We recently added a new virtual section called: Sewing Rooms - Ideas & Inspirations

I want to add as many idea there as I can so here's my first tip. :) I want to preface this by saying this is NOT my idea, I'm just passing a tip along that was given to me and I think work WONDERFULLY! :)

Items Needed:

2 - Metal Closet Rod Hangers (From your local hardware store)
1 - A 5 foot section of 1inch PVC pipe (From you LHS)
4 - Screws to mount your hangers if they aren't included
with your closet rod hangers.

Measure the length of your bolt - add 1 inch to that measurement. Then hang your closet rod hangers that width apart. Put your PVC pipe through your bolt of batting and hang.

VIOLA your done! Batting is out of the way, and easily rolled off the bolt when you need it. This project cost me roughly $12.00. :)

P.S. Buying batting by the bolt if very economical if you wait for Joann's to have a 40% or 50% off sale and have it shipped to your home.

Wooooooooooo! ME LIKEY!!!

ETA: you may want to enlist the use of a "stud finder" so your hangers and PVC are adjusted so your bolt is secure!

Great suggestion! Now, how can we get the little plastic drawers to not sag when they are full? The bottom drawer will often not open without getting snagged on the top one. Any suggestions?

Wow!! I have two huge bolts of batting like this in my sewing room. Don't know if I have enough space for this system, but will try to see if I can fashion something similar.

My sewing room is the larger side of my basement and I want to remodel my space this year. Is anyone using the chrome metal shelving units to store fabric? If so, can you send picture(s)? Pictures of any fabric storing system will help. Mine is stored in MANY boxes that were once sorted by color, but not any more. I am thinking about the chrome shelving units.

Thanks for this new message board!

Awesome idea! And it does not look to be expensive at all! Thanks for the idea!

another way i've found works well are the "space bags"[if you don't buy by the bolt}it is amazing how little space batting takes up when put in these bags!
dar

cool idea and thanks for the new virtual thread!

Super :thumbup: :thumbup: and thanks for including pictures!

Great Idea, thanks for sharing

maybe try putting a piece of wood, like paneling in the bottom to keep them from bowing? A heavy piece of corrugated may work too.

Thank you, I have added this to my DH honey do list. If this keep's up I may be ban from this site.

I did it a little differently. I put 2 large cup hanger screws in the ceiling studs, ran chain from 1st hook down thru the plastic pipe and up to the other hook. I made sure that it hung close but not touching ceiling. I have 9 ft ceilings so you can actually walk under these. I have three rolls up and my son call it my padded cell.

i solved a couple problems like the pictures show, shelving to store my thread etc on, my bad lighting solved with cheap shop light, and pocket thingy i made and thumb tacked to wall for holding light weight "stuff".

I love this section. it's got some good things going on. I hope everyone gets the word about it.
I'm going to be moving into a smaller home in a few months and will need all the help I can get to fit my stuff into it. I'll have to condense my quilting things into a smaller space. Oh woe is me!!!

Some one asked about using those chrome shelving units. I have two, a five foot tall one in the closet and a shorter one in the room itself. The closet one I use for all sorts of stuff, quilting magazines in those upright magazine files, wall hanging sized quilts and table runners that I switch out during the year, photo boxes that I store patterns in (they're just wide enough to stand the patterns up in so you can thumb through them. Freezer paper, the hard cover for my Bernina (now that thing is a space hog!) are on the shelves too. The shorter one my DH cut down to made about 35 inches tall. He made a table top for it with an egg-and-dart molding across the front and sides. It has a curtain on a tension rod accross the front. I keep most of my kitted up projects there. With the curtain it hides the clutter and I really need that. It could be used as a cutting table if it were a little taller, but I already have one I love so it's for storage and display. It also has really big wheels on it so I can move it if I need to. Theshelf units can handle a lot of weight which I like.

In addition I have those Closet Maid wire baskets on the runner frames. We topped them with laminate counter top from Home Depot. My biggest problem is I have 5 pounds of stuff for a 3 pound sack. The over flow goes in the translucent file boxes from Office Depot. I can see what's in there but it's contained. Next project is the over the closet cornice that will have a roll up design wall.

Wow 3 problems resolved! Hope they don't get lost in THIS title thread.

Quite right! I would encourage everyone who has an idea to post them with pics, and add them to the virtual section under a separate heading. :) That way we can find them easily. :)

Great idea - and thanks for sharing this. Hopefully I'll be able to add something to this section that will help others!!

Yes, I agree with Mary. Please share pictures when posting your ideas (if possible). It really helps visual learners like myself.

Great idea Michael, creating this thread! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Your pocket 'thingy' is terrific. It gave me a great idea for storing all of the stabilizers I use with machine embroidery. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

It could be an obviously dumb question but how does one go to the virtual section and find this or any other virtual topic. Thanks in advance. Sometimes I am just a little slower than everyone else!

thanks for this idea. I have the bags and never thought to use them for batting. Now I will have more room for fabric...I am in the process of painting, flooring and purging in my sewing room, you know this thread is going to come in handy.

Wonderful idea by the way Mike, thanks for jumping in there for us!!!!

Well, if you're slow, I'm even slower. I was going to ask the same question. I've been to the "virtual section" but I wouldn't know how to put anything on it, or for that matter find anything on it. When I looked at it a while ago (today) I couldn't see anything on it. How about giving us "slow" people a few tips about it.. ;-)

If you go to the bottom of this page and click on virtual it takes you to a list, go down to almost bottom of list and click on Sewing rooms - Ideas & Inspiration that will take you to Sewing room - Smart Ideas. Then Bookmark for future use. Hope this helps
Gail

Love your idea about the batting- thanks for sharing!

Gail, thank you so much. When you said 'bookmark' did you mean 'subscribe'? I clicked subscribe and it now puts it on my homepage choices so I can get it from there.

Just like Bev in Florida, I thought I looked all over trying to find out where to find this site and here it was at 'the bottom of the page' ALL the time. What ever I am looking for is usually sitting right in front of me. My husband and I help each other out. When I am looking for something and can't find it, I call out to him to come look with his additional 2 eyes. In our home 4 eyes usually work better than 2 eyes! Thanks again. :thumbup: :-D :thumbup:

Many thanks to Gail. Here it was down at the bottom of the page. Would you believe I have never even looked at the bottom of the page? And HOW many years have I been on this board? Oh yeah, since Nov.22, 2006! Duh!!! How dumb is that?
Here's another thing, when I went to check on my "Bookmarks" I had two already there! That's not counting this new one. Now where did they come from? I never knew I had them. OK, I give up!!

Well, duh! Why on earth didn't I think of that. I have a large garbage bag full of batting pieces that belong to my church's Ladies group and it is taking up so much room! I will be using them in future Quilt as you go projects. Glad this section was started and our members are willing to share.

hate to appear stupid but what is a "space" bag?

Questions are never stupid. A "space" bag is one of those bags that you use with a vacuum to remove the air from the bag. It compresses down to a much thinner size. You can get them at Walmart in various sizes. I put my linens in them when I moved and they really are amazing for space saving. :)

Hope that helps! :)

thanks miholmes, i had heard of those kind of bags but never heard the word space bags and never have used them, something else i'll have to try.
donna

l have yards and yards of fleece on shelves in my storage closet. Decided if I could take all that fleece out I could get so much more of my cottons on the shelves. Fleece is so 'fluffy'. Going to get some of the space bags, stuff them full and store them under the bed. It's amazing how much space it takes up. Actually, that's another good space saving idea.

How about some pics? Sue

I purchased over 200.00 worth when my Mom moved in with us . Storing her linens and all of the winter clothes for the season and everyone of mine leaked, We could hear things move in the closet(thought squirrel) it was those bags sucking in the air again. Awful sound.

They work great as long as you don't have cats!! I spent quite a bit of money on space bags only to have them puff up again. After looking closely there are all these tiny little holes in them!!