Sewing Organization

**Elphaba524** · 11-08-2009, 10:55 PM

So??

How do you organize all your stuff? Especially your patterns?

Can you post pictures of your sewing area/room?

**Elphaba524** · 11-08-2009, 11:46 PM

My craft room isn't anything special, but I'm happy to have a space. It's just part of the office. I have a kitchen table as my sewing desk. I love that it's so big and it doubles as a great cutting table.

I organize my patterns this way: I take all the insides of the patterns out and put them in a 6"x9" manila envelope and label them with the first letter of the company name, the pattern number, and the sizes. I put those in numerical order in my drawers. I currently have three drawers, but went a little nuts with patterns at Joann's today (my little sister is pregnant and I bought a bunch of baby patterns), so I'll need another one.

Then, I take the pattern envelope and put them in sheet protectors in a binder. I have my patterns in the binder sorted into: Maryn (DD) patterns, sleepwear (since so many of them are boy/girl), toys/dolls/stuffed animals, pillows/home decorating, patterns for me, bags, and aprons. Or something like that.

I have my thread on the wooden rack above my desk, and my scissors and stuff on my pegboard. My mom *finally* gave me that wooden sewing case and I keep my elastic, velcro, sewing machine book, bias tape, etc in there.

Here is my craft area:

My fabric cabinet ~

My sewing kit that I've wanted from my mom's house for AGES ~

Holiday sewing stuff ACK!! ~

My table ~

My drawers underneath my desk ~

My pattern organization ~

**frugalfranny** · 11-09-2009, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by Elphaba524

So??

How do you organize all your stuff? Especially your patterns?

Can you post pictures of your sewing area/room?

OH! You ORGAINIZED person!!

My patterns are sorted according to what they are...(coats, pants, shirts, etc.), rubberbanded,......and stuck in a SHOE BOX!!

POST PICS????????

WHAT?

Only if I want to give some people a heart attack!!!! I have stuff spread all over one side of my unfinished basement......well, maybe 3/4 of it. The last 1/4 is garden stuff!!

**monkeywrangler71** · 11-09-2009, 07:52 AM

Your sewing organization is amazing, love it. I don't sew enough to warrant having a dedicated space for it. My fabric is in three large clear sided totes, according to type (cotton weave, cotton knit, etc). My thread is in a can, as are elastic and zippers. Everything else is thrown in a container together - I used to have it in a box with dividers and all organized, but I'm not good at putting things away. Throwing it in a box seems to work better for me.

My patterns are divided into children's, women's, and men's/unisex. I got rid of all decorative patterns. Each category is in a clear plastic bag, similar to what new sheets come packaged in except smaller. I don't have a whole lot of them, as I tend to make the same ones over and over.

**Pemberleyan** · 11-09-2009, 09:00 AM

Wow -- Janice has her patterns organized so nicely. I don't have a tremendous amount of patterns, so I have them grouped in like categories in one of the rolling drawer things.

If you really want to spend some time looking at sewing rooms, go to www.flickr.com and search "sewing organization." There is also a group called "sewing rooms." Also check out:

http://thedomesticdiva.wordpress.com...g-room-design/

Sorry -- I don't know how to make a link.

**vickilynn** · 11-09-2009, 01:31 PM

NO, no pictures, today it's clean tomorrow you may not be able to see the floor..........but I think I might know where stuff is....

**Contrary Housewife** · 11-09-2009, 02:29 PM

I have several of those 6ft bookshelves with fabric folded and sorted on them. Larger yardage is sorted by color, pieces smaller than 1-2 yards are on another shelf. Quilt fabric is in plastic boxes in the hall closet. I also have some fabric I bought by the bolt just laying on shelves or standing in a corner (the stuff on rolls). We recently moved things around the house and I lost a shelf unit so I have 4-5 large rubbermaid tubs piled up with fashion fabric in them. Not my ideal solution but it keeps the cats out of it.

All my ribbon, trim, beads, pailettes, stamps, widgets, notions, etc are in plastic boxes stacked under a table along one side of the room. The table is supposed to be a work surface but it has piles of incomplete projects and random stuff on it, with my serger squeezed in.

I have a full length mirror and a thread rack on the closet door.

Patterns are in cardboard pattern boxes (covered with bright fabric) across the top of the shelves, and some in the bedroom closet because I am short the one shelf. I am able to refold pattern sheets and put them in the original envelopes so I don't use bags or large office supply envelopes.

There's a box of scraps in the corner that the cats sleep in.

**frugalfranny** · 11-09-2009, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by vickilynn

NO, no pictures, today it's clean tomorrow you may not be able to see the floor..........but I think I might know where stuff is....

We must have the same sewing room VL!!

But the part about being clean might be doubtful.....well, clean...yeah, sort of....but I do seem to know where stuff is....so it works for me.

most of the time!!

**nuisance26** · 11-09-2009, 02:39 PM

~You are very organized, wow!
My sewing area is a corner of our eat-in kitchen.

I have more pictures posted on my blog.
I keep my yardage fabrics in the clear totes and my clothes to reconstruct in the black bags under the table.
My patterns are in the bluish tote on the top in their original envelopes. I have a nice little collection of unused, 1950's patterns.

~

**vickilynn** · 11-09-2009, 05:07 PM

nuisance26 - that is amazing.

**frugalfranny** · 11-09-2009, 07:49 PM

Thanks for posting N26. Nice organizing!

Though I do sew upstairs, I could never have my 'junk' upstairs too.

Make the mess downstairs, put together upstairs!

**vickilynn** · 11-10-2009, 07:16 AM

I am just so thankful that our house has doors!

**peanut** · 11-10-2009, 12:46 PM

Nice sewing areas! I have mine posted on my blog under "sewing room organization challenge"...which I didn't quite finish. But it works well just as it is. I'll post some of the pics here and you can check out my blog for more detailed information...

These pics start at the door and work their way around the 12 x 12' room I use for sewing and office (computer).

Hope that gives you some ideas...oh...you wanted to know about patterns. They're in my closet. I guess I should give you a peek in there...

That's them in the box, Rubbermaid container and open topped box. I should point out these pics were taken before I reorganized and straightened things up further. But it gives you the idea...

**frugalfranny** · 11-10-2009, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by vickilynn

I am just so thankful that our house has doors!

You crack me up VL.......and I can IDENTIFY with most of what you say.

Peanut......thanks for posting.......ANOTHER organized person!!

VL and I are DOOMED!!! Guess we will just have to 'look bad'......amongst all you orgainized types!!

**nuisance26** · 11-10-2009, 02:18 PM

~I only got it together this year. I made it a goal to purge, organize and set everything up. It was a big job and I'm only 1/4 as organized as I'd like to be.
I'd previously been hauling out my totes, bags, boxes and machine to the kitchen table every time I wanted to sew something and then have to clean everything up to get dinner on the table.
It's just a matter of putting the actual sewing on hold for awhile while you organize. So glad I did it!~