My First "Job"!

I’ve always said that my dream job would be a professional organizer. But, since I can’t exactly quit my day job now, I am going to enjoy doing any projects that come my way. Recently, my friend Aimee emailed asking if I would be interested in working in her sewing studio. She runs an in-home business, The Sassy Closet, which specializes in hand-made monogrammed gifts and clothing for kids. 

The Sassy Closet opened about 18 months ago and has only gained speed each and every day. All this sewing plus 2 kids has left Aimee with very little time to organize her studio so… enter me. We put our heads together and spent 1 day working in the studio to find ways to make her job more productive.

Here are some “before” photos. You can tell some serious sewing goes on in this room…

Luckily, Aimee had a walk in closet in the room that was being used for other household items. She relocated those items and dedicated the closet as her inventory room. This freed up a ton of space in the room allowing more room to work. We hung up the loose fabric pieces and stacked the fabric bolts on one closet shelf. We stored seasonal items on the top shelf, gingham items on another shelf and added a hanging organizer for small baby items (bibs, blankets, etc.) Aimee added a wire cube organizer unit on the floor to separate t-shirts by size. Market totes and beach bags were stacked neatly on the floor. We also hung a step stool on the door for easy access to the out of reach items. BTW, does anyone else get as excited as I do about an organized closet? LOVE IT!

Aimee repurposed an existing furniture piece and moved it close to the door to use as a mailing and packaging station. All boxes, bags and mailing materials are stored inside so when items are ready to ship, they are moved to this station. I love how she added fabric to the back to make the piece really “pop”.

Above the sewing stations, we added pegboard to house thread, scissors and hoops. (Thankfully Aimee knows what all of this stuff is because I am clueless and quite intimated by these machines!) The pegboard and hooks totaled $10…a great and inexpensive way to organize!

Aimee already had a large map hanging above her desk. I suggested she start adding push pins to every place that she ships an order to watch her business grow. She liked and implemented the idea and will get to see her growth every day. What great motivation!

After getting rid of a ton of scrap fabric (I’m very proud of Aimee for this!), we housed all small pieces of fabric in these 2 colorful bins under the cutting/work table.

Finally, we purchased a cubby cabinet from Target with colorful bins to house supplies such as stabilizer, zippers, buttons, etc. Aimee used some of her favorite fabrics to cover the back, adding small pops of color to the area. This was my favorite piece! We separated supplies and stored them in bins and boxes. All loose ribbon was stored in one of the small green bins with holes. Each different type of ribbon was pushed through the holes so she can just pull out the color she wants without having to dig through a ton of ribbon!

Aimee added the finishing touches like fresh paint (LOVE the color!) and a new desk lamp to really make this a welcome and inviting sewing studio. And, check out the wall art…a totally inexpensive yet creative way to decorate. Since she spends so much time in that room, why not make it a happy, colorful organized haven?

Check out The Sassy Closet for more photos and Aimee's comments on the makeover. While you're there, check out all of the adorable items offered from The Sassy Closet! Trust me, Aimee's work is wonderful...I can't wait to put my new market tote to use on my next organizing adventure.

I could not have been more satisfied with this project.But, now I’m running wild with ideas for other areas. So, if you have a space you need help with, email me …I’d love to help!