This is a summary of ideas for designing and organizing a sewing room or
studio.

This FAQ includes comments on
a. what contributors would like to have in their ideal sewing room/studio
space
b. good ways to organize sewing room/studio space
c. workroom flooring
d. best height for cutting boards/tables
e. work room lighting - general


A. The ideal workroom/sewing room/studio
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Big closets and lots of 'dead' wall space! (SS)

I would like 3 tables (at least) in the room. 1 for sewing machines (serger
& 1-2 sewing machine -- depending on current project), 1 for knitting
machine and 1 for laying out and cutting items. I would like to have
shelves above the tables. Above 2 of the tables will be deep shelves for
storage, etc. Above the sewing table will be shallow shelves for threads,
tools, etc. I would like a small lamp (attached to the tables) on the
knitting and sewing table. I would like a dress doll in the room (I sew
most of my wardrobe). I would like a radio, tv and vcr (I watch tapes to
study certain techniques from time to time). I would like at least 2
bookshelves to hold all my craft books so they are near at hand when I get
inspired (magazines are stored in book frames). Of course I would like
plants around the window and a window shelf for my cats to sleep while I
work. (CK)

I would suggest a lot of natural light. I have my fabric in either boxes or
behind cabinet doors, so the fabric would not fade. I read in one of the
quilting magazines that one can store material on open bookshelves (for
faster searches) and put shades covering the fronts of the shelves to
prevent fading in a bright room. (JS)

My dream sewing room would have lots of light - preferably a big
office-type fluorescent hanging from the ceiling - also, a nice source of
natural light, if possible; lots of outlets; hard, smooth floors - no
carpet or tile or linoleum - something easily swept; walls to which plenty
of shelving can be attached; storage, storage, storage; a place for my
little cd player; and room for a nice, big cutting/work table (SA)

Your sewing room should have as some part of it a nice view/an openable
window. Fresh air does wonders for a bad mood ("darn machine! darn seams!
darn pins!.... ah! spring! mmmmmm......") (LD)

Make sure your dream sewing room is big enough so that you can put a table
up in the middle of it and walk easily (without climbing over fabric)
around it. Well, a little study will not be big enough. You need a good
sized room. Built in cabinets or bookshelves lining the walls for fabric
would be nice too. (JR)

Personally, I think that my dream sewing room would have one wall be a
design wall, so nothing else could be on the wall, because I would want it
accessible. Another wall would be shelves for fabric (I am currently
designing such a beast - I want the fabric accessible (thus shelves) but
also protected from light and dust, so I will want doors or a curtain in
front of the shelves, for when I am not in the sewing room. On the last two
walls, I want a sewing/cutting/ironing corner, where these separate
surfaces are adjacent so you can easily go from one to the next to the
next. I envision a cutting table that is as high as my waist, as least 30
inches deep (maybe more, similar to the ones that they sell) and 40 - 60
inches wide. A sewing table at I don't know what height (with an adjustable
chair!) with enough room on either side to have project laid out to the
left and gadgets and stuff to the right. And then the ironing board,
probably against the wall with the outlet RIGHT behind it, so no extension
cords! If there is a closet, I would use that to store batting & large
pieces of fabric & other things I don't want to look at (like UFOs).
Hopefully I would have room on the shelves (we are talking LOTS of shelves)
to display quilts that I have done or almost done.

The windows in this room definitely need to have shades or blinds (I like
mini venetian blinds the best, all sorts of different ways to adjust them
depending on the sun/glare, etc. No TV or VCR; would want a radio or CD
system though, I love having music around and it helps me stay motivated
and enjoy my work.

Personally, I HATE storage boxes for my fabric. I always need to get to the
one that is on the bottom. a BIG PAIN. I also want my sewing machine to be
out and ready to sew at all times, but I am planning on making a cover for
it, to keep my daughters fingers off the knobs! (KO)

For my dream sewing room I'd like a large room, like a loft with a view of
my garden, or if I had children I'd like my sewing room next to the
kitchen/family room, so I could be close to the children. But it would be
large with lots of open shelving so I could stack my bins and stuff in one
place, maybe a wall of shelving. You would also need a blank wall as your
design wall. I don't have that yet in my room. Maybe I'd want bi-fold doors
to hide my mess, and to keep the fabrics and stuff from fading. You need a
bookshelf for books too. Lighting is important also, I like the peace and
quiet of not having a radio or TV, but that's a personal choice. (GC)

My DH is currently converting a single car garage into a sewing/craft room
for me. I'm having him make a 'fabric closet' for me that is cedar lined
and has spaced doweling to hang my fabric (I sew clothing, crafts & quilts
so I have LOTS of fabric). The bottom of the closet will store clear
storage container for small pieces of material. Along one wall I'm getting
book shelves (to about waist high) for all of my books (I have LOTS of
those too). My DH has also figured out a way to make me a L-shaped table in
one corner to accommodate my sewing machine & serger for a lot less then
the tables we've priced. The room is about half done right now--the fabric
closet will have the doors put on tomorrow (so I can move my boxes of
fabric, so he can start on the shelving). (VT)

You need a lot of light (overhead, over the shoulder, natural) as much as
possible. I don't have this feature, but have seen it in others rooms and
would love it. Wall to wall open shelves to house fabric. The one thing I
do have that is great is a Foam Core Board that I covered in flannel to
hold current projects. I am currently in two exchanges, and as I receive a
block, up it goes and I look at them every time I am in the room. (SP)

I'd like a room that had adjustable shelving along some of the walls. I'd
like a flannel wall also. I find it useful to have a cork board near my
machine to hold instructions for whatever I'm working on. I use a pegboard
to hold a lot of my equipment. The floor will need to be resilient tiles. I
need something that won't tire my legs and feet if I'm standing for awhile,
but I also need something that my adjustable chair will roll over easily.
Carpeting isn't a good idea because it traps so many pins.

You need good ambient light in the room for general illumination. I like
the new fluorescent bulbs that work in regular incandescent fixtures and
have been color corrected, or halogen. You then also need task lighting at
the cutting and sewing areas. I use flexible neck lamps that clamp onto the
edge of the tables. You need sufficient space to keep your cutting table
set up and accessible from all sides. I don't have this right now and it is
a pain to keep moving things. I have one of the craft tables that folds
down into a smaller space for storage. I also have a cutting mat that fits
the top of the table- but now I can't fold the table up to put it away. I
have a sewing table that has space for my sewing machine and serger. I
bought a very good secretarial chair that adjusts in many ways to help my
back and neck problems.

I can always use more storage. I like being able to see my fabric when I'm
making a choice on color or design. It's useful to have it on shelves for
this. I do have the bookcase as far from a window as I can get it to
protect the fabric from UV light. The only other requirement is for good
electrical service to the area. You don't want to have to run extension
cords all over the place. I listen to the radio while I sew. I have a
portable boombox that I use now. I have an old tuner and speakers that are
in storage that I'll use in the future. (DS)

We are in the process of remodeling our long attic into a combination
sewing/dressing room... The only thing I am sure of at this point is that
the table will be long enough to accommodate 3 sewing machines when
quilting friends come to visit and that the rotary cutting area be higher.
Right now I cut on my dining room table and if I do it too long I get a
backache. (LS)

I only have two items that are REALLY important in mine--storage space and
a window with a view. A wall is nice, but not essential, you can always
make a freestanding one, but I can't imagine a room with out at least one
wall :). I have my machine or my ironing board directly in front of a huge
window with a view and a bunch of bird feeders. I can see birds, moose,
rabbits etc., right out the window, it makes me feel less isolated. I'm not
a tv watcher so that's not too important to me, but a comfortable chair
would be good if you like to watch tv while you sew. I generally do my hand
sewing in the living room with the rest of the family. It would be nice to
have a sewing table with enough room for my sewing machine and my serger,
but for just quilting I'm not sure that's really necessary. My sewing table
has a gazillion drawers that I wouldn't trade for anything, even though it
looks a bit clunky and old fashioned. I used to have a big table for
cutting, but got rid of it, it was more trouble and more in the way than it
was worth. Besides, it took up a lot of room, and being a flat surface, was
always full of junk when I wanted to use it! So I got a piece of countertop
that was cut out from a building project about the size of a triple sink
that I keep behind the sewing table and lift out and put it on the ironing
board for cutting after I iron. It's no hassle and sure saves a lot of room
(and clutter). I am probably in the minority on not liking a cutting table.
I do have room for a stereo (a small one mounted on the wall above the
window, since I listen to recorded books when I sew. (KR)

My little room has nothing fancy, but it does have a large window facing
East, into our back yard. I can watch the flowers and the birds at our
feeders while I stitch. It's heaven! (SG)

When we moved about 2 years ago, there was a funny L-shaped room that I
thought would be my husband's office and he thought would be mine! After
all the fighting was done, it was mine. :( I was initially very bummed. But
gradually it has come into being a fabulous work space. Off in the little
part of the L I have my computer desk - small desk, computer, printer set
up. Also have a little wall room there which I've earmarked for more fabric
shelves one day. There is a little hexagonal window in this room I can look
out of as I work on my computer and see city lights, quite lovely.

In the main body of the room I have 4 walls - one big one for fabric
shelves, 2 design walls, and the last wall (which has the window) for my
sewing desk. What I've discovered is that the light streams in after noon
or so, but it never hits my fabric shelves, only one of my design walls. I
can also look out constantly from the window and see the world passing by.
I have a little space for tv and vcr too, which can be viewed without
craning around. And I have lots of light. I used to think I preferred
morning light, but ever since we moved west I have preferred the western
light. Since I'm usually still running around doing errands in the morning,
I usually don't make it to my "studio" (ok, ok, so it's really only a
sewing room, but studio sounds better!) until the afternoon anyway - just
as the sun comes around. I wouldn't trade for my husband's office for the
world. Who would want a boring old square room with morning light at the
back of the house?

The only thing I might change is the floor, which is light-colored
carpeting. Kind of hard to keep completely clean of threads, but they don't
bug me too much, and in the winter I like the warmth of the room. I also
have one overhead light that is ugly and very yellow, I've been meaning to
change it, would like track lights but that's probably out of the question
(a new bulb is what I afford!). I use two lights on my sewing table, one
tall bendy (goose neck?) one, one bendy halogen beaming onto my machine's
needle. These work fine for me.

Anyway - think about the different kinds of work you do -- designing,
sewing, reading (oh yes, I've got a reading chair too), fabric stash,
ironing (ironing board permanently open under one of the design walls), etc
etc. There's a lot to this quilting biz! Then figure out how to work in the
stuff the way it works for you (iron on the left, desk on the right, for
example) as well as makes sense (no direct sun on fabrics, for example).
(PF)

For my dream sewing room.....a large walk in closet for Fabric. Shelf space
for books and patterns. A full wall for a design wall. Space for a sewing
machine table that will hold both a sewing machine and a serger. Plenty of
space in the center of the room for a cutting/design table. Lots of good
lighting, preferably halogen lights. Room for a comfortable chair for
relaxing with some handwork....facing the VCR/TV. Room for a desk for my
computer, a phone (might as well have a phone, gotta have the line for the
modem). A window with a nice view of the mountains (I live at the foot of
the Rockies) would be pleasant too. I'm sure I'll think of more, but that's
it for now. (SW)

Be sure to have a design wall: a large, empty space on which to pin blocks,
swatches, and works-in-progress. I have a 4'x8' sheet of cellotex (sp.?)
mounted on one wall; it's so wonderful that I wish I had room for two
sheets, side by side. I can even pin quilts on it to photograph. I got in
it a lumber supply place for $13.00. My son mounted it for me with an
electric screwdriver. At the very least, mount a length of flannel on your
wall and use it either for pinning or as a flannel board. (PS)

Mary Mashuta has written articles for Threads and maybe also for QNM or AQS
on how to design a sewing room. She gives recommendations for lighting and
window covering, etc. You certainly need storage for fabric (out of light)
and books (I ran out of room so books are going into another room) and a
8x8 design wall (or 10x10) as big as possible. Cutting table at standing
height is great, etc. Good luck. (S/B)

I've made two changes that have really helped me. First, my sewing area is
beside several windows, the second is halogen lighting. At first I was
afraid the 500 watts would break the bank! I haven't noticed it at all!! Of
course I use the natural light as much as I can. (TS)

I have a room for my sewing and computer. It is small, but it is mine!!!!
The best feature, besides the sewing machine and computer, is a remote
control CD/stereo. I can sit and sew, talk on Internet, and punch buttons
to hear whatever music I like. This room has only one window, though. I
would rather have a wall of them. Outside the window I have bird feeders
and bird bath...Quite nice for entertaining the wildlife and me! There is a
large folding table and only one bookcase. I was going to put shelves on
the wall, but we are probably moving in about a year or two, so no holes in
the walls. I have (a must) a design wall--white felt up with push pins
around and above my sewing machine.

When we move, one of the main features I will look for is a room for my
sewing and computer. Right now I am working full time., but in 24 years
(sooner if I can help it) I will retire, and now I am buying all the toys I
might need! The other thing I would recommend in two tables for cutting and
rotary stuff. The one table I have seems to keep getting occupied with
exchange envelopes, etc. Room for two would be nice! (PK)

We must have a design wall. Mine is portable and has been in the studio
apt, my previous sewing room and now rests in the "Wing". I took an 8'
length of thin wood (molding works well) and use about 4 nails to nail it
to the top of the wall where the ceiling meets it. then I used some cheap
muslin (as mentioned above) and tacked it to the wood molding. During my
last move in Nov. I just pulled the wood, and the nails, off the wall and
rolled it up (with a few projects still pinned to it!). My farm house is
old and has no closets, there are a few nooks here and there with narrow
shelves so I use them for my ever expanding quilting library. My sewing
machines are scattered all around. My latest acquisition is in my "fabric
room" along with my antique sewing table.

I'm using self standing closets to store my non-quilting fabric, batting,
ufo's, etc. I have a small (24"x36") drafting table that I use as a cutting
table but will use my huge table out in the porch when it warms up outside.
Use peg board to hang your tools. You'll only need a couple of nails to
secure it to the wall and then can hang lots of goodies from it. Also use
the hanging thread racks. They keep your thread neat and visible. (MB)

My sewing room is about 10x12, so not particularly large. A double-size
window is in one wall, the door from the hall is in the opposite wall at
the corner, and a sliding-door closet is in a third wall, the one the door
is nearest to. When you walk into the room, to the immediate right of the
door is a small desk with shelves and drawers. The shelves currently
contain books not pertinent to sewing (and so can be moved out to the new
bookcase if I need the space). My sewing machine sits on top of the desk
and the drawers have stuff like attachments, needle cases, and other small
impedimenta for sewing. To the right of the desk is a tall (over 6') set of
shelves. The shelves are something like 15" apart. One shelf is all sewing
books. The other shelves hold UFO's, finished projects waiting to be mailed
out, fabric for clothes (as differentiated from fabric for quilts), and
yarn. In front of these shelves is a floor lamp. The shelves tuck into the
corner of the room.

The wall right of the door has a 2-yard length of ecru flannel tacked up on
it. This is my design wall. In front of it are a couple of little picnic
end tables...I put my current project on one of these, and the other is for
guests and for projects that have to be put on hold while (for example) a
round-robin exchange block gets done or something.

In the corner opposite the door, and next to the window, is a small
bookcase (3' high?) holding magazines, safety pins for basting quilts,
fusible interfacing, ribbon, knitting needles, marking equipment of all
kinds, floss, templates, clothing patterns, all that stuff. Next to the
bookcase is a cutting table: a 3'x6' slab of melamine (like Formica but not
slick) on tubular sawhorses. The cutting table has a couple of cutting mats
on it, the rotary cutter, various sized rulers, and sometimes a pair or two
of scissors. The cutting table runs under the window. On the wall next to
the window on the other side from the little bookcase is a spool holder.

The corner next to the spool holder is occupied by the closet, where I hang
clothing to be mended (and hide my ironing basket when I have company!).
Between the closet door and the door in is another bookcase. This is the
bookcase I emptied out when I got my new bookcase. Now it holds all my
quilting fabric. The top holds fabric I haven't sorted into colors. The
bottom shelf holds large chunks (3 yds or more) of fabric that aren't
needed yet for UFO's.

What the new bookcase did for me was: when all my fabric was on the shelves
right of the sewing desk, I put all my UFO's and FO's on the cutting table.
This got to be quite a heap, and discouraged me psychologically from
working on anything but the current project (which had to stay on the
design wall). Now everything is both at hand and in its proper place.

On the bookshelf where I have my quilt fabric, each piece of fabric is
folded into a rectangle so that its narrow dimension is a touch under 1/4
of the shelf length (so I have four stacks of fabric on each shelf), and
the long dimension is a touch under the depth of the shelf. If the fabric
came off the bolt right sides together, then I fold one strip of fabric
over so that the right side is visible. The sun from the window can't reach
this bookcase, and the lamp is on the other side of the room, so I expect
fading to be minimal. And the neat rows of fabric on the white shelves are
quite inspirational, too! (CB)

I recently moved and was able to designate one room in the place a sewing
room. I consider my arrangement a masterful response to a difficult
situation! My new home is a 2-story duplex apartment, with two tiny
bedrooms on the first floor, and one tiny and one enormous bedroom on the
2nd floor. The 2nd floor is built right up under the eaves, so in the tiny
bedroom the ceiling slants from 4 feet up off the floor nearly to the
center of the room. The full-sized walls are taken up by a window and the
doorway out. There's no room at all for a design wall. In the enormous
bedroom, however, one wall is shared by the other apartment, so I have a
full-height wall about 12 feet long, uninterrupted by anything like
windows. The tiny bedroom opens onto the stairs; if the door to the
enormous bedroom is left open, one can stand in the tiny room and look
across the length of the apartment to that big blank wall.

The tiny bedroom upstairs is now my sewing room. I have adjustable shelves
that reach 7 feet in height; I rearranged them to be two smaller sets of
shelves 3 1/2 feet high and tucked them under the eaves. Another 4'
bookcase also fits nicely under the eaves. These shelves hold UFO's and
equipment. One 6' bookcase fits just barely between the eaves and the
window; it holds my stash. A jelly cupboard fits just barely between the
eaves and the door; it holds my knitting supplies. A 6-foot cutting table
runs from under the eaves to under the window; it holds my current project
plus cutting mats, etc. A wicker trunk also sits under the eaves and holds
batting, large hoops and embroidery frames, etc. A small desk sits next to
the door opposite the jelly cupboard and holds the sewing machine and its
detritus. The ironing board stands in isolated splendor in the middle of
the room; from it everything is within reach. And if I'm sitting and
slaving over the hot sewing machine, I can lean a bit to my left and look
out the door and see, on that enormous blank wall in the bedroom, a 6 foot
by 7 1/2 foot design wall with my latest creation forming on it. (CB)

B. Good ways to organize sewing room/studio space
==================================================
Place storage containers under your worktable to take advantage of the
"dead" space there. Keep the ironing board right beside the worktable. With
an auto-off iron you can keep the iron plugged in at all times (GH)

Take one or two 4'x8' paneling, really cheap and thin. Nail with paneling
nails to studs. These nails make a very tiny hole. Staple white felt to
them and voila, there is your design wall. (SC)

I ordered a book by Nancy Crow that had wonderful pictures of her workroom.
Huge. She had free standing board with feet that formed a v. If you have
seen the blackboards that are movable, you can get the idea. {The name of
the book is Nancy Crow: Quilts and Influences, published by AQS.) She had a
stepladder standing by it. It could be used on both sides. Of course, you
can never have too much pegboard. Maybe the free standing design wall could
be pegboard on one side. (KS)

We have two pegboards mounted, one for each of us, and shelves mounted high
on the wall above our worksurfaces. We also hung two shop lights over our
desks for better light. We plan to have a house with a finished basement
someday. When we do, we'll set the basement up so that we can each have our
hobby areas. I'd like enough space to allow me to have my sewing table
(which has insets for the sewing machine and serger), my cutting table (32
x 60 inches), a couple of shelving units, pegboard on one wall, a flannel
wall and an ironing board all setup at the same time. I make many of my own
garments as well as quilting, so I'd also need space for my dress form and
some sort of drawer system for notions. It would also be nice if I could
have a separate table for my jewelry

making. (DS) I have a "crafts room" in my house, but it's only 10'x10'.
There are shelves built in on one wall, and a closet and built-in desk on
another wall. I like to stack fabric and "stuff" on the open shelves, but
don't like that it gets dusty. I also have a wardrobe chest out in the hall
that I use to store yarn. It doesn't have shelves, so if I want the yarn at
the bottom, I have to take it all out. The desk is good for planning
projects, while a big table in the middle of the room is good for spreading
out and working on them. (ER)

We just bought new furniture for my sewing room. We got two desks that set
at an "L" shape. That way I just move my chair to get to the serger or
machine. We then took off the closet bi-fold door and converted the closet
into a storage unit with built in shelves and table top. I also have a
cutting table on one wall. Plus the best part my color tv so I can watch my
soaps and sew. It is great. (KR-W)

I use a tackle box for my notions, too. Spools of thread and various
packages of seam binding, hem tape, and elastic fit into the flat little
nooks in the trays, and bigger items, like a pin cushion and button box, go
nicely in the larger storage space in the bottom of the box.

I use a tackle box for my rubber stamps, markers, stamp pads, etc. and a
plastic (because everything rusts in Hawaii) tool case for my paints,
ribbons, bows, etc. It is great because one side pulls out like steps, just
like my Mom's sewing box did. It came with smaller clear boxes which hold
beads and findings right now. These fit in the box too. My tool box goes on
a shelf when not in use. I can just pull it out, open it up and be ready
for most of the crafts I do.

I also have another computer paper box for my needlework books, floss,
aida, needles, etc. and that goes on the shelf next to my tool box. Again,
easy to store and pull out, top off and ready to sew. (NR)

C. Workroom floor - preferred materials
=======================================
I would recommend linoleum for a sewing room floor, especially if you have
multiple machines. It is a lot easier to move between your machines & iron
if you have a rolling chair. I used to sew in a room with carpeting & it
was very difficult to move between the sewing machine & the serger. Also,
if you're planning on pin or QuilTac basting your quilts on the floor a
hard surface works a lot better - it's next to impossible on carpeting!
(SC)

If it were my sewing room, I'd have something smooth, like linoleum,
preferably with hot-water heating tubes under it. First off, smooth
linoleum makes it much easier to scoot about on a wheeled chair, from
machine to ironing board, and so on. Secondly, I'm a klutz, plus I like to
work barefoot. Klutziness means I drop pins a lot... and it seems as if
whenever pins land in a rug, they nestle themselves in with their points up
- working barefoot means you find them the hard way. A smooth linoleum
floor is much easier to sweep clear of all the little thread ends, etc.,
and because there are no cracks in it (as you would have with tile), things
can't get caught in the spaces and fester. The heating tubes also make it
more comfortable to work barefoot in a New York State winter.... this may
or may not be a factor where you are. (LR)

D. Best height for cutting boards/tables
=========================================
To avoid back pain the surface at which you are working should be high
enough so that you can carry out the required activity (such as cutting out
quilt pieces) in your preferred position without having to hunch over or
stretch your arms and shoulders uncomfortably high. There is no precise
height that will be comfortable for all people nor any single surface
height that an individual requires. Tall people work more comfortably at
high counter our table tops, short people at lower surfaces.

As a rough guideline, however, try for a work surface which allows you to
have your arms at the side of your body with your elbows bent and your fore
arms angled slightly downwards. The surface is too high if your fore arms
are angled upwards and too low if your hands are more than a couple of
inches above the worksurface. I am 5'4", and for me a work surface of 36 to
40 inches will do, but 39 inches is just right. If the height is right you
should be able to work comfortably for hours if you are careful to do small
shoulder and back exercises, like shrugging your shoulders, turning your
head from side to side, and twisting from the waist a couple of times an
hour. (DR)

The book _The_Motion-Minded_Kitchen_ by Sam Clark has a chart for
determining the best height for a kitchen counter. Probably the best height
for a cutting table would be similar.

Stand straight, wearing your usual shoes. Hold your arm so that your
forearm is level (parallel with the floor). Have someone measure the
distance from your elbow to the floor. The most comfortable height for a
counter is the measured distance minus 3" (about 8 cm for people in the
real world). Too low a work surface causes back and neck ache. Too high
causes arm and shoulder ache. (Of course, if two or more people use a
kitchen, you negotiate. Cutting tables may be shared less often.) For
reference, the Nancy's Notions catalog has a cardboard cutting table that
is available in heights of 34" and 40" (for the same price!). Presumably
the legs could be trimmed. (CB)

E. Workroom lighting - general
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
My husband and I had our house built and of course is has the mandatory
sewing room. For lighting I had a four bulb incandescent ceiling fixture
installed in the middle of the room. Four bulbs really lights up the space
quite nicely. What I find annoying however is the shadow that I sometimes
get on my workspace caused by the light coming from my back.

As the saying goes "if I had it to do over again"...I would install
lighting directly over my workspace instead of in the middle of the room. I
might even consider using fluorescent bulbs. I am not a fan of the harsh
white light given off by fluorescent bulbs but I'm told that there are
softer fluorescent bulbs (that give off more of a pink tone). (TC)

I am truly blessed to have 2 sewing areas: an upstairs "design area/quilt
library/stash closet/pinning table" and a 1st floor laundry room with built
in cabinets and countertops with knee holes for sewing and serging. I just
had track lighting put in the upstairs room with 2 canisters pointed at the
fabric closet and 4 pointed at the work table. So far I haven't encountered
a problem with shadows but the lights are movable so I'm not worried. The
laundry room had 5 recessed lights that used standard bulbs with a glass
filter flush with the ceiling -- it was kind of dingy so I had them changed
to new recessed fixtures with flood lights. Yo baby its bright in there
now! But I can now sew well into the night which my tired old eyes wouldn't
allow in the old lighting. In talking to the electrician he did mention the
possibility of fluorescent lights using "full spectrum bulbs". He described
these as the lights that would not distort colors like the regular
fluorescent bulbs. (SG)