Originally Posted by
Mrs Shak
I have to sew on the kitchen table and my stash, etc is thrown in a corner (in clear containers or baskets) or in other rooms. I would love to set up an area in the basement but it is too damp (when it rains hard or when the snow melts, we get water down there).
I'm looking to see if anyone would have any ideas of how to better organize because I have to dig through everything in order to get what I want. I do keep current projects in their own totes. Or how to use a damp basement? I don't have any extra space except the basement.
My family (and I) are tired of having to look at my sewing stuff whenever we use the kitchen! TIA!
It seems you have 2 problems storage and organization. Having current projects in their totes sounds good. Are they hard totes where one project may not fill the tote? Would a flexible, clear plastic bag work better?
Could you store things not sewing related in the basement on shelving suspended from the ceiling so the water won't bother them? (Like seldom used pans, etc). If you put everything in its own plastic bag the humidity shouldn't bother it. But I wouldn't put fabric or paper down there. Anyway this might free up space upstairs.
In my closets I put some plastic shelves on the main shelf which gave me more storage in the space above the main shelf. If you have standard closets, you could even attach a shelf close to the ceiling which could take stuff like batting or out of season clothes, etc. and you wouldn't have to get at it very often.
As to organization, if you could categorize your stuff(by use or fabric by type/color) maybe you wouldn't have to "dig through everything" as often. I have all my sharp things(scissors, needles, rotary cutters, etc) in a small 3-drawer plastic container that sits on a bookcase. When my grandchildren were little and slept in my sewing room, I just took the whole thing into my bedroom for safety. Maybe you could keep something like this elsewhere and take to the kitchen when you want to sew.