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.....

Thanks for all the great ideas.
Regm: That bag is a great idea. I wish I had seen it before I started.
PenniF: I like the idea of the precut strands. Certainly food for thought.
Jeanette: I love your system. When I get that many colors of floss I'll have to do something like that. Right now my choices are more limited. I keep adding as I need it.

I don't know how much time I'll be able to embroider due to the endless interruptions, IV, etc but I would far rather bring a project along and have it available than not. 4 years ago I spent a month in the hospital with nothing but books and TV. It got old in a hurry. I didn't sew then. I want to be better prepared this time.

I put together a zippered box last night. I'm still working on trimming out the inside. It's about 5 1/2" x 8" and 3" deep and opens like a clamshell. A 20" zipper just fits. I should be able to fit a needle book, pin cushion and scissors in it and I'll be wrapping my floss on cards. That still leaves ends to be tangled but at least it won't be a tangled up mess of individual skeins.
Maybe not a perfect solution but it will get me by and I'll learn what I like and don't like about it. Almost anything beats what I'm doing now. At some point I'll switch to a system like Jeanette's for long term use.
Thank you everyone,
Rodney

Good luck with whatever it is that you need to be hospitalized for.

I hope you have a speedy, " uneventful" ( no infections, etc.) recovery.

Looks like you've worked out a plan. For another time, someone recently posted (somewhere!) that they used a tote used for traveling. It could hang up and it was used to store bathroom items while traveling but the poster used it for going to a class. Looked like it worked out really well and very similar to the Tag-A-Long from the looks of it.

Good luck with the surgery. I will definitely keep you and your doctors in my prayers. May it all work out to the best that it can.

You may want to pack a telescope magnet in case you need to pick up a needle or pin. Mine is about 8" and telescopes to 3 feet. Therefore you could put it into your case diagonally. When I get around to embroidery, I have my needles loaded and attach them to the fabric outside of the hoop around the edges. I usually had 2 needles of every color to start with or enough to do a certain section, loaded and ready to go so I didn't have to stop and load every time. Good Luck and sending prayers from the Gulf.

Rodney, I forgot to mention this gadget! It might be too late for you to get one but I love it for having needles all set to go with them already threaded and don't have to worry about tangling. It's really handy and not very big. If I lived closer to you, you could borrow it to see if you really want one.

http://www.connectingthreads.com/too...e__D82032.html

I have started putting each skein of embroidery thread into one of those little ziplock snack bags, punching a hole in the bottom and putting them on a key ring.

Another idea is the Thread Bag on the Karen Kay Buckley website http://www.karenkaybuckley.com/store.php?cat=12

Each of the clear pockets has a leather strip above it. When you put your spool in the pocket, you thread a needle, push it from inside to outside, and pull the thread off the spool as you need it. You never have to take the spool out of the pocket. If you could wind your embroidery threads on sewing bobbins, you could do the same thing. If you usually use two or three strands, you could separate the strands before you wind them on the bobbins. The large zipper pocket at the bottom will hold your scissors, needles, pens, pins, etc.

I have an old CD zippered case with several "pockets". It would work great for a sewing kit for a trip to the hospital. Just remember you will not need all of the thread you own. You can also make a second "kit" to have ready for someone to bring to you if you finish the first project. A gallon Zip lock bag with the thread & project.