QweenBee

I know everyone is not a fanatic about keeping everything organized. I'm not, and I'm trying to get everything organized, but I do feel as if I'm just treding water, or should I say treading in fabric, patterns, paints, crochet needles, CCStitch, knitting needles, yarn, garment fabrics, garment patterns, scraps of fabric. OOOOh so many sizes, and I could go on and on!
Really, how do you organize a ton of different size pieces of fabrics? I've got the big sections down, Holiday, everyday, garment, home interior. So, what about everything else. If you are wondering why I'm asking these questions, My DEAR MOTHER, passed away the week of Christmas, and was a avid quilter, seamstress, crafter, painter, jewlery maker... and since I was only girl I got most of her craft stuff. So here is how my dining room looked for a couple of weeks! I had to move it out of the dining room, I was sick of eating on the couch, gross!
Anyways so now most of it is stuffed into my sewing/office and the side bedroom! Please I'm embarassed enough, I need help organizing, not comments about how I should give her things away. I do the same crafty things as she did!
Thanks for reading!
Qweenbee

QweenBee

Oh yeah the balloons where from my birthday, and my Christmas tree never got decorated. I was with my Mother the whole month of December until she passed at 3:18am December 26, 2010 :cry:

shawnemily

You are so lucky to have shared your hobbies with your Mom. I am sorry to hear of your loss. I know it is devastating when we lose our Mom's. And having her "stuff" is a help!
I cant help you with organizing but will be watching this thread to see what they come up with for you! :)
You will have fun and a lot of good memories whenever you work with her materials.

cjomomma

I'm in the process of refolding and organizing now. I found a bunch of small pieces tucked in between the bigger pieces. I'm talking about 1/4 yard pieces. Hopefully I will figure how to organize them.

SuziC

I am so sorry for your lose!!! What a wonderful thing that you shared some of her crafting. Although it may seem like a big task, just sort a few things at a time according to groups. Using clear bins will help you to see each group. I wish my Mom had kept her sewing things, i would love to have kept them after she passed. My heart goes out to you :!: (prayers too)

Pamela Artman

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. That must have been a terrible holiday season for you and your family. I wasn't always a good organizer, but I started organizing my office at work many years ago after taking the place of a very disorganized person and it felt so good, that I gradually started becoming more and more organized, both at work and at home. I'll give you an idea of what I would do. First I'd buy or have built, a whole wall of shelves in your sewing room. Then I'd buy some plastic bins that would stack. Then I'd start with the category that has the least amount of stuff, whether that's cross stitch, knitting, etc. and sort through everything in that category, and then find a home for it. The secret for me has been finding containers that fit the purpose. I have baskets for balls of yarn, (which fit in 2 baskets) and a bin for all the skeins (which fill one big plastic bin). If you are short of space, think vertical. Buy or build tall bookshelves, add high shelves above windows, sewing tables, etc. It's so easy to pile things up on the floor, but once you have shelves, it's easier to stay organized. I'd move a portion of the stuff into a spare bedroom and clear one end of your sewing room and start there. I would look through everything carefully, and if you think you will use it in the future, I'd put it away. But if it's not to your taste or something that you probably will never use, I'd start a bin for future donation or sale. It might be hard to give any of your mother's things away right now, but if you put stuff in a bin and look at it again in 6 months, you might feel more able to part with it. Good luck with everything! Take it slow, but work on it steadily and before you know it, it will all be organized and easier to find and use!

luvTooQuilt

Im not a neat freak or have OCD but I keep my sections separated...

Clear shoe boxes for my accquilt cutouts
see thru colored Rubbermaid snap case keepers for charms
cd racks for fqs- where there is wall space available
bookcases for folded fabs 1/2-2 yrd
Fabric bolts for anything over 2 yrds
15 gal tubs for novelty
30 gal tubs for holiday and seasonal and backing fabs
shoe cubby keepers for my fq & 1930
Peg board for notions,paterns, stencils and such
SHoe organizer on the back of door to hold suplies
over the door the wrapping paper organizer for stabilizer and whatnots
med 3 drawers on rollers for scraps
large 3 drawer for strips

My room is never completely organized but for the most part I know aprox what vicinity it should be in if i'm looking for something..


Sorry to hear about your mom..Sorry for your loss..

FranW

First I am so sorry for your loss. God's Blessings to you.


Second, if it were me, I would have to organize in steps (it is just how my mind works). First, I would separate into large boxes per craft activity. Then I would work on each craft, separating by what I will use the most. Honestly, if you have a basement, or some other storage space, put whatever you are not actively working on out of sight. Then just do as much as you can at any one time. I would not suggest discarding/donating/gifting anything right now. Too soon, wait a while before making any decisions.

My craft room is a 10 x 10 spare bedroom: I have shelving units along one wall for fabrics and sewing supplies. Books and patterns are in shelving units along another wall. A large table has my sewing machine and laptop at a right angle to the third wall, and my embroidery center and TV are located on the fourth wall. Yarn, beadwork, cross stitch supplies and stamp supplies are in rollout carts with drawers/shelves located in the walk in closet. I also have extra supplies stored in the walk in closet in wheeled suitcases. Makes double use of the suitcases!

Hope this helps. Just take it a little at a time!

Jim's Gem

I am so sorry to hear of your mother's passing. It is wonderful that you share the same hobbies and can now use her stash of crafty items and fabrics.
I am very organized at the moment. Though I have overflowed my cabinets and have plenty of fabrics in the garage (which is a few feet from my sewing machine area) and also in a few other totes in my sewing room.

quiltnmom

I agree with those above. Clear plastic storage containers. Start by sorting each craft items into their own section then begin with the section with the least that was mentioned above. Do you possibly have a crafting buddy that might come and give you a hand. That way maybe it wouldn't seem like such a daunting task. I get ideas from looking at the pictures of sewing rooms posted here. Just go to the top and click on Search and type in sewing room. You will love what you see -- great ideas!!