How to Create a Historical Sewing Room on a Budget

[@LadySkippy]

I have never heard anyone encapsulate my design aesthetic so well before- colonial home with 1950s

[@sams9678]

You are a godsend!! I’m just starting on my sewing-my-own-vintage-clothes journey and it is daunting, but now I’m really excited! I can’t wait to see what I can find at estate sales, eBay, etc. Looking forward to watching more of your videos too! Thank you!! 😄

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

Yay so excited for your sewing room, you’ll find some great things!

[@joanhendrix5967]

I'm so inspired by your efforts, patience and planning! We recently moved and I'm in the process of unpacking my sewing room. Watching you and Bernadette makes me wish I made different choices! Ah well, with time perhaps. Thank you for sharing.

[@BlueWren027]

If you like English colonial homes and 1950's fashion, watch "A Place to Call Home". It's an Australian drama series set in the 1950s on an English style property in Australia. The decor is amazing and the time period costumes very authentic.

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

I will definitely check it out!

[@anneofpinehill]

I would have loved to see your entire sewing room more, not just fragments.

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

Hi Anne, I really appreciate the feedback. I was thinking of doing a separate sewing room tour video since this how to video got kind of long.

[@anneofpinehill]

@@CarolineElizabethMartin Looking forward to it!

[@Veronensis]

This is the first sewing room I've ever seen that matches my aesthetic: Historical, but not cluttered

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

Thank you! English colonial homes in America were very simple compared to those in Britain, but I love it because they’re not cluttered or overly ornate.

[@liv97497]

Your sewing room is so pretty, and I loved seeing more of it! I have a deep love and appreciation for old things - my grandfather was a carpenter and woodworker, my mother is a historian; I have many things in my house inherited from three or four generations back (a personal favorite is a big cabinet that has a 6-foot slab of rosewood that is one continuous piece - you just don't get that anymore). I will say, though, to anyone interested in them, be mindful of vintage appliances for two reasons: they usually consume a lot more energy (most modern appliances are made with energy efficiency in mind) and fire hazards. Especially if you have those wonderful, *actually wooden* pieces of furniture!

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

Oh that is so wonderful Livia. My grandfather was also a woodworker and a stained glass maker. I think I get my “I want to make things with my hands” gene from him. That is a great point about vintage appliances that I haven’t thought much about. I try to be as sustainable as I can so this is something I will keep in mind. I definitely see how they can be a fire hazard! I know my 1940s iron gets way too hot at times. I have to be very vigilant when using it.

[@stevezytveld6585]

_Suggestion for an old-time-y modern iron_ - I've been bumping around the internet for a while, looking for a decent iron that doesn't cost a child and won't leak all over the fabric. "Black & Decker 1200 watt classic steam iron with 3-way auto shut off" It runs around 50$ Canadian (not sponsored, sadly). Looks like the iron my Mum was using when I was a kid. Because I remember the burns she would get from those old irons. One of the things I don't trust the grandparents with is wiring. Just a suggestion. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

That’s really cool, I will for sure check it out

[@WildflowersCreations]

Instead of tins glass jars are great for organizing all kinds of stuff. I love using jars I have collected over the years. For organizing drawers you can make wood dividers or you can cut up cardboard boxes and tape them together, both will look period for the 1950s. Love both your videos about your sewing room and how you have created it.

[@sewtritionistrdn1956]

And, most of the sewing rooms or studios online are from quilters.

[@elinordrake7129]

The only issue with the vintage thread is that it often doesn't hold up very long. If you ever decide you would like wood spools, and yet use new thread, Organic Cotton Plus sells thread on spools. The kind on the wood spools is made in Holland so definitely fair trade, and its Oeko tex certified too. Not super cheap like the bags of vintage thread but quite durable I would expect. I've used the vintage and had it fall apart after a lot of washings, I've used the Holland made thread & it's held up well. They have Indian thread as well but it doesn't come on the wood spools. :)

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

yes, I have definitely noticed that some of my historical thread has degraded. I make sure to do a strength test before all my projects. Thank you so much for the suggestion! I will most definitely check them out.

[@elinordrake7129]

@@CarolineElizabethMartin What I do when I happen to get weakened vintage thread, is that I take four or five of them, put them in a basket, to keep them from rolling all over the place, then crochet with all the threads combined to make lace for collars and cuffs. Combining them adds strength & the fibers are not going to waste. I enjoy how it looks so much that I even keep an eye out in thrift stores for bags of it. As long as it's a natural fiber. I realize that the polyester stuff lasts far far longer, but I tend to forget which ones are poly & then the bits of it end up in my compost bin by accident. It's easier just to not buy poly. :)

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

@@elinordrake7129 great idea, thank you! Yea I hate when I accidentally get poly scraps in the compost pile lol

[@bluecupcakefish]

Os your sewing machin is waaaay cheaper than a modern good one 😉

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

That’s the beauty of used! As long as I keep her oiled she runs magnificently (although sometimes she is finicky and skips stitches)

[@Pollydoidle]

Everything is so modern, designs , crafts,, I keep looking for Victorian ideas can’t find anything

[@dismurrart6648]

One tip I have if you want a modern iron with a more vintage look is a gravity feed iron. It'll run a little bit more at about $100 and it needs more space but they're one of the best irons you can ever get

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

Thanks for the tip 😊

[@dismurrart6648]

@@CarolineElizabethMartin absolutely my pleasure! I love the look of them too. I'm slowly making my apartment gothic meets victorian meets joanns farmhouse XD

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

@@dismurrart6648 yes! I love to see a design mash up!

[@dismurrart6648]

@@CarolineElizabethMartin heck yeah! I love your sewing room btw

[@martinnnsss]

Great video! Thank you for sharing the tips

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

Thank you MMartE!

[@stevezytveld6585]

_Suggestion for your desk chair_ - You may have to screw in a slice of wood (combined with wood-filler / slash / wood glue mixed with sawdust) - the wood will give the screws for the wheels something to grip to (I'm assuming that the screw holes for the wheels are stripped).. If you're looking for vintage-looking wheels (as opposed to something you find at a locally owned hardware store) try someplace like Lee Valley. Their vintage-inspired hardware is lovely. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

Thanks so much Cathy, yea the book won’t last forever and I need to look for a more permanent solution

[@stevezytveld6585]

@@CarolineElizabethMartin You'll find it. Repair jobs on antiques can be a journey. But it is So worth it. For you it's going to be a combination of the height of the replacement wheel versus the height of the existing wheels (worse case scenario you'll be buying 4 wheels...) and the overall esthetics. That chair is everything. Right now I'm trying to decide on an wheeled oak chair replacement for our office chair...

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

@@stevezytveld6585 thanks for the advice, I’m sure you’ll find something amazing!

[@octavia088]

I am fascinated by your decision to focus on the 1950’s and collect vintage furniture in the colonial style. My mother, who is now 100 years old, furnished her first home in new colonial revival furniture during the 1950’s. She still owns and uses all of the furniture she bought then, and it has held up beautifully. She bought very high quality furniture from the Carl V. Forslund Co., which published a sizable annual catalog for its customers. If you could find one or more of those catalogs you would probably find them interesting. They specialized in colonial style furniture. Some of my mother’s furniture is Ethan Allen which was also a high quality brand in those days. I mention the brands because if you come across pieces by those manufacturers you will know they are of high quality. You might also want to look for tinted photographs signed “Wallace Nutting”. He often photographed interior scenes he staged in colonial rooms with women in period dress. Many examples may be seen on the internet. They were a popular wedding gift in the early part of the 20th Century.

[@bluecupcakefish]

Yay I could see some of your sewing supplies at the end, but I would love a more detailed video about it ( do you only use vintage needles or also modern ones? Which thread? Güternann ? Auril only vintage? ) Thanks !

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

I’ll probably do a little sewing room tour in the future! I basically use any vintage thread I find on eBay lol. I try to make sure they’re either cotton or silk because old nylon thread is not my favorite to work with. The brands I see the most in my threat drawer are jp coats which then turned into Coats & Clark, belding corticelli, the American thread co, lily, clarks, and talon

[@habituscraeftig]

I find I keep coming back to this video, because even though your taste is not the same is mine, I find your thought process incredibly helpful. My husband and I will be moving this summer, and I am excited to be able to exert some true creative control over my new sewing space.

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

Wow that was super kind! I really appreciate the feedback. Moving is so exciting, I am also moving in a few months (our offer was just accepted so really ready to get the ball rolling with curating my new space). The whole process can be tiresome but definitely worth it in the end. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any specific questions. Best or luck 🙂

[@justinpaglia616]

Great tips! 👍🏻

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

Thank you ❤️

[@1015SaturdayNight]

Oh my goodness I'm sure you could find a caster for that incredible chair ❤️ I love it!!

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

great suggestion, i've been using a book but definitely need a more permanent solution

[@linda.brotherton1689]

Wow thank you so much for such GREAT advise.😊

[@shawnfrye5987]

Nice video.

[@lindacarey7578]

Love your sewing room. I would have skipped the carpet as sewing leaves a trail of threads that are harder to pick up on a carpet.

[@loisruthstrom8143]

Actually, l have more of a concern with those needles and pins! I had one of my elementary school teachers show up the first day in a cast on her leg up to below the knee. She had gotten up during the night and stepped on a needle. It traveled up into her leg and it took surgery to remove it. Yikes! I highly recommend wearing shoes or thick soled slippers indoors. Then, sweep over the rug or carpet with one of those telescoping magnets from the auto supply store. Sewing stores may carry them, but l wouldn't know. Our town doesn't have one.

[@602redroses]

Thank you for all of the grety tips

[@stevezytveld6585]

Thank you. This is a really well timed video. Right now me and Mister Husband are working on decluttering and rearranging the apartment we've shared for the past 25 years (gosh, a body can accumulate allot of Stuff). We're making it over so our vintage 1970's one bedroom will have a bedroom and 'walk-in' closet (all with the - I hope - clever placement of furniture). The living room is getting subdivided with bookcases into a living room / slash / library / slash sewing studio (the 1915 hand-crank Singer 99K sits on one of those metal Ikea drawer units on 4 way castors). The rest of the space gets subdivided again into an office for Mister Husband and a mixed-media studio for me. If we're lucky, we are reaching the half-way point through the boxes of chaos. Good thoughts in our direction would be appreciated. Great video. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi

[@stevezytveld6585]

The Canadian equivalent would be Kijiji. It's basically a second-hand site, organized by cities and provinces. I found my 1915 hand-crank Singer 99K there. And probably 1/3rd of our furniture.

[@CarolineElizabethMartin]

That sounds great! Good luck, I’m sure it will come out wonderfully!

[@amysbees6686]

May I ask how you became a dress historian?

[@amysbees6686]

I can truly appreciate your design aesthetic! My favorite period is Federal (1780-1840). It's reserved, yet cozy.