I own a small RV made by Springdale (Keystone). It is 21 feet according to the spec sheet. I have a bed, full kitchen (stove/oven, frig/freezer, microwave), bathroom with tub/shower and a dinette. I do not have a sofa so I use my queen-size bed like a day bed. I set up chairs, a tall table, and a small electric grill outside under the awning, which is my “family room.” Although this would be too small for many people, 21 feet is perfection for me. Also, it was the nicest RV I could find under 4000 pounds dry weight (my van pulls 5000 pounds). I love my huge back window.

Inside the camper, I have kitchen things, bathroom stuff/linens, paperwork, printer, a few knick-knacks, my sewing machine, and sewing stuff, including fabric.

In my three outside storage places, I keep sewer, water and electrical hook-up lines and cords; tools and hardware; more sewing stuff.

My biggest challenges were storing shoes so I don’t trip over them, having easy access to my sewing stuff, and keeping smaller things and cleaning supplies organized. I had to think outside the normal organization mindset to accomplish this. My best organizing friends are double-sided Velcro, Command hooks (2.5 and 5 lb.), small wastebaskets ($1 at Walmart) and duffel bags. I also use a few plastic drawers, both shoebox size, and three-drawer units. I keep the van organized thanks to Cabela’s tackle bags.

I knew years ago that when I become a fulltime RVer, I would have space for sewing/quilting. It was a top priority. And, since I am single, I didn’t have to worry about hogging all the space for sewing.  I will share my sewing set-up in this post and other storage solutions in the future posts.

The first issue: where to place my sewing machine in a small camper. I want to leave it up but where? Since no one sits across me in the other dinette seat, I placed the machine roughly where a placemat would go, on top of an ironing cloth. I can move the machine forward when sewing and back if I need to iron quilt blocks.

Of course, this is my only table, so I also need to eat here, when not outdoors. No problem. Take the red/white striped placemat off the sewing machine, and place on ironing surface.

The dinette is also my desk. No problem working on the computer, either. It goes on top of the placemat. The computer and phone chargers are on the back wall of the camper, under the window.

What about entertainment while sewing? My satellite radio sits on the table and along the window. I listen to college football on Saturdays and NFL on Sundays, while I sew for hours. Other times, I have a wide selection of music.

Without my sewing machine and radio, life would be dull.

If I get tired of sitting on the dinette bench (crappy cushions), I bring in pillows of all sizes for my butt and back. I also keep a folding, comfy camp chair set up nearby for hand-sewing. I sit at the end of the dinette. I am looking for a taller chair to pull up to the table, like a dining chair. It will take up less space.

That is the space and entertainment solution. Now, what about all the sewing stuff? Sewists are famous for developing a fabric stash. I downsized mine by 75% when I became a full-timer. However, 25% of a ton of fabric is still a large amount. In my mind, I divided my sewing things into three categories:

• Things I use every time I sew (scissors, thread, tools)
• Things I use often and need quick access to (fat quarters, rulers, etc).
• Longer-term stash, battings, etc.

The things I use every day are out on the table or bench. The things I used often are stored/hidden right behind where I sit. Longer-term stuff is under the bench, a space that is also accessible from the outside.

All the time stuff:

Table top organizer, next to the satellite radio

Drawer to my left (I am left-handed) with secret supplies

Pins, glue, other cool stuff

Stuff I use often:

This curtain hangs behind me when I sit in my place at the dinette. It is more than a pretty curtain. The camper has a nice little space there, sortta like a small window seat.

Behind the curtain, all the stuff I need on a regular basis, but not every day.

Rulers and thread to one side

Rechargeable vacuum on the other side, where I have another plug.

Longer-term storage

Under seat storage! I have removed the crappy cushions to reveal fabric, batting, and supply stash. The section in the foreground has zippers, elastic, trims, buttons, beads, sewing tools, etc. The middle has fabrics and the back section has batting and finished quilt tops that need quilting. More on actual quilting while in a confined space later.

So, I sit in front of the machine. Tools are to the right in the table-top thing or to the left in a drawer. Regular-use stuff is behind me. Everything else is below me. These solutions took some time to think through, lots of trial and error. They would work for any craft or hobby.

BTW, when I pull the camper, the sewing machine goes under the dinette and some of the stuff behind the curtain goes on the seat. If I ever hooked up with a guy RVer, we would need something big enough for him to have some space too! I am not sharing mine.

Onward to sewing.