I tidy up every evening now. Even so far as to put away my cutting mat and cover my machines. My sewing 'room' is also the lower level family room... which is where our 2 cats spend their nights. I don't want cat hair, or the occasional hairball incident to take place on my sewing equipment. It only takes a few moments to pull things out, and the family room looks better on days I'm not sewing. As far as keeping fabrics for projects out...use shoebox bins with lids. They stack easily and keep things contained.