Hi all,

I am working on organizing my projects and sewing/quilting area for 2010. The room I use is a good size room, but I would like to use 1/2 of it for a guest room. What kind of divider would you use and how would you do it? I like to leave wips out so if I have 20 minutes to work, I don't spend most of the time getting organized. Also, how would you organize your projects. I have about 4 queen quilt tops cut out that I am working on, and several crib size quilts. Right now, I put things in gallon size ziploc bags and a pattern with them. I want it to look organized, but as mentioned above I want to have projects ready and available when I have a few minutes to work. Any suggestions would be wonderful. I am hoping to get some machine quilting frames set up, but then I also have the grace frames for handquilting, which I know that I could fold up and put in the closet or under the bed or whatever, when not in use.

Thanks. I have learned a lot from this board and hope there will be some good suggestions.

Maybe put your ziplock bags in a pretty basket?

There are some pretty folding screens out there... Maybe make a larger version to divide the whole room? I would think that you could make one out of pvc fabric and stretch some pretty sheets over it. It could be very large, folded when not in use and light enough to handle.
A hardware store could help you with the pvc configuration, too :D:D:D

I would rather set up a bed in my kitchen and say this is my guest room and kitchen combined then having my sewing room shared with guests. My sewing room is my room. If no one else shares their room with a guest room, I'm not either. I'm me selfish that way.
My tips to organizing won't help much. I organize my sewing room constantly and it never stays that way. For one thing I have too much stash and I want to see it all to know what I have. DH says why not let the LQS keep your stash as in what they sell, and you go there and get it when you need it? He doesn't understand stash.

Maybe look into purchasing a Muprhy Bed. I had one when I lived in a studio apartment. I loved it.

As far as workspace.. I am working on that myself. I think the baskets are a great idea. And I am a big fan of shelving in the closets for storage. (Although I have yet to do it in my sewing room, girls bedrooms have them though) Take the doors off and make a beautiful simple curtain you can just shut when you have guests.

I am in the process of organizing too - I have one BIG bin for all my less than 5" scraps - it is practically full already. I have a smaller bin for scraps that are at least 5" wide, up to 9" wide but are not yardage. It is about full - but it's way smaller. All other fabric I am putting into color categories/themes. Yellow, green, blue, red, brown, black/fall, Christmas, childrens, baby... these will go into bins also - Until I get some shelves installed - my sewing room does not have a closet. Then I will put some of it on the shelves -- aeration!!! (or however it is spelled). I have some extra money right now and my dh is talking about a sewing/cutting table/cabinet for me - - - storage will be underneath it... I'll post pictures as I'm done.

Make everyone in the house move out! Then you will have a room for each project.

No seriously, I put them in plastic baggies and label them.

you could divide the room with a curtain..just put a curtain rod up on the ceiling (like they do in hospitals). Or you could use open shelving to divide the space.
You can also buy hanging things that have lots of little pockets for things like your rotary cutter etc which i hang on the back of the door.
I have a large trolley around 15 inches wide and 30 inches long (I got it from Kmart in the motoring section it is made of metal)on wheels which i store everything I need and I just get that out and off I go. I keep it in the storage cupboard in the office) I share office space with my husband so have to put away most of my stuff each time. In my storage cupboard I also have my design wall and stash..obviously if the boys move out i will take over their bedrooms in a flash!
Let us know what works for you and what you decide to do!

What divider? The kind that hands out maps to nearby hotels. lol

I'm the wrong one to give advice on organizing. It is the farthest thing from my ability. By nature, I'm very visual and when I put things away, I forget about them. So for me it means an open storage system.

The sewing room is the sewing room! If you have to have a place for guest...buy a really nice air mattress with a pump and just create some floor space.

When I go to friends in Louisville, Kentucky I sleep in the craft room and stay awake half the night thinking about what I could be working on while everyone else is asleep! Too bad the serger makes soooo much noise. You oughta hear em in the morning wondering what that strange noise was they kept hearing :-D

Hefty sells bags that are 2.5 gal size I keep larger projects in. I put thread, needles, pins, pattern, fabric, all in the bag when necessary and just pull out. I use other size bags for smaller projects. I keep all these in two specific drawers in the sewing area. Pull out when I need. As the project goes on, I just put back in the bag. I can use the bag up to the batting/backing process and then I have to fold and lay over back of chair or put in closet so cats don't get to it.