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 wooden 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
suzi hollihan says
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)