Storing and transporting embroidery supplies
 

I'm getting enough embroidery thread and supplies now that my current "system" of jamming everything that fits into a ziplock bag just isn't working out. My floss quickly becomes a tangled mess. I also am going in for surgery here soon (no date set yet) and will be in the hospital about a week. I want to take my embroidery with me so I can work on it there.
I want a system to story my floss, needles, scissors, etc where it's neat, organized and portable. The hoop(s) can stay outside the kit. I would also prefer a soft container as opposed to some sort of hard box arrangement.
Has anyone put together something like this? Any ideas are appreciated.
Thanks,
Rodney

What I did was buy some of the clear holders that fit in a loose leaf notebook. I sewed across each one a few times so I ended up with little compartments per each sheet. then I put the thread in numerical order and slipped them inside the compartments. the openings were on the left side of the page. If I had l lot of one color number, I had a deeper compartment. I've used this system for over 10 years and it seems to work.

I use "stitch bows" for my floss, then I just put what ever I need: floss, tiny scissors (I like the folding kind because I don't have to worry about something getting poked), needles and thimble (I like the stick on kind for embroidery) in a zippered pencil case. I am currently working on little 5" embroidered blocks and they fit in the case too so it is very portable and doesn't take up much room.

I like garysgal's idea too!

I am in the middle of making such a container. It is called Tag-A-Long #215. A This & That pattern by Sherri K. Falls.
3 friends have already made and really like it. Wish I knew how to send a pic.

That pattern looks great....
One thing i'll add....i took a 6 x 3 piece of heavy card stock....punched 3/8" holes around the edge....cut 18-20" lengths of embroidery floss (that's the length i like to work with), "fold" in half, pass the loop through the hole and loop/knotted it by color. It keeps them from tangling and is easy to remove/put back as you need pieces. Just an idea.

The other ladies are very creative. I'm afraid I got lazy. What I did was wind my embroidery floss around the floss "bobbins". I have three plastic containers which snap shut quite securely and my floss is in those containers. I will get some pictures later on this evening and send you. I have several bags in which I put my scissors, a 6 inch ruler, and any miscellaneous stuff which I might possibly need. If I have all three of my snap-shut containers, I will have just about any color I might need. I have a bad habit -- I don't label the color numbers on the bobbins which I probably should, but I have a pretty good eye for matching colors. The snap-shut containers would have enough space to include your embroidery needles, but not your scissors. I haven't tried it, but the scissors might fit between the embroidery bobbins and the top of the lid! I'll have to check that one out!

Jeanette

Rodney, attached are a couple of photos which might give you some idea! Jeanette[ATTACH=CONFIG]513916[/ATTACH]

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Rodney, the orange-handled scissors laying on the box above will close up in the box on top of the embroidery thread bobbins and these aren't even embroidery scissors. Jeanette

You are going to be interrupted endlessly at the hospital. Chances are you will also have an IV in your hand at least part of the time, which can catch up in things. My recommendation is to put your supplies into a divided Rubbermaid-like container and the whole thing (including your hoop) into a tote bag. I only use little plastic bags for blended threads - otherwise, it's the floss cardboards. Mark the number clearly on two sides so if it wears off on one, you still know what you have.

Good luck! I've never been able to work projects while a patient in a hospital, which sadly, has been frequent in the last year, partly due to that IV. I just read, listen to audiobooks or music.

The pics of wrapped floss is how mine are, except, I have put the color number on left top "wing" and they are then stored in the containers in numerical order as most patterns give number of color to be used. Worked for me when I was in cross stitching mode....and now when I "occasionally" hand emb. Reminds me ...... Another UFO there.....