Jingle

I have a way to keep my stuff put away and believe me it works. I share my sewing room with 4 cats and if I don't keep everything put away, they will lay all over it and get hair all over it. Or they will knock it to the floor, easier to keep things put away then to clean hair off. I sweep the floor everyday too. I have kitchen cabinets, upper and base w/drawers in there also and a 48x72" cabinet and built in closet, I could not sew or sleep knowing it was dirty or messy. I know my kids think I'm off my rocker.

Gwyn

It seems I have opened a can of worms for some and some really creative organizing tips from others.

I wish there was a way to have stuff orderly, like at the fabric store. I love that wall of fabric at JoAnn's where every color is in a special place and it looks like a rainbow. If I walked into a fabric store and it looked like my sewing room, I would leave.

I have found a wall organizer pattern that looks very much like a shoe hanger, but the pockets aren't so deep. My ginghar rotory cutter box is metal and holds the cutter, my scissors, my tiny scissors and a few other things.

I have a bookcase with glass doors and a china cabinet that I can bring in to hold some fabric.

I could really use a small square table (24" - 40"). If it was one of those old ones that tilts up and sits next to a wall when not in use, it would be perfect. Then my ironing board wouldn't have to be my cutting and working area too.

I love all your suggestions. Keep them coming. My room looks better today than yesterday.

BTW: Walmart has clear plastic shoe boxes on sale this week, 6 boxes and lids for $5.00. Great for holding projects cut and ready to sew.

littlehud

My sewing space is the corner of the dining room and my sewing machine desk is always full of everyone stuff. Sigh.

lab fairy

I wish I could organize fabric by color. It always frustrates me. When there are several colors incorporated into a fabric, I have a really hard time deciding which one to go by. Of course, I just learned what a color wheel actually looked like. Can we just hijack a color coordinator and hide them in the closet with the rest of the stash no one knows about?

pgthom

I too used to have the problem with all kinds of stuff accumulating on the ironing board. It got smaller and smaller as time went on! I don't have that problem any more, as my ironing board is door mounted and I have to fold it up after use. I have a wall mounted rack for my iron, and hung a flat back basket below it for scissors, fusing tape, sprays, etc. Works well so far. Didn't want to use up the space a full ironing board takes sitting on the floor all the time.

RedGarnet222

Hi gwen,

Hubby just filled my sewing closet with these nice cubicals by closet maid. The nine and six fit perfectly on top of each other. Then the shorter ones fit great up above. Oh and the fabric drawers are the cat's meow!

http://www.lowes.com/pd_163236-362-8...cts&ddkey=http:SearchCatalogDisplay

Gwyn

Red: That sounds like a wonderful idea. I bet those shelves are great for sorting everything out. Of course, I would first have to FIND my closet.

I really enjoy hearing all your ideas. These are really good suggestions. I'm really glad I am not the only one that struggles to keep my sewing stuff under control. Thank you so much. Keep the ideas flowing.

We haven't got to keeping patterns organized and available yet. I knew one lady that took her pattern pieces out of the envelope and put them in large yellow envelopes filing them in numerical order. The envelopes she kept in those planner size binders. Seemed like this plan looked too much like work to me, but it worked for her. She NEVER purchased fabric unless she was using it for a particular project. Too uptight for me... 8-) :roll:

The Quilt Gypsy

Thanks for all the great tips ya'll! Here's my contribution...I keep an empty tissue box on my sewing desk where I put cut thread and lil pieces of fabric. And thanks to Ms. Shawn I will now save it for fill! lol

C.Cal Quilt Girl

Tidied up this weekend, back to shelfs etc now can see the top of the table again !! Rearanged a few things, and removed, non-quilty/sewing stuff. Don't worry about colors all being in order some, are chosen to go together, don't want to confuse the chaos :)
Have a large trash that gets tugged around for out-a-here scraps, and thread, wheels on the rolling chair catch a lot, whats left over seems to make it to the hall carpet;). Have no carpet in sewing room, hate to snag my toes, if a pin gets dropped!!
Took off doors to closet and built shelfs that can be removed later if needed, tins for assorted notions, also made room seem bigger, need to make curtans to help cover fab from light and dust, really do like just looking at it though, Could I use double the space, Yes, do I really need it No, :)
Cluttered but Cozy..... Happy Quilting :)

Late Bloomer

The best thing that I found is in using an oversized bookcase for my fabric. I can see everything (as long as they are folded) and projects are kept in those plastic containers you get at the Dollar Store. I taped a baggie on my sewing machine table and threads go there. I cut out possible projects from my magazines and keep them in folders - wallhanging, bags, scrappy quilts. My sewing room is also my bedroom so space is at a premium. Books and magazines are in book holders on a table I got at Campers World. Large cutting mats are stored behind my bed and the others stored behind a dresser. Rotary cutters are in a jar. A desk also helps a lot if you have room for one. It all depends on how much space you have - good luck!