Jump to content

Room to sew?


Recommended Posts

Hi ladies, We're about 2 months from putting the house on the market. So we're going thru the house and downsizing. I have to have my sewing but i am sure i cant bring everything. So tonight I bought some nice plastic containers to pack my fabric stash and supplies. I have 6 containers that are approx. 14" x 22" x 5". Then my sewing machine and serger. I'm guessing all this weights 30-40 pounds. Am I out of line bringing so much? The containers will travel in one of the lower compartments that open from outside. Not sure yet if hubby will build a desk or sewing table where the dinette is. He wants to build a sewing area for me but I don't want to take over the RV. How much stuff do all of you have on board? Any help is appreciated! Hope to meet with other quilters along the way.

Wendy

Wendy and RobinYellow Roadrunner

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I sew & bead. We have taken the dining set out & are building me a sewing center. It brings me to much inner peace & feeds my soul to create. I make holiday, birthday, & other gifts. I have the option to make things for "Road $" if I'd only stop giving everything I make away ! I can always remove the sewing project if we want to use a table.

 

You will have your couch, We have also taken out the couch for Dannys office. We have raised our children, 3 grandchildren & several adoptees. Now is our time. So having what we love to do available to us is what is important. Not what the neighbors will think, or where do I entertain guests etc. There are plenty of places to entertain. A resturant, outside, even sit with us in chairs in our "Offices" .

 

I vote to let Hubby build you a sewing area. I am sure you both can come up with an Idea that can double as a dining room. How about flip up machines like in the old timey sewing tables ? A nice table cloth to hide the flip ups.

Have fun !!! Bird & Danny

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest David & Lorna Schinske

I only sew when I have to (I need to tailor some men's shirts to fit me) and keep a decent sized semi-fancy sewing machinne (meaning it has lots of fancy stitches and an automatic buttonhole maker). I was never into sewing and working in a factory sewing was enough sewing for me. But Sometime I need to do some repair work and some "If-I-don't-make-it-myself-then-I-won't-have-it" type sewing. that said, figure out what you absolutely MUST have, what you WANT but can live without if need be. Prioirtize those things (write it down on paper and really think about it). Then look at the available space you have (or look at what you can live without in order to get your sewing center).

 

You might want to check out this search on Rockler.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Right now we are rebuilding our 5er. As when we brought her home... well we stoped for dinner & part of the siding & window blew out on the way home. We have decided to tear her down & rebuild her from almost the ground up. On the farm in Ky.

 

Thanks Bird, he's building it now so we will see how it all fits. Sounds like you have quite the set-up. I'd like to see pictures of your space when you can.

Wendy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you go to "resort" parks, many have space where you can stretch out with a large project - especially at the Escapees parks and co-ops!

Full-timed for 16 Years
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome
and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

we winter in Bouse, Az and at the community center they have ladies day, you can bring your own project and sew, bead, paint what ever it's so nice because the ladies that quilt have a nice big table and lots of light to work, they bring their machines and everything. Everyone shares their knowledge and it's wonderful to get together with other ladies and visit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Am I out of line bringing so much?".....No, my DW is probably outta line for carrying twice that amount. And more quilting supplies than she'll ever use stashed at our winter place.....but she'll say the same about my tools.

 

Regards

Gemstone

'06 Elite Suites, '08 Softail Classic, '06 Softail Deuce.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We travel in a 36' class A with 2 sewing machines and an embroidery machine. One stores in a back closet, one under the dinette and one in front of the passenger seat up under the dashboard. We use 2 Walmart folding tables to set up the machine & cutting/pressing stations. For pressing we cut down an old ironing board cover to about 20"x28", backed it with fabric & slipped a piece of cardboard between the two layers. The caddy for my iron opens flat to add a second layer of pressing surface.

 

If we are each using machines on the folding tables, the cutting & pressing station goes on the stovetop. We have 16 shoebox sized bins for smaller cuts of fabric that store in cabinets above the windshield. The sofa was removed & replaced by a 33"x66"x18" box with a lid, topped by a mattress & bolsters to form a daybed with storage for batting, projects & larger cuts of fabric. I have to confess that there are quilt books, magazines, patterns & supplies tucked in other areas as well.

 

My husband is also active in amateur radio. His radios are mounted to a plywood box that sits beside him on the dinette bench. Antenna wires come up under the bench thru the floor of the slide. Some equipment is on a shelf under the table between the benches against the wall. The embroidery machine and a pantry box are under the shelf.

 

We have replaced the dinette table with a desktop from Ikea. It is attached to the wall with L-brackets & has a single folding leg recycled from the original table. The Ikea desktop is the same size as the old tabletop, but is a 4" deep box with a hinged top. His laptop, journal, directories & a pinboard all fit inside when the top is closed, leaving a clear tabletop for meals. Wonderful! No more clearing clutter to make room for dinner. What a joy.

Barb & Dan Lopes

2002 36D WindSport

2002 Ranger

2001 HD Sportster

Ginger (poodle X)

Yoshi (shihtzu)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Dan'l gets the prize for the most elaborate set up yet! That is amazing. My wife is a quilter and when we were full-timing she had easily as much as you are wanting to carry. However, two machines and six totes are going to be way more than 30 or 40 pounds. No big deal, just be realistic about it. When in the middle of a project, during the day, my wifes stuff would cover the bed, the table and at times the stove. But then I would go outside and set up a canopy with the sides attached, get my bandsaw and scroll saw out, all my carving tools and have a shop! So we were both happy campers. Of course, we did all of this when we were staying somewhere for a few months!

2007 Arctic Fox 32.5 rls for full-timing, now sold.

2014 Sunnybrook Sunset Creek 267rl for the local campgrounds now that we are off the road
2007 Silverado 2500 diesel

Loving Green Valley, AZ (just South of Tucson)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Sue has a wheeled "tote" that moves her sewing stuff back and forth from the Stix'n'Brix to the RV. Since we do not full time yet this seems to work well. Our RV has a "half dinette" made up of an extension of the sink's counter space towards the front of the rig. A single dinette seat is perched between that counter and the sofa with footroom under the extension. It's been an ideal place for kids to eat and also for her to work on her sewing projects. The machine fits with its open end toward the aisle on the driver's side of the coach so large projects just drape down and block my route to the refrigerator. :P

 

She stores this tote either in one of the closets or in the foot area between the half dinette seat and the kitchen cabinets. It's also a great place to work on a computer or sit a small ham radio for morse code contacts. Many of the '90 to '95 Foretravel coaches have this little half dinette. When we bought the coach we had no idea it would come in so handy.

 

Craig

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

Raspberry Pi Coach Computer

Ham Radio

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought I'd post a photo of Sue at her "sewing table" in the motor home. At home she took over the space my former business partner had in our offices upstairs as her sewing corner so she has a ton of room for her embroidery machine and other machines. But she finished a quilt in the RV last time we went camping. I was impressed.

 

Craig

 

post-25353-0-60860000-1386013909_thumb.jpg

 

 

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

Raspberry Pi Coach Computer

Ham Radio

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just read Dan'l's post to my wife. Probably a mistake on my part but that is an amazing post. I'm also into amateur radio (and wouldn't mind getting into N-gauge model trains, either) and the ideas described are pretty cool. We don't have a "real" dinette, however. So we'll have to improvise. But we have a couple of years (and a fully equipped workshop thanks to Harbor Freight and craigslist) to work with.

 

The sofa changeout is the most interesting. We spent 5 years living on a 32' sailboat in which spaces for storage were not wasted. The salon settes both had lots of storage under them. Of course sailboats do not have to be only 102" wide so ours had pilot berths above and outboard of each settee for the kids bunks. No way for me to do that but the idea of a settee with storage (around the front furnace and water pump/pressure tank which live under the sofa) makes sense.

 

Nifty ideas. :)

 

Craig

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

Raspberry Pi Coach Computer

Ham Radio

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I dont sew well but I am a handspinner. I make yarn from mostly exotic fibers. Fiber can take up alot of room. I mean ALOT! Im thinking if I get a class c, I can store my fiber in the part over the driver and passenger seats.My wheel doesnt take alot of room, it can sit in the passenger seat.

What to do with all the yarn? Is is ok to sell at campgrounds? What will you do with your projects? I think you must

put in far more energy and attention than I do. Will you sell them or give them as gifts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My wife quilts and carries her sewing machine. Which goes behind her recliner when we travel. Otherwise it is set up on the table. That's about all the table is used for. She has one of those plastic storage things with drawers that she keeps in one of the closets. She has two containers which stores her thread. There are 4 overhead cabinets in the back of the trailer where she keeps various material. Also in the basement she has two bins of various material. She uses the island with a ironing pad for pressing quilt blocks etc. She has generally quit making large bed sized quilt since we've been on the road and is making smaller items as gifts for our 13 grandkids.

Dave and Marge

2010 Phaeton Motor Home
Previous Mobile Suites 36 RSSB3 (for sale)
and 2005 FL M2-106 Sport (for sale after 5er sells)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just bought the DW a Singer Featherweight to use on the road. Her three fancy machines stay in the S&B. All she wants to do while on the road is make quilt tops. We are not full time, we take one 3-4 month trip and about 6 up to 2 week trips a year.

Dave Watkins

Highland Village, TX

2014 F-350 Dually

Open Range 349RLR

 

VisitedStatesMap.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

I quilt, but I have had to change my technique. No more piecing full quilt tops and then doing the batting and backing in one shot. It has to be done in sections so I have enough room. It can get a bit clumsy when the sections get sewn together. I can use the dinette or outside picnic tables for piecing and basting. I hand quilt, so I don't need a special place for that. I was all excited about the CG we are in now because they have a craft room. But it always seem to be busy with meetings or classes or groups doing projects.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mantislover, I do bed sized quilts. Because I hand quilt and I am not compulsive (except towards the end), it can take a year to finish one. Then, they get used. If my own are still in good shape, I give them to family or friends. Sometimes, I make them specifically for a particular person or couple.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since someone reopened this old thread, I thought I'd mention that we recently ditched the dining table and replaced it with a Martelli sewing/cutting table with electric lift. It gives Sandie a far better work area and actually fits into the space better than the old table did when its leaves were in place. For traveling I plan on just locking the casters and, if necessary using a bungee or strap to tie it to the wall. Here's a picture of it with a tablecloth on just before dinner. The small stools from Overstocks fit perfectly and are comfortable while eating (Sandie has a "task chair" for serious sewing.)

 

Sandie & Joel

2000 40' Beaver Patriot Thunder Princeton--425 HP/1550 ft-lbs CAT C-12
2014 Honda CR-V AWD EX-L with ReadyBrute tow bar/brake system
WiFiRanger Ambassador
Follow our adventures on Facebook at Weiss Travels

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Consider a ToyHauler a dedicated area that keeps the projects out of the way and leaves a table for meals. You can have a proper sewing area, chair and room for supplies. The big rig is set up this way with 2 4d agm batteries since we boondocking alot. The Roadtrek is a challenge, a small machine and limited supplies, but shorter trips.

 

Trying to keep the wife happy

1999 Dodge QuadCab Diesel

2005 DesertFox 28KS

The toy is the wife's sewing machines

1992 Dodge Roadtrek 190 Versitile

"...traveled the same road as many..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

DW is a big time embroidery, quilting, and sewing gal. So we made the choice, that to be fulltiming it, the rig need a craft room. So we bought a bunkhouse add made some changes in the bunk room. Added a manager's desk for a sewing surface and a table across the back for cutting, etc. Converted the closets into shelving for storage. I do some fly tying on the table(if she lets me :-)

2015 Montana Mountaineer 356TBF, 2013 3500 SRW Chevy Silverado, LWB, 4x4. We do it because we love it, not because we have to.

http://johnandjanicervadventures.blogspot.com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

RVers Online University

campgroundviews.com

RV Destinations

Find out more or sign up for Escapees RV'ers Bootcamp.

Advertise your product or service here.

The Rvers- Now Streaming

RVTravel.com Logo



×
×
  • Create New...