lots2do

Great thread! I like everybody's tips.
I know what you mean about if I knew then... I might not have accumulated so much fabric. But once I get it more organized, it will be nice to be able to pull what I need. Friends who quilted all believed in having a stash and so I do. Fortunately, most of it was purchased on sale.
I had plastic boxes at our old house for fabric storage. When we got cabinets from Ikea, I thought I'd be able to use them in two stacks on each shelf (four to a shelf) but they were just under an inch too wide. In the long run, that's probably a good thing because it would be cumbersome to move them to see what I have. Still working on the best solution but determined to do so, so I can just sew(in peace). I don't mind a little clutter but a lot, that doesn't work for me.

Sew Freak

I will never win the "there is a place for everything - and everything is in its place" award either!!! LOL!!!!


What do other "clutterers" do when things become overwhelming?[/QUOTE]

Well I heard that if you do something (I believe 21 days straight) it will become habit. So the last time I arranged my sewing room I've tried to clean up after myself and straightened up so at least my room doesn't look like the local junk yard.....doing pretty good with it but whenever I start a new project it never fails....it looks like hurricane " " came through with all their kin! guess I need to work on that 21 days more!!!LOL!!!

oksewglad

LOL...my SIL described my sewing space as if a fabric explosion took place. So often I get called away and don't go back to work for a day or two and I just pick up where I left off.

Tothill

I love the Iris Scrapbooking totes. They are large enough for 12 inch blocks, the lid is hinged, so they do not wind up in different places. All the fabric for a quilt top will fit in one. I bought a great inexpensive unfinished pine shelving unit at Ikea this summer. I painted it a lovely Robin's egg blue and thought I could fit lots of the Iris totes on it. I even thought I would have to go buy more totes for my fabric that does not have a tote yet.

MM HMM, Turned out I already had 30 Iris totes, but before they were all over the place. They do look good on the shelves and I have them 2 wide and 5 high, so it is not too hard to get at my projects. But where did all those projects come from? And what about the fabric that is not yet in totes? I need more totes, which means I need to buy another shelving unit.

I see a pattern here.

One of the best deals I found for my sewing room were 2 wooden drawer units, they are about 10 inches wide and 8 inches deep. There are three shallow drawers (perfect for scissors and rotary cutters) and three 3 inch deep drawers for other things. I paid $12 each at Value Village. They fit under my counter, have wheels to move around and I love 'em.

mamagrande

I have several big shoe boxes and they are marked with name of project on the sides, so when I am ready to work on them I can just pull out the shoe box that I want. I can stack them, when I say big shoe boxes I mean like boots and big boy shoes .haha.

When I moved things into this room several years ago, I designated a place for everything so when I need to clean up after a project, I know where everything is supposed to go and it eventually does. I have two sets of plastic drawers that have 2 thin and 2 deep that keep all of my tools and have slotted wooden tray on my table for my rulers..always within reach. Small spools of thread go in a plastic 2 sided partitioned case and cone threads in the deep drawers.

All my fabric are folded more or less by color, children, holiday, flannel, ethnic, 30's, etc.

oksewglad

The other day I did take off the cupboard doors. In the back I laid the flat folds of potential backing and scrap quilt backgrounds I have on hand...I don't need to buy anymore of those!!! Then found a couple of Rmaid totes I wasn't using..One has a collection of solids..the other empty...not sure what I will put in..may make it my scrap bin, but really don't want one that big. It's all an ongoing process.

joyce888

I built 2 drawers into mine (and left the doors on). Also took the front panel off and made it into a drawer.

romanojg

You should use either clear totes or the ones that I really like are the stackable ones where the front of the tote opens so that you don't have to move them to get to what's inside. I also have a couple of clear drawer units that help alot. I'm in the process of organizing things again and its hard. I'm into quilting, sewing garments, embellishing, Sashiko, etc. I want to be able to get to them all easily and have one place to look for each thing that goes with each project I will be working on. I've also been collecting all of my UFO's and putting them out front so that I can get them done, hopefully for Christmas. That would be nice