The Sewing Room

     I am blessed with a sewing room.  You don't think I know I am fortunate?  Oh man I do. The problem comes when what I have in there, spills over into everywhere else.  It has been a progression over the years to hone it down to the essentials. To toss or give away fabric I will never use. To clear out patterns I have lost interest in, abused too badly or lost pieces from. To clear out old spools of thread that are dry and to toss out bits and pieces of trims that are stained, too small and just plain ugly. I am a hoarder when it comes to things sewing... "well I might need that some day, or I could use that ....." . Well you get my drift. I am sure I am the ONLY one who has this problem right? In an attempt to reduce clutter and free up space I am rethinking how to store my machine embroidery thread.  the problem I have with it being on the wall is 1. It falls off easily if touched 2. It gets dusty 3. looks messy to me.

So I invested in these mini king plastic boxes. Each one holds 30 spools on pins just for that purpose, but if I have too many of that color range I turn the extra ones upside down and stick them down inbetween the others... so my colors stay together. I bought these online at JoAnn's. ( have 10 filled)  I wanted to store them in rolling carts for below the benches but gave up on that idea and the boxes are on the shelves above now.

The problem I have with lace and ribbon is I have so much of it.  I have tried SO many ways to sort it and make the access to it easier for me. 

I tried rolling and putting in plastic bags...but I could never keep them straight and they would come unrolled in the bags and the pins if I used them to fasten would stick me... and I was constantly digging through to find what I wanted... so I had to change how I was storing them..

 first thing I did was rewind them around cardboard that was cut the same size as those cards you see bias and trims wrapped on...but my drawers were too deep and would not hold all I had and I had wasted space.

 So I bought this 10 drawer unit. The drawers are JUST right for these size card wraps so I could get more in the same space I had before.  But warning. This unit is nice but these things are NOT sturdy for heavy stuff like scrapbooking papers and heavy things.  The plastic is brittle.  But for what I am using it for, it works just fine...

Now I am happy...

 one of the 4 drawers of lace

 Bias

One of TWO drawers of ribbon.

I was able to put 3 full units into this one by wrapping like this. the units I emptied each had 3 drawers.  The bottom two drawers on this new unit are holding elastic and velcro for now. As I find more of my trims in the different places, I may have to either purchase another of these carts or store them some other way.  MAN! I got far more then I will ever use. Time to get busy sewing. 

It has been awhile since I worked on my sewing room...it is getting repainted and re-arranged. So watch out. Hubby has put in a new door and took out part of a bench. Now all the dust to deal with...ugh!

 used to have a book case on the wall

Bench was shortened and end rounded and new opening made. This will change the traffic pattern where I used to access the area through my bedroom. Now I will be closer to the hub of family activity and the air circulation will be better.