Organizing your sewing stuff

[bookwench]

Its beautiful!  Pretty AND organized!

I keep my machines out but have all my notions in plastic bins in bookcases. I also take advantage of Closetmaid 9 cube organizers and Ikea wire drawer units. I've attached cup hooks to the sides of the bookcases to hold scissors and rulers.

Here's more, if you're interested: http://dressdiary.blogspot.com/p/sewing-room-design.html

[gusjodi]

Totally jealous of your sewing room! Beautiful!!!

[Artemisia]

Thanks guys! The bright yellow walls make me happy.
It's still a work in progress as I'm adding more shelving, artwork, and moving things around as I actually work in it to make it work for me.

Oooo, let me share my new pattern organization method with you.
I gather all patterns and sort them by time period. I use name badges to label each fabric bin.

I have each of these bins:
Renaissance Era: 15th and 16th century
Early Modern: 17th and 18th century
Victorian and Steampunk: 19th century
Modern Era and Vintage: 20th century (crazy how we can now label it, huh?)
21st century Dresses (no official name for this century yet)
Faire Costumes (basic pirate and wenchy stuff)
21st century Tops
21st century Bottoms
Crafts

[Adriana Rose]

wow that makes my zippy bags and baskets look really messy lol.

I have a system that seems to work but what it is I havent the slightest clue. To anyone else it looks like a mess but it works for me. 

[Becky10]

Oh I am so happy this thread is here!
Our sewing room is an absolute disaster and I've been trying to get my mom to organize it so we can find and you know...use the stuff we have. Oh and it would also be nice not to worry about my room instantly combusting if there is ever a fire. 

I was thinking about using a large bookshelf for flat folds so that we could actually see all the fabric cause if it ain't right there more of it will be bought without a thought. The only real worry I had was sun damage but I realized that because of where the room is there really is never any sun in it. Any thoughts on this? Right now everything is pretty much in its Joanne's bag sitting on the floor making it utterly impossible t get two feet into the room.

Artemisia, absolutely beautiful, it really looks like something out of a magazine!

[Artemisia]

Hey, it's all about what works. I've changed my pattern system several times until I found what works for me.

I had the same problem Becky. I kept buying and buying...it became expensive therapy. Now I keep all my fabric out on the bookshelf. It is out of direct sunlight. So far I haven't had a problem with fading. I've sorted the fabric in color groups. It makes it so easy to know what I have on hand. I also have other fabric in the cubicle bins, sorted by type. Those are mostly utility fabrics...you know, the canvas, muslin, broadcloth and white linen we seem to need by the gross yard.



My fabric obsession has calmed down. Yes, it has simply turned into a pattern obsession but at least those are $0.99 on a sale day.

Here's a great site I found to help organize all the little things. She has some really great ideas. http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/search/label/organizing

[Sorcha]

You shall find no photos of my "sewing" room here.  As, like others, it's known as the dining room table. 
But this is the most amazing sewing room I've ever seen.  I think this was posted here BC (before crash), but I had it bookmarked because when I grow up...  I want one of these.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/athomesewing/

[Marietta Graziella]

That is jaw droppingly amazing!  *pointing to Sorcha's link*

Here I thought my sewing space was coming together nicely (... uhhh, I'm not worthy!!  LOL).  I will post pics when I have all the bits and bobs finished up. 

[Lady Leo]

I have 2 desks in my sewing room made of counter top and old file cabinets at each end. I had intended to use one for my computer with a small area to press on and the other as a narrow cutting surface until my 6 yr old son decided one of them would make a great art table. I have to sewing cabinets 1 from Walmart and the other from Joann's I have my embroidery machine on 1 and my regular sewing machine and serger on the other. I'm using an old changing table as a shelf for my embroidery thread, a small set of plastic draws with remnant pieces of interface, stabilizers, and pattern tracing fabric. The pull out draw where the diaper pail would be at houses my bolt of interfacing, easy pattern, and 4 plastic cases of serger thread cones. I have an old small 3 draw dresser with scraps in it along with several plastic drawers and bins with other fabric in it some cut and some not. We got lucky when we bought this home last year the garb closet had a small cedar closet inside so my bolts of fabric are stored inside. I also have a book shelf that has boxes of patterns and all my sewing book. I will post pics when I have some free time. Been working lots of hours this week.

Oh and the label maker is definitely handy I also have one and love it.

[Lady Leo]

I re-purpose the plastic containers that you can buy gum in to hold pins, bobbins, buttons and any other small items that will fit inside. I will try to post some photos tonight when I get home from work.

[gem]

VICTORY!  Huzzah and cheers!

After searching and plotting for *ages,* I've found the perfect storage piece for my machines, project bins, and notions!



Ours is an aged cherry finish, not the white, and it's currently wrapped in plastic in the middle of the dining sewing prep room, waiting for me to fix some damaged wallpaper before I move it into position. But this baby will hold 2 machines, a future serger, and at least three flat Sterlite project bins... and the upper section will hold a lot of my sewing books.

I am SO excited! Finally, I can get all my stuff up off the floor and put away like a civilized person.

**
The shop where we bought this also had the most beautiful carved low chest that looks just like period storage chests. Drool! Alas, I could not think of a place in my home for it.

[flidais]

I love this....what a great thread. 

When my brother moved out I got his old room for my sewing room.  It is huge and a perfect space.  Problem is...that I just threw everything in there.  Then I had a spell of anti-creativity and did nothing in there...except for add more junk to the mess.  Now I am inspired and really want to sew, but I walk in there, look at the mess and walk out.  So I have been plotting my attack on the disaster....and this thread is giving me soooo many great ideas.

Time to send my sewing room to rehab.

[LadyStitch]

I will tell you the best thing for only seeing the disaster.  bites of time, and bins.

Set 3 bins, they can be bags, actual bins, or boxes.  One is for garbage, One for recyles, one for blessings

Go into the room and for 5,10,15 minutes, (Set a timer or you will loose yourself in the stuff) and start tossing. If it is something you want to keep, set in a spot for 'Keep'. If garbage, in the bin it goes, if it can go in the recycle bin- there it goes.  In the 'bless' this is for fabric you just don't like, or something you know you will never use, or something you never quite finished and you feel it is just taking up space.  Those are for you to bless other seamstresses with. It will go to charity, or go to one of the fabric/pattern trades here.   Once you are done with your time walk away.  Each time it is getting a little better.  It took me a month to do the redo on my sewing room, and trust me that felt daunting to me, but dont' let the mass of things over whelm you, just by going in baby steps you will soon have a nice organized and tidy sewing room. 

[gem]

My absolute, alltime favorite thing I ever did for organizing my sewing stuff was establish a system of project bins! I bought three (now it's five  ) flat, clear Sterlite bins, and started storing everything for a particular project in there together: fabric, notions, pattern, etc. Such an improvement!!  Now even if the room is a disaster, I can grab the bin and be ready to work, and not have to wade through everything to find all the supplies I need--because I know, frex, that the corset pattern, fabric, binding, and boning will all be in the same box together. Maybe even the thread!

Yesterday on Pattern Review's Sewing Spaces forum, I saw a post where somebody had some of those big plastic drawer units, and she used the drawers for the same purpose--each drawer represented a single project. This is a great solution for people with actual organized sewing rooms, but I needed something more portable--the project I'm currently working on can be open in the dining room; those I'm just sort of working on are closed & stacked in there; and long-term projects are packed away in my office upstairs.

[flidais]

LadyStich and Gem those are wonderful ideas and tips and I am going to put them to use.  I am SO not an organized person and you have no idea how exciting it is to hear ideas that I know will make life easier.  At least in the sewing room. 

I spent two hours in there yesterday.  Re-organized my patterns into smaller bins by theme (elizabethan, tudor, italian, fantasy, halloween etc).  Got all my garb sorted out and put into a dresser or hung up.  Which I love!! It's like I have my own little dressing area to one side of my sewing room.  Still need a mirror though so I don't have tromps up stairs to my room when trying stuff on.  Bought stuff to put up a rod with a shelf above it for my longer dresses.  The clothes rack I have in there just isn't tall enough for most of my dresses.  Also bought stuff to make a hangy thing for all my ribbon.  Lowe's was my friend last night! 

Thanks again for all the advice, ideas and encouragment.