19angel52

Don't know if it'll help, but I store all my WIPs separately into clear plastic tubs with tops....available just about anywhere....I wait until WalMart has a sale on them....! Nice to be able to stack them in a corner!

steelecg

Great idea - I have too many projects and nothing seems to get finished - I am about to pick a certain number and not do anything else until they are done - I actually walked past my favorite LQS and didn't open the door - It felt strange but I probably saved money

frostbaa

What does HST - WIP - UFO -BOM - LQS-
stand for? I'm new and dont know what your talking about.

catrancher

Depending on the project, I have different ways of storing them. I usually have four projects going on at any given time, and I just leave those out on the table. I have a ping pong table, and there is a cutting mat at each quadrant. There's also plenty of room in each section to just leave stuff out. If something has lots of little pieces, like what you're describing, I leave a 15-1/2" square ruler over the top of it to keep it from being disturbed.

If it's something like a BOM (I call those my "interrupters"), I hang the blocks with skirt hangers and put the rest of it in gallon zip-lock bags or large manilla folders with the name of the quilt marked on the outside in permanent marker. Also, I have one of those 12-drawer (shallow drawers) bins where I keep projects when I'm not working on them regularly. I also keep projects I haven't yet started in there.

You kind of have to decide what works for you and modify it as you go. My ping pong table used to get kind of a mess because things would get shoved to the middle. But I got a couple of wire shelf things that you use to make more space in a cupboard so that the materials for one project could be kept separate from another. Baskets (cheap at Goodwill) are also a good bet, especially those with a handle.

Don't expect to get it right the first time you try, but if you get a good basic layout going, you can add, subtract, or modify as you go. Eventually, you'll have something that works pretty well.

I'm not a terribly neat housekeeper in general (clean, but not neat), but I've always kept a neat workspace. I can't stand working in clutter.

catrancher

This should help:

http://quiltinggallery.com/2009/4/20/quilters-acronyms

I had the same problem when I first started. People still put up acronyms I don't know. Most of the time, it's not that important, and eventually, all will be revealed to you. Pay close attention to the topic. By that I mean, if people are talking about, say, stitching in the ditch--then you'll have a good clue what SID stands for.

cpfrog

Your idea of plastic baggies (with zip-lock seal?) is a good one!

When I cut out a pattern, I label every group of squares, triangles, rectangle, sashing, borders, bindings, etc. with # and size on post-it notes AND pin that note to each group of cuts, so it does NOT come off!

For storage, I use large pizza boxes (re-use) but to be sure there is no grease distribution to my good fabric, I line it with freezer paper; then label the box and they can stack neatly.

I guess to get real anal, one could "date" the day the project started and organize it chronologically? Naahhhhhhh.....

However, I am getting better... no new projects started until these -several- are finished. LOL

Good luck.

janb

Thanks for asking...I printed the information and now I am speaking the quilters language....

grannie cheechee

I use to use pizza boxes to store my WIP. That is until someone threw them out. The man shall remain nameless. LOL now I use the deep clear plastic square boxes with locks, asnd a handle that I got from Joann's. I have 5 of them going at once(a lot of WIP) I use the rubber shelf liner in them to keep them from sliding around. At least this is working for me.

midwestqltr

I use the white mesh laundry bags that are found in the laundry sections of grocery stores. I buy the large ones for projects that are almost finished, the medium ones for projects where the blocks have been cut out and assembled and the small ones for projects that I have only cut the fabric for. With these I can keep the projects in for years and not worry about the fabric fading. I usually will put the pattern and any special notions in the bag along with the fabric. Then I place the bags in a box so that all of my unfinished projects are together in one spot.

cowgirl

I use gallon size ziplocks for the smaller things and the base of my sewing table is wood so I put cupholders along and hang up the bags.