When sewing in the kitchen, everything is thrown onto the floor. I just sweep up at the end.

In my sewing room (think carpeted spare bedroom), I have a waste basket under my cutting table and when sewing I pin a piece of batting to my 'front' and spare threads are 'stuck' to it as I go. Most of these threads are easily lifted off when I am near the waste bin.

I have a waste basket at each machine (3) and a thread catcher at 2 of the machines. I have found that if I position the baskets under and about 6 inches back from the edge of the tables what "falls" will miss the basket and land on the floor, so far this setup has saved my seam rippers and scissors several times.

Exactly what I do. My basket is off to my right, within tossing distance, about 10 inches away from the front of my sewing desk. Previously I even lost important tools when it was under the leaf. The body of the quilt top drags and tosses things off the desk in all directions as I piece.

I use a hammer to flatten thick seam intersections- it’s an old tailor trick that works well for places where many seams come together.

Rob

I have a thread catcher by my machine but the floor gets quilte a bit on it as do my clothes. After sewing I use a dust mop to catch as much as I can do the threads won’t get all over the house..doesn’t really work but I try! I run the vacuum cleaner once a week but I still wear threads proudly. Dubstep, I love your solution!����

I have two empty bright red Folgers coffee cans in my sewing room. One on the cutting table for scraps, and the other hangs by a cup hook onto my sewing table for scraps. Once they are full then I empty into a regular trash can. They may not be the prettiest thing in my sewing room, but they are functional.

My waste basket is to the right of the machine, it is a decorative wooden tall kitchen can with a wooden lid, I turn the lid upside down over the half that faces the table and place drinks there. If something spills, it goes into the can and on the floor instead of on my fabric. The other half is open for threads and pieces of fabric.

I love my thread catcher that I have by my machine. I keep a small little plastic basket on my cutting table for small throw away pieces.

Rob, I do too. I have a rubber mallet type of hammer, that I hit thick seams with. Went and bought a new one, as my dear hubby's had too much gunk on it.