Thread Storage
 

Most everyone talks about fabric storage ideas. I am wondering how people store their thread stash.

Mostly machine embroidery users that have thread from every color of the rainbow! I use Metro and Robinson Anton, both have the same type of spools for their embroidery thread.

I am having a hard time finding storage for them, that lets you open the case up and see the colors and also the spools stay in place. (a resonable price would be nice too :) ) Any suggestions. I do not use an open rack for storage, because these spools are not used everyday and dust causes an issue when going through the machine.

Look forward to your ideas.

I use the stacking plastic drawers available everywhere. I got mine from Walmart. One drawer for each color family with a sticker on the front. Greens, Blues, Reds, Yellows, etc.

I would rather put money into thread and fabric rather than fancy storage units.

There was a post on here quite a while back that the person took the storeage containers and clued golf tees in the bottom for the thread to sit on. I thought that was great and plan on doing it at sometime. I have a large plastic storeage on wheels w/drawers. It works great because the first 4 drawers are just the right size to hold RA, Sulky, Presencia, Floriani and Jenny Haskins thread. Then the next drawer is deep enough to hold the larger cones of thread. I like it being on wheels because if I get really into doing a lot I'll move my machine into the main entry way and the thread can just come with me. I have a wooden spool rack (from JoAnns) that I sit up by the machine to put thread on for the project that I'm working on. I take a long quilters straight pin and put the bobbin that matches the thread on top of the spool of thread. Hope this helps.

I buy embroidery thread by the sets - mostly 1100 yd spools. I'm getting anywhere from 40 to 125 spools of different colors that way. It's a lot cheaper in the long run, & you have what you need in the middle of the night, which is when I tend to really get going. I use the locking satchel cases from Joan's. I only buy when they are 50% off & I use my extra 10% off discount card. I travel some with my sewing machine & never know what my girlfriend may come up with for us to make. I can take a set of 125 small cones of thread in 3 of the satchel cases.

http://www.joann.com/artbin-super-sa...07ab/prd61682/ The dimensions are 15 x 14 x 3.50 inches. They stack great.

These cases are great for quilt projects as long as the block is not larger than 12 1/2".

I do love the idea of using a pin to keep the bobbins & matching thread together, although I mostly use white or black on the bottom when I do embroidery.

i bought the thread holder from nancy notions. where i store my long arm thread.

I love the thread boxes from connecting threads. They are clear plastic so you can see your thread colors, and they hold 48 spools of thread, 24 on each side. Each side opens seperately and has a nice latch, plus there is a handle for carrying. I have 3 of these and want more!!

similar ... I get mine at Menards - each case holds about 36 Aurifil spools. I also have a sticker on the front with the contents, but I sort mine differently. One is all Aurifil 50wt cotton (I need to add another container for this collection!), another is various wt (12, 28, 30, 40) cotton for quilting, another is "special" threads (clear poly, water soluble, hand quilting, etc), and the last is "odds and ends" which is basically a collection of various threads for garment making, darning, buttons etc.

The case keeps them out of the sun (my sewing room has a double size west facing window so this is important to me), keeps dust away from them, and are handy for sorting. They don't take up much room as I keep them stacked.

I recently picked up 4 cones of my most used Aurifil colors (2 grey and 2 beige) ... do not have a method of storing these yet so they're just standing on the inside shelf of my sewing table. If I only have the 4, it's not an issue - but if I decide I like the cones better than spools I'll have to get something.

I love these http://www.stuff4sewing.com/clear-cr...LAID=858438180
They won't hold a cone, but take a decent sized spool.

Mine are in a set of drawers.
Each drawer has a different type.

This is my thread storage solution.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...m-t162426.html

I keep my large cones in cardboard 6-pack cartons (think beer or soda) in a plastic rolling cart with deep file drawers. I can keep like colors together and pull out a 6-pack when I need that color. Each drawer holds 4 cartons (24 cones). For my smaller spools, I have shallower drawers fitted with pegboard into which I've glued dowels (about 1 1/2 inches long) to slip the spools over. It keeps them standing upright and I store like colors together so I can easily see and find the color I need. I have 2 sets of those drawers. One for embroidery threads (like Isacord), another, shallower set for sewing thread spools.

I followed RonieM's idea. ***THANK YOU RONIEM!!!***

The thread stays out of the light and dust, also the boxes have a small space in the front for you to put a card with the contents. I like that because its easy to change if you change the colors in that box. I did this for all my embroidery thread, now I need to do it for my regular threads. The extra long tees are perfect because they alow enough space on top of the spool to store a bobbin if need be. I used the plain white ones but plan on "covering" them once I decide how I want to decorate my sewing space (after we move). They stack perfectly on my shelves. And worse case, if I ever dont want to use the box to store thread, I can just take out the foam bottom and use the box for millions of other things.

I have tow of these, also and love them!

If you can find the double cases for Matchbox Cars (toy cars), they are just right for most standard spools of thread and you get twice the storage in each one. Walmart here used to carry them but don't any longer. Menards has single boxes about the same size for single spool storage and they are quite reasonable and sometimes you can buy them taped together in groups of three and they are reasonably priced.

I use the flat storage boxes (I think they are for fishing stuff).
Slots are moveable and hold the bobbin to.
Found at yard sale for 25 cents each.
I have about 8 now - trying for 1 for each color.

J J

I also machine embroider. You did not state what size spools you use. Now I do use the 5000 meter size--but this would work just as easily with the smaller spools, in fact you could double stack them. Here is a picture of what I did with mine.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...n/101_1816.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...n/101_1817.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...n/101_1818.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...n/101_1819.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...n/101_1820.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...n/101_1821.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...n/101_1822.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...n/101_1823.jpg

I have this one also. Works great, and a wonderful price!

http://www.connectingthreads.com/Too...r__D82068.HTML

I saw this way and loved it as well. I will probably switch to this method once we have moved and I go up in size to the larger spools.

When we got the Lawyer File cabinets (the ones that open outward) I stole (hehehe) my CD tower as I put all my CD's/DVDs/tapes in the cabinets for all my sewing thread. I took some yardsticks (yes yardsticks, one coulde use molding if they preferred) to put across the front of the shelf so they don't fall out! Its great; they are by colors now and have a home for just them in the sewing area.

thread storage
 

I purchased a June Tailor thread rack that I hung on the wall next to my embroidery machine.
I love it, easy to see and use the thread, no going through drawers or plastic boxes.

my dad made me a big rack to hold thread. then I covered them with sandwich baggies so that I could see what I had and also stuck a bobbin on top if had the color loaded. he also made me cone holders for the large cones from a small board, a dowel and a wire hanger. I added the small needle cover from syringes to thread through it and it doesn't tangle.

http://www.joann.com/artbin-double-d...s/xprd1036857/

I use this box to store my threads, have 2 of them. It keeps the dust and dog fur off of my threads. My friend was a LA quilter and she used the rolling drawer stacks that have 3-4 drawers in them, they were perfect for the large cones.
Sharon

Just wanted to post what I decided to do for my thread storage. After everyones ideas and comments I came up with this idea.

I think it will work, keeps dust off, portable and can hold 350+ spools of thread. I haven't even begun to load it with my thread yet. (may need two units!)

Thank you everyone for your comments on this.

This is working out real nice for me.

Well, Wal Mart sells the plastic see through cases for matchbox/hot wheels cars. I bought those for $5.00 each and my Mettler threads are stored in them. They lay flat so you can see the colors and fit perfectly. I have seperate ones for all purpose, embroidery and quilting threads. I never buy the "sewing/quilting" storage containers, I look in the sporting goods department or in the toy section. Much cheaper.

Chickadeee55, what are those units you have.. they look like they are doing a great job holding a LOT of thread.

Judie, this is a storage unit on wheels, that I got at JoAnns (they go on sale for 35.00), I put peg board in the bottom of the drawers and added plastic dowels - each drawer can hold up to 30 large spools, so that comes out to 300 spools of thread for the whole unit and that is the large spools.

I really like it, dust free and portable.

I have 2 plastic storage drawer units. I wanted the thread spools to stay in place, so I lined the bottom of the drawers with peg board and then glued golf tees into the holes. It works great. I had to have my dad drill the holes slightly larger to accommodate the size of the golf tee heads (we left one hole between each of the golf tees). It makes it easy to just open the drawer and see what colors you have.

To keep the thread from unraveling off the spools, I tape the ends to the thread with a snip of the 1/4" tape they sell at JoAnn's to mark 1/4" on your quilting projects. It doesn't seem to gum up the thread (it's designed not to gum up the quilt projects) and seems to work fairly well - although the adhesive does dry out after a few months. It does seem to keep my thread drawers nice and neat though!

Totally agree. The sports department always has the best finds and the best $.

Yep i took that idea and ran with it...word of advance, I used a hot glue gun and if you are to rough or try to put to many in one space the glue breaks off. I love this idea but I think it will be revised to just card board spacers, I am thinking you might be able to fit more in. This is my main thread storage but I have 5 sewing stations set up in this rm so i have alittle thread stored at each machine.