virgwid

Well, haven't posted in months. Lots of changes in my life and I am now settling down and able to start quilting again. I now have a new job that some time this year I will get to do from home!!! I kicked my live at college son out of his no longer used man cave (still has his bedroom), and bought a desk and chair for the job, and then realized it would only take up a small corner of the room, so my quilting is going to go from a cramped, nearly unusable section of my bedroom with my stash and such scattered all over the house to nearly a complete room!!! I have a wall picked out for a big board to hang to cover with felt (better idea?), a long table to sew and cut, 2 really ugly old bookcases that will hold books and supplies, and unfortunately only plastic storage bins to hold the fabric in. I would love your advice on the one thing you wished you had done, had known, before you set up your room, or the best piece of advice for storing everything. Right now I have all the little small what nots in a bucket that I have to dig thru, and no way to store my thread. I am slowly going thru all the pictures of the great spaces everyone has shared and am getting lots of inspiration. Trouble is, I have to do this rather fast, as I want the room to sort of look neat when the IT guys from work come to install everything, and gardening season will be starting in another couple months so my time will be even more limited. I would love all ideas, especially if there is something that is really a life and time saver or that can be done/made from other items, or any advice on how to keep organized. Thanks so much to all! Virg

Gramie bj

Pegboard!! Best ever! Most everything we use can hang, with it up on the wall it is easy to see and easy to put away, with the right pegs you can even use it for a thread rack. I had DH use it on the top half of cabinet doors. emptied two drawers, and all my rulers have a new home. Used it over counter -under shelves- where ever you think it will work best for you. Have see where some have even painted designs on them. Mine is just white, have so much on it you wouldn't be able to see the design. LOL Oh Yah! those 3M hooks that come off without leaving holes work great on the ends of bookcases, walls, etc. Again I use them to hang extra long things, like extension cords, straight edges, and the like. Take your time setting up your room, you may want to sew in there for a while before you decide where you want things. You are in for a fun time!

mighty

I agree I love my pegboard!!! Holds so many things!!!

MisDixie

Peg board indeed!! I got the hooks and still havn't gotten the board to put them into. Now there is no room in the room to put a board, sigh. Will be trying to squeese it in this spring.

qltgrose

Re: Pegboard, if wall space is limited...I bought 1 sheet of pre finished pegboard, had the guys at home store cut it into 3 long pieces, used electrical ties to make a triangle tower...and put it on a base with casters. Now I have a full pegboard of space in 1 foot of floor room. If I move again, I am thinking of finding an old tv swivel base to mount it to with L brackets.

Country1

Pegboard!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also like to store things in the plastic bins on my shelves in order to keep dust off and to organize things better. I only buy clear ones so I can see in them. I still label them for quick reference.

QuiltE

I have a wall picked out for a big board to hang to cover with felt (better idea?),
.......... I used black fleece! Much less costly and has been working great for over two years. I've hung full size quilts on there and they've stayed put for long stretches

While I like the convenience of pegboard, I guess I am the only one who HATES the stuff! I loathe how the pegs come out and then you are scrambling to find it along with anything else that has fallen with it!

You wrote ... I have a wall picked out for a big board to hang to cover with felt (better idea?),
.......... I used black fleece! Much less costly and has been working great for over two years. I've hung full size quilts on there and they've stayed put for long stretches

My best suggestion would be to take your time and not rush!
That usually makes for decisions that you regret later.
Better to have your room as a WIP than to make choices and later say, it's all wrong!

For thread storage ... I have drawers with each drawer dedicated to a different size/type. Mine are cotton 50 wt, polyester 50 wt, less than 50 wt, greater than 50 wt, embroidery floss, etc. along with a separate drawer for new spools plus a drawer with all the different types of hand and machine needles.

You said ... Right now I have all the little small what nots in a bucket that I have to dig thru,
I'm not sure what you have categorized in there ... hard to know what suggestions to give. Many might be things that could go into more drawers.

For most of these, consider shallow rather than too deep of drawers. And too, watch they are not so shallow that your thread won't fit! And remember, you might be buying the large spools, so need the space for them. I like my threads laying on their sides, so that I can see them when I open the drawers, plus I store the bobbin right with it, either with a bobbin buddy on top or the two in a small plastic ziploc.

Steady Stiching

I kicked my live at home son out of his bedroom and moved him into the basement. Creating my sewing room has been a joy. I have not spent much money, I sew on a table that my mom bought used when she was first married back in the fourties. I have a table that i bought from walmart, DH cut a peice of plywood that fits the top, I covered this with batting and silver ironing board fabric purchased at Joanns. I have this set up in a configuration so I don't have to get out of my chair to iron. I keep most of my fabric in an old chest of drawers, keep the fleece in the closet. I did but two of those plastic drawers for incidentals, Its my sanctuary.

MarieM

The largest sewing/cutting table that you can fit, lots of good light and a chair that is comfortable and helps you maintain good posture. I don't have peg board, but I do have a small decorative curtain rod that hangs behind my machine with cafe rings on it so I can clip up instructions I'm working on or pictures of things that inspire me.

Carol34446

As we raid dogs and have too too many in the house and live on sugar sand, I have all thread stored in plastic containers with tops, last two I got at connecting threads on sale for $9.99 and 2 sides, all material in containers from Wal mart with snap lids, that way stuff stays cleaner when dust gets going. http://www.connectingthreads.com/too...___D82068.html
Wish I had more room to get mor organized but this works for now, along with a set of poly shelves from Wal Mart to hold some stuff, thread someplace else. Kind of like you, scatter here and there.
Enjoy your new space and good for you.