ooops, sorry Betty!

hi,
i found my cabinets on craigs list, but i have used ebay as well. you can search locally on both sites. i get a local "shoppers guide" that lists furniture, etc by personal sellers. and, my local lumber yard usually has specials on their sample displays. you can ask if/when they're planning to replace them and check regularly! (i missed an entire oak kitchen for $300. b/c i forgot my cc!) as you can imagine, they go FAST. it may take some time, but it's well worth it.

well, back to my projects! good luck! ...and good holidays!!

Hi Becky, I saw your question about organization in Nov.one of the things i do when i press my fabric i hang the fabric on slacks hanger, so when you need a certain fabric you only have to iron the little crease out of it if there is one.also to help out with projects that you have in mind it may help to iron all your fabric one day,cut the next then sew until you're tired, this is stress relief for me. hope i help lol

Annette

Annette
Good idea..... As I was reading your idea, it came to me that sometimes I'll spend a couple of hours just trying to decide what fabrics, mainly dealing with what colors to use together, then I'll lose track when I have to leave for awhile and tend to other things. But in reading your post, it came yo me if I make note as I go and use the pant hangers to keep them together, I won't lose track and I'm keeping all the fabrics together. Thanks, for switching on my LIGHT BULB. Sometimes my watts get low.

I have limited space. I bought one of the 4 shelf plastic shelf units and put 2 sheves back to back under 1/2 of my Grace quilting frame then I got one of the 3 drawer chest (with the deep drawers) and put it under the other side of the frame. Nothing like making use of every empty space.

I keep all my PIGS , UFO's ,and WIP here always handy if I decide to swicth projects. Some are kept in the plastic shoe boxes and some in the larger type. I fit 6 boxes on each shelf.

I put the larger unfinished top ect. folded in the 3 drawer chest. On the wall near the frame I put in hooks and that is where all the rulers and mats are kept evrything is handy and close by.

All my little gadgets, cutter sisscors and things are in one of those mini 3 drawer thingys.

Need more room need to kick a kid out so I can take over his bedroom. LOL. Can't kick out my Dad son the son will have to go.

You're all making me jealous, my quilting supplies have over run the RV! I have 4 of those Rubbermaid 3 drawer units, in the closet, but they're taking up way too much room and have to go. My favorite storage solution so far has been 7 wonderful baskets I picked up at Wal-Mart, that I keep threads and stuff in, on top of our RV slides.

I have some pictures of my various storage "solutions" on my website, but I'm afraid I'm in serious need of help! :mrgreen:

http://www.tinkletimes.com/display/S...alleryId=46781

Good after noon Becky, so glad my little idea help. Your watts aren't low ,we all need a little help with this great hobby.
Annette

I'm new to the world of quilting and don't have alot of ideas like you all do,
but have just come up with one floor space saver.
I bought an "over the door" ironing board. It folds back up out of the way when I'm finished with it.
I have a small house, and limited floor space...I must find organization helps in any crafting that I do.
Another project that I'm going to do is install shelves on a small section of a wall in my sewing/craft room.
I got the equipment to do it at Lowe's.
I can put my fabrics and other supplies there.
This will be from ceiling to the floor. Will give alot of storage space.

Oh! I thought I was the only one that had enough unfinished projects that I have to store them! :-o

As to storage, I use the large metal shelving which I purchased from Sam's Wholesale club. I stack my sewing notions, fabric, etc. in boxes that fit the way I fold the fabric and stack on shelves. I have my fabric organized by color, textures, and type. I label each box as to the contents. I live in a four room 1930's house so space is a premium. I use 3-drawer storage drawers on wheels which I roll under my sewing table. I plan to install the peg board for other storage needs. I currently have a large bulletin board hung to the right of my sewing table for my ideas, squares, etc. I have an ironing pad which I store also under my sewing table which I whip out and spread on tope of my sewing/cut out table. I often use my 6' long kitchen table for larger cutting projects.

I am in to so many different mediums I have quite a bit to store. Though I have very little space, I try to keep all organized so as to have a walking space in my sewing room. But, I use time I want to be sewing or quilting to organize but at least I have a sewing room now!!!

Cathy: Good ideas. Your idea about the wall shelving caused me to remember a wall beside a doorway in which I could install shelving (8") for small boxes of notions. Hmmmm. Can hardly wait to get back home to install them - currently on assignment.

These small houses are a challenge when one is a collector!!

I don't have alot of space either. I have a gGrace quilting frame so it took alot of avaiable room. I bought on the the plastic 4 shelf units and put 2 shelves together and put them under my frame back to back. they hold 24 plastic shoe boxes in those I keep project with lables and whaterver pertains to that project.

Then I bought 2 of the Deep 3 drawer plactic storage units they are side by side under the other side of the frame. It holds a good amount of fabric and I labled the drawers so I know at a glance whats in them.

Then under one corner is a 120 spool thread rack . and a large woven basket that hold on EQ books and some patterns.

I have my emboridery machine on a small rolling tv cart and that gives me some more storage on the 2 shelves in that.

I'm into "different" types of crafting also.
I do woodworking, tolepainting, cross stitching, crochet, and now
getting interested in making quilts.
And with a small house....I am overrun with crafting.
I'm a single person tho.....probably only thing that has saved me.
If I had a husband, we probably couldn't live together.

Hi Cathy and all;
Was just reading all the letters on where everyone "stashes" their supplies and said something to my husband aboiut me not being the only one with a ton of stuff. He reminded me of what I said a few years ago,
"If I ever decided to run away from home I would need a semi cause I am not leaving my stuff here"! And right now my room looks like we had an explosion and no one picked up yet. Every thing had to be moved to put in heating system, (now we can even go away over nite and not worry about the wood stoves going out.
LOL So decided it is a good time to pass on those things that I am not going to be able to do anymore. Have grands that are all into different things so that is nice.
Good luck to all and don't forget---under the bed---behind the couch... LOL
Imak

Cathy,
I got a chuckle from your last comment. I have a husband and read your comments to him and suggested he should probably go find himself his own house. He laughed too. No, he's not following through!

My best discovery was putting a shower tension rod in my sewing room. I now hang the fabrics that I'm using on hangers on the rod. This way the fabric stays neat and close at hand. I have a small cutting table and had no room to put the extra fabric pieces. It was driving me crazy but no more!

It's the little things that help maintain our sanity!

lol

Hey, guys, here's another idea I came up with years ago, when I was doing just some small sewing/craft projects.
My sewing box was never big enough and things were getting misplaced, lost, etc.

I went to WalMart and bought the biggest fishing tool box they had.
The top opens and folds out.....has all those little spaces for all your sewing tools, notions, etc. That was a good idea, I've never regretted that.

Great ideas here! One of the big decisions I made recently, was to donate all the fabric in my stash that I know I will never use. After being a collector for many many years, it is obvious to me that this part of my stash is nothing more than volume. I always said I was in the race to die with the most and win. Six years ago I began collecting quality fabric, and 4 years ago started working for fabric at the LQS. There is no way my original fabric stash will ever be used and that is such a waste. Many wonderful groups donate time and love in making quilts for those in need of the healing power they provide. I guess my priorities changed. Hope this doesn't mean I am growing up! :lol:
Consider giving your probably never to be used fabric a chance to make a difference in someone elses life. There is a child, a chemo patient, a soldier, someone homeless or cold, who would benefit from your gift. The reward to you? Well more space to keep collecting, of course. :wink:

Cathy,
When I was a child I had a big cardboard box in my closet as my sewing box. It was FULL. When my father lost his hand saw and framing square, we finally found it in my sewing box. How could it have gotten there?? :shock: Now, in my sewing room, my husband looks for his tools in there first, and usually finds them. I can hardly get in there. I guess I need a sewing barn. :roll:

:lol:

Boy this thread is very active right now!! :lol: Everyone must be trying to clean up and straighten out their STUFF! I was able to clean out quite a bit of stuff when I discovered that quite a few of my plastic boxes were filled with craft stuff for when the grandchildren came to visit. Since they don't use these things anymore it all went to the thrift shop at my church and freed up some plastic boxes for my stuff. I even have 2 empty boxes! :lol: Your ideas for old fabric are great Boo and I will keep that in mind. We have a lot of quilters at church. But I found another use that works for me. I use the unwanted fabric as foundation for my string quilting and also use it for the back side of the sandwich I make for a quilted pillow cover. It doesn't show when it's on the pillow. I've also used unwanted fabric for the back of the sandwich for my quilted bags. Once the lining is added you don't see it (I prefer lining a bag like you would a coat or jacket).

judjo

I am in serious trouble!!! I have a chest of drawers in a closet and it is full :lol: Lots of fabric in same closet on the shelf. Plastic chest full of paper patterns off the internet and a cedar chest that is full. was give lots of fabric when we had a church guild and no one else wanted it. Then the wife of a co worker gave me several large garbage bags full of fabric. I hate to get rid of it cause I will retire in 2 years and won't be able to buy much after that. I guess this weekend will be staighten the closet weekend :D Don't know if a weekend will be long enough. I get to pulling it out to straighten it and don't get very far after that---get to dreaming about using this piece or that in a quilt :!: I need prayers and lots of them to help me get organized! :)

I send prayers that you will stay focused. I know it's hard when all this fabric is around and your mind wanders on what you could do with this one or that one. Your juices get going and it's hard, Keep me in your warm thoughts ladies, I'm getting ready to move and I'm really having a hard time, packing up my sewing rm. I know once it's packed up. I'm not going to be able to get to my sewing, untill we're moved and close to unpacked. And it will be the last room I get to, as far as getting setup in the new house, And if I don't make a few stitches everyday I really get unraveled. And now I'll have to reorganize everything, I'm frustrated already, and we've got 2 wks before the move.

Pack it last. You may need to retreat once in a while to relieve the pressure of all the other moving tasks.

No way I could leave my sewing room til last once I got to the new place. I'd probably unpack that before I did the kitchen. There's always takeout and drive-thru's. LOL

You probably already know this but the key to unpacking is to resist the temptation to just cram things in wherever they fit when packing. If you haven't already, plan the layout and storage systems for the new sewing room. As you pack here, box and label things according to where in the room you want them to go as you unpack. Prioritize and number the boxes accordingly. List contents in detail on the outside of the boxes. Keep your marker handy the whole time. As you put something in a box, add it to the list right away. Keep and update a separate paper list, too, to remind you what you should be finding as you organize and unpack at the new place. It's better have have more properly organized boxes than to have just a few jampacked with who-knows-what. To keep the smaller boxes from getting lost in the shuffle, consider putting them together inside bigger boxes - again making sure to list the small-box numbers on the outside of the big boxes. Put the smaller boxes into the bigger ones in numerical order.

When you get to the new place, if you have an attack of just-gotta-quilt, you'll be able to go straight to the boxes you really need. No need to unpack the whole room at once. And - since I'm piling on the opinions anyway - leave things in the boxes until you actually need to use them the first time. After a few months, anything still in a box might be a good candidate for a yard sale or charity thrift shop.

Sorry to bore you with a book, and apologize if I've wasted everybody's time reading stuff they've already know for years. It's a work-related habit. I work in a social services agency. We have so many clients who don't know what they're doing, most of us automatically switch into maternal-advice mode even when talking to those who do. Just in case. (ok. not merely a habit. more like a sickness! LOL? :oops: )

Whew! I'm out of breath just reading. LOL Sure glad I'm not moving, that sounds like a lot of work. However I'm married to Mr. Clean and we are cleaning out our attic and doing exactly that. Everything is going into plastic containers with a lable of everything that's in it. We've only been in the house for 5 years so it's not really packed full with junk. This past weekend my daughters were down and one of them wanted a shirt that was hers as a child so she could put it on her baby and take a picture. I was able to tell her exactly which box to look in. She said WOW I've never seen an attic like this, so then everybody had to go look. Now I'm out of breath again. LOL
kathy

Becky
I am a sewing addict who has moved alot, and I know what you mean about sewing every day. What I recommend is cutting out a project and putting it in a bag. I prefer a hand project when I am traveling, of course, but if you will have access to your machine...... With all the different fabrics already cut, it really doesn't take much room to keep a project handy. I put in my scissors, thimble, needle and thread, and any marking tools I might need. I have a yoyo quilt that I take when I go to the Dr. or something. I can fit everything I need for a day or two in a sandwich bag. Good luck on you move.

Patrice,Kathy, Norah,

What GEMS, you are. I appreciate you so much, Your words of wisdom, experience, and just down right Caring, helps me to not feel so anxious and in a tither. In fact my daughter-n-law just called me to say that she was going to help me move my sewing room, because she knows how important it is to me, and getting everything in the right place. ( I taught my sons to marry smart) And they married some real special ladies. I'm blessed that they like me. But thank-you and I'm using your well organized advice.

I am so glad I found the gtoup I am fix to move to my DH is fixing my sew room now and we are useing some hint I saw this morning take a book shelf put it to top room to put farber on THANK YOU I well read this all way it is great Neva

Neva
Happy moving and take care, be careful.

Good luck to all who are moving. I will etire in 2 years and be facing the same thing myself. Bes of luck!

Becky,
You've already got some wonderful words of wisdom here but I'll add my two cents worth also.

My daughter married a military man and they move every two years or so. A wise woman told her to fill one box with everything she will need right away and label it to be unpacked first. In this box she puts enough dishes, flatware, pans, bedding, clothes etc. that they will need for those first days after the move. This has been a sanity saver for her and I think it can be adapted to the sewing room!

When we go on a trip I always plan a project of handwork to take with me. It keeps me occupied on the plane and in the hotel. I think moving would be a good time to do a handwork project.

Have a safe move. Unpack a little, sit down and stitch a little and then you'll be ready to unpack another little. :lol: You'll be done before you know it!

What great ideas you all have! I used the method of marking boxes, etc that someone mentioned and it really worked out well when we retired and moved from a 9 room house to a 4 room house. I'm only missing one thing. That is a photo album from high school days which I know I packed. After 11 years here it still hasn't surfaced. I know it's down cellar somewhere in my husband's mess!! I'm never moving again!!! I keep hand projects ready too for visits to the doctor, traveling, etc. But you all had so many more ideas, as well. What a group we have!! It's so nice to be able to share ideas.

judyjo

This may be late, but I just received this bulletin on storing our stash of fabrics. Some of the ideas presented here make a lot of sense. The suggestion to protect fabric from the light (fading) was something I had never though of. And of course many women store their stash on open shelves, much like a display! Perhaps you will find her hints helful.


http://www.quiltedparadise.com/n/070-qow.jsp

She offers a weekly newsletter with various infirmation.

June

I am fortunate to have a large area in our finished basement that has a window for light. I have attached a magnetic bar (a kitchen item used for knives) to the wall, and all of my scissors and other tools that will fit are hanging there. I have a large kitchen table that accommodates both of my sewing machines with room to set a cutting mat as well. I have stacking drawers and shelves with doors and a cubby hole shoe organizer on top where all of my fat quarters and small fabric pieces are organized by color. My rotary mats hang on the wall. I purchased cardboard file boxes from an office supply where I also store my yarns, large cuts of fabrics, etc., and these are stacked in my storage room near where my sewing area is set up.

you all sure have some good ideas. i have a hard time staying organized and if i put equipment in boxes where i can't see what i need, i make a real mess when i am looking for something. so i picked up an over the door shoe holder, the cheapest i could find. i can see everything,it is right by my machine, and it takes up almost no space.
no more lost equipment, i can see at a glance just what i need. it has helped me a lot and i no longer spend time trying to find that certain tool that i think is in this box... no maybe that box...

What a great idea to use the see through hanging shoe holder nanabirdmo! i havent got many things yet and dont have a dedicated sewing area so your idea is perfect! I feel your pain ladies that have to move and pack as we have just finished renovating our main living areas and after 4 weeks of dust AND not being able to sew we have finally finished tonight!! i am so looking forward to my spending my time sewing again. :lol:

OK don't laugh, but I started organizing my craft room two years ago. It's stile not done all because I couldn't find this one sweater pattern that I wanted to make. I've got things pretty much in plastic boxes, fabric sits on the shelves, by color. One day my daughters told me I should get a table for my room to work at. I thiought they were kidding. because there is one in there under that pile of stuff in the middle of the room.

Instead of starting a new topic, I dug this one up.

I got the new issue of Quilt Magazine and these new ruler organizers were recommended. The Ultimate that is two sided is now on my wish list. This man has figured out how to get the most storage of rulers in one spot! Not only can you store the rulers on front and back, there is a space in the middle to hold bigger square rulers and small cutting mats!

www.romwoodworking.com

If you have questions, he will personally email you back.

pics of my sewing room.
welcome to get ideas.
my design boards is made of insulation board covered w/ batting total cost probably $25.The shelves in my closet I bought at Walmart they are stainless steel and cost around $20 each. In the hardware dept made for kitchens but it worked for me.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/8995.page

I'm using my sons old baby dresser. 5 drawers. I can store thread, notions and rulers in it.. Fabric.... I just bought some big tubs at Walmart

OK, all this organizing talk makes me want to leave work (as you can tell, I'm really busy today!!) and go start getting things in order in my sewing room. When the last kid left, The dog and I moved the tv and couch to the actual living room and the downstairs familyroom was repainted a gorgeous cottage blue and I did get some white storage cabinets, the tall kind with shelves and doors (love the dog, but she sheds something awful). I have an old maybe antique narrow cabinet that my late mother painted and stenciled strawberries on (definately '70"s, definately Mom, wouldn't change it for the world!!). She used it in her sewing room too!! I have one of those white plastic banquet tables from Sam's, and my sewing machine cabinet, and a bookshelf.Oh and the computer desk. Some stuff has actually made it into the cabinets!!! I'm sure I have duplicates of some stuff I can't find. Other stuff came up and I have never gotten back to the organizing. :roll: :roll:

Here's a question...Do you guys prefer carpeting or hard flooring?? I'm on a cement floor down there (I live in a split level). The old carpet needs to come up but i'm not sure if I should replace it with more carpet or laminate?? Of course there would be a rug under my feet at the machine and ironing board, etc., auntie arthritis insists!! And a comfy padded bed for my assistant!! But is it easier to sweep or vac?? I'm leaning toward laminate, but is there something about the carpeting that would make it better?

Anyways, Kudos to those of you that are organized by nature, and to the rest of you..I feel your pain :lol: :lol: :lol:

Carpeting is going to be warmer for you in the cold Ohio winter, and carpet all over is going to be easier on your feet and knees. But a smooth tile or laminate floor and a Swiffer are so much cleaner, especially with a shedding dog.

If you have heat, and good padded slippers for winter, go with the laminate (or tile) flooring.

That's my opinion, anyway.