I just close the door and the mess is gone!
…You know I tell a lie here, right!
I do care, I do care a lot. I love working in a tidy place. I love things to be in there place. I don’t want to search for my scissors for hours
So I can use some help. Do you have any suggestions are tips?? Please let me know. Tell me your storage solutions, what works for you?
In exchange I’ll have a giveaway. I’ll make
To enter all you have to do is leave a comment and I will draw two winners next Friday. Hopefully you will have good tips for me on how I can keep my sewing place tidy!
87 comments:
Well, if I want to have a tidy sewing area, I don't sew for a few days:))
I have lots of containers for ribbons, buttons, fabrics and so on. They are see-through so I don't have to make a mess if I search something.
If there's a trash around me, I through it away immediately and don't wait until the mound is getting bigger and bigger.
Hope you will win through the mess!!:) Have a nice day!
I always love the different fabrics you use! My storage system at the moment is crazy! I don't have a sewing room as we live in such a small house. I have small totes in my closet with my fabric sorted in them. I also have boxes under the bed and on top of my desk hutch with my sewing stuff in them. On my TV entertainment center I have jars of buttons and craft books. I long for the day that I can have a sewing room.
Blessings,
Diane
I loved your blog, I found it by chance. All the best with the big clean up, it's a painful thing to do (as in boring and tedious) but it will feel awesome when finished!
its very generous of you to do a give away,
all the best and heaps of good, Aussie luck
Jo
Well, hello! There is no one perfect solution for storage of favourite things, things we like to look at and fondle! I amy be halfway there though ;)) haberdashery lives by type in biscuit tins and pretty boxes (plus two drawers in the desk. I mean things like ribbons and lace and elastic andbuttons. Baskets will take fabric scraps and, best of all - clear plastic boxes with lids will take bigger pieces of fabric - you can still see the fabric but no dust and , well, mess is reduced to the inseide of the box if need be ;)
I love all pretty boxes, tins, baskets, shoe boxes covered with pretty wallpaper sample pieces, eve clay plantpots come in handy. Buttons are very happy in jars with lids and quilting stuff, well, I use an mdf board, nailed to the back of the door to hang quilting rulers, stencils and clear envelopes with bits and pieces - at least I know where the quilting tools all are!
I also found use for fabric which isn't very useful for patchwork and quilting - too stiff, too thin, runs in the wash - I wrap some boring shoe boxes with the fabric to tranform them into something a bit more special...so I have shelves and bookcases with boxes and baskets and jars. The really good thing about is that whatever your mood you can look at something nice at any time or change the arrangement if it's been there for too long!
Don't forget hat boxes and tool boxes for...whatever takes your fancy. I have a tool box for those bits and pieces which really don't belong to any category of crafts I do..it also has my own screwdrivers and such like (pink flowery handled ones, hehe).
Hope any/some of my tips are new to you :)
'Gosh' that is a toughie as I am the worlds most messiest person and also spend an hour searching for my scissors!!
The only thing I can offer that makes my life easier is keep everything grouped together in pots and little dishes like needles, pins, buttons, pencils, scissors.... and most definitely have a little tidy up whenever I have finished which is a real pain and the last thing I want to do, but such a reward when I next sit down to craft and can put my hands to the things I need rather than hunt around from the last project I did!
Hope that helps?? Though probably not!
Have a lovely week and hopefully some great storage solutions - I will pop back later to see if I can find any tips myself!
take care,
Nina xxxxxxxx
I store averyhting by colors ! A box, or conatiner for pink fabrics, one for gree, one for yellow,..... one for ribbon, one for buttons,.... even if in this container/box it's a total mess (I mean no "Ironized" fabric and well folded) I can always find THE one I need because I left it in the right box ! when you have finsihed your work you put the lid on the box and taaadaaaaa it's not a mess at all ^-^
Smooches
Sandrine
Your new banner and blog background are so pretty! So nice and fresh! :)
As for storage and tidyness - well, I find having lots of shelves and containers for the shelves helps, but mostly, I find forcing myself to actually PUT things in the containers and neatly fold things before putting them ON the shelves really helps. ;)
My craft room is at the same time playroom for the kids. So as well not a lot of space.
We bought at IKEA this wonderful storage system called Trofast (see my blog archive: http://lavieestbelleasalon.blogspot.com/2009/07/nieuwe-kastjes.html)
Further I store small items in this drawer of IKEA: http://lavieestbelleasalon.blogspot.com/2009/06/ladekastje.html
Could luck with finding the best way to kep your craft room a bit tied up!
Groetjes Michaja
I store by colours in drawer .Small sizes like scraps & leftovers in stacked plastic boxes, along the wall. But also containers under the bed...Lovely fabrics, thanks for the giveaway and kiss from France
Hello, I've just found your blog, and agree with you its so difficult to keep fabric and notions tidy. I use pretty cardboard boxes to keep my fabric in, big ones for large pieces and small ones for scraps, I also keep all my ribbons in glass jars and my buttons in a tin. Hope that helps and I will be checking back to your blog. XGem
I have no solution for this , but I love your blog :)Best wishes :)
O heerlijk zo'n kast vol lapjes...maar ja opruimen... volgens mij moet je een paar hele grote quilts maken. maar ik bewaar mijn lapjes (ik heb er nog niet zoveel) gewoon in een plastic box en mijn restjes in een klein koffertje...
groetjes Lucie
I have all of my stash stored in bins by color. I just need to use up some of this fabric before I buy more - my bins are bursting....
I use tool boxes from 'hardware' (DIY) shops to store my things - and I've seen that other people use the same method with plastic boxes that were designed for storing nails and screws - great for buttons and ribbons.
When I have a clearout I go through each piece of material and unfinished project and whatever I decide not to keep I give to local sewing clubs - with strict instructions that the material is to be shared amongst those who want it, for FREE! (one woman actually made her members pay for scraps of donated material!!)
The best tip I can give you though is, the following quote:
If the shelves are dusty and the pots don't shine,
it's because I have better things to do with my time.
~Author Unknown
Ik heb hetzelfde probleem, ben vorige week 2 dagen bezig geweest om de boel weer op orde te krijgen. Nu heb ik alle lapjes weer mooi opgevouwen, maar als ik wat nodig heb dan trek ik het er weer tussenuit, en zo langzaam aan wordt het weer een grote bende...
Ik hou het op doorzichtige plastic bakken, misschien niet de mooiste oplossing maar wel effectief. Ik heb al mijn stofjes op kleur gesorteerd en dat staat erg vrolijk! En glazen potten (van die oude apothekerspotten) waar ik al mijn (borduur)garen in bewaar. Maar het belangrijkste is dat je je goed voelt in je craft-ruimte, beetje rommel is dan niet erg toch?
Lovely blog. Best of luck with your organizing. With all your lovely patterns, color coordination is definitely the way to go.
Als je met name een goed systeem zoekt voor je schaar en kleine naaitoebehoren kan ik je het Bygelsysteem van Ikea aanraden !
Ben zelf geen naaister , maar een scrapper/kaartenmaakster en heb 3 Bygelstangen boven mijn werkblad hangen .
Met daaraan diverse bakjes van het systeem en mijn schaartjes en nestabillities mallen hangen aan de s-vormige haken .
Elke keer als ik stop met freubelen hang ik in ieder geval mijn scharen en mallen weer op zijn plek , en de rest mag gerust blijven liggen ...
Zo heb ik ze de volgende keer gewoon voor het grijpen en raken ze ook niet zoek onder alle rommel ..
Bijkomend voordeel : het is een heel goedkoop systeem !!!
Succes met een oplossing zoeken ..
Hi Korry. I just love your 'mess' and find lots of colours together are very inspiring. I use really useful storage boxes for my fabrics because they are see through and come in so many different sizes that you are certain to find a box to fill the space you have. This is a link to their web site. Hope you find that useful...
http://www.storage4crafts.com/shopx/home.php
Love A x
hi!
I love using cute little suitcases for notions, trims, zippers and small bits of quiltfabric. I fold bigger pieces of fabric and stack them by color. I like using jamjars for safetypins and such. I also have a few IKEA drawercabinets with velcro, elastics, trimms and things like that. I keep scissors all together in one drawer. I sometimes think I spend more time tidying than sewing... Good luck organizing!
First don't worry! Your "mess" is no mess at all, its creativity at work. the english saying goes "the person who never made a mess never made anything". Second, just buy more scissors so you have them in every room.
Love your blog ,its one of the very best. x
It's impossible to have a tidy crafty, really it is! The only tip I have is to use recycled glass jars to store your buttons and beads in, and to use a pretty small box for storing your ribbons in. You can punch holes in the side, and then pull your ribbon through, then cut off as much as you need. I always keep gift bags to put things as well, but that isn't really storage!
I have just recently found your blog and I love it. Blue is my favorite color and I find your fabrics and projects so inspiring. I'd love to make one of the dolls you make, and being a collector of teapots and teas (yes, teas), the tea cozies are adorable. Yours is truly my favorite blog!
I know how difficult it can be when working on multiple projects and feeling overwhelmed when I walk into my sewing/wool room. I try to keep clear plastic containers that I store each project in with the threads, fabrics, patterns and any notions. When it looks like another project is going to take priority, I load the current one into the container and stack it with the others. That way I am never looking for everything that goes with that project and I'm not sifting through a few different projects to find the one fabric scrap that goes with the one on the machine.
Managing my fabric stash? I'll be reading through your comments for help with that.
Do you know of any online fabric shops that will send some of the fabrics that you show on your blog to the US? I am searching all over the place here, I would love to add them to my stash.
http://soupgirls/typepad.com/knittingtheblues
lovely blog you have!!!
i follow your work on flickr and im your fan!!!!
How beautiful is your blog! I have inherited from my Grandmother (who is Dutch) a set of lovely Dutch Tulips blocks, hand pieced by her as a teen. I placed them in a lattice design and hand pieced an additional block with extra fabric tucked away in the box they were saved in. You have inspired me to finish "hand quilting" this piece - I will display it on my blog (with hopes) by Christmas.
All the best,
Michelle
http://www.michellebradford.wordpress.com
http://www.gardeners.wordpress.com
http://www.michellebradford.blogspot.com
Hoi Corry,
moeilijke vraag hoor, want ik weet natuurlijk niet hou groot jouw ruimte is en wat voor mogelijkheden je hebt. Het lijkt me belangrijk dat je alle stofjes in 1 x kunt overzien,dus een open maar smalle kast met kleine vakken, dat zou ideaal zijn. Maar waar koop je die? En verder veel glazen potten voor je bandjes etc. Heb zelf een ladenkast van Ikea, niet ideaal, maar het past in mijn kleine hobbykamer.
Groetjes, Ria
Organizing supplies is never easy. Crafting is just messy work.
Wrapping larger lengths of fabric around cardboard (like a bolt in the shops) and organizing by color helps keep some order. Larger scraps can go into color-coordinated stacking bins, and tiny scraps into ziploc bags.
Spools of ribbon can be stored and dispensed from a pretty shoebox with a dowel running through it. Cut holes for each ribbon in the side and just pull and cut as needed.
Clear glass spice jars on a shelf are a beautiful way to store buttons and beads.
And remember - a big martini makes EVERYTHING look better!
I ♥ your fabrics.
heidig@gmail.com
guess what I was doing this morning, cleaning up my sewing & paper supplies! in the family, in the sewing room, in the attic, in the spare bedroom, egads. Here are some ideas I use:
1) clear over the door shoe bag to hold ribbons, a place for each color. in the sewing room
2) two small bins for current projects, only. so hopefully they become finished projects. in the sewing room
3) I use those clear bags that sheets/comforters/bedlinens come in to sort fabric, especially small sections. I have a bag for children's I SPY fabric pieces; a bag for florals, etc. stored in the spare bedroom.
4) I use two large armoires to store major supplies:
batting, needles & threads. a file cabinet for patterns.
5) I use an industrial magnet found at the hardware store to pick up pins.
6) I give to our public library all magazines/books that no longer interest me -- they can sell them for more books for the public! And I give to charity groups, any large pieces of fabric I don't use, ie to homes for homeless or for abused women & children.
7) best hint of all, We have moved ourselves 3x in 7 years and assisted our 5 adult kids in over 30 moves in the past 10 years, so we GIVE AWAY ALOT.
Holly, have fun reading the comments
Kijk eens bei http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=Sewing+room&m=text
Of bei klick und blick Nähzimmer.
Groetjs Miriam
Ik zou er een hele grote kast plaatsen maar dan natuurlijk niet denken nu heb ik meer ruimte dan koop ik ook nog meer.
Ruim elke keer na gebruik je spullen op.
Lijkt me een goede raad maar of je er wat mee doet?
I have a box shelf that I purchased at Ikea. And then I use boxes also purchased at Ikea and they have a place to mark what is in the box.
Als je uitgaat van de kast die je hebt staan, dan is het misschien een idee om de deurtjes er af te schroeven. Zo kan je nette stapeltjes stof maken, op kleur en deze overzichtelijk neerleggen op de planken. Zo heb je in één oogopslag overzicht over je stoffen zonder steeds achter de deurtjes te moeten kijken. In je laden zou je een ladenverdeler kunnen zetten. O.a. bij Ikea kan je die kopen. In één la kan je je schaar en andere naaibenodigheden leggen en in de andere lades maak je dan een indeling voor je naaigaren en je bandjes en kantjes.
Op je kast is dan eventueel nog plaats voor een paar gezellige manden, waarbij je één van de manden gebruikt om je werk in uitvoering in neer te leggen als je tussentijds stopt. Ook kan je die leuke jampotten met rood wit geruite deksels sparen en deze gevuld met knopen en fournituren op je kast zetten. Zelf heb ik mijn kleine restjes overgebleven stof op kleur in van die dichtritszakken (voor de diepvries geloof ik)gesorteerd en deze dan wel weer in een mand bij elkaar gestopt. Ben ik op zoek naar kleine lapjes in een bepaalde kleur, dan diep ik zo een paar zakjes op uit die mand. Als laatste hebben ze bij de winkel Action van die vrolijk gekleurde soepele kunststof ronde bakken met 2 handvatten die als je die bij elkaar pakt een soort mand vormen. Deze zijn erg voordelig en ook erg gemakkelijk om te gebruiken in plaats van manden o.i.d. Ik wens je veel succes met het opruimen en heerlijk dat je een eigen plek hebt om je spullen ook lekker te kunnen laten liggen als je daar zin in hebt :).
I have a picnic caddy (I should hold paper napkins, condiment bottles & utensils) that I use to store my supplies. Rotary cutters, scissors, pens, etc.
I also have a quilter's travel bag that was made to hold rulers, etc. & I try to keep my rulers & such in there.
I use an IKEA storage solution, they are called SNACK, I’ve put wheels under the first and you can stack them up. I can ride them under my desks, so you can’t see them. In the SNACK containers you can put 4 SKUBB containers to put your fabrics in. I have plastic containers for my scraps... and some fabric containers for threads and selvages. Projects I’m working on are in IKEA boxes, all the sewing notions are in a basket on my desk, the batting and interfacing are all piled up in a corner... of my room... but... my sewing space is a disaster area! Somehow it never looks tidy!
Goed sorteren!! Ik hou zelf niet van plastic bakken en dus label ik alles! Stoffen sorteer ik op kleur, maar ook op soort, bijvoorbeeld ik bewaar alle vilt en alle organza bij elkaar. Ook op de deksels van jampotten plak ik iets wat aangeeft wat er in zit, bijvoorbeeld een strikje in de kleur van de bandjes die erin zitten.
Op mijn bureau heb ik open glazen potten met daarin scharen en een paar pennen. Boven mijn werkplek heb ik een oude postsorteerder en alle vakjes zijn vol met dingen die je graag bij de hand hebt; lijm, speldenkussentjes, stempels enz. Wat voor papier goed werkt zijn oude A4 archiefladenkasten. Weet je, ondanks alles is het lang niet altijd opgeruimd, maar ik kan het wel redelijk vlot weer netjes krijgen omdat alles toch een vaste plaats heeft. Want ook ik doe wel eens vlot de deur achter me dicht, maar werk toch het lekkerst als het opgeruimd is. Succes! O ja, ik zou ook vaker eens wat weg moeten doen, in plaats van vooral maar bij te kopen, misschien is dat nog wel de meest waardevolle tip, al lukt het mij totaal niet!
Make tidying up fun by having lots of pretty containers. I'm not a great one for being tidy, but if I need to put things away in a hurry then I have a pretty laundry basket with a lid!!
Ros
I know - you needbiggerroom with bigger drawwerand conteiner ;)
But seriously - I need those tips too because I have a same problem:)Sometimes I just take some stuff to my class ( I am a crafteacher in local basi school :))
Good luck to you!
For fabric, I can't give you any sugestion, because I'm trying to organize the few I have! For threads, laces and other things, I've posted about my solution... If you have a litte time, pay me a visit...
Well, I have to keep my scissors in the drawer next to the sewing machine because I am afraid that my playful cat Rembrandt will hurt herself with them (or one of the other cats lol). Have to keep that drawer shut because she crawls into it otherwise. The at the cutting table, I have holders for everything including the fabric scissors and the paper scissors and the rule is I have to return them to their mug. I love your colors in your blog.
I sort my fabrics by theme, i.e 1930's, reproductions, spot, strips or novelty
I have gought myself baskets the hight of a folded fst 1/4 and store the fabrics that way, I can stack them in my shelfs and find things quiet easy.
cheers
Christine
ps scrap I cut up in to varies sizes and keep them in storage containers from Ikea
;-) Hi Corry: You have a beautiful blog. In our craft area we sort by color in drawers in an old dresser. The ribbon spools are placed on a thrifted upright papertowel holder. As for the scissors - those are the only items I really take care to put away because I could no longer stand to keep looking for them. You are sooooooooo creative I am certain you will find a wonderful solution. Have fun in whatever you do.... Linda and Posy from Florida
I put my fabrics and yarns in transaprent plastic boxes, not always works, some time the mess is inside. I love your blog and your sister's too! I'm from Argentina, far from Holland, but I love Dutch thing
You have a lovely cabinet to store your materials in. What is more you can close the door and the place looks perfect. The only problem is that it is lower than your arms and eyes and yes, it does have doors!! So you have to bend your body over to see what you have. You also have to make the extra effort to open and close the doors. All of this impedes your creativity so you just grab what seems right and have it where you can see it while your mind works. The problem then is that you have to bend again to put it all away. Sounds like too much hard work so your scissors and unpicker, etc stay hidden under piles of material. To rememdy this crisis you need to raise your materials and do away with those lovely doors. You only need doors to hide things you don't want to see. And for that matter a bookshelf is a better friend as you can see your materials without disturbing them and then it is easier to follow this basic rule - put all large pieces of fabric, nicely folded of course, back where they belong in their colour organised shelves at the END OF EACH DAY or PROJECT. Pieces that are too small to stack well can have their own area or simply get thrown into a special bin for leftovers. This may not work for you but I have found that it is the perfect solution for me. Only trouble is that I need another bookshelf but I would still find a place for your little beauties. I totally love the colours and style of both you and your sister. Hugs Cherrie
Oh Corry, I have my fingers crossed!
Sorry, here's my tip....close the door ;)
I enjoy your colors...they are so crisp and bright and inviting. As to organizing ideas...I have seen several sewing blogs and quilting blogs that have their fabrics stored by color on shelves. If I had wall space I would store my fabrics so they are visible at a glance. Mine are all in well labeled cardboard boxes, so I can find what I need quickly...I think I am, probably, missing the 'instant' inspiration that a wall of color would provide. Perhaps, the clear plastic storage containers, that several have suggested, would be inspirational too. ^__^
As a working interior designer I had to advise people often how to make their homes look better. My tip is "GROUPING" like with like. Whether it is one huge jar of coloured buttons or 10 jars, colour sorted, they will always look much better than buttons mixed with braid, ribbon, bells, beads and fabric. Even trimmed selvedges look great squashed into big jars. Do this with all your bits and pieces in bags, boxes, tins, jars, drawers.... whatever appeals to you and not only will you find things easily, you will create wonderful vingnettes to admire.
ooo...that's exciting! I wish I could say I was all neat and tidy, but...
My biggest problem is the 'little' things that don't really fit in with the fabric, or books, etc. So I have many cute catch-alls on the tables. I also keep my sewing essentials (seam ripper, extra thread, needles...) in a cute little bucket for easy transport. If you get to put things away in something pretty/cute, you're more likely to do it, right? (Speaking of which, I love your cabinet/table!)
I use smaller clear plastic totes, and stack them on my closet shelf to contain scraps and notions...larger pieces of fabric I just stack on the wire closet shelving in my sewing room...
I think it's possible to create a tidy craft-space. You need to dedicate some time to it, in order to have everything in their own place, but the rewards are a lot and if you tidy up every time you use your space, it will be much easier and you will spend less time putting everything in order.
Every now and then it's nice doing some decluttering, deciding ruthlessly that some things have never been used and are unlikely to be used in the future. So first thing: THROW AWAY what you don't use. Everyone of us buy much more than necessary so there's always something useless in our craft cupboard. Organize a nice swapping party with your craft friends, so you can get rid of something you don't need and that somebody else can enjoy and viceversa!
Second tip: KEEP TOGETHER EVERYTHING ALIKE: all the ribbons together, all the yarn together, all the needles together and keep them where you need them. Ideally, you should keep close to your sewing machine all the material you need when you sew and your yarn close to the armchair where you generally knit etc.
Third tip: Invest in some container, the right containers for what must go in it. You don't need to buy expensive storage boxes, sometimes you can find that everything you need is already in your home! Be creative with storage solutions! Customise them, if you like, embellish them! To create nice containers make your craft space more beautiful to look at and makes tidying up a less stressing chore!
Forth tip: Never leave your craft room without tidying it up. Sometimes you'll have to leave things a little bit messy ('cause you're working on something), but everytime you can tidy up, just do it. Creative juices flow more easily when you can create in a clean, nicely organized space!
Good luck with your craft room, I'm sure it'll be wonderful!
Oh oh, ik zou vandaag ook gaan opruimen en nu zit ik weer veel te lang te genieten van het lezen van blogs... Ben in elk geval blij te zien dat ik niet de enige ben die niet altijd alles perfect opgeruimd heb.......
I have just been attempting the perennial craft area clean up as well. Space is always an issue somehow no matter how large an area I have (and now it isn't large). Just too many lovely things out there available to tempt us.
I love the look of those fabrics spilling over that wonderful wooden cupboard! I am NOT a neat person but I have a small pair of sharp embroidery scissors attached to my sewing machine on a piece of ribbon. I also have a scissor keeper hanging on the wall above it with my sewing scissors (and right beside that is a spool holder also wall mounted with my bobbins and threads - this is the one piece of my craftroom that actually stays pretty organised - now if I could just get my scrapbooking stash under control...
I don't have good tips the only thing I do is just put all my scraps in boxes. And I try to separate them by color.
Thanks for the giveaway ^^
Love your wonderful blog. For storage I use plastic storage tins and boxes. I find these so handy as they are clear and I can easily see what is in each one. I also label each container and sort them accordingly. It makes for a neat and tidy looking storage space.
Maak mooie rolletjes van je stofjes en stapel ze in de kast, dat ziet er altijd zo leuk uit. En hou dan je deurtjes open he.
Doe de kleine lapjes in een speciale kleine-lapjes-doos.
Glazen potten en doorzichtige dozen doen het altijd goed voor de andere shizzle, zoals knoopjes, lintjes e.d.
Volgens mij kom je er wel uit, na alle reacties die je al hebt gehad!
Hi Corry,
I use baskets for storage, under the bed style plastic containers for fabric that I organize by theme or color...I stack the containers under my cutting table, I put buttons in glass jars then put them on shelves, pretty to look at and they are stored. I use an old trunk to store my patterns and when the trunk is closed it acts as a coffee table. I use storage benches for seating and storage, I also like to use empty tissue boxes in my cutting and sewing area for little snippets of thread and fabric trash. Hope some of this helps and good luck with your craft/sewing room organization.
Let me see if I can write in inglish!.
I live in a very small house, do not I have an own space for sew I do it in the space of meals. Everything should be in order at the right moment of the meals.
In my blog I have some pictures of as I tidy the my things give a look and see strip some you plan.
Everything is in boxes, the fabrics are fold by colors in a cupboard with wheels for be able to slide for nearby the table where work, the boxes of the buttons of the lines etc also has wheels they are in a small varandah closed nearby the zone where I try the clothes, a kind of laundry.
I'm going to take some pictures and i'll send you an email with them ok.
Dear Corry! How I understand you!
My working place is a mess right now!... What works better for me is to have a day in the week to clean it up - like monday or friday for example. Monday makes you feel like your starting the week nice and fresh and friday gives you that nice feeling when you know weekend is almost there and you can use a good rest...
It's a good idea, althought I forget about it some times ;)
Liefs,
Virgínia
Ok, fabrics go on wire covered in rubber boxes that you put together to form 1 big unit. Yes I do sort according to not just color but also by subject, flower prints all together and sorted by main color, etc.
Large roll around cart holds my threads, again by type, then colors, these take up 2 drawers and are for machine sewing only, then all my rulers in another drawer, then last 2 drawers are embroidery hoops and frames and any other sewing tools, have little plastic baskets in that drawer so nothing gets lost, all scissors in one basket, rotary cutters in another, and so on. Only thread not in this cabinet is my DMC embroidery thread, which is in molded plastic boxes, wrapped on little cardboards and sorted by number, since most designers go by numbers on their charts, have almost 8 boxes of for these threads, and am fixing to make a oversize tote bag that just fits these boxes in so I can move them from place to place without losing any of them.
Barb in western NC
barbmoffitt@att.net
Hallo Corry, voor alle gereedschappen zou je een wandhanger kunnen maken met allemaal vakjes waarop je het voorwerp dat erin moet borduurt of appliceert, dat ruimt al aardig wat lapjes op en van je overige lapjes maak je leuke mandjes voor die lapjes, in de hoop dat je dan nog wat lapjes overhoudt om erin te doen ;- ))
www.wittebroodjes.web-log.nl
My Method is free and easy, it does however take effort.
Put things away when you are done for the day.
Oh no! I would love to win your giveaway, but I can't help LOL. My space is always a mess, whenever I tidy it up, I find forgotten projects that I pull out and then suddenly need to do again - this means more mess!
I know giving away bits and pieces of things you will never use is a good way to start working on tidying things up.
The word doesn't sound very nice but it's DISCIPLINE! Or put it another way. I ask myself: what is worse? And as I hate untidy rooms because I can't start a new project I just start tidying up. Nothing new really! But I do love all you do to provoke that mess. I have lots of fun going through your posts so I beg you to continue the way you have started!
A place for everything. That's my motto. I'm the type of person who, when I do a craft project such as decoupage, I have to immediately clean everything up. Just a compulsive part of me. I can't create in chaos. I have to have order. My garden room is my computer room, craft room, and where I spend my time room. So everything has to be cleaned up or it isn't functional!
Brenda
Here are my organizing strategies that helps sort out my mess. Hope it can be of help.
1. I organize fabric stash based on color, pattern etc so it's easy for me to find the fabric i need. I store my fabrics in those large plastic bins with wheels so I can lug them anywhere in the house if i need to craft in the loungeroom, kitchen etc.
2. I store craft sewing supplies in transparent plastic/glass jars with labels.
3. I put craft supplies back to their proper places immediately after using. That saves me lots of clean up time afterwards.
Hello,good luck with the tidying up. I try to wash and iron material as soon as I get it. Then it is stored away. I have a tinr for buttons,one for zips,elastics and so on. Sometimes the room may look untidy but at least I know where the main items I need are. I always keep my sewing and over locker instruction books handy. You never know when you are going to need them.
Shelves, shelves and, did I mention shelves??? LOL! I just added more to my quilt studio. A girl can never have enough storage. A stash diet is just what the doctor ordered. I have enough stuff to start a shop so I have been on a stash diet for two years. It is not only helping but is making me appreciate what I already have once again.
Hugs ~
Heidi
Really creative people are always messy. But I do understand. I love it, when my studio is tidy.
I love your Blog.
Babs
Hoi
Net als vele andren gebruik ik doorzichtige dozen ( Hema) en per doos 1 kleur lapjes. Om mijn borduurgaren netjes te houden heb ik van oude wijnkisten garenkisten gemaakt, door precies even breed als het vak kaartjes te knippen. De kinderen hebben ( vrijwillig!!) geholpen alles netjes op de kaartjes te winden ( goed klusje voor de a.s. herfstvakantie?). Op tafel staat een pot waar ik scharen, potloden e.d. in parkeer.
Succes!
Hoi Corry!
I wouldn't want anyone to see my sewing room right now, as I am in the midst of organizing myself!
One thing that has helped me a lot is making a home for everything: all cutting tools, and rulers together. I have used kitchen utensil holders for scissors and cutters and those plate-holders for my rulers. All threads by kind in glass storage jars. (Great way to recycle). smaller jars hold bobbins, ribbon, buttons left-over binding. And boxes hold fat-quarters by colour and themes. I label the boxes clearly so I can find what I need. all scraps are boxed by size and colour in old shoeboxes covered in that colour fabric and I hang larger pieces of fabric after washing and ironing from the selvage edge on pant hangers (those with the clips). I store all my templates in a filing box with dividers and instructions in binders.
I hope there is something here that might be of help for you.
And just know that creativity always is born out of trying to put order to chaos! at least in my house, :)
v
Hello
I would like to join your giveaway since I recently discover your blog and it becomes one of my favourites :-).I deeply like your bright joyful work.
To organize my fabrics I use to storage them by type and colour inside lots of piled up new and vintage card boxes; inside the boxes, sorting again some fabrics, I also tied them with different colour silk ribbons. It makes practical lovely sets!
I arrange my sewing notions inside vintage wooden advertising cabinets and boxes (COATS, DMC,...)with many, many useful drawers.
Hope it helps.
Hopping hear from you soon
Cristina
Keep sorting through your stash and deciding if you really want to keep it or if you can find a new home for it! (ie another quilter's stash!) also lots of jars, drawers, boxes help for storage. I have a basket on my table for essential tools like scissors, tape measure, rotary cutter, pins etc so it doesn't get buried. but I guess if you are creative when it's untidy it doesn't matter too much - some of the best ideas come from the happy accidents of seeing 2 or more fabrics together that you didn't think would go. happy sorting x
I use transparent plastic boxes to store my fabrics, buttons and ribbons plus tins for smaller things. The best way is to sew little projects like potholders, doll quilts and soft toys. Scrap quilts are also so lovely!
Your blog is lovely, and your fabrics are very pretty. Maybe part of the problem you are having with storage is that the cabinet you have is very low down, and you have to bend down to get at the fabrics. I think it's easier to keep the fabrics organized and to pick out the ones you need when they are at "eye level". I would get a taller cabinet, or else a second cabinet you can put on top of the one you are using now.
Good luck with your cleanup!
I always use some storage boxes for my new projects - Ikea has some lovely ones - and for me this works very well!
Tidying up in between projects really helps or (trying) to sell the house will also do the trick - LOL!
Good luck
Ineke Platvoet
I use the same plastic see through containers that most others use, but don't claim to be very organized about it. Hee Hee! I would love to add more scraps and buttons to my supply. You can never have too many buttons!!!
Creative Breathing showed some of your work on her site and I had to come see. You sew such lovely items. FOr my crafting I store things in old canning jars... blue ball jars, vintage tins and my tiny pieces get stored in an old library card catalog...it's already set up for having labels.
Blessings, Kim
Hi Corry!
I just discovered your blog...what a wonderfully warm and friendly place!
Your giveaway looks fabulous...and how brave of you to begin the arduous task of cleaning your craft room! I feel your pain, sister. Truly I do.
One thing I've found that helps me stay organized is the Making Memories carousel. I keep all the things I use again and again "at the ready" and on my table. That way I'm not searching for scissors for hours...
Also, I have lots of clear containers so I can see the contents. There's no "out of sight, out of mind" with clear...also it helps me keep things tidy because you can see what's inside.
I hope these hints are helpful to you...meanwhile, I'm going to read more of your blog!
Good Morning - I hopped over from flickr :)
The way I organize is everything gets seperated by type of supply into a see-through plastic bin - if you have enough or use enough of one certain color you may want to seperate that into its own bin...glass jars of colorful buttons are so very pretty to look at :)
Since you have a beautiful cupboard for your fabric already you won't need bins for that.
Then I would get a basket or tin to keep your scissors, pins, measuring tape & other frequently used notions in & keep that by your sewing area...always put your scissors etc back in it when not using them & you;ll never have to hunt for them again...even if the rest of the room is untidy you'd still be able to get right to a project if you knew where your scissors were :)
I hope some of these ideas help!
Smiles, DianeM
aka basketblessed@yahoo.com
My sewing room is in the same condition at the moment. Need to get in there and clean it up. I find myself going to the kitchen dept at Ikea to help organize,also the closet dept. Love those hanging shoe organizers for fat quarters,but the key for me is clear containers, if it is not I tend to forget what I have.
Of course if I would just put things away as I am finished with them it would help.
Good luck.
You right about the weather getting colder. I had to scrape the ice off my windscreen on the car this morning.
Please count me in :o)
I just make small boxes to sort things in and keep the messes separete from one and other. so in each box there is a small mess. and for scissors and such I think the best way is a wall where you hang the different stuff up. and I love to draw around them so u see what goes where.
I have read a few of the comments, there are so many ! I don't know what to suggest, like you I have more and more fabric. I tried having all the fat quarters together in a big drawer, but then I had too many. THere is another drawer with bigger pieces of fabric. And then there are plastic boxes, ...which I need to sort out, really.
I think being tidy shouldn't stop you from enjoying your sewing.
Good luck with your sewing room makower.
Pascale
Hi, I saw a link to your blog on Berglind's blog, missbee.com. I really like your style. all that polkadot, florals and checks :)
I don't really have a sewing space, I just have one corner of the dining room table and then a few boxes in the corner that I can throw into the storage room when the dining room needs to be tidy. But to be able to, I do have to have verything in it's own place so things won't get messy, and not work on too many projects at a time. If I had my own sewing room I would have shelves with many little boxes, either see through or well marked and a special place for equipment such as scissors and trheads so they won't get lost in all the fabrics.
I would love to win since this type of goods is hard to find here in Iceland, but I just wanted to let you know that I love looking at your blog :)
Allereerst wil ik je vertellen dat ik je site een der meest inspirerent vind. Vooral als Hollands meisje in het verre Amerika doen vele van je maaksels mij glimlachen. Erg leuk om zo lekker met de Nederlandse kleuren bezig te zijn. Vele groetjes vanuit Virginia
hi there, all too familiar story!! I feel so much the same not so long ago I got my lovly hubby to put up some wall to wall shelves- which were old doors cut inhalf and repainted- then purchased a whole stack of cheap plastic clear tubs which I placed fabric in colour coordinated and placed all along the shelves I did the same with all ribbons and threads etc. now each project is much easier!!! Hope this helps!
Courtney
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