Quiltingboard Forums

Quiltingboard Forums (https://www.quiltingboard.com/)
-   Mission: Organization (https://www.quiltingboard.com/mission-organization-f23/)
-   -   Where oh where can it be?????? (https://www.quiltingboard.com/mission-organization-f23/where-oh-where-can-t216691.html)

maryfrang 03-19-2013 05:29 AM

I thought it was only me. I have that problem. But I found that if I look for something else, guess what, I find the first item I was looking for. I have started to put the item found in a safe, standard place, a basket on my sewing table, so when I get back to the project I need it for, I can find it. I thought age is causing this but maybe I am just too busy and not together.

good luck and hope you find what you are looking for.

darlenedowns 03-19-2013 05:59 AM

Sounds like to me is why are we all that crazy on being neat and tidy and sooo lost lol

janiesews 03-19-2013 06:36 AM

Oh yes. And my darling daughter thought she would help me and she cleaned and reorganized my sewing things and now I have to call her and ask where such and such is. Love her - but I had things where I could just walk in and pick them off the shelf. There really was a method to my madness!!

TeresaS 03-19-2013 06:49 AM

I was just looking at my quilting room and want to add some more storage units...but maybe i should leave well enough alone because i know i will not be able to find anything as well!

JERRY 03-19-2013 07:02 AM

I like that comparision

ScrapQuilter 03-19-2013 09:27 AM

Wow - do I ever have the company on this one......... lol Guess I will never be lonely.

nana2 03-19-2013 10:16 AM

Not only can I not find things after a major organization, when I throw away something that I had not had a use for in ten years, within a few days there will be a need for it.

JanieH 03-19-2013 10:18 AM

I had the same problem as the rest of you - organizing then not knowing where stuff was. Here is how I solved it for me:

I bought 2 of the 10-drawer rolling carts that JoAnn's sells. The drawers are shallow and the carts go together really easily. I then used masking tape and numbered each drawer 1 - 10 and 11 - 20. Then the fun began. For 2 days I went through every box, drawer, plastic shoe box, etc., that I had sewing/quilting stuff in and sorted it all into the different drawers. BUT what I did differently this time was to list each item in a notebook (I used a composition notebook and labeled each page A - Z) and what drawer it is in. Now when I want to find rotary blades (drawer 4) or binding clips (drawer 15), I know exactly where they are. When I can, I am going to purchase a third so I can subdivide some of the drawers that are really packed (button drawer, embroidery thread, etc. I do embroidery, crocheting, knitting, and several other crafts as well so have lots of stuff.). I also want to divide my small rulers into 2drawers because of the weight.

I used ziploc bags to organize things within each drawer (embroidery needles in one, sharps in another, quilting needles in a third, needle threaders, etc.) The snack size worked well. I also found some smaller bags at Hobby Lobby that worked great, especially for sorting buttons by color and needles by purpose.

Since this was working so well, I labeled the drawers in my sewing desk (SD-1, etc.), some other cabinets I had, and all of my storage places and spent the couple of days going through all of them and listing those items on their corresponding alphabet page.

I rediscovered lots of missing items, found some duplicates which I gave to my niece who is starting to quilt, and felt so good about not just cleaning and organizing but also knowing where everything is because of THE NOTEBOOK. I finally figured out that I just can't trust my memory and the "of course I will remember where I put ____________ (fill in the blank).

I even listed all my rulers and since many are specialty rulers that I don't keep with my regular-use ones and so I keep them in other areas, specified where they are. This also helps when I look at a pattern and wonder if I have the ruler that the pattern calls for.

It was a lot of work to do but the payoff has been a much neater room AND I know where my "stuff" is.

mraine 03-19-2013 10:48 AM

I do the same thing.

tesspug 03-19-2013 11:00 AM


Originally Posted by Gramie bj (Post 5937080)
Welcome to the family! I have resorted to making a list as to where I put things when cleaning my area, LOL

Me too. I figure the small amount of time it takes me to write things down in a notebook will be worth it when it saves hours later. I hang the notebook on the dresser knot my ironing pad is on.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 02:10 AM.