Spring has sprung! Time to get cleaning, but let’s focus on the most important space in your home: your sewing space of course! A clean, well-organized, and de-cluttered sewing room, or space, will help you feel calmer and more creative, so you’ll be ready for your spring and summer sewing adventures!
- Clean your machine — It’s so important to be nice to your sewing machine! The number one thing you must do to keep your machine working properly is properly clean your machine! Follow the instructions in your user guide or bring your machine to Chateau Sew & Sew for a professional service cleaning.
- Wash your ironing board cover — Pop your ironing board cover in the washing machine, or if it’s seen one too many days, replace it. Take a look at your iron, ironing cloths and any other pressing tools as well and clean or replace these too.
- Clean your iron — Don’t forget your iron! It needs some love too…on the inside and outside. Best to follow the instructions in your iron’s manual.
- Clean your cutting mat — If you sew a lot, or even a little, chances are your mat needs a refresh. Use a wet cloth and small amount of a gentle cleaning product to scrub away marks and dirt.
- Sharpen up your blades — Make sure your scissors are sharpened and replace the blade on your rotary cutter.
- Organize your pins and needles — Toss any bent or rusty pins and sewing needles. And pick up any pins or needles that have managed to find their way into the nooks and crevices around the room.
- Inventorize and categorize your fabrics — Be honest with yourself…if you haven’t touched it in two years and have no special plan for it then toss it. Donate unwanted fabric to charity thrift stores or a local quilt guild or give to friends who may find more use for it. Fold and organize remaining fabric by color or type and neatly stack on shelves or in clear bins so you can easily see everything you have.
- Don’t forget your patterns — So many patterns, so little space! Organize your patterns by categories, brands, or styles. Purge patterns you no longer use, or any that are missing pieces or have seen better days.
- Reorganize and clean up odds and ends — Empty out all of your storage containers and rinse the with soap and water. Before you put anything back in, ask yourself, do I need this? Have I used it? Will I use it? If it takes up space without bringing value, toss it. Reorganize contents by type, use, color, size and so forth before putting everything back into containers.
- Wipe down and feng shui your space — Vacuum, mop, clean all the nooks and crannies of your room or dedicated space. Take this opportunity to rearrange furniture, storage bins and anything else that will make your space a haven of creativity and inspiration.