and puppy training.
Whether you watch with your morning coffee,
on your lunch hour or in a waiting room,
an annual subscription is less than $10 a month.
And the first 1000 subscribers
to hit the link in the description
will get a free trial of Skillshare premium membership.
It's amazing how much we like other people's stash.
So instead of buying new, trade.
Again, in that conversation where with my friends
where we were sharing tools,
in that same discussion, 10 pieces of fabric changed hands.
Fabric looks so much better in a quilt
then in the back of your drawer,
even if it's not your quilt,
and if you have no sewing buddies simply sell it.
And if you don't know how to destash,
I did an interview with Kim Soper
of FeelGood Fibres, and she had all sorts of tips
for selling your fabrics online,
how to style them for photos and get them listed.
Keep projects to one active and one slow.
This has really kept my projects under control.
I had become disciplined about not starting more
until the last one is completed.
By separating them into two categories,
you can have some quick fun on the easy or small projects.
Then alternate working on the big fussy ones,
which might take years to complete.
Don't collect scraps.
You just don't have the space.
Use them up immediately by incorporating them
into your after quilt or by making scrap blocks
with the leftovers.
I have made several videos on both of these topics
and I'll leave links in the notes below.
Watch my video on UFO management.
and sell or donate anything that doesn't make the yes list.
You just don't have time or space
for projects that you don't love.
Use your 30 minute timer to power through those tough spots
and get you to the finish line.
There are no magical solutions to create more space,
but sewing with less is its own kind of fun.
The challenge to use what you have
can push your creativity into innovative and clever designs.
This is part five of my Organise Your Sewing space series
and the foundations are the same,
no matter whether you sew big or small
and check out my Small Space Sewing Hack
to help get yourself organised.
On Karen's Quilt Circle, I have had the pleasure
of interviewing some amazing guests.
Next week, I have Angie Wilson, Queen of the quilt-a-longs
and you don't want to miss it.
So be sure to subscribe to my channel.
And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter
so I can keep you up-to-date on all my videos,
my stash buster patterns, and events.
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So take care and I'll see yeah next time.