By Marie Zinno
I have a real pet peeve when it comes to ironing; corralling the water spray bottle, starch, pressing cloths, electrical cord and the ironing board itself.
As sewers and embroiderers, we need our iron! I use the iron and ironing board almost every day for sewing/embroidery projects—not for my husband’s shirts. Every person has their preference to how the ironing board is set up and how often it is used. The best way to tackle this task is to determine if you need the ironing board up and ready to go each day or can it be placed on rack or hidden in a closet. It is your choice so design your ironing space accordingly.
In my embroidery studio, I find I need access to my ironing board quickly. The iron, ironing board and accessories are carefully stored on an over-the-door holder specifically created for this function. When I travel, I admire the functionality of the closet mounted rack to hold the iron and ironing board in a hotel room. While shopping at a home improvement store, I noticed one on display for over the door.
Maybe I am boring, but shopping in the laundry aisle can really make my day if I find a useful and cheap organizing device.
When shopping for an ironing board caddy, be sure to purchase the correct model. I have two ironing boards (one in my studio- because it gets very messy from fusible stabilizers and interfacings and one upstairs for clothing, etc). Naturally, I have two different ironing board legs, which I never noticed until researching this article.
In the past, only the wall mounted holder was available and I’m sure many people own one. Through constant use of replacing the iron and ironing board, the drilled anchor screws came loose. Or is it just me? The over the door option was a better answer. No tools needed!
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126 COMMENTS
Nancy Howard
11 years agoHow can I choose which area to organize? It all needs to be organized. But probably the stabilizers. I have do many types and they need to be grouped according.
Carol
11 years agoMy bookcase! My sewing room was combined as a home work space and I have bookcase that is holding unneeded business documents. If I had time to pitch the business documents, I could add dividers and bins to organize and store stabilizers, hoops, CD, pattern books, etc.
Jeannie McCormick
11 years agoWhen I finish a project, I take the small pieces of leftover fabric and cut them into squares ranging from 1 1/2 inches to 4 inches. I have three plastic containers under the cutting table to store the squares.
Jeannie
Marilyn Weiss
11 years agoMy work table. Try as I might, it always seems to be the dumping ground in my sewing room and then I find myself squeezing out enough space on a corner of it to hoop a project. Definitely not the best way to achieve good hooping.
Brenda Shelton
11 years agoMy entire sewing room needs a make-over! But for a 15 minute project, I think finding a way to keep my work table cleared would be tops – I always have to do it before I start a project. Everything seems to end up there! I think that installing shelves above it would be a good way to start, with see-through storage bins of some sort.
Angela Bavuso
11 years agoI would start getting the walls up. We are in the middle of designing my sewing room. I can’t wait to start organizing it.
Beth R
11 years agoI would put away the fabric that I brought out, ready to start the next project, then realizing that I really should finish a few of the UFOs first before bringing out new fabric!
Sue Reents
11 years agoI would organize my fabric first. Right now I have them in plastic containers, stacked in the corner. This method is not working well for me. I labeled them, they are clear so I can see the contents, but this still isn’t very handy. They are heavy & when I want something out of them, it is always the one on the bottom. Ugh!
Kathy Fox
11 years agoI have organized my fat quarters and my embroidery threads each in 24 shoe boxes. Joen Wolfram’s Color Tool has 24 segments on the color wheel. This organization has improved my project design. i keep the two foot by two foot color wheel on the floor under the ironing board.
Pat
11 years agoSue, I was worried about the same thing when I went to place my fabrics in clear plastic bins. I decided to pack them in as if they were on a shelf in the shop. {always admired how nice the quilting fabrics look on the shelves in the stores}
Instead of just putting my empty bin on the floor I tilted it by putting my bin on its smallest end then folded my fabric to fit into that side. The fabric was then stacked onto the side lying on the floor until the bin was full.
When the bin was stood up with its bottom on the floor, a nice row of folded fabrics was in front of me. I could now grab one piece of fabric and the rest would stay upright.
If by some chance I take out enough fabric to make the fabric slide out of being upright, I use a shoe box (or other box) to hold the fabrics in place till I empty the bin OR more likely refill it. 🙂
Angela Brady
11 years agoI would install a bookshelf and organize fabric and sewing accessories there.
Jill T.
11 years agoI also use my ironing board almost daily. I felt that the legs caused wasted valuable space. I removed the legs and attached the ironing board to a cabinet that 4 cube openings. I keep all my ironing items in a basket under the ironing board. I would be happy to send picture if anyone interested.
My constant organizing issue is my cutting/hooping table. As things come in the room, that’s where they stop until I get to them.
Kathy Fox
11 years agoI would like to see the ironing board as you have remade the bottom.
Joan D
11 years agoI would really like to see a pic of your set up!
Kay
11 years agoWould like to see a pic please. Thanks.
Darlene Gerber
11 years agoI have a big board and it becomes the holder of all things!! I use it for cutting, pressing and hooping. Keeping extra things off of it would definitely improve my productivity.
Sue Cubberley
11 years agoThe top of my work/sewing surfaces. Can’t work if you can’t get to your machine.
Leora B
11 years agoI really need to organize my sewing area around the machine… its a clutter and cant seem to find anything.
Cheryl Ruhnke
11 years agoIt seems everything gets taken out for a project, stabilizer, thread, template’s color chart print outs of the design, hoops and Cd’s,then it all needs to be put away when I get to it.So I would clean up to make room for the next project
Patti
11 years agoMy cutting board is the primary clutter area. After beginning a project, it gets filled with spools of thread, and fabrics I took out to audition; stabilizers, painter’s tape and misc notions; rulers and batting… Some days it’s overwhelming.
CarolKE
11 years agoI need to get the second table out of the storage room. It is piled with junk,but already has storage space and a great top for hooping.
Carolyn Goodworth-Ford
11 years agoMy cutting table collects clutter. I have trouble putting things away. I keep my machine area fairly neat,but what happens on the cutting table! I’d have lots more work space if I’d get organized!
Kate Otey
11 years agoI need to create an easy, fast access, within arms reach, storage for all the stuff I use around the 10-needle! Extra bobbins, tweezers, small scissors, can of air, and garbage can are just a few things. I find after a short time of doing a big project…I’ve missed the garbage can more then I hit it, the thread spools I’ve swapped out have been set anywhere within reach, the can of air rolled across the floor (I use it to every time I replace a bobbin to quickly clean out bobbin area), and if I’m lucky the scissors and tweezers are still next to the machine and didn’t accidentally get shoved into the garbage can or get tangled in the disposed of thread tails that cover the floor. Let’s not mention what happened to the clips for the hat attatchment! (I think the cat still has one of those!)
Carol Seavitt
11 years ago15 minutes will only allow my ADD mind to put the iron and ironing board away. Anything else? Well it would take all day.
Dina salsbery
11 years agoI’d take the time to finish the easy stuff that gets dumped in there. Like repairing buttons, hemming pants etc. it would clear up my space & finish projects at the same time.
Shelly Christensen
11 years agoWith only 15 minutes I would have to organize my table/work area, I always leave odds and ends there from the previous projects
Wendy Scott
11 years agoI would start with my sewing table, it is a mess.
Melissa Sciolino
11 years agoDefinitely would be my work table so I can have more room. Plus most of the things I need are under those pesky piles!
Susan Harvey
11 years agoSince I share my room with grandchild toys and my daughter’s dust- loving chinchilla; 1. Clean shelves on the bookcase where sewing books are located, dust and pick up. Love Mo and my kidlets!
Sherrie Lilly
11 years agoMy ironing are is a raised rectangular table with a custom iron pad on it. Iron, spray bottle, fabric finish and iron cleaner all sit next to it on a shelf. My 15 minutes would be spent on my cutting table. What goes on the table stays on the table. At least until before my next project when I clean it off.
Nancy Owens
11 years agoI am still trying to get all of my quilting fabric on boards so I can see everything at a glance. My other fabrics don’t really work on the boards, so they are folded on a shelving unit inside the closet. That and scraps, want to get them organized by color and size so when I want to applique I don’t need to dig through a huge tub to find the right yellow for that daisy!
Frances Powell
11 years agoMy sewing table always seems to in utter chaos, especially when my daughter and myself are both working of different projects at the same time. We are always having to reach over each other for something. It gets really crazy.
Doreen
11 years agoFunny, just yesterday I had a few extra minutes and organized some of my sewing area. I started with the top of the first cabinet as you enter the room and then turned around and picked up things that were on the cutting table. That was all I had for time but I did feel so much better when I done.
Donna N.
11 years agoThe drawers I keep all my gadgets in.
Carol Fulkerson
11 years agoMy fabric stash in unruly to say the least and consists of fabric for all kinds of projects. I don’t just quilt or embroider. I dabble in everything and my stash shows it. I could spend 15 minutes per day to sort through one bundle of fabric or blanks, seriously ask myself what I really think I am going to do with that snippet or yardage of fabric that seemed so necessary back then, donate the castaways and get rid of a bunch of nagging feelings that have been haunting me since I added that fabric to my stash. Then I could make better use of the new found cupboard and storage space.
Jenn Wilson
11 years agoI desperately need my tools organized! I have so many seam rippers because I keep misplacing them and find them when I don’t need them. So that is where I’ll start,
Fran
11 years ago12x 12 cubed shelving, get baskets and label them. hides a mess, and labeling makes it easy to find things.
Nancy Weber
11 years agoI really need to organize my scrap fabric drawer. I seem to try to keep every little piece of scrap, but mostly just toss them into the drawer until it won’t close. Need to weed out those pieces that are too small for most projects and get this drawer tamed!
Charlotte Brown
11 years agoI have been working on material, putting it on Boards. That takes more than 15 minutes. The best 15 minutes spent would be on putting away items I have pulled out around my sewing/embroidery machine. Stabilizer, embroidery thread, scissors, needles and such.
Julia Moore
11 years agoSadly, my ironing board doubles as a “junk drawer.” I end up with one end for ironing and the other for “stuff.” On the up side, I bought a heavy duty ironing board at Costco that is super sturdy and has plugs underneath, allowing the board to be plugged in and then the iron plugged in just under the board. Gives lots of cord! My hubby used his hobby to support mine and made a large rectangular board that is wonderful. I bought the cover at the Houston Show. PERFECT!!!
Joan D
11 years agoWould love to see a pic of your set up! Sounds very interesting
Mary
11 years agoSince like many other sewers, the whole room needs organizing, on that note, I have an old kitchen table that is used for some cutting and hooping. The serger sits at one end. Needless to say, everything that sits on it needs to be organized better. The day to organizing it, never seems to come.
Kristi D.
11 years agoI would tackle my drawers in my sewing cabinet. Some of them I don’t even have a clue anymore of what is in there. LOL.
Joan S
11 years agoMy bolts of stabilizers! They are stuck on the floor in a corner! My rolls are hung nicely, but not my bolts!!
Lynn
11 years agoMy books! They are everywhere and I find myself purchasing duplicate copies.
Joyce Andersen
11 years agoWhile the whole sewing room needs a good do-over, the area that needs the most work is my cutting table. Right now, I am working on small projects, which means I really could put the leaf down. Then I could do a little rearranging. And that would help me by not taking the unused half of my cutting table for “table top storage”.
On the other hand, my thread is extremely organized. So, I have both extremes of organization going on behind that closed-to-the-public door!
Sandy
11 years agoProbably the work table – it always seems to be covered with projects!
Mary Haggenmaker
11 years agoI have so many project directions(both ones I have done and have yet to do), various directions for stabilizers, needles, thread, and other best how to directions. I am actually in the process of organizing these. What I have done so far has already taken longer than 15 minutes. Once I have this done I will tackle fabric. I have sewing, embroidery, and serger thread and that has been taken care of. My stabilzers are on a shelf under an old kitchen table. Hope I get the rest of this done in my lifetime.
Mary Haggenmaker
11 years agoActually I have ordered this book.
Joaniez
11 years agoI need to organize my embroidery samples and stabilizers. My fabric is also in need of being organized. Do I do it by color or yardage? I’m sure my entire sewing area needs professional help, every time I step into my sewing room I an overwhelmed!
Kristal
11 years agoMy sewing table has a way of ‘collecting’ things that never seem to get put up.
I would like to find a home for all the odds and ends.
Linda Burwick
11 years agoLike many others, my whole sewing area needs to be reorganized. If I only have 15 minutes, though, I would try to clear my sewing tables and ironing board of all the little stuff – like pins, bobbins, needles, small scissors, etc. I bought a small 3 drawer unit I thought might help, but I just need to quit procrastinating and tackle the job. I could certainly use ideas on an organized sewing area as I am getting ready to switch my sewing area to another room.
Shirl R
11 years agoI would clear off my crafting/cutting table. It always seems to have semi-finished projects setting around the edges, and not enough space to cut comfortably. I do have a small portable ironing board and iron setting at one end of it, and that is a really great thing for me, because I can iron and starch as I go. For larger pieces of fabric I need to press, I have a full-size ironing board I can set up.
Judy G
11 years agoOnly 15 minutes? I need to organize my stabilizers and interfacings. Right now they are either rolled up in tubes and thrown in a drawer; or stacked on a bookshelf in the case of pre-cut squares. When I need a stabilizer or interfacing I have to dig through the drawer or the stack to find the type I need. Each time I hope the label is still attached and not dislodged by my rummaging. However, before I can organize them, I really need to figure out a system for storing them that works for me.
carroll Campbell
11 years agoMy cutting table is my problem. I just dump stuff on it. I have great storage that my husband built but once I get something out I set it on my cutting table. We just moved into our house and I stick stuff in my sewing room that I don’t know where to put it. I guess it’s all a mess.
Denise Amey
11 years agoMy Materials and my scraps. I started collecting material for when I retired. I am sure I have enough to open my own shop! but I never seem to have enough of the one I want to use. I need to use my scraps for an appliqué quilt, but they are in three different boxes and no order. Do you organise them in colours or patterns?
Maga
11 years agoI have to spend 10 minutes every time I have been sewing because my “sewing room” is part of our kitchen/office/sewing room so it is not really untidy but if I had an extra 15 minutes I would attack the bin liner that is full of scraps waiting to be cut into “leaders and enders” for piecing and who knows I may end up with enough to sew up into a quilt top 🙂 Ever hopeful!
I like your over-the-door iron/ironing board thingy. Sadly I don’t have a spare door for one and am I the only one with lots of old steam irons which cannot produce steam any more but I cannot get myself to throw out because they still heat well?
Cathy
11 years agoSince I have an iron with an attached tank for my ironing as well as sewing projects, I plan to install an in-wall fold-down ironing board to go with it. I don’t care for the square ends that they usually have or the flimsy ironing board so I will be cutting and attaching my own to the store bought model. I padded an oak tray table with heat-resistant quilted padding so that I can fold it up when I want it out of the way. I use that tray for stabilizer with an iron just for that purpose. That freed up my door hanger for a hanging organizer that has clear, drop in pockets for my stabilizers. My next organizing project is to label the pockets with the type of stabilizer and put them all in their new homes. I use erasable labels for sewing organizers since I can easily change as new stabilizers, etc arrive on the market. It also forces me to put each one away as I finish with it so I won’t mix them up!
Rena
11 years agoLast year I decided that everything in my sewing room should have a place with:
a bungee cord to attach the ironing board to two wall hooks
lots of small plastic boxes in drawers for little things
labelled clear plastic shoe boxes for quilting fabrics (colour sorted)
a cast off wine rack for stabilizers
a narrow wall cupboard (built by hubby!) with space for embroidery and sewing threads with a white magnetic covers on the door for notes and pattern sheets
hot pink accessories to make me happy including a broom and dust pan
plastic drawers for more odds and end
Jean
11 years agoSo many great ideas! Over the past few weeks I have managed to get all of my embroidery patterns organized and stored in 3 ring binders. I used sheet protectors to store the placement templates, which makes it much faster to find them when I am ready to stitch. I also recently purchased several magazine holders to organize all of my DIME and quilting magazines for easy access. 15 minutes would give me time to clean off and organize my cutting table, as it tends to get cluttered with a little bit of everything.
Lindae
11 years agoI would tackle my closets in my sewing room.
mary grace
11 years agoI will clean off my cutting table I have too much stuff on it
Judy Vanarnam
11 years agoI am converting a room into a sewing/craft room. The first thing that I need to organize is my stash. Presently I have it stashed into drawers and bags all over the house, when I find an empty place I stash it! So I need to bring all of my stash into my newly created sewing room for easy access and so I can quickly and easily see what I have to use. Now all I need is a system!
Patty Happel
11 years agoLike a lot of others here, my cutting table takes the brunt of the clutter. Usually have to clean it off to start a new cutting project.
Agnes B. Bullock
11 years agoThe entire room- the work table is too full; the table meant for my second machine is loaded with boxes of fabric and stabilizer, causing me to cut and iron on the floor! Once a month a redo the room just to see what treasures I find! (and I always find something that I had forgoten I had)
Joan D
11 years agoI also need to keep my cutting table clear for the next project. It becomes a dumping ground for everything and then I have to take time to clean it off before doing the next project. Why do we do that to ourselves?
Kathy Fox
11 years agoI would find a safe way to store my hoops. My 200 mm Pfaff creative hoop got knocked off the shelf and broke. I am using it broken. Not good.
Bonnie E
11 years agoI had the same problem. I got some Command hooks and attached them to my cabinets (or you could use a wall) and hang them. I can use one hook for two hoops of different sizes. They are visible and if I need to remove the hooks for some reason they’re are easy to take off.
Pat
11 years agoKathy, I made a spot [really 2 spots as the 12 inch hoop has to lie down] in the bookcase that was closest to my embroidery machine. They go back there each time. The templates are in a plastic pouch that sits in the same wide magazine holder as my smaller hoops. Couldn’t figure out an easier way for me to keep the 12 inch hoop safe, so it goes back in its box then across the top of some items on the top shelf. As I am tall I can see it easily, but it cannot be accidently knocked out either.
Good luck with finding your safe spot.
Vici Fallin
11 years agoI use a plastic tub from Dollar
General about 12 x 14 x 10″ tall It fits under my machine table and holds all my hoops except the grand dream and grand endless hoops, they stay in their own box right beside the tub under the table. I also keep my circular attachment and manual in the tub.Great ideas to read , fabric seems to be most peoples plight and mine as well.
Joan Davidson
11 years agoI, too, use bins from the $ store to keep my hoops in. I have a couple that are big – like the Grand Dream Hoop and I have it on a metal magnetic hook attached to my filing cabinet. My stabilizers are in a bin next to the hoops, all under my sewing table for easy access.
Orvalee Roe
11 years agoI would definately start with the closet in my sewing room. Lots of stuff to organize.
Ruth Thompson
11 years agoMy sewing/worktable needs the most work! I start a project and it lies there. Then I begin a new project and never find a place for the previous one. Plus materials, tools, and two sewing machines are always on this table. I have given it 15 minutes several times this winter, but it always fills back up.
Bonnie Coalson
11 years agoMy sewing area, I have too many projects and not enough time or space.
Gena Allen
11 years agoMy Fabric is what really needs organization!! I really wish I had the time and space to better organize it.
Karen
11 years agoI had a little time last week I finished organizing my sewing threads and than putting all of my stabilizers in one place on the shelves instead of all over the room. Now I need lots more time to redo most of the room. Maybe the book would help. Thanks for all your help.
SANDRA CUNNINGHAM
11 years agoMy ironing board is always up and iron on when I am sewing as pressing is essential. It comes in handy as an added workspace for me. I organized my sewing area as a U with sewing machine on one side, serger on the bottom of the U and the Ironing board on the other side. I can simply swivel my rolling chair from station to station. I also go up on the walls for storage of thread and frequently used scissors, pattern wgts, etc. Lastly, bookcases with storage baskets, boxes and books help me SEE what I have. I can ALWAYS use help and suggestions from the experts!
Rachel Davis
11 years agoI still need to get my fabric stash under control, I have slowly been working on it, but still have a long way to go. I love the ironing center idea, I will have to hit the home improvement store to see what I can find that will work for my space.
Darlene Graham
11 years agoThe floor! Oh my goodness. We are moving from one home to another and neither sewing room is set up yet so I am not sure 15 minutes would solve my problem. But clear paths from the door to the sewing machine or cutting table will be a good start. LOL
Linda Gaulin
11 years agoI would go through all of my tools that I have accumilated and would take the ones that I have 3 of and maybe give them away. and maybe build some shelves on the walls, because there is no more space on the floor. Then every take the 15 minutes to re reorganize every day
Anne
11 years agoAs I fully admit I am a fabrichollic if I had 15 min I would work on my never ending scrap pile to try and organize those pesky little pieces that are too big to throw away but too small to put back on my shelf there is just never enough time to clean up after a wonderful sewing project
Christina Lynch
11 years agoI need to organize my fabrics but unfortunately that would take more than 15 minutes. But I can organize my patterns in 15 minutes. Need to organize my designs better also.
Donna Garcia
11 years agoStarting a fabric filing system where the fabric is wrapped around cardboard for easy organization in a bin
Marsha N.
11 years agoI am always working on several projects at once. Right now there are 3 quilts, a huge embroidery,etc. I would put each project in a basket so I could pull out the one I wanted to work on and put it away instead of them all being on my tables. I think I had better do that.
Kathy V
11 years agoI would clear and put away all the stuff that gets left on my cutting table. It is a “catch all” for everything that needs to be put away. After that I will get around to labeling my storage. I been putting that off forever and then waste hour searching for things.
Alice
11 years agoIn 15 minutes I was able to organize my stabalizers in a over the door shoe organizer.
It was very inexpensive, clear plastic for good visability and a convenient distance from my hooping surface.
I have tubs of fabric, well organized inside each tub, but stacked in the lcloset to high and to much trouble to unload to get to the bottom tub. It is easier to buy new fabric than unload the many tubs! Project for another day.
Donna F
11 years agoThe thread, the fabric, the cutting tools, the rulers, the templates, the hoops, the list goes on and on its all a mess and its everywhere!!! So overwhelming. LOL No seriously, I guess I should start small, okay the thread.
Calla Ferguson
11 years agoI need a way to organize my trims and laces. I’ve tried winding them on empty paper towel rolls and using tiny rubber hair bands to secure them, but the bands break too easy.
Dell Martinez
11 years agoI see my problem as one of storage. So much of my essentials are scattered about. I need a place for everything and everything in it’s place. My kitchen is orderly, why not this room??
Becky
11 years agoI keep my fabric, threads, etc, all pretty organized but my desk top just can’t seem to stay cleaned off. It’s a catch-all for everything. So, if and when I have 15 minutes, the best use of my time is to clean off and organize my desk top.
Elaine
11 years agoIf I had an extra 15 mins. I would tackle the closet in my sewing room. No matter how many times I clean it and TRY to get it organized, what ever I am looking for always seems to be at the bottom, and there goes all my nice organization .I need help!!! Lol!,,
Chris
11 years agoMy material and scraps. I had it all organized at one time, but as I use and put things back it has gotten a bit skewed!
Colleen
11 years agoI would organize my sewing desk top as that has gotten out of control.
Terry Senko
11 years agoI’m organizing my fabric this week. I purchased the comic book holders on Amazon that I’m wrapping my 1 yd plus fabrics around. Love it!
Quiltnut
11 years agoI would spend the time organizing my notions. I spend the money to get the helpful little tools and when the time comes that I need them….I can’t find them I finally have rulers wrangled so that I can find them….but it is all the other gadgets I am not sure what to do with.
Marcie B.
11 years agoNumber one would be THREAD! Number two would be 4 filing cabinet drawers whose contents need to meet with ruthless purging in shredder.
Mary Ann Genre
11 years agoThe small sewing notions – what a mess all jumbled in a basket. Solution?
Paule-Marie
11 years agoI’m with one of the previous readers. My whole room needs to be organized. (make that most of the house.) It’s been less than a year since we moved in and only the exercise room, the bedroom and the office are organized. My sewing room has stuff that belongs elsewhere in it and the insulation board for my design wall is in the living room. So maybe, I will start with the plastic drawers near my sewing machine.
MoeWest
11 years agoI would spend 15 minutes to fold and put away some of the new fabric that has been washed and stacked in a laundry basket.
Joan M
11 years agoI keep organizing, but the clutter still gets in the way 🙁 In 15 minutes, I would clear all flat surfaces…somehow. Geeze, then I would have to use the next 15 minutes clearing off the areas I just put the stuff. Never mind, today I will push it all to the side and sew. Oh happy day!
Susan Burns
11 years agoFor me the area I would concentrate on is the thread area. Even if I get them all in the order I want, there seem to be threads hanging from everywhere. It just never seems to be together, and as soon as I do the next project, any control I had is gone!
Lee Sikes
11 years agoCouple of months ago my wonderful husband put me up a 8’x4′ peg board (with molding around it). If I had 15 minutes I would organize it. I have not had the time to do it. I’s messy.
Pat
11 years agoI am happy to say that I reorganised the rolling cabinets that my sewing machine and embroidery machine are on.
Recently moved from the smallest bedroom to a larger room and everything, was as usual, just thrown in there to have it done once the big furniture was done.
Been trying to sew/embroider and it has been difficult and the cat was upset with me every time I did some sewing as she couldn’t get up to her bed on top of the notions cabinet.
Moved the embroidery machine furthest from my PC & the sewing machine cabinet to where the Emb Mach was. Phew! It worked. Cords all reach the safe power supply and the areas are good to work in and the cat is happy as she has access to her jumping off point to her bed.
Thinking of putting some felt on the corners of the cabinets to protect them as I roll them around.
Next job: attack the 4 laundry baskets that are full of the things that were on top of the sewing cabinet and any spare space in the previous room. So much for being temporary for a day or two. Why, of why, does every slightly flat surface attract “stuff”?
Nancy Eidsmoe
11 years agoI’m a snowbird, with a recent new (smaller)sewing room in AZ, so I’m working on what needs duplication. I’ll commute with machines. I’ve bought a big desk, and that works for the machine of the moment,(the serger waits it’s turn) and has big drawers. Once my husband puts up the new corner (built in) table I’ll use for small cutting, and hooping 15 minutes will be used for that project. I’m getting a shelf too, so I can put my AZ books on it. Another 15 minutes could be spent cataloging a list of what I have here
(because there is so much less in the new space) to check off what I have in WA to avoid over duplication. The 3rd & 4th copies of some books will make nice gifts. 😉
Eileen Keane
11 years agoIf I had to pick just one thing, it would have to be my sewing table and the area around it. Every time I want to sit down and sew, I have to pick up all the clutter that lands on it. I have no place to keep all my threads; they’re just piled up behind my sewing machine.
Paula Watson
11 years agoDefinitely the area I need organization help with is my ironing board. I leave the board up all the time. My problem is that I end up with pins, water spray bottle, spools of thread, scissors, fabric marking pen etc, etc, etc! I often have to clean off the board so I can even use it! Then I spend time finding places to put all the necessary “stuff” instead of having fun with my latest project!! Please help!!
Crissy Caldwell
11 years agoI have noticed in the photo above that you keep your stabilizer sheets in a clear plastic tray. I never thought of that. It makes more sense and really need to get started on this for myself. Thanks for the inspiration.
Linda Gaulin
11 years agoSTOP SENDING THIS EMAIL. LAST COUNT I GOT IT 25 TIMES
Debe
11 years agoMy fabric gets out of control very fast, I have plans then have to do another project & the 1st gets left out & soon I have a large pile of “want to do, but don’t get at” that clutter my cutting table. I also teach classes & have many samples I use over, they need to be organized better so I don’t spend so many hours looking for something!
Pam Donnell
11 years agoMy fabric! I have a beautiful sewing room that my husband built with lots of closet space. Right now all of my fabric is in plastic tubs separated by type. Sometimes the bins get pretty heavy.
Lynn Hursey
11 years agoI would spend 15 minutes organizing my books. Recently I was looking thru my books and noticed I had duplicate copies of some. Guess I really did like what I saw in the books when in the quilt store!
Linda Lee
11 years agoI would tackle the shelves that contain all my boxes of “organized” items…BY NO MEANS ARE THEY ORGANIZED!!! I would weed them and put them in their proper containers, store what I don’t use all the time, and proceed from there. I really need HELP…
Alena Wehr
11 years agoI have a 6-foot section of base cabinets and counter top in my sewing room. I have my fabric stash in half, patterns and other things in the other half, but the counter top which is supposed to be kept clear so I have a ready surface to either look at projects or lay out a pattern is always cluttered. I need ideas on keeping that area organized!
Lynn Hursey
11 years agoAs hard as it is, I try to clean off my cutting area at the end of each project. Doesn’t always work, but when I do it makes me feel so much more in control. Good luck
Ann
11 years agoMy dear husband recently got me my first embroidery machine
and am 70 yrs. old. We live in a singlewide mobile home and
my whole sewing room needs to be reorganized and somehow see
where my setup and supplies will go for the embroidery machine.
However, the first 15 min. is to rid of items no longer needed.
YES, HELP!!!!
Heidi
11 years agoI need a cutting table that folds out when needed. I am also looking for thread storage ideas. Mine are in clear glass storage jars and in drawers. Jars not so good, always want the spool at the bottom. I am thinking to make a shallow cabinet with glass front doors so the pretty colors show.
Janice
11 years agoI would take 15 minutes to sort through all the articles I have saved and dispose of those I have never looked at in — how many years?
Pat Bonner
11 years agoI would organize all my notions, every time I go to class I am missing the notion that I need, usually a seam ripper.
Linda Machado
11 years agoI would definitely clean up my cutting/work table as it gets cluttered up with everything I bring into the room or take out of the cupboards. I feel so much better when the cutting table is clean before starting a new project. Makes it less stressful and more enjoyable.
Sandra Stewart
11 years agoIf I could have the little organizing elves come and organize just one section of my sewing room it would be my fabric section. I have tried by placing fabrics by colors, and have placed them by shapes and have even placed them by designs. However, they are in all sorts of places and my best bet is to keep looking or pray for the organizing elves.
Cindy Bake
11 years agoThe entire room, I have been doing the whole room. But I have been spending about an hour a day on different things. My room is the third bay of my garage. It has a counter the length of the garage and the opposite wall has shelves from one end to another..But I am such a hoarder when it comes to sewing, quilting and embroidery things that it was full. I mean sewing tins, sewing baskets, nicknacks that pertain to sewing, fabric, books, sewing antiques, you name it. I have donated some of it but I took Eileen’s advice and got a friend to help me and that helped me get started. Now I am organizing, rearranging and throwing out what I don’t need or want. This week the sisters are coming to Tucson and going to their conference, that has been sold out for weeks. I can’t wait to meet them.
Doree Shandera
11 years agoYou will have a fabulous time………..I have been to two and they are by far the best I have ever been to.
Doree Shandera
11 years agoTHREAD, That is where I would start. I have so many spools, and somehow keep coming home with more. It would be nice to have a place that I could actually see all the shades at once. I see in your book that you have a large wall section to display. I think that is what I am going to have to try and do.
Vici Fallin
11 years agoI need fabric help. I am using the board method on some fabric but really guess I need to sew, sew, sew. found some great containers at Dollar General with lock lids that are 14x11x3.5? they will hold 34 Floriani thread spool upright.
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