Sewing Room Stash Organizing

August 2, 2007 by suzi hollihan 1 Comment

Let’s face it, sewers are stashers! We love stuff, collect stuff and hoard stuff. However this can be a problem when it takes up more space than you have! I will share my ideas that have worked for me and trust me I have been sewing for more years than I haven’t. Here are my tips for keeping it under control. Well, kind of at least.

1. Save those plastic salad boxes with the snap on lids. They stack, they are the right size for fat quarters if you quilt and they are see through. Oh, and they are free! Ask everyone you know to save theirs, you can never have too many. I keep my scraps in them according to whatever whim I feel at the moment. I keep small projects lumped together in them and can reach for them at any given moment when I have a “notion” to work on it.

2. Roll up your fabric and store on shelves that have dividers on them. Make your own dividers with shelf brackets or just stand a piece of wood or an old LP cover between the rolls. Rolled fabric doesn’t crease as much, and trust me, when you pull out that piece in twenty years, you will be glad of that (because that is when it will be in style)

3. Patterns can be stored in large zippered freezer bags that you can purchase at a dollar store. You will never get those pieces back in the envelope, no matter who you are. I also through out all the excess paper, instructions is languages I don’t understand and any pieces I will never use even if it is 20 years in the future. It saves a little space I figure.

4. I was able to find an old woodenÂ cabinet with many mini-draweres at a factory auction that was used to hold parts or something. I painted it brilliant purple and labeled each of the drawers to what they should hold. Inside the drawers I found little baskets and conta

Next Pattern:

Comments

suzi hollihan says
August 3, 2007 at 6:31 am
Me again! Okay, the article is cut off-the last four points are missing in cyberspace. If I can retrieve them, I will post it as a second part, if not—-rewrite! I didn’t know there was a limit!
Sorry everyone
suzi (I think I shall spend much of this week saying sorry)
Reply

Have you read?

Learn All About Sewing Velvet Fabric

I’m always tempted by the pretty velvets at the fabric store. So much texture! And the way the fibers catch the light! But sewing on velvet is trickier than you’d think. That nap that lends beautiful texture also likes to slip and crawl. That nap can also spell disaster if you cut a piece the wrong direction. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t use buy that velvet and sew it into something gorgeous, you just need to go into your velvet sewing project prepared. And Melissa at Melly Sews has a post that takes you step by step through sewing on velvet.

Velvet is such a luscious fabric, especially for winter sewing projects. Of course there are velvet Christmas sewing projects – stockings, tree skirts, santa hats – but velvet is beautiful for all winter. Think of all the gorgeous velvet dresses, evening bags, hair accessories, even pillows and other home décor that you see all winter long.

Melly Sews’ post gives you the tips and tricks you need to know in order for your velvet sewing project to end up a success. There are types of projects better suited for velvets, and kinds of projects to avoid. She describes the different types of velvet available. And she also tells the best way to lay out and cut your pattern pieces from velvet fabric. Her tutorial also covers marking, pressing, and of course sewing that beautiful fabric. There’s also a video included in case that’s your preferred method for learning.

Head over to Melly Sews to learn how to sew on velvet fabric.

And if you want to learn more about that lovely blue velvet dress shown, she has a post that tells more about it including 2 ways to style it depending on if you want to be more dressy or more casual.

[photo credit: Melly Sews]

Next Pattern:

Comments

Have you read?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply