SewExtremeSeams

...of course, today was supposed to be a sew-in - but my new nephew came yesterday! Instead of sewing I'm going to the hospital to cuddle with him. =)[/quote]

Jessica, you have one of the better reasons to put quilting aside, those little ones never stay little long enough! Enjoy! :-D :-D

aneternalpoet

Gwyn,

I saw a tutorial on how to fold fabric, that makes it look like it lays neater, and flatter on my shelves.. You use your rulers for quilting to pull taut the fabric pieces you want to have folded.. I wish I knew where the tutorial was, but I am sure, since it was a You Tube sort of thing, you could type in a search on how to fold fabric .. it was simple, kind of brainless ( which I need ), but my shelves with the fabrics I have, stay neater with less bulk.. As for thread and scrappy stuff on the floor... I keep a large plastic tote thing ( the kind that you can store stuff in ) under my sewing table, which is actually an old office desk from a company I used to work for.. I bought it for $10 years ago as we were getting new office stuff.. It has one large drawer, and one smallish drawer on one side, and 3 other drawers on the other.. I place a basket in the large file drawer to catch my ends that I can still use for scrappy quilt projects.. the drawers, I keep my cutting stuff, and needles, and so forth..
The first photo is showing my fabic I have to work with, and the purple bin on the bottom of the bookshelf holds some of my batting scraps I use when making string quilts.. its got a removable inner top, which I hold my other scraps leftover .. All neat and contained, because someitmes on owygen here, I trip over the cord, and need things picked up, and in thier rightful places. ( sorry long winded here :roll:

cheryl222

I think we must be related! You sound just like me. Always trying to improve my setup! Just love it when things are in their place. Only then can I sew.

luvTooQuilt

My sewing room gets messy but I try to re-organize before i leave so the next time i go in there I'm not spending hrs cleaning up.. But here's a few suggestions that I do:

~keep an empty square (not rectangle, that one is too big for me) kleenex box next to your machine. When clipping threads n such toss them in. When its all full just toss the whole thing away..

~buy an over the door clear shoe organizer- Use to hold your notions, thread, whatever you need put away but close at hand too. Even a Christmas one works. ( i use both) the center that holds the rolls of wrapping you can store stabilizer and such instead. Got them both at the dollar store.

~ I use the metal multiple pant hanger with the clips to hold my strips on the back of a door on a door hook. My MIL had a dozen of these so they came in handy.

~Keep clear packing tape to remove , threads-lint-fuzz off carpet/floor/and you- just tape your hand - sticky side out- and unstick away.

~keep a small box (priority mailer box perhaps- they are free at the post office) to toss in scraps from your project. When project is done decide if they should be put away back on your fabric shelf or in the scrap bin (will discuss this further down) Plus if this becomes a WIP put your project in box, with scraps, that way should you need that one little extra needed piece of fabric its there..

~ use clip boards, mount them on hooks on the wall, to keep your patterns at hand.

~ keep a shoebox sized basket at the cutting table to toss in your cutter, pencils, snippers, ect., when your not using them. And when you need them, Quick reach and there they are.. also get a smaller one for next to your machine..

~ Go to Quiltville.com they have a great way to organize scraps - I currently have 5 of the 3 drawer sterilite plastic see thu drawers for my 'strings n scraps'

~ use clear shoe boxes to organize smaller 'cuts'

~ Use See thru stack-able labeled gallon tubs to store fabric

~ use infant ponytail holders around unused bobbins to keep the thread from being unwound


That's All I can think of right now.. My room is by no means perfect but I cant stand when I lose things....

amandasgramma

I fight it, too....My solution tht works for me...I will NOT start a new quilt without cleaning up the room. I toss stuff around when putting one together, but it has to be clean when starting a new one.

Mousie

well, since I'm compulsive, I place all clipped threads and snippets of fabric in a plastic ice cream bucket. When that gets full it goes into a plastic bag. These clippings, along with snipped foam from old bed egg crates, go into pillows and such.
I don't waste much of anything if I can help it.
I have to constantly go in there and throw out paper towel roll cardboards, cereal boxes, any kind of box.
I have to make myself throw stuff in the garbage, or I would keep the garbage too.
I think it comes from having my stuffed pilfered through when I was a kid. An only girl with no space of her own!
Now dh says I have taken over the house.
His garage is bigger than our house and he has two buildings...uh, honey? I don't think so.
Anyway, I wish I had some sage advice...all I can say is:clean often.
I have a pegboard for notions, shelves for books and shelves for fabrics. Everything has its own place and if I move one thing,...it leads to a dozen more and then you can find me: cleaning!
I know mice don't usually clean, so I am a conundrum.
...and that's the way, ah huh, ah huh, I like it, ah huh, ah huh ;)

Mousie

ok, I can't leave you hanging in there like that...here is what works for me:
I have tried all bins, boxes, you name it for fabrics over the years, and the thing that takes up the least amount of space but you can see what you have is shelving!
I keep a curtain over mine to keep out dust and light (fading).
hmm...here's a list of words to make this shorter:
- shelving
- more shelving
- pegboard
- over the door hanger for ironing board
coat hooks on walls...make cloth bags, one for each color of scrap per bag and hang on hook...just make bag the color of the scraps.
- men's screw, nail, bolts boxes with drawers...great for OUR safety pins, buttons, all kinds of little notions
- lazy susan with covered cans hold a bunch of tools and you turn and there it is.
- LABEL everything LARGE and you won't spend hours digging.
- zip loc bags are the best thing since sliced bread bc they are see through.
- men's big magnet from auto supply store to pick up pins...keep away from your computerized machines!
- carpenter's tools are cheaper, accurate, and don't move when you use your rotary cutter.
- Plastic folding files hold info on a project and you can separate the directions from templates, etc.

I have two garbage cans for convenience in sewing room. Lots of scissors and tape and pens, pencils, so I don't have to keep going back and finding one. If there is a chair, there is a roll of Scotch tape, masking tape, scissors, pen, marker, paper, pins, too!
Saves time, steps and energy and patience.
Of course you could make yourself an apron with pockets and put these tools in it and put it on every time you sew.
I get too hot for that monkey business.
If I can't shelve it, it goes on the wall.
If I can't do either, it goes to somebody else.
I keep an address book and all my quilting buddies are in there for that *day*, when I need to share. ;-)

Emma S

I found two book cases at a yard sale. Fifty dollars for two that are both over seven foot tall. It's true that they hold an amazing amount of fabric and you can really see it. I think the idea of putting fabric over the front is a great idea to prevent fading and dust.

Gwyn

Some of you are very wise. I have 2 cabinets with glass doors and a bunch of clear plastic cube containers. I have found works in progress fit really well and look put away when stored in those new zippered plastic covers that sheets and blankets come it. I put dolls in large ziploc bags when they are in process. each bag is tied to the arm of the doll it goes with. I have also scheduling my projects so I don't get all caught up in new things and partly done projects.

For scraps that are too small for me to use (remember, I don't see very well) I keep a priority box taped to the side of my sewing table. I put the scraps in the box, when it is full, I offer it on this forum and pick a new box.

Also, I cut the next day's projects during the night when it is quiet. I clean up and go to bed. I love getting up to a cleaned table with all my projects set up ready to go.

It isn't perfect, but I now have my book shelves with glass doors set up like a rainbow. It seriously looks like the back wall of JoAnn's and I love it.

I've decided to look for a small vacuum to use in my sewing room. One with a small hose end that will fit around my machine and iron and little stuff without knocking things over.

Keep after it ladies. We win this fight 15 min at a time.

Cookie64

Thanks for the tip Gwyn, I have small containers in a cabinet that way, my room still stays a mess until company comes to visit, one of these days I will get organized.

Cookie