One of the recommendations for kitchen storage is to store/file the item at the point of first use. This method could work in the sewing room/studio as well. For example, if you have a pressing cloth you would store it near your iron which is where it would first be needed.
For those longer design thingies like 12" rulers and bias bars, I store mine near my sewing machine in a tall square vase (about 4" square x 10" tall) found at a thrift store. It's plastic so I'm not worried about it breaking if it tips over, but glass would be nice too--you can see through it and know what's in it at a glance. This has turned out to be one of my better storage ideas for my studio.