To Watterstide
I agree that comforter, pillowcase and sheet plastic envelopes are wonderful for storage.
Since I have little shelving in my utility room where I sew, I found these plastics to be wonderful. They are strong, squared and zippered.
I am in on the 2010 'cleanup." I folded all my smallish sized pieces of fabric, stacked them in the comforter size bags for storage. Neat, tidy and easy to spot the desired fabric.
The smaller, pillowcase size, I have hanging by my sewing table and when I have a crumb, snippet or smallish piece, I put it in the pillowcase bag to use for a crumb quilt later.

I worked on my sewing area which is small and thus seems to be cluttered. I put a small basket inside a large basket and put my utensils that I am working with in the small basket and the thread spools, scissors and rotary cutter in the larger basket, along with the copy of my pattern. Now I have only one item to move around. Works for me!

When you say "price of shipping is going up Monday" you are not talking about USPS are you. I was not aware of a price increase.

I use those square plastic containers that salad greens come in for lots of things. They hold fat quarters and patterns (stand patterns on end like a book). I use them for lots of things. I just hate throwing them into the landfill.

I have old suitcases, the hard sided ones I use for storage of craft items I don't use freguently. The largest one has ribbon and lace and I put a hang tag on the handle listing what is inside. They stack onto of each other.

Phew!
I'm exhausted reading about all this activity.
I definitely think I have a headache coming on .......

Just returned home from a visit to my folks, and on the way stopped at favorite fabric shop. Now I have 12 yds more to hurry and cut up (some for my newest quilt) and then find a place for more leftovers. Also stopped by Lowe's and bought a pegboard to hang in our church's sewing room. I'll get those Holy Tearers (our UMC quilt group) organized too.

Well how do you like that? The one area of ml life that is organized and I keep organized cleaning up after a project, and I can't join in your fun.

My 'sewing room' is in our large Great Room, 20 x 40', and since my DD's cat's are all over everything, I have to keep things picked up and cleaned up.

I will post some pics, though and maybe my ideas will help someone else.

Happy organizing everyone!

Just spent 2+ hours in my sewing room. Went through all my small scraps and got them organized in a drawer in a plastic rolling cart. Other fabric is about 90% refolded using the ruler method (love it), and labeled with the labels I created. Then I have it stored by color, or by project. Another drawer has my UFO's left over from Christmas along with extra Christmas fabric.
I'm a newbie to quilting so my stash is small compared to others.
Time to call it a day, after working 8 hours and them 2+ in the sewing room.
Won't be back to sewing til Mon - Have church and then work tomorrow.
Have a great weekend.

Another hour and a half. Sewing Table mostly cleaned off. Why is it when we clear off on area another gets messed up? Now I have to work on my desk area and cutting table again. Still have ironing board to clean off too.

TOO MANY scraps of yet to be finished projects that seem to be re-appearing. Need to figure out how to complete one thing before starting another, but what fun is that??

How do others organize WIPs or UFOs so they can get done? I have five quilt tops that I can think of right off the top of my head ... yikes ... two of them I know I want to Tie.

this is a great thread and has made me realise that i need to sort out my fabric by color as it is hard to see what I have without spending ages looking for what I need..luckily my space is already pretty tidy as I have to share my space with my husband as it is also our home office. Reading what everyone else was doing inspired me to organise more of my items just to make things easier when I am trying to find things. Looking forward to getting more tips on how to keep everything even more organised so keep posting people!

Pam, I've written and erased 3 different responses to your UFO/WIP question. I've decided the best way to respond is just make some pushy suggestions.
1. Separate all your UFOs/WIPs.
2. Put each one in its own container (of some sort????), preferably containers that you can stack on top of each other or in one of those plastic multi-drawer units.
3. Make sure you include notes detailing any ideas/brainwaves or plans that you have for that project. Include backing fabric if you have it and anything else that you might need to finish that project.
4. Prioritize! Name or number each one and have a corresponding list to keep (for example) on a bulletin board.
5. Then work on 1 or 2 (I do 2 at a time ... one upstairs and one downstairs) and, Pam, don't even think about the others! They need to be virtually out-of-sight and out-of-mind.
6. Don't start a new one unless some important quilty need arises, like a new baby or a sick person.

THE END! (No charge for the advice!)

My UFO's are stacked on top of the dresser, since some reorganizing. I thought that if they were in my face I might get to them sooner.
I also made a list off the top of my head 12 UFO's, a couple of WIP, and half a dozen waiting for the frame.

Weezie~

Glad the advice was free, that saves me more money for fabric. :lol:

1, 2 and 3 are basically done, its the prioritizing that I'm having trouble with. Do I start with the oldest, newest, hardest, easiest??

Putting them in the same area is good, currently they are in containers wherever I had space.

No new projects ... can we do that?? I thought that was against the quilters rules or something like that :lol:

Pam, definitely work on the easiest or cutest first; put the least interesting one last (just in case you never get to it!).

Great ideas!
I am going to read that Quilter's Prayer at our first meeting.
Thanks!

I got soooo totally Sidetracked yesterday. It started when i wanted to run up to JoAnns to get a couple of the clearance storange bins.
Then my Brother called, and wanted to take me to lunch..
the only thing i really got done,re: the sewing area, is i went to the post office and mailed everything out promised.
Which was a good thing!
I want to make the cardboard fabric holders,i love the idea of making them look like mini bolts..

Did anyone else get anything accomplished?

I googled "fabric storage" and got a few ideas and blogs, tutorials..
here is one..
http://www.siblingcraftery.com/2009/...ic-organizers/

Although the clothes hanging system was just a shower curtain rod,and was home made, and not in my sewing ares..some of the larger yardage..i use skirt hangers..to hang them up...

got the scrap bin cleaned out. all sorted by size, color, and put in separate bins. Now working on Christmas fabric that I had thrown in a container! Using the ruler method for folding and looks real nice. However, going to rest and work again during commercials! LOL happy organizing everyone!

In regards to storing patterns: I have tons of patterns- sewing and qulting. I did have them in large plastic filing boxes from the office supply store. i had 3 big ones and 2 little ones. those were for the patterns in paper or plastic envelopes. I now have them in a big pattern file cabinet like at the fabric stores. My quilting patterns from magazines are now in 3 ring binders in the protector sheets divided into easy, intermediate and challenging categories. i still have some in my reular file cabinet- which needs to be organized. I've started my room when i put the pattern file in there because it is so big. Good luck to everyone in this challenge!

I got the bolt cardboard from JoAnns the other day..free of course. and started cutting them down, while watching tv. I know about acid free..i used to do scrapbooking..but i am hoping i use my fabric.and not buy much this year..! beside i can't afford to get the acid free ones..i checked on line, and they are expensive..
I am doing great with the sorting..
sewmom,thanks for idea of the file boxes..but i have alot of pattern, but not that many!! i don't "sew", i piece and quilt..i only have about 6 or 7 garmet patterns..and hve yet to try "sewing"! lol!

Okay, I am cleaning and trying to organize my room. How do I add the before picture to this note??

click on reply on the comments and you will be able to browse and attach

Late to this thread - started in on the crafting room again. I emptied it out so I could clean the carpet. The animals had been using it; I got most of the smell out. I will probably have to re-rent a rug doctor again in a couple of months to take the rest of the "icky" out.

Went through the stashes & organized in to binders/notebooks, etc.

Now to actually work on the fabric piles & make them into stuff. :)

I have been organizing my sewing room for a year. Not much money to spend on it so went as cheap as I could.
Plastic baskets from the Dollartree for fats.
Wire stacking shelves from Target for 16 dollars to stack fabrics by color.
Pants hangers for odd ball panels etc.
Small drawers for all my notions and such all labeled. My daughter gets these cheap from where she works or I would not be able to afford them at 12 bucks each.
A cheap shelf for books.
I have downloaded so many free patterns that i needed 3 notebooks and deviders to store them.

Good Job!!! Love the fact that it doesn't take loads of money to be organized. I'm always saving things I think will work in my room; some work and some go on to the recycle.

well i've been working on my sewing room and just tried to post some pictures of before- well actually during because i've started when i brought in my pattern file. i had to move stuff around just to get that beast in my room.

am getting sick of the new organized clutter and need to finish some projects... have put things in different drawers and now can't find anything!!! LOL

Great "pattern file" ! lol! Nothing that big will fit in my room! I got to do some organizing and folding fabric today, even though i had my 2 year old grandson with me all day..i took him outside, we played in the snow for an hour, had luch and a 2 hour nap! wehn we got up..i gave him a puzzle and he put them together on the floor in the sewing room..good boy! more tomorrow!

As you can see i have lots to do here. best i get busy.

Sewmom, I see we're in the same boat; not only a love of fabric but scrapbooking too. They seem to go together. I have alot of "toys" to play with. With my computer and tv here in my room, I only have to come out for food, drink, and bathroom breaks. As I clean up one area of my room, another area hollers for help! Good luck and keep the faith, it will be wonderful when we get organized (Although, I'm still looking for things I've put away in new places).

PRQ, the sad thing is- i haven't really done a lot of scrapbooking. i have so many years of stuff to organize. I've done a couple small scrapbooks for special occasions-mostly just collected supplies. someday maybe.

Scrapbooking?! I have a basement full of the stuff..i am going to sell most of it whenever i get done with this sewing room. I did and sold pages for a few years..you just add your own pictures, i loved it. had no grandkids at the time..lol!

Ah hah. And here's another stamper with a load of supplies. Used to be addicted to making cards, but haven't made many lately. I couldn't figure out how to organize all my stamps so I knew what I had. Finally saw where someone used a mail sorter. I got my DH to build me two large cases with removable shelves. Then I took pictures of all my stamps and organized them in a notebook. Each shelf is numbered and my notebook shows what is on each shelf. That works out great. 've been organizing my whole craft area for about two months and am about ready to post some pics.

My neighbor has the sweetest husband. She makes cards and he made her little narrow shelves to hold all her stamps. It's kind of like they have in Michaels. all her stamps are on the wall over her two tiered worktable- so she can stamp standing up. it's really nice.

I used to stamp and scrapbook as well as quilting, but could only afford one addiction so I gave up all my scraping/stamping stuff to a young woman who was just starting out. Let me tell you, she got a motherload of stuff!!!

I think we're all soul mates! Love the creativity wherever it comes (although I'm an adequate cook, I don't create new dishes, unless they are by accident). Here's my new scrapping center. Although I've added my laptop, and printer to the table. Will have to move those if I need to really make cards, etc. I do most of my scrapping on the computer now with digital files; however love to add embellishments (another obsession).

Oh, I forgot, there's also a tv on this table now. Wishing I had a flatscreen that would mount to the wall. Maybe when I get my first Soc. Sec. check, I'll treat myself.

well, I have a five foot dresser, that has 8 drawers.
Then I have a 3 drawer organizer on wheels, that slides up under one of my tables.
I emptied the blue 3 -dr. organizer into the 8 drawer dresser.
Now to transfer all my scraps to the three drawers in the blue organizer.
I will be able to sit in my swivel chair and pull it out and drool while sifting through my scraps. Plus, this will free up some containers on a shelf.
I never throw any...ANY, fabric away. If I can't applique, landscape, whatever with it,...it goes for stuffing pillows, etc. Even thread snips go for stuffing.
It's only one step, but one + one + one.... :wink:

quote=kat112000]I used to stamp and scrapbook as well as quilting, but could only afford one addiction so I gave up all my scraping/stamping stuff to a young woman who was just starting out. Let me tell you, she got a motherload of stuff!!![/quote]

Here goes for posting pictures of my sewing/craft room. It's downstairs on the unfinished side of our basement, but I love it because I don't have to clean up or put away if I don't feel like it after a long day of sewing. Rarely does anyone go there but me, except for my DH to make sure I'm still breathing. He calls it "the dungeon", because that is where I am every available minute.

Spent a couple hours this week. Almost done.

Here goes for posting pictures of my sewing/craft room. It's downstairs on the unfinished side of our basement, but I love it because I don't have to clean up or put away if I don't feel like it after a long day of sewing. Rarely does anyone go there but me, except for my DH to make sure I'm still breathing. He calls it "the dungeon", because that is where I am every available minute.[/quote]

lost connection while trying to send pictures so here goes again