My Cozy Sewing Room Setup Featuring a Vintage Kenmore and Intentional Goals

I’m so excited to finally share my sewing machine setup with you! A special thanks to Natalie from Natalie in the Northwest for the idea, because I probably would have never thought of this without her.

Sewing truly is one of those hobbies that gives back tenfold, and it’s so much more accessible than people think. For the longest time, I kept my sewing machine set up in a cupboard in my dining area, and because I didn’t have a designated space, I always sewed at the kitchen table. Even when I was little, this was often my setup. So, even though it’s not stunning or Pinterest worthy, it is mine. 💕 And it’s more than I’ve ever had.

Table of Contents

My Sewing Journey

A little backstory. I started sewing in 6th grade when my neighbor kindly invited me to learn with her daughters. My mom, who has always been incredibly supportive of my creative endeavors, helped me every step of the way. I was beyond excited.

The first thing we made was a pair of pajama shorts. I wore them every single night for months. It was the first real piece of clothing I’d ever made, and my mind just took off from there.

After that, I was enrolled in a 4-H program. Do you guys remember those? They were the best. We made everything completely unnecessary and unquestionably fun: a heart-shaped ruffle pillow for Valentine’s Day, a teddy bear with four-leaf clovers for St. Patrick’s Day, coasters in the spring. It was pure joy.

Eventually, we moved. My new neighbor was a talented quilter and seamstress who helped me whenever I got stuck. I started making dresses, flipping old clothes, and turning them into something new entirely.

Where I am now

After years of sewing, I’m working on mastering the art of slow fashion and intentional sewing. When I was younger, I just wanted to learn, learn, learn, and it created a lot of waste. A lot of clothing I wore a few times and then donated, unfortunately.

Now I make sure I love the fabric, that it matches my skin tone, that the pattern will be flattering to MY figure, and that I genuinely enjoy making the piece. It truly is an art.

I’ve also enjoyed making various items for friends and family over the years: book sleeves, makeup pouches, reusable Christmas bags, makeup remover pads, bows, and so much more.

My 1960s Kenmore Sewing Machine

I have two sewing machines, but I never use the other one. I’m still completely in love with my vintage 6-stitch Model 158.13400 Sears Kenmore sewing machine. She’s a beauty. My mom bought this machine for me for $25 at a garage sale over 28 years ago. She’s from the 1960s, works hard, and I adore her. She has been a constant companion over the years and has never once let me down.

That said, I have failed her a few times. I did need to replace the foot pedal about a year ago. A very sweet grandmother had the same machine and was selling the parts on eBay. I was so relieved. I’ve also picked up a few new tools to keep up with the times, including this amazing quilter’s walking foot and a zipper presser foot!

My Brother 1034D Serger

This machine was an impulse buy during the pandemic. It was the last overlocker on the shelf at JoAnn’s, RIP 😩. I did the fastest research of my life, and after reading the reviews, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. And truthfully? I haven’t been yet.

It’s a terrific machine. My only complaint is that it is that – omg it’s SO loud, but you get used to it, and if you wear noise canceling headphones, as I do, you’ll be just fine. It’s a joy to have as a finishing tool.

My Cozy Sewing Corner

Now for the fun stuff! As most of you know, I’m moving into future Mr. Trip Side’s house in the next few months. He’s been so wonderful and has set up one of the guest bedrooms as a makeshift sewing room until we’re able to expand it. We’re both big advocates of using what we have until we can afford to make it better.

For the first time ever, I have a permanent spot for my sewing machine and serger, with adequate sunlight and even space to move around and iron! I have room to store my fabric and thread stash. I have a closet! I’ve never had a space dedicated to a single craft before and it’s such a wonderful feeling.

We’re using two folding tables for the time being, with the hope of getting a secondhand desk in the future. I’m already looking around the house for proper storage possibilities for my sewing shears, seam rippers, elastics, buttons, bias binding tape toolkit, and my collection of thread. Which reminds me, I’ve always wanted a thread organizer. Maybe now’s the time!

Patterns and Fabric

I have a wonderful collection of patterns I’ve gathered over the years. Some are inherited, others I picked up at JoAnn’s, the thrift store, eBay, and of course, Etsy.

Etsy and eBay have been my saving grace for fabric and vintage patterns. Etsy has a few shops that sell deadstock fabric, like CatkinAndScraps and LyricalFabrics. eBay is a great resource for vintage quilting fabric. Some of my favorite 80s and 90s fabric has come from eBay, and I’d rather it go to me than a landfill. My pro tip is to look for bulk fabric stashes. I find that a lot of people try to put fabric from estate sales or sell their great aunt’s collection on there. It’s always very fun to see what fabric you get in a wildcard stash.

Plans

I have a lot of plans for the upcoming year. Sewing is something I hope to set aside time for regularly and use as a de-stressor. I think people are moving back to analog hobbies after years of digital burnout, and I cannot recommend sewing enough. There are loads of incredible YouTube channels that will teach you how to sew or take you along on their creative journey, like Lauren Johnson and Janelle from Roserie Apparel. I cannot recommend them enough. 🥰

As for right now though, I’m hoping to make another Hillhouse Home Copy Nap Dress as I did in 2022, but without the ruffle shoulders. I’d also love to make another Double Oven Mitt, but using a strawberry printed fabric!

Lastly, there are 4 other dresses I’ve been eying for years, and I really want to get them in my closet this year.

Oh my gosh, friends! This was such a fun post to write. 💕 I was thinking about writing a future post on how to start beginner sewing, but on a budget? I know times are exceptionally hard right now for a lot of people, and doing something on a fixed allotment might be helpful.

Let me know what you think and either leave a comment below or leave a 🧵 emoji!