Welcome to Making Space to Make: A Year of Sewing Organization

Over the next year, we're going to work through organizing our sewing spaces together. But before you think "oh great, another challenge I'll feel guilty about not finishing" this is not that. I’m personally terrible at challenges (please see any attempt I’ve made at Me Made May) and I wouldn’t do that to you or to myself.

What This Series Is Really About

This series isn't about having an Instagram-perfect sewing room or following an arbitrarily rigid system. It’s about one simple goal, being able to sew more. When you can find your tools, your machine is in good working order, and you know where that perfect fabric is hiding, your ability to sit down and sew is so much greater, and I think that’s what we’re all hoping for.

Why This Series Exists

A lot of what we'll be covering in this series comes from my own experience over the past two years. I transitioned from having an external studio space to working from home, and that required some serious reorganization and rethinking of how I work.

I can easily get stuck in what I like to call a "planning loop," thinking that everything needs to be organized perfectly before I can start a new project, sewing or otherwise. That's not very realistic, and it's definitely not the point unless my hobby is organizing sewing supplies instead of sewing.

That said, we do need to be able to:

• Find things when we need them
• Keep our tools and machines in good working order
• Access our supplies without frustration

This series is about setting up, and maintaining, a mental and physical space that works for you and how you actually sew.

I'm actually a pretty messy person at heart. Growing up, my room was a complete disaster, and honestly, I still have nightmares about it sometimes. Over the years I've learned that for my brain to function properly and for me to have the mental space to create, I need to keep a reasonably organized space because the physical clutter just adds more clutter to my brain.

Yes, of course we'll talk about functional storage solutions and organization systems because I do love that type of thing, but more importantly, we'll focus on what you actually need to create, and how to maintain those things so you're ready to sew when inspiration strikes.

How This Series Works

Weekly Videos

On Fridays I'll release a new video focusing on one aspect of sewing room organization. Some weeks we'll tackle specific areas like thread organization, fabric stash, or pattern storage. Other weeks we'll focus on maintenance like cleaning your machine or sharpening scissors. And some weeks will be about the mental side, things like defining boundaries and deciding what to keep and what to let go of. There will also be a few Q & A sessions with the feedback and questions I get from you all.

Each week focuses on just one smaller task, something you can most likely tackle in an hour or two. My goal here was to create small, manageable steps instead of overwhelming overhauls.

This is NOT a Challenge

Here's what's really important, there's no prize for following along perfectly. Likewise there's no guilt if you skip a week or a month.

Think of this as a helpful resource library that you can dip into whenever you need it. If a topic doesn't apply to you, skip it. If you're feeling overwhelmed, take a break.

If you're reading this when the series first launches, you'll get a new video every Friday and you can follow along at whatever pace works for you. And if you're finding this after more videos are available, even better, you've got a whole library to choose from. You can start from the beginning, or jump straight to whatever topic is your biggest pain point right now.

How to Approach the Series

I've organized these topics in a specific order that builds throughout the year, starting with the basics like setting intentions and quick wins, then moving into deeper organization, and finally into maintaining systems.

If you're following along from the start, that progression might be helpful, but there's absolutely no requirement to go in order.

Once videos are published, you can browse by topic. Looking for fabric storage? Notions organization? Workspace setup? You'll be able to find exactly what you need. Just check the YouTube playlist or the blog to see what's available. I'll add a directory once we've gotten a few weeks into the series.

What I Hope You'll Gain

When your space works for you instead of against you, things get a little bit easier:

• You spend less time looking for things and more time actually making
• You feel less overwhelmed when you sit down to sew
• You can finish projects because you have everything you need at hand
• You discover fabric you forgot you had
• You actually use all those patterns you've been collecting

Most importantly you’ll remove some of the friction between the idea "I want to sew" and actually sitting down to do it.

Of course I'm not going to promise that organizing your space will magically solve all your sewing problems or that you'll suddenly become wildly productive. Life is still life, but I can tell you that when the physical and mental barriers are lower, and you've taken care of the practical stuff, it's so much easier to actually sit down and create.

This Works for Any Space

I really want this to be clear — I know not everyone has a dedicated sewing room. Some of you are sewing at the dining table, or in a corner of your bedroom, or in a shared craft space. I've been there, I started Grainline in my apartment, and this series absolutely works for you too.

We're focusing on the principles and the thinking behind organization, I'm not prescribing how your space has to look. Your dining table setup can work just as well as a dedicated room, as long as it's functional for you.

Getting Started

Ready to get started with me? Here's what I recommend:

1. Subscribe on YouTube so you don't miss weekly videos

2. Think about your biggest barrier, what's stopping you from sewing right now? Can't find your scissors? Don't remember which patterns you own? Have fabric everywhere and no idea what to make with it?

3. Choose your starting point:

• If you're here at launch: Week 1: Understanding Your Sewing Practice comes out next Friday and we'll tackle different topics each week.
• If you're finding this later: Start with Week 1 for the full progression, or jump to the topic that addresses your biggest pain point

Join the Conversation

What's your biggest barrier to sewing right now? What's the organizing challenge that's most frustrating for you? Leave a comment below, I read every one, and I'd love to get an idea of what you're struggling with in your current sewing practice or what you'd like to improve. Your feedback helps me know what to focus on in future videos.

I'm really looking forward to going through this series with you. Not because I think we all need perfect sewing rooms, but because I know how good it feels when you can just sit down and make something.

Let's make some space, both literal and mental, to create more of what we love in 2026!

Up Next: Week 1 — Understanding Your Sewing Practice

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