My Workspace

My Workspace - Andrie Designs

Well hello there! With Christmas looming and the holiday season upon us, I thought I would take a step sideways and show you behind the scenes of my workspace – the two pretty poppets Andrie Designs ‘headquarters’, where all the ‘magic’ happens, my sewing room etc., etc… LOL! 🙂

While my workspace certainly isn’t as big as I would like it, and yes I’m quickly outgrowing it, I make it work as best I can, even if that means I have to have my steam press set up in the next room – which happens to be my husbands bar room! Mwahaha! I’m sure many of us have a wish list of things we would love to have, or change, about our workspace (I know I do!), however until that magic day comes, this is my little abode… Enjoy!

Andrie Designs

First up is my cutting table where I spend a LOT of my time working on new designs. It’s actually a recycled kitchen cupboard from when we remodelled our kitchen several years ago, with a custom fit bench top screwed on to the top of it! I set it up to be the perfect height for me as I prefer to stand and cut, rather than sit.

Next to that I have a small shelving unit that holds my tools pouch etc, my workbooks, scrap fabric and of course the bottom shelf is full of my two pretty poppets’ fabric and ‘sewing box’ haha.

I also have a pin board above my cutting table which I pin lots of pretty ‘stuff’ on – for no reason other than to admire it! Notes from colleagues and customers, little trinkets and special ‘bits’ from different events… I think it helps add character to my workspace in a funny little way.

two pretty poppets - My Workspace

Next to my cutting table is my pressing station. This again is a handmade surface – a piece of ply wood covered with a couple of layers of cotton batting and a beautiful teal-coloured layer of cotton duck fabric. This is screwed onto the top of a flat pack set of wardrobe drawers (thanks Bunnings!) and works beautifully – especially for all those larger pieces when making tote bags etc!

I also have my zipper swatches displayed here as eye candy for when I’m pressing. These are from the lovely Jodi who runs the Australian Zip Coop on Facebook (you can find the group here). I also have my gorgeous piece of Kelly Lane artwork as well – “Believe you can and you will”. I love it!

two pretty poppets - My Workspace

Around to the left of my pressing station, on the other side of the doorway, is my sewing table where my two Bernina’s are set up – a B350 I saved up for and purchased myself, and an 1120 which my darling mum gifted to me (and what I learnt to sew on ‘back in the day’!). This is one area I would love to have a bit bigger as it can be a little bit of a squish having the two machines on the one table, however I make it work… for now… Both are dressed in custom fit sewing machine covers, and of course they had to be coordinating and all matchy matchy! 🙂

To the right of the table is where I store my cutting rules and rotary cutters, as well as my backdrops (rolled on a 2″ stainless pipe thanks to my husband).

two pretty poppets - My Workspace

To the left of my sewing table is my floor to ceiling shelving (again, thanks Bunnings!) which houses most of my other ‘stuff’ such as my zippers, hardware, threads, notions, patterns/paper work, random bits and bobs etc. I’ll be showing you some of this in a bit more detail later on…

I also have a set of drawers loaded with other stuff such as my leather scraps, my small rolls of cork, more paper work etc etc.

two pretty poppets - My Workspace

And that’s it! That is where I work and happily spend my time working on goodies for you all to enjoy! 🙂 Keep an eye out next time for a post all about something a little more exciting… my FABRIC STASH!!!!

Feel free to leave a comment or ask a question below, otherwise I’ll see you next time!

Happy sewing! Lisa x

42 thoughts on “My Workspace

  1. Mimin Garcia says:

    Drooling……….. space is a scarcity here in SIngapore but I am just waiting for time when one of my young adults fly the coop 🙂

    What a lovely functional working place you’ve got there .

  2. Crystal Harrison says:

    I am just happy to have a space that I can call “my sewing studio”. Lol! Sounds fancy, but my space is kind of small & I try to maximize the space I do have to its fullest. Thank goodness for built-ins. I absolutely love your metal shelving & your beautifully dressed sewing machines! Thanks for sharing!!!?

    • Lisa says:

      Yes I bet it’s nice to have a sewing studio after your big move! My space is small as well… Dreaming of the day I get a larger room and can spread out more 😉

  3. Cheryl Scheffel says:

    Lisa, so much goodness out of such a small space! Thank you! I also have a magnetic board on my wall for inspiration and saving those important things. My daughter made me magnets out of buttons, bobbins, etc! Looking forward to your next blog.

    • Lisa says:

      Thank you Cheryl! Aren’t inspiration boards great?! Ooh magnets out of button and bobbins sounds like a great idea! Might have to steal that one! 😉

  4. Ruth says:

    Thanks for sharing studio! One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to REALLY organize my sewing room (and other stuff). You’ve inspired me!

  5. Claire says:

    Love seeing your sewing room, has given me a few ideas to try and make mine a little more organised, although my room is L shaped and I have to use my table for cutting and sewing at the moment.

    • Lisa says:

      Thanks Claire! It’s taken a little while to get this stage after trying a few different storage options etc. Definitely looking forward to the day I have a bigger room and separate tables for my machines! 😀

  6. Sheila says:

    Loved seeing your sewing area; I especially like that small shelving unit next to the cutting table. Is that an Ikea piece? Thanks.

    • Lisa says:

      Thanks Sheila! Haha yep that small shelving unit is great for fabric scraps and bits and bobs! I just bought it from a dollar store a little while ago (we don’t have Ikea where I live), but any small bookcase-type flat pack product would a similar job 🙂

      • Sheila says:

        It’s great — I’m looking for a solution on where to store all of these purse patterns that I keep buying and printing out. I know that I will make one of each one of these days. LOL Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I feel like I am inundated with paper, and very limited as to space.

        • Lisa says:

          Ah yes, the age old dilemma of storing paper patterns… 😀 I personally store mine laid out flat and piled on top of each other on the shelf under my threads etc. Feel free to post in my patterns group on Facebook asking what others do if you are looking for inspiration! 🙂

  7. Susan MacLeod says:

    Nicely done. I’m on vacation starting sunday, my plan is to get my sewing space cleaned up! Your space gives me encouragement

  8. Wendy Hayes says:

    Lisa, with your pressing station, is the little bit that you have your iron on just screwed into the main section, then the whole bit screwed onto the drawers? It looks awesome!

    • Lisa says:

      Hi Wendy! Yes that’s correct – the iron holder on the left is simply screwed up into the bottom of the pressing surface (nothing fancy, LOL), and the pressing surface is screwed to the top of the drawers (from inside). Works a treat! 🙂

  9. Patti says:

    I love seeing your sewing space, I’m always searching for inspiration! Would you share the size of your pressing surface please? I have pinned a ton of ideas but haven’t found the perfect size for me- well, maybe now I have!

    • Lisa says:

      Thanks Patti! Yes more than happy to share though don’t have the exact measurement with me – I think it is about 85cm wide by 60cm high (ish). I had it cut that size as my piece of plywood limited me a little, but I’ve found that size is pretty good for bag pieces etc 🙂

  10. Janice Webb says:

    Beautiful and well organized. When reading your blog post, I cracked up about the steam press in the next room. I had to read that to my husband and he cracked up also because my steam press is also in another room. I like how you’ve organized everything to be so functional for you. Thank you for a wonderful blog post.

    • Lisa says:

      Thank you Janice! Haha yes it’s pretty funny really but to m husbands disappointment, it’s the only place it can go at the moment 😉 Mwahaha 😀

  11. Sas says:

    I think your little workspace is perfectly cute! I say that because I have the luxury of two spare bedrooms (even though they are small) and I am not as organised as you are… as a matter of fact I sew in the dining/lounge area as they rooms are airconditioned and here in Nth Qld it is impossible to sew without one is summer… I love your pressing station idea! Thank you for sharing Lisa, love it!

    • Lisa says:

      Thank you Sas! Wow how nice to have TWO rooms to spread out in, though I have wondered if more space would mean more mess to keep tidied up etc 😉 I live in Mackay QLD so know exactly what you mean about needing air con in summer!!!

  12. Ruth Maxgay says:

    I am new to your page, loving it! I’m retired and have taken up making tote bags, wristlets, card wallets, etc. It has grown into a little business, and I love to tell people that my sewing room used to be our master bedroom, and we now sleep in a smaller room! I wish I was as organized as you, my stuff is all over the room! LOL

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