15 August 2018

Sewing Space Tours.... Lladybird's Charming Studio

Lladybird Sewing Space Tours - Tilly and the Buttons


For today's sewing space tour where we peek behind the closed doors at a crafter's inspiring sewing room, we're in Nashville TN with Lauren, the inspiring sewist behind the captivating Lladybird Blog.

Lauren is well known for sharing no-nonsense sewing realness and being hilariously forthright about everything she makes. We've admired her sewing knowledge and passion for the craft for years and are so excited to share where her sewing magic happens!


Lladybird Sewing Space Tours - Tilly and the Buttons


Hello everyone! My name is Lauren Taylor, and I blog at LLADYBIRD.com. I live in the US - in Nashville, TN (born and raised!). I do lots of sewing-related jobs - I manage the class schedule at Craft South, I am an on-set tailor for commercial photoshoots and videos, and I teach a Sew Your Own Jeans Workshop that travels around the US and Canada!

Even with all this going on, I still manage to find plenty of time to sew. I love to make garments and I sew almost everything I wear at this point - including exercise gear, pajamas, and even underwear! I also dabble in several other creative pursuits - including knitting, embroidery, calligraphy, painting (watercolors and acrylic) and sketching - which means I have a lot of supplies that need to be corralled in one space!

Lladybird Sewing Space Tours - Tilly and the Buttons



I am lucky that I have the means to afford a house with a second bedroom that I was able to turn into my sewing studio. I’ve managed to have a dedicated sewing space in every home I’ve lived in for the past 10+ years, and I’m not going to lie - it’s pretty awesome! Since I’ve been sewing for as long as I have, this means I’ve had loads of time to really get my space to work perfectly for my needs.

I think I say this with every house I live in, but this is truly my favorite sewing space yet! There are large windows that allow for plenty of light, and my house is an original 1935 Tudor which means it still has all the old walnut trees around it - so I am offered a lot of privacy as well.

Lladybird Sewing Space Tours - Tilly and the Buttons

The room itself is not very big - roughly 10’x10’ - and working around all the windows as well as two doors (the entrance to the room, and a door that leads to my massive side porch) and a closet took some serious planning! I am really pleased with how the space is laid out, though - it is small, but it is efficient.

Lladybird Sewing Space Tours - Tilly and the Buttons


I have room for all 4 of my sewing machines to be out at all times, a full-sized cutting table, an ironing station, a desk and printer, plus shelving so I have plenty of storage. Most of the furniture in my studio comes from good ol’ Ikea - the sewing table, the printer stand, the cutting table (which I built using 2 Kallax shelves, a countertop, and casters), all the shelves, and even my ironing station (a basic kitchen cart with padding and linen stapled to the top in place of an ironing board cover). Only my desk and chairs are from somewhere else - some lucky flea market finds.

Lladybird Sewing Space Tours - Tilly and the Buttons


Having moved around a lot in many years and generally occupying small rooms, I have learned a lot about making the most of your space. The biggest thing is that you *have* to stay organized, or the room will get taken over very quickly! I keep most of my supplies in labeled boxes, bins, and drawers, so it makes clean-up a snap.

The other way to make the most of your small space is to take advantage of vertical storage! A lot of things can go up - whether they are on shelves, or hung directly on the wall. Doing this can add loads of room that you didn’t know you had!

Lladybird Sewing Space Tours - Tilly and the Buttons


Of course, decorating my studio is almost as important as it being efficient - I like to surround myself with things that make me feel good, and this is certainly my happy place! While this room is absolutely very colorful, it’s quite toned down from former studios I’ve occupied :)

When I moved in, I had my landlord paint the walls white (and also rip up the carpet - yeah, fun fact, there were GORGEOUS hardwoods under the carpet!). Most of my furniture is white or blonde wood (ah, Ikea), which makes a nice neutral backdrop for my colorful artwork and sewing supplies.

Lladybird Sewing Space Tours - Tilly and the Buttons
Lladybird Sewing Space Tours - Tilly and the Buttons


Right now, it’s just me in this house - so the space is all mine, which I love! I do have a cat who enjoys hanging out in this room about as much as I do - she spends a lot of time sleeping on the ironing board, behind the sewing machines, or, when it’s cold, on top of the central heating vent.

Lladybird Sewing Space Tours - Tilly and the Buttons


Having one dedicated room for my projects and business has been wonderful in that I’m not tempted to leave my crafts scattered around the rest of the house.

I try to make time every day for some creativity - whether it’s planning a future project, or cutting/prepping my next make, or diving into several hours of sewing. Even if it’s just sitting on the couch long enough to knit a couple rows on my current project, every little bit helps (both toward finishing and also for my sanity!).

Lladybird Sewing Space Tours - Tilly and the Buttons


My favorite time to create, though, is on Sunday afternoons after I’ve finished my weekly cleaning. I get everything looking great, and then I spend the next few hours messing up the studio and covering the clean floors with thread again :)

Thank you for showing us around your excellent sewing space, Lauren! We've loved seeing behind the scenes at Lladybird and we can't wait to see what you make next!

Have you seen the rest of our Sewing Space Tours? Head over and check them out!

Until next time!