High/low: Sewing studio

Which is high and which is low?

Can you tell the difference?

Low: $1,833

1 Coiled cotton rope basket, Michaels, $25. 2 Sektion cabinetry bases, IKEA, $152. Painted fibreboard Veddinge cabinetry doors in white, 24" x 30", $28 each, and 24" x 60", $46 each, IKEA. 3 Powder-coated metal Inez task lamp in white, Structube, $49. 4 Lacquered engineered wood Hi-Gloss trays in Swoon Blue-Green, orange and white, CB2, $35 each. 5 Stained solid Acacia wood and veneer Verona dining table (used as desk), Jysk, $400. 6 Canvas Retro Jumbo Text bin, Jysk, $17. 7 Wicker basket, HomeSense, $20. 8 Powder-coated aluminum and wool blend Patrik Swivel office chair in Ullevi Blue, IKEA, $199. 9 Singer One Plus elec- tronic 231-stitch sewing machine, SVP Worldwide, $599. 10 Olfa Self-healing cutting mat, 24" x 36", Michaels, $45.

High: $14,758

1 Small coiled cotton-blend rope cove basket, Crate and Barrel, $40. 2 Sektion cabinetry bases, IKEA, $152. Foiled fibreboard ringhult cabinetry doors in high-gloss white, 24" x 30", $98 each, and 24" x 60", $161 each, IKEA. 3 White oak and powder-coated steel rex task lamp in ivory, Crate and Barrel, $119. 4 Painted pine and engineered wood zuma trays in aqua sky, orange and white, Crate and Barrel, $35 each. 5 Solid reclaimed pine post and rail dining table (used as desk) in driftwood, Urban Barn, $999. 6 Seletti cotton bin, Neat, $99. 7 Hand-woven wicker basket, HomeSense, $50. 8 Chrome-plated metal Coup office chair with polyester Harper fabric in Teal Blue, CB2, $349. 9 Husqvarna Viking computerized 1,000-plus-stitch Designer Ruby Royale sewing machine with embroidery attachment (not shown), SVP Worldwide, $12,000. 10 Green cutting mat, 24" x 36", DeSerres, $68.  

Creative organizing ideas

Wayward buttons, rolling bobbins...The very fabric of order can unravel quickly in the seamstress’s quarters. Give this creative organizing idea a whirl. Stack a few thick-rimmed square trays on your work table (mix colours for a fun look). Fill the top one with oft-used bits and bobs, including scissors and a measuring tape; stash flat sartorial essentials like fabric remnants in the bottom ones.

Styling open shelving

Keep supplies for current projects top of mind by storing them on open shelving. Here we’ve intentionally omitted doors on one cabinetry column. To give the display some cohesion, we lined the back of the cabinet with a favourite fabric.

On pins and needles

When you think of a pincushion, the classic tomato shape likely comes to mind. The icon dates back to the Victorian era, when tomatoes were placed on mantels to ward off evil and invite prosperity. When the fruit was out of season, dummy versions (made from red fabric and filled with sawdust) were improvised. One seamstress thought to store pins and needles in hers, and the rest is history. As the design gained popularity, a small strawberry form containing an abrasive for cleaning and sharpening was added. To honour that creative spirit, we’ve compiled some unique pincushions from the Etsy-verse. Who knows – maybe the icon will be replaced by a red apple? Clockwise 1 Needle-felted wool Apple, Ewe and Me Yarns, $22 US. 2 Scented organic felted wool in Aqua, Simple Is Pretty Shop, $10. 3 Cotton Wrist, Caractacus Crane, $10.

In stitches

Dreaming big, but your budget’s almost laughable? Don’t worry – here are four affordable sewing machines for the eager beginner. HIGH 1 Computerized 50-stitch CE-5000, Brother, $200. 2 Singer mechanical 8-stitch 1408 Promise, SVP Worldwide, $149. LOW 1 Mechanical 56-stitch XB2510, Brother, $130. 2 SY Electronic 13-stitch, IKEA, $80.