I had one of those a-ha moments yesterday. Must have been that afternoon cup of coffee! :shock:
I've read all sorts of wonderful hits to help keep the thread drawer ever so neat! Wrap a piece of plastic around the thread was the one I thought was best. I cut my plastic and wrapped around but alas, it didn't hold. Still had my messy drawer of snarls and tangles.
I finally realized (I can be a slow learner) that when I buy my thread it comes with this really neat sleeve that I promptly remove and throw away. Now comes my big A-HA! Keep the sleeve and put it back on the thread and I'll have a much neater thread drawer. Why have I not realized this before? Hmm. Am I the only one who threw away that little sleeve? Please tell me I'm not the only one with a thread drawer only a cat could love!!! :lol:

well Yvonne, I do not have messy drawers! :shock: LOLI just pull the end into the notch and stand them all on end. How will you keep that sleeve (that I throw away) on, it's too tight to just slip off isn't it? If I wrapped mine I think the sticky saran wrap would be my choice, if it's not too sticky. Those little nets for embroidery thread wpuld be good but that might run into some money if you have a good collection of thread.

My husband use to work for state parks here in NC and the park he worked at rented out group camps to no profit organizations. They had a lost and found box, cabinet ,closet or whatver where things these groups had left behind were accumalting. He was given the task of cleaning it out. Most was nothng I wanted or needed like cell ph with dead batteries, keys, jackets, etc. BUT there was one great item that he was allowed to keep as it had been in lost and found for years w/out being claimed. It was a wooden box(?) cabinet(?), I'm not sue exactly what to call it. It stands bout 18" high, has a handle at the top, hinges in the middle of one side and a latch on the other side. It opens up all the way and had one little tiny drawer at the bottom on one side. He went to Lowes and bought some tiny slats of wood maybe 1/4" thick and cut them to fit inside this box and now I have a thread cabinet that I can leae open all the time. It sits at the back of my cutting table which is agianst one wall and I can finally see at a glance exactly what colors I have and if I have any duplicates. I don't have a clue as to who left it behind but I am glad they did. I didn't realize how much thread I had stashed all over the room until I started pulling it out and putting it in the cabinet. Whew, I,m sorry, I ran of at the mouth agian. Lips zipped. :lol:

hi Yvonne what is a thread sleeve? and where do i find it on the spool, i hate to sound so dumb.

Annette

Ohmygdosh. I have a thread foot locker. :lol:

Annette, I thought she was talikg about the plastic seal that's on it when you buy it, that's what I was refering to.

My thread collection was getting out of hand, and I knew I had to do some organization. I have a thread rack thats full with a rainbow of colors when I need to do some hand work. But for all my bigger spools, I purchased one of those 3 drawer clear plastic boxes from WM. The drawers are deep enough to stand the thread upright or you could lay them down so you see all the colors when you open the drawer. It was inexpensive and since it worked so well to keep my thread organized, I purchased another one to keep all my other notions in. At least I know I can find things when I'm looking for them!!!!

Tricia

Interesting that this topic came up. I have a table top organizer, that works o.k., but I really would like to get a wall mounted thread organizer. My dear MIL, now deceased, had a thread organizer that was about 3' by 2'. It was wall mounted, and metal and had a design of an old fashioned sewing machine at the top left or right. Held quite a number of thread spools. I have looked everywhere for something similar, checked out websites, etc., but no luck. I don't know what happened to it after she died, I think one of her daughters got it, but not sure. Guess I should ask, huh?! I prefer wall mount b/c I don't have a lot of counter space.
Julie

I had one of those wall mount thread holders. I couldn't see the colors of thread too well with mine because of the angle that the thread was stored on it. Also, all of my thread got dusty and dirty. I found I had to keep peeling off the outer layer before I could sew. So I got rid of it and went to the box method. I don't have trouble with tangles because I keep the thread ends in that slot on the spool. The bobbins were more messy until I got a box bobbin holder.

I saw some at Hancock's but they were pretty small, made of wood, I think you could stand them on the table or hang them on the wall. Looked like maybe 18-24 spools, I didn't look very close.

I have a small three drawer plastic organizer I got at WM for around $8. I need to cut a piece of the non-skid rug backing or shelf liner and put in there to keep the spools from sliding. Maybe I need to buy more thread, that way they won't have room to slide! (oh, yeah. It's in the mail. Will be here any day).
The embroidery thread I buy most often has the little green thing on top that turns. I wrap the end of the thread around that a few times.
As for most other threads, I usually use the little notch made to hold the thread.
I would love to have a hanging thread rack. I want to make one.
http://www.oxmoorhouse.com/companion/crafters/default.asp?flag=threadrack
I am in a small "corner" of my bedroom with my sewing stuff. I took my son's changing table and started sewing on it. I have my rotary mat on it, too. If I cut, I have to move my machine. When we finish our downstairs, I will have the perfect sewing room! I'm into lots of other crafts and things, so it will be for everything! We built this house, and we're still working on it. The upstairs is not finished, but the downstairs is a nightmare! We need baseboards and "finishes"...upstairs. Downstairs is awful! ICK

I have the wall mounted ones, and I love them. I actually have three and have all the thread divided into uses for the threads.
My Grandma has the ultimate wall thread holder my Grandpa made for her. Basically he took a small ladder (like you find at the second hand stores once used on bunk beds) and added dowl rods between the slats. I think he even added a middle board so she'd have extra row. The dowls are thin enough she even stores her extra bobbins on it.

well!!! i have been from thread to thread this afternoon. (admittedly, among the absolute worst of my puns. begging forgiveness now. :oops: )

you people are just getting wierder and wierder. drawers? racks? boxes? surely you know the only proper place to keep your thread is on the floor, under chairs, sofas, end tables, and behind the refrigerator! and - my personal favorite - right on the chair where i am bound to sit on it when i first go to my machine in the morning.

really, now. must i teach you EVERYTHING?
:mrgreen:

my mom's was one of those pegboards. daddy cut little dowels in sizes and lengths for the different spool sizes. stuck 'em in at an angle. my mom sewed like a fiend so they didn't last long enough to get dusty. if i ever get off my kiester to make one for myself, i'll probably hang it on a door and make a nice pretty ... what else? ... quilt to cover it and keep the dust out.

someday. (the sun won't go supernova for a few years yet, right?)

Thread dwarers? Tred drawereses?

Hell, I 'll admit my ignorance. I only have two color threads for piecing, off white and black. And I don't change in the middle something if I have the wrong thread in. Who's gonna see it anyway? I ain't never done none of that there fancy top stichin'.

That said, all the two colors of thread (Variegated Brown and Maroon Red) I have used for actually quilting, go in the top shelf dooha of the plastic tool box I use for a sewing box. I have one BIG spool of fine polyester thread for ditch quilting, it sits on the BIG thread adapter spool holder on my sewing table. All my bobbins go in the cute red box that came with the Mighty Bernina 830 or in one of theose round plastic bobbin holders for the Elna's bobbins. And you have only 4 bobbins for each, right?


Iffum you need more thread spool storage, go to the fishing section of your local Walmart (if they haven't downsized that department too) and get some lure cases. I am sure those will do the trick.

Call me simple,

tim in san jose

OK, Tim, you asked for it:

SIMPLE!

:mrgreen: :lol: :twisted: :D

sue

ditto

:mrgreen:

Well first thing first the tangle mess I went to see my local floralist, when her flowers come in they have a plastic strechy netting on them she saves them for me. (she use to just throw them away) I just slide them over the spool of thread no more mess and I don't have to take off the strechy thing to use the thread.
Next: I have 2 120 spool racks 1 for embroidery and the other for just thread. They hang on the wall just high enough fo me to reach the top roll' On the one for emb thread I wrote the color# of each spool under the peg. This way when I have the sewout instruction with thread I don't have to pull each spool to see the #. Both racks are covered with a piece of window plastic it is tacked to the top and just hangs down I just reach under and grab the one I want.

Hope this helps

I had my thread stored on a peg frame(June Tailor) and the thread got dusty and toke up counter space.
Now I have one of those thread containers that hold a ton of spools it is ARTBIN. they have a handle that I can carry to class or retreats. I just love it,They are fairly expensive,however I used my Joann coupon.
As for the bobbins I wrap a little girls ponytail holder, the mini ones, and it works perfectly. I don't know about you ,but I have a thing about thread.I love to buy it and I want all the different colors, it's like getting that box of 64 crayons. Donna

3incollege, you are so right. I love the threads they have out there now.

A caution I almost discovered the hard way. When our mom passed away I inherited her thread collection because I had three girls I was sewing for. Well, long story short, I didn't sew enough or fast enough. When I started making quilts I discovered that most of that old thread was not worth messing with. It was basically rotten. SO, I purged my thread drawer. I have a cute jar with all the wooden thread spools and colorful thread that is no longer useable. The rest was pitched out and I started all over again. It's been only a few years and I have two small drawers full of thread again. :lol:

Patrice and Tim----You two just crack me up!!!!!

Your drawer sounds like Kitty Paradise!

I use mostly Robison Anton thread for embroidery work, RA filament for quilting, and then Gutterman for regular sewing. The RA threads are small cones and most have a snap-bottom for those annoying loose threads. Gutterman has a little built-in thread holder at the top of the spool.

I keep my Gutterman in a small clear acrylic case (they lie flat prettly well so I can arrange them in shades and see exactly what I have.) The RA cones are kept in a clear oversize rubbermaid shoebox. I can easily fit 24 spools in a box. For some of the RA cones that don't have the snap bottom, I put a small piece of tape on the bottom and then just loop the loose thread under the edge. It holds it in place fairly well.

Growing up, my mum had one of those slanted thread hangers on the wall above her machine. I remember I didn't like it because of all the dust - not to mention the cat occasionally couldn't help herself and "oops" there went a spool every now and again. The bin method works for me quite well!

Please, please don't make me tell you how many bins I have...or spools...I don't know if I am strong enough to admit my addiction...MUST GO BUY MORE THREAD ! ! !

:P

3 50 spool wall mounted racks, 2 desk drawers, and 4 of the biggest tackel boxes known to man... I use the florist as my source for spool nets as well, on all of my thread... it does stretch over time, but they're cheap to replace... FREE!! :lol: 8)

My floralist keeps me well supplied with the netting. As a thank you gift for all the netting I made her an emborider wall hanging of the flowers of the month. She loved it and has it hanging on the wall by the cash register where everyone can see it.

That is so sweet of you!!! (I just buy some flowers when I'm in there... Maybe I should do SOMETHING for her.) Thanks for reminding me about being nice. :oops:

Go to Hugo's amazing Wonder Tape (use your search engine) on internet. They sell this wonderful, reusable clear tape that you can cut to size and it sticks to itself. It is great to hold those threads wrapped around if you have a spool that doesn't have a notch.

Tim, I LOVE the YBR quilt, but I must ask... Did you applique the feet to it?? :lol: (I don't remember there being feet in my YBR pattern???) :lol:

J/K Nice quilt top!!

Off topic, but Yvonne, is that a a star magnolia bloom? I have two of those shrubs and love love love them.

On topic, I bought a vinyl pegboard and the variety pegs for big and regular size spools. My threads are used, used, all the time. I'm either working on quilts or clothing. I'm tall and can't find everything to fit all the time that I like. So, thread is never hanging out long enough to get real dusty. and I have a place to see what needles, I have and need to replace, scissors, etc. etc.

Course, I have to fess up to a few spools under the desk, under the chair, and one or two under my shelves. If it begins to break or something........I've been known to throw it. :oops: You never know how old thread is that you buy and I do get aggravated once in awhile.

Sharon

Sharon,
That flower is called, "That flower that came with the house when we bought it!"

Star Magnolia sounds like a good name. It does have a magnolia like center. No fragrance though. I enjoy those bushes every spring. They are early bloomers and they bloom a lot. Also, that fact that they grow and I don't have to take care of them is a big plus! :lol: I've decided I do not have a green thumb!

Yep, that's a Star Magnolia shrub. They have blooms only in spring and then leaf out. I have one that hasn't found it's happy place to live and one that is taller than I am. They are both the same age. I think I should likely trim it down but oh, I love looking at those beautiful blooms in spring.

Green thumbs are developed. Read, try it, and enjoy it! lol lol
Sharon