Class Needed for Organizing

[Dixie McCan]

Taking a tip from Blooming Yankee -

How does one keep the :sewing organized? I've got spools of thread everywhere, bits and pieces of fabric stuffed in old suitcases. The fabric I purchased for my planned costumes remain in the plastic bags from Joanne's, etc., and so on. Finding stuff is an hour's job. I know I bought a third measuring tape, but darn if I can find one . . .:lalala or two :lalala

I opened one plastic bag from Joanne's and found some clothe that I have no idea what I bought it for, or when. :rofl :rofl :rofl

Any tips or suggestions?

[Lazy K]

We did a thread some time back about sewing tips but I can't find it at the moment. Someone help me here:help Anyway, with my fabric (I'm still in the midst of this project) I get a small notebook, I staple in a swatch of the fabric, note how much I have, what the fabric content is and which box it's in. I put my fabric in a box with a number on it (several pieces go in one box). Now I know what I've got and where it is.

For the rest of the stuff, you just gotta have a place for everything. My tape measure belongs in my sewing basket. My thread is stored in cookie tins. I get popcorn tins, cookie tins etc when ever I can. All the lace bits go in one tin, All buttons go in another, etc

[Dixie McCan]

I love the notebook idea - I can do that!!!

and tins - I have tins - Oh my gosh, I GET TO USE MY TINS!!!

(duh):lool :lool :lool :lool :lool :lool :gg :help :kiss

[Cinnamon Teal]

Do you have a specific room for sewing? If so, that should make it a little easier. What I did with my sewing room was to install shelves in the closet and that's where all my fabric goes.... well, most of it anyway. Thread is mainly in my sewing machine cabinet drawers, laces are in an old sewing basket, buttons are in jars and tins, my rulers are on my cutting table most of the time, I have bookshelves for my sewing books and other knick knackery, a filing cabinet with 4 drawers - top two drawers are for patterns, a small chest of drawers has my cross stitch fabrics and some items like that and another little sewing table has miscellaneous items in it. I like the idea of the book with swatches though. Might help me to remember just how much fabric I already have...... NOT! I like to shop for fabric way too much!....:lool:lool:lool

Hope that helps some...

[Lazy K]

I'd like to take credit for the swatch in a book idea but I can't remember which of the Alley Cats gave me that wonderful idea. Seems like it was Clancy and Dru.

[Lazy K]

Here's the thread I was thinking of
http://www.carolinabelles.net/vb/showthread.php?t=3543&highlight=designer

All sorts of good tips

[Harper Desert Rose]

I solved my thread problem with the clear thread boxes from joanns. They are covered, so the ever present desert dust stays out and they hold 40 spools of thread! They stack nicely on top of each other. The cost is a bit over $6, but with the 50% off coupons ( my favorite! ) It makes the cost doable! As for my fabric and boy, do I have fabric!:lool I keep the bolts and re wrap the fabric on them and write the yardage and care instuctions on the end. Buttons and such go in little snack size zipper bags, then into tins according to size and color. Same with laces etc. If and when I have more room, I want to put them on peg board so I don't have to dig in tins! The swatch book is a great idea! I am a vendor at a couple of shows a year and the swatch book would be much easier to display! Thanks!:ty

[Clancy]

K, it may have been Dru, but i have always kept a book with my swatches in it, along with a picture of the dresses i had planned for the fabric. Its a good idea about hosw much fabric you have, but i always tend to buy 10-12 yards of most things these days.

I also have a large sketch book, where i draw my designs, what patterns i plan to use or used, along with swatches of the fabric and trim used and then i also put in a completed photo of the dress.

[Ida Hands]

One of the ladies keeps swatches on a keyring so they are available for a trip to the Sewing Store to pick out trims...GREAT IDEA!

[Madame Olive Yew]

I use a coupon file for my fabric swatches. I also sketch the dress I have in mind, cut it out & stick it in whith the swatch. The File also helps corral the Jo-Ann's coupons, & various pictures that I carry with me.


I sadly do not have a "sewing room" yet. I use various boxes & plastic tubs, stashed in corners, & under beds. I am very careful to keep fabric with fabric, lace w/ lace & trim w/ trim. Then when I need something, I only have one box to go thru, instead of 4-5. I keep all my buttons in zip top baggies, according to what they are. All my thread is in a decoritive box. Even with all that, I still have a hard time finding things at times.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

here is a pictue of my sewing space ( I get one half of the sacred garage space...) I have carpet on my half, and a heater, and my funny hubbie placed a back warmer on my sewing chair when I whined that Ima got a new car with bun warmer included for her birthday...

anyway, you can see my thread tree in the back round, I have shelves, a hanging rack to hang outfits in progress on, and LOTS of small drawers for trim and tools (tapes, presser feet, scissors ect ect)

I keep all the not being used fabric folded on open shelves in the utility room inside...the shelves are floor to ceiling wall to wall in a 9x6 ish room if I have more fabric than that its time to stop shopping and start sewing~ Mostly I can see everything.

I recommend cleaning before each new project...and if you can be this focused (I cant seem to) working on one thing at a time. I get everthing out before I begin and "TRY" to put each thing away when I am done (ie pattern...ect)

I keep TV pattern in a large box that fits their larger size in color coded era order (blue with ble late bustle ect)

Other pattern go in diper case boxes ( yep three kids...and the case boxes are the perfect size for comerical patterns)

Mostly its a constant...keep up after yourself habit to get into (one I am still trying to perfect) sort of a kitchen "clean as you go" motto

you will find the more you sew the more you develope a pattern to where you like certain things to be so they are at hand as you like them to be.

I still "lose" things regularly!! just ask anyone who knows me, I am the queen of absentminded!

GG

[Lady Fleur]

I Have 2 Words To Say - Plastic Bins

[Gwen In LA]

Hope I don't sound too fabric compulsive lol...open racks of fabric won't work for me. Gets dusty and too, well DiStRActing visually. Besides, it keeps calling to me....

My 'stash' fabric I keep in Rubbermaid bins. Now in the process of resorting bins, a bit at a time. Pinning a yardage label on each fabric, plus taking a swatch.

Labeling bins with a number that corresponds to my swatch cards--which are filed in a notebook. Inside the notebook are page protectors that open at the top. Room in the page protector for any notes or photos on ideas for that particular fabric too. The card can be taken out easily for buying trips!

Some months ago, I realized that I like to store colors together, so silks and cottons and blends of "dark green" for example are all in one bin. Works for me. Previously was storing by fabric type.

Lining fabrics & interfacings have their own bins-light/dark.

Current projects(s) I keep in Sterilite semi-opaque bins or boxes. I can see what is in there at a glance (also labeled) but not too distracted by the goodies inside.

My larger patterns (TV, Kay Fig) are stored vertically in plastic magazine holders. Other patterns (such as fashionpatterns.com and the Big 3 are placed in large zip lock bags and stored the same way.

Will look for plastic spool cases! I am armed with a Jo Anns coupon :)

Gwen

[Ida Hands]

WOW! Those are GREAT Tips, Ladies!
Thanks ever so for the look into your private sewing area Miss Gypsy! I love the way it looks...so organized. Mine fabric is in boxes everywhere in our backfront (my son named our back room "the backfront" when he was just a baby). My regular sewing stuff is there and my teddy bear sewing stuff is in my bedroom (not a whole bunch of that luckily).
Due to this thread, I am ready to take apart the backfront and give it a "Greeneyed Gypsy makeover"! :chick

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

LoL Lioness you mean you are going to have a sewing room that you clean up just to realize you have no idea where anythigng is?!?!

LoL just kidding...I forgot to mention the large white photo albums you see behind me that have colored ribbon glued to them? Those have buttons in them from my grandmother ( they came in the pretty albums so I can not claim this tip!) My grandmother has been a custom seamstress forever and has a real handle on organized! So anyway, the colored ribbon tell you what color buttons are in the book, and there are photo pockets with each button style so you can see them all very nicely....now if I did that with my buttons I could put about 6 more albums up there...I keep them in three large drawers, in little snack sized zip locks. I also have an antique button tin with the requesite antique buttons, I rarely use buttons from this tin but it is a must have item, and the children can play with it for hours, button poker, color matching, math counters, trading games you name it.

I want to revamp the project area with a box for each project and limit myself to maybe 5 ....but it will take some will power.

the open shelves for fabric for me is a good thing I have kept them in boxes in the past and I forget what I have...even with a good index book ( I do love that idea!!) Soooo for me its important that the fabric stay in sight to taunt me into keeping up with the sewing I want to do. We all have out little personality preferences :rofl

Oh I also have a cork board, I just bought another one...I need one more and I am doing a past present future...thing. For the past I want to remember (fannies corset, Jessie Lyns striped silk, thank you notes from little cowboys I have sent things to my chicken in a corset birthday card ect)

Present things are the image for the black and white dress, the back neck trim I am thinking of for the green dress, Bwest corset girls, duzys inspiration images, emilys red dress inspiration.

future will hold the fish tail I am designing, my navy poka dot dress, the cage crinolin I want to make for connie for the paddle boat cruise in the fall...parasol ideas...ect.

Its nice to have some wall space...LOL

I am dreaming up a way to hold dress forms, I have 5 now, connies duct-tape dummie, the large adjustible twin fit, a size 18 bust, the new cotton lincoln mold form and my uniquely you for me....in my dreams they would all be lined up and dressed beautifully .

Matt thinks we can rig up something to hang 2-3 from the ceiling while they are not in use!

[Coffee Em]

Hanging from the ceiling is an excellent plan! Suspend 'em with a rope-and-pulley rig, so that you can let one down when you need it, then haul it back up out of the way. You could even note on the bottom of the "personal" forms what height to lower them to for accurate hem measuring! (Makes me wish I had a sewing room with a cathedral ceiling...)

[Kitty Phann]

I use the plastic drawers you can get up to 5 drawers in various sizes on wheels the small drawers I use for my notions and the others I store my trims gimp in one lace in the other.

[Dixie McCan]

I totally understand the "Sacred Garage". You get half, you are one lucky lady! I'm barely allowed to walk through His garage to get to the laundry all scrunched in the corner!

Hang from the ceiling! Ingenious! On pullies, better still! A box, a plastic bin, or plastic drawer for a project, with baggies for buttons, trim, whatever, all together!

Oh, thank you ladies, aren't ladies wonderful!:kiss

[Desert Jewel]

What wonderful ideas! One I might add to the list is I use a kitchen plastic utensil tray to put my scissors, marking pens, small ruler, fabric rotary cutter, etc. in on my cutting table. It keeps it organized and out of the way, but ready at a reach of my hand.
I have to say I am one lucky lady to have a whole room just for sewing, so I have my cutting table set up, my sewing table set up. Three machines, my chair rolls from one table to the other, but I didn't have room for a ironing board so I went out and bought the kind that hangs over your door, and put it inside the closet so I just have to open it, swing it down and it is ready to go, and when I am done I put it out of sight. The closet is full of bins for laces and misc. and tins of buttons and fabric stored folded by color on the shelves. I have the cardboard pattern boxes you buy at JoAnns full of patterns on the floor of the closet. Things to work on; on hangers. And last but not least, I have a loose leaf notebook with page protectors holding swatches of fabric used and pictures the a project in progress & when done (since I give everything away, I never see them again and it is nice to see what I have done for future project ideas). Also threads in clear thread holders from JoAnn's marked on top of what kind of thread it is, i.e. embroidery, quilting, regular, etc.
This room is also my 'get away quiet room" I have a formal couch under the window and victorian decorations in this room. Nice place to read or dream up new ideas! :re

[Dixie McCan]

Desert Jewel, your sewing room sounds like a jewel!

[Allie Mo]

:ty all for starting and contributing to a wonderful thread.

My current sewing room is a train wreck.

You have given me some wonderful ideas for the new room. I am lucky that I will have a huge (to me as I currently live in a Victorian) 6'6"w x 5'9"d x 9'h closet. I'm hoping to keep the mess organized and in the closet.

I really like the idea of rolling plastic carts. I am going to have one wall (maybe two) of the closet be shelves. I think it would be efficient to leave room under the bottom shelf for some rolling carts for notions, trims... Gotta get an ironing board that hangs on the door too, and a cork board, and...

One fun thing I plan to do is frame some fashion plates I have and hang them in the room.

Love y'all!

[Nellie Blue]

One fun thing I plan to do is frame some fashion plates I have and hang them in the room.

Yea! Hang up your current wish list!!! :chick :chick :chick :chick

[Dixie McCan]

:fun :lool :lool :lool

[Desert Jewel]

I would love to see pictures of your sewing rooms, like Greeneyed Gypys picture of her's,
just for more Ideas..........:beg

[Dixie McCan]

Mine has no organization, but here goes: This is a bedroom, my 84 year old father lived here two years after my mother died, but I had to give him over to my brother to deal with, he would drink heavily while I was at work . . . The sewing cabinet was in "his room". I didn't get serious about costuming until recently as I realized I couldn't buy anything like I wanted due to price and my short stature. I found a link here one day, and voila, I broke open the old machine . . . I'm afraid you can't enlarge it enough to see the receipt from 1974

[Dixie McCan]

Then we got a Bucking Bowflex (that's another story) and put it in the bedroom. You can just see the black rollers from the "leg machine" part of it in front of my jam-packed doorless closet where I hang my "Prom Queen" costumes scrounged from local thrift shops & GoodWill

[Dixie McCan]

To open up the sewing machine cabinet and actually work, I needed to do something with dad's daybed - but get rid of it. He could come back - or maybe we could have an overnight visitor - who knows. So I turned the bed up on it's end - it has big ends, and turned it into a sort of pegboard and hat-rack on the top end. But the mattress and such have to stay there. Also, the lighting is bad so my husband, the electrician hung a light over the sewing machine, but look at the ugly cords and rope! I am grateful, yes I am! Heaven help me, look at the mess!

[Dixie McCan]

It doesn't look bad from the hallway

[Dixie McCan]

There is enough room that I can sit at the machine and turn around in my swivel chair to work at the ironing board.

[Desert Jewel]

Dixie, thanks for sharing, I love it. Anyplace you can call your own, right? I think the bullitin board on the bed was a good idea, since you haft to have it there anyway. Good job of working around other things. Oh and then I saw your "reading glasses" on the ironing board, yep, just exactly like me.............I have 4 pair floating around the house, but no one can touch the one in my sewing room! I would be lost without them!

[Prairie Wildflower]

Desert Jewel, I can relate to the reading glasses. It's gotten to be a joke at our house - I try to keep 3 or 4 pairs around the house, because I'm lost w/o them and always seem to be laying them down somewhere and forgetting where I put them. I even keep an "emergency" pair in my purse, in case I leave the house without taking a pair with me (ever try to read a menu in a restaurant without them? My husband and I both forgot our reading glasses once - he held the menu for me to read across the table, and I did the same for him :lool ). And when I'm sewing, I've even taken a piece of ribbon and fastened the bows of the reading glasses to it and put it around my neck, so they will hang there, because when I'm sewing, I'm forever taking my glasses off to iron, putting them back on to sew, etc., and inevitably they end up buried under fabric, etc.

Ladies, :ty for all the great sewing room tips. I had been keeping my fabric stash in cardboard egg carton boxes I'd gotten from the grocery store, which was ok at first - the right size, and cut-out handles on the sides. I had them stacked in a corner of our bedroom, about 3 boxes high. But they eventually collapsed under the weight of the fabric, and the cut-out handles tore from me continually lifting them down to go through them. So now I've gone to the plastic bins. I had originally sorted fabric by color, but I tried something new last year when we moved and I was unpacking and arranging. I usually have an idea in mind when I buy fabric of what I want it to become (though not always - sometimes I buy it just because I like it and will decide someday what I want to make from it). So now I have the fabric sorted in bins according to what I intend to make out of it. For example, I have a bin labeled "underskirts", a bin labeled "bodices", a bin labeled "overskirts", a bin labeled "1890's", and a bin (ok, several bins) labeled "whole outfits", where I've purchased the fabric for a whole outfit that goes together and prefer to have it all together in one place. Maybe that sounds kinda dumb, but it's been working for me. Of course, I change my mind about what fabric I want to use for which part of the outfit, but you get the basic idea.

I don't have a bonified "sewing room" either, but maybe, hopefully someday. I also use popcorn tins and decorative cookie tins for buttons, trims, etc. I have collected Currier and Ives decorative tins for years, and this is a good way to use them and display them at the same time.

Again, thank you, ladies, for the photos and great ideas. Keep them coming!!