AParkerQuilts Posted January 30, 2006 Report Share Posted January 30, 2006 Hi Everyone. I am new to this. Think I am going to buy a Millenium very soon!! I don't seem to be able to figure out what the absolute minimum size room I need is? I want to put it in my sewing room but am afraid its too small. what do you all recommend? I have a very large finished basement with lots of windows which would be great but have to move the kids TV area. thanks for any advice you can give me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katydids Posted January 30, 2006 Report Share Posted January 30, 2006 Hi AParker. This is just my opinion, don't take it the wrong way, but you really won't want to cramp yourself. If you have the large basement, why not move your sewing room down there along with the longarm and move your kids tv room into your sewing room??? You are going to want to near all your sewing supplies anyway. Patty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AParkerQuilts Posted January 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2006 Patty- Exactly right.....sewing room already is down there but separate from kids area....its about 14 x 9 ft........I don't think its big enough, is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted January 30, 2006 Report Share Posted January 30, 2006 AParker, I think that ll Milleniums are 14' long. You might be able to buy a smaller machine, like a Liberty and Freedom come in 12 & 14 feet; the Discovery model is 10 or 12 on the wood table. I have a 14' and it is in a 15 x 20 room set on the diagonal just so I can walf around it...on one end only. The other end is pushed into the corner. And that is a tight sqeeze. Plus if you plan to do this professionally, you will need room for thread, batting, customer quilts, etc. For me, there is no such thing as too much room for a sewing room. But space is not the only consideration. Electricity, lighting and climate control are also important factors. There are several folks with webshot web pages showing their studios. You can get lots of hints from how they organize their space. Here's one for example: http://community.webshots.com/album/396211944tRMxkN Do a webshot search on "quilt studio" and see what turns up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyL Posted January 30, 2006 Report Share Posted January 30, 2006 You can get the Millennium with a 12 foot table. I have a 12 foot table and only got that size because we move from time to time and I figured I'd have better luck finding a room that would house a 12 foot table rather than the 14 foot table. At home, I have a room in the walk out basement with windows and doors going out to a patio and garden so I don't feel closed in. The room is 24 x 22 and it's a great size. I sew in another room so I don't have the sewing machine and everything in there. In my studio in town, the room is about 16 x 18. Because I have a couple of book cases, a computer and some storage racks where I keep customer quilts, I feel extremely crowded in the 16 x 18 room. I can't wait to go back to my basement room! Move the kids out! You need the room! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susanri Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Go with the space in the cellar!!! More space is great storage meeting customers ect...I have the worlds smallest room its only 12feet by 7feet!! And its a challenge!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giftedhands Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 I have a 14 ft table. My space (basement re-do) is 13 x 18. I am there with Judy...More space the better. I have 4 bookshelves, and a small table with drawers and....well, the space is adequate. I won't be moving anytime soon, and there's no chance of expanding so I will have to make do...that IS what we do best, isn't it? cynthia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrna Ficken Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Congratulations on your new adventure, I personally would move the kids into your sewing room and move all of you sewing stuff into the large space. It makes the most sense to me Myrna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 We just moved my Liberty with a 12 ft table into my new sun room. The room is 16x20, and the machine is at one end. I was surprised once I got it right where I wanted it how much space it actually took! I can walk around only one end, but I have always had it set up that way, and I'm about 3 ft from the back window wall. We decided that it could be gently moved back it we needed the space for family gatherings. I still don't have furniture in there, except for my Koala sewing furniture. My "resource center" is staying in the basement. It is worth it to me to share the space, just to get into the light!! My basement family room was too dark, no matter how many lights I had on. Life is full of trade offs....get the best space you can, and upgrade as needed. DH is a great guy, but I think he has caught on. Cheryl in Iowa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hollyrw Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 I used my new Millie as an excuse to build a studio. We didn't have any place in the house, except the living room, that was big enough for even the smaller table. My new studio is 27 x 27 and houses all my quilting stuff. Of course the main attraction is the long arm. It's wonderful. I think you should go for the largest space available. You won't be sorry. Holly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbishwit Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 I have a 13.5'X12.5' room with a 12 ft table for my Liberty, along with my sewing area and a desk with a computer for my customers. It's a tight fit once you get all of the stuff you need in the room. If you have a larger room than by all means go with the larger space...you won't regret it. Joann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 My usable space is 11 1/2 by 19 and I certainly wish it was bigger. In addition to my Mille (14 foot table) I have a small computer desk, file cabinet, 2 small sewing tables, several bookshelves. Originally I was going to keep my sewing machines and computer upstairs, I found I was always running up and down because whatever I needed was in the wrong room. Also my 4 tiny grandkids (triplet boys and 1 year older big sis) were frequently here for several days at a time and we needed that room for them to sleep in I was worried about them getting into sewing things and my computer unsupervised. Anyway I moved everyting to my quilting space about 6 months after I set up my machine. It's now a really tight fit. Dreaming of a new studio and a different house in the near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ammueller7 Posted February 1, 2006 Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 My Milly is in my living room - it's 13 1/2 X 18 1/2 and I can also get only around one end. I have a piano at the other end - a sofa against the raining at the front side of the machine and thread, batting, etc at the back. WAY too tight - so DH just built himself a new garage and Milly will be moving into the existing garage. Just took out the door and put in a bay window. I can hardly wait. the garage we're taking over is 24 X 30 and DH thinks it's going to be a family room with a Millenniumn in it. I keep telling hi it'll be a Milly room and maybe he will have room for a chair and small TV. Can't ever have enough room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted February 1, 2006 Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 Can you ever really get a room that is big enough? My first studio was a 400 square foot rented shop and it was about 800 square feet to small after about 6 months. My neighbors use to laugh at me cuz there was just barely enough room to see customers and then back them out as there wasn't enough room to turn around....since moving from Nevada to New York I had a mission....it was to buy a new house...guess what it didn't matter what the house looked like it, it was a total game plan to buy the house around the longarm...and I think I did it....there is a whole 1500 square foot finished basement that will be my studio...lighting is a little lack, but have a hubby that can fix that soon. So if you have the room...go for it...don't look back and don't give any of your space to others... AParker, Move the kids up to your old sewing room if you can. Good luck and happy designing of your new space...you won't look back. Bonnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LA Posted February 1, 2006 Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 Bonnie, I like your thinking! I would much rather have a spacious quilting room than living space! At one point I had my studio in my home, while I loved being with my children, it was a safety concern. Not so much my kids as they were older, but sometimes I had clients that would bring little ones along for their appointment, & not always see them when they decided to explore! I am a fanatic about keeping things clean & picked up, but wouldn?t you just know it, they can think of things that are imaginable to adults!! :mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judi Posted February 2, 2006 Report Share Posted February 2, 2006 I have been searching and looking at ideas for a quilting studio. Right now my machine is in my living room, which is working out o.k...... have to remind the girls - HANDS OFF! - now and then, and tell any visitors the rules: "This is Mommy's MACHINE - it is NOT a toy"..... Oh if they only knew! Anyhow, I hope we will start building it this year. I have an idea of how I want to mount and store my rolls of batting on the wall. I have a cutting table I had made for me with leaves that fold out-and-up to make it 4' x 8'. There are drawers under that which hold my thread spools - no dust. I will move my other sewing machines out there, and of course the Millennium and probably should have a computer too. Other than space to hang customers quilts (I like the idea of displaying on a bed when quilted) I am wondering what I am forgetting about? I am hoping to draw on the experience of quilters out there. I don't want to have any "could of - should of - or would of's" after the place is built. I know what ever size it ends up being, I could fill it in no time. Just feel like I am forgeting something important I need to make room for .... P.S. I have heard of a lady whose room is so small, that she uses a little scooter to slide "under" her machine to get to the back side...... we do seem to make things work one way or another! Judi O. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheriflemming Posted February 2, 2006 Report Share Posted February 2, 2006 I agree with Myrna. The kids will be fine in your "old" sewing room and you will be happier to have a bigger space, especially if it has nice windows as you described. I have a nice sized space and I continue to fill it with all that I "must" have, including a second machine. Yes, it was a "must" have:) In my opinion you need at least 8 feet in width to work comfortably and add 5-6 feet onto the length of the table to account for such things as a motorized feed, and simply to be able to walk around the machine on both sides. Having said that, in my old space I was only able to walk around one side and it worked out just fine. We do adapt as needed. You might also want to consider visiting someone who has a longarm so you can see first hand what it looks like in a home setting. My door is always open to people who want to see my set up. It is quite the conversation piece whenever we have parties at our house. Everyone just has to go see that big machine:P So if you live in the Hershey, PA area feel free to come for a play day. Sheri Flemming Hershey, PA 717-533-1410 Sales Representative American Professional Quilting Systems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amywood Posted February 2, 2006 Report Share Posted February 2, 2006 Hi, This is my first time to respond to a topic, but..... When I felt I was running out of space in my sewing area, and was upgrading my long arm, I "negotiated" with my husband for a 2 bay garage addition. He got the first floor, and I got the second. This has worked out great for me. But you have to remember that you WILL fill whatever space you have. I think my stuff just expanded when it hit air and sunlight. Happy planning. Amy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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