Share your best organizing tip!
 

Hi all,
So, (sew?), please share one of your favorite organizing tips or strategies with us. And, if you are really feeling brave, one that may have felt flat.
I haven't done this yet but I'm thinking of repurposing a tall, freestanding jewelry armoire to store sewing notions in, using each drawer for a different notion or type of tool.
Happy Stitches!
lots2do

Get lots of boxes, bins, bags and dump all your stash in to them... any which way, any size and any color. It doesn't work! I'm in a real mess! :(

From the grocery shop I have plastic lid clear screw top jars ( sold housing mini tomatoes) when empty I have one for each color of all the small items. They can be stacked so I have row of four and more on top. The top row are the colors I use most. Now I see what I have and is in easy reach.

I keep this cookie sheet to the right of my machine. I have recycled chocolate clear boxes to divide the areas and keep small things from moving. The best part is I can move the cookie sheet when necessary without having to move a million little things. I have my machine needles, extra bobbins, machine feet, straight pins and safety pins, special pens and marking tools etc.[ATTACH=CONFIG]595320[/ATTACH]

This is a very smart idea.

A very simple organization strategy .... project boxes!

One for each project, whether active .... or as I accumulate what I need for it.
I keep adding fabrics, notions, pattern switch ideas embellishments etc. without discrimination.
Once I am ready to work on the project I go through what's there and make decisions.
Everything stays in there til the project is totally finished.
Sure avoids the upset when I discover a fabric I used in stage one, has been used for something else,
...... and then later I want to use it again. OOPS!

Same topic ...
Worst decision ... different shapes and sizes of these boxes did not stack well.
Best decision ... eliminating some, so that I have all the same and they maximize space best.

Each machine gets its own Yazzii bag (or some other zipper pouch ) for its attachments. Each project gets its own Art Bin box. Since I don't have a dedicated sewing room (just one side of a multi-purpose one), things generally get put away or at least nicely consolidated for visual calmness... however a quilt in progress (being actually quilted) stays out and under the needle. I guess the key is keeping it all neat but still ready to go when that free moment happens.

Similar storage tips as mentioned above. Each sewing machine had it's own box for the extra feet. Needles are kept organized in a small plastic bin. Embroidery threads are organized on golf tees glued onto dry erase boards.

I use a double stack tackle box for sewing notions by my machine.

Fabric is re-folded and measured when I get it home. Attach a small sticky note with measurements on each piece.

I keep a list of rulers, stabilizers, embroidery threads, and accuquilt dies on my phone/ipad. Easy to check at store to prevent duplicates.

Embroidery designs are listed in alpha order by year. They on a separate hard drive in alpha order also. I keep a master notebook of all on-line designs purchased.

Machine manuals are downloaded onto PC along with serial numbers.

Get rid of everything you don't like or use. Don't try to organize meaningless stuff. Pare it down first.

DH's motto is "A place for everything, and everything in it's place." I joke that my motto is "Everything is someplace." He doesn't think it's funny ... which makes it even funnier to me!

I do find his motto is very helpful, though. When I decide to clean up the craftermath, it goes much more smoothly when I know exactly where everything goes. I try to do the craftermath control when I finish each project, but when I get more than one project going at a time, it can be chaotic.

I also try to keep fabrics together that I intend to make a quilt or something with, but often end up raiding it when I need something for my current project. It's okay, though, because those fabric collections are often ones I gathered up from the sale table.