Thursday, September 16, 2010

Studio Reorganization...Again

My studio space and my fabric seems to be in a constant state of reorganization. I did some late night rearranging and cleaning. (There seems to be a late night activity theme on the blog lately.) I'm glad I'm not the only one who does the late night/wee hours of the morning thing. My friend Amandajean of Crazy Mom Quilts, let me know that she does the same thing.

I tackled my solids. They were on the lower shelves of my fabric tower and hard to get to. Now they are on their own shelves and very accessible.
I used these containers I got a couple of years ago at Target. I love when students go back to school and all the new storage ideas appear in stores. The great thing about these is that I can simply grab the whole box and bring it to my cutting table. I set it on the bottom and then the fabrics are easy to grab and put away.
I also tackled my quilt closet. I had an extra curtain rod hanging around so I put it to good use. I love to hang my projects. Keeps them from getting wrinkled and stuffed like lumps into boxes. Pants hangars are fabulous for hanging projects.
I'm an "everything goes into a container" kinda gal. I organized and started to get these baskets labeled. It makes it easier for my feeble brain to remember what I've put where.
I got all the quilts in progress hung and ready to be tackled when I can get to them.
Now all I have to do is get to them.

32 comments:

gale said...

What great ideas! I bought some canvas bins today that didn't fit in the space I had for them. I think I'll turn them sideways and use them like you did!

Terri said...

It must be a fall thing.. I just started organizing my fabric as well. I found a great resource to store fabric that I am thinking I should blog about cause its so good. :)

Good luck with the organizing..

Audrie said...

Oh grief I can't remember the last time I sorted my fabric! I definitely have to... I can't find anything lol But organising always tends to happen in the wee hours for me too... much to the hub's chagrin!

Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O) said...

We have turned milk crates on their side and mounted them like a checkerboard with empty spaces between. Made excellent storage for anything and everything onboard the series of houseboats we lived on when our son and daughter were young. Allowing air to circulate keeps cloth from getting musty. too.

MightyMom said...

you would HATE what passes for my sewing area(s)....

think you could come down and do some late night organizing in TX?? I work nights...I can TOTALLY do late night stuff!!

Sarah Craig said...

Looks great, Jacquie!! I like the idea of the curtain rod on the wall - I hang my Blocks in progress too, but just on the end of the ironing board! And the curtain rod places it close to the wall - genius!!

Esch House Quilts said...

Clearing the physical clutter helps me clear the mental clutter so I can focus on the next project. I never do it late at night though!

C. Jaeger said...

Those are some inspirational pictures! Once again, seeing your post makes me want to stay home and clean my craft room. I need to quit reading your posts in the morning before school! :) Thanks for sharing!

Suzanne said...

I love your neat and tidy space. But I also love knowing that you make messes. :-)

karen @ badlandsquilts said...

Most of the sewing here happens between 11pm and 2am... if I'm to tired to sew, I usually do a little cleaning (putting fabric away).

Katie Jean said...

Oh how I love your idea of hanging your projects! Makes me wish I had a closet in my sewing room (dining room) to do that!!

Cheryl Arkison said...

I do most of my sewing late at night, while Hubby watches TV. Alas, no late night organizing for me - the stash is in a closet in my daughters' room. But I have recently discovered that I can go in there, turn on the lights, and search through stash if need be.

Fabric Fanatic said...

Lovely storage...I could happily live in your closet, beautiful fabric, cushy batting and color galore!

SpinningStar said...

Since I have tall closets and I use clear plastic boxes to store some of my fabric, I take photos of the fabric. I download them in to folders that are labeled so I know where to find them. It is so much easier to do a slideshow than take down boxes, which sometimes don't get back in place on a timely basis! Liz

Melissa said...

Ahhh, the crates on the side! Brilliant. You can still see what's inside and the fabric stays nicely stacked and organized. Right now if I pull something off the shelf half of my stacks fall over. I tried big ziplocks but they slide everywhere.

Wondering what kind of batting you have stashed in the closet.

Sonia B said...

I'd love to know where you get BOLTS of batting . . . now that's something that would come in handy.

Char said...

I wish my closet was that neat. I do hang all my projects on pant/skirt hangers. Must be all those years working in retail!

Live a Colorful Life said...

I wish I had a closet. My sewing room used to be our living room, so it's the first thing when you see when you walk through the front door. Eek!

And I love organization. so I try to balance fabric organization, which like a commenter above, also helps my mental organization and think about projects more clearly. But I can't do it late at night either.

Rachel at Stitched in Color said...

I need to get some of those nice wooden pants hangers!

I've been in organization mode today too. I spent hours shopping for lidded wooden or canvas boxes and wooden trays. I just hate keeping things in plastic. I hope I find something that works...

Anonymous said...

I love the hanger idea....I'm going downstairs to do it now! I don't have a larger area so it will do wonders to clear off my table and my mind of clutter.

Poppyprint said...

Aha, the famous 'get to them'! I hear that in my brain a lot, too. Go Jacquie!

Kelley Hart said...

O.k. Now I really feel like a slob. Perhaps I should be organizing instead of reading blogs. . . hmm . . . nah.

Sandra said...

Thanks for the tour of your closet. Great ideas for storage of fabric which is always a challenge!

Katherine said...

Looks great, Jacquie. Nothing inspires creativity more than being able to see what you have on hand. Great organizing ideas.

Unknown said...

Now I'm inspired! I'm heading to Target or IKEA or both tonight/this weekend to organize my sewing room! (again)

KateKwiltz said...

I'm inspired, too -- for you to come do that at MY house!

Rachel said...

Wow, you have a whole bolt of batting!!

Barb said...

what a great collection of solids. Who do you use?
that batting roll is a riot - its so big!

QuiltingCyclist said...

Excellent inspiration and guidance on storage and organization. I head out in the morning for a 4 day retreat. Next Monday is sand and paint the trim in my entry hall and replaster the walls. Then Tuesday or Wednesday I will begin pulling everything out in my sewing room. You are my inspiration!

Life on 4th Ave said...

I would love to know where you get your bolts of batting and what kind you use. I've been sewing for a while but just tieing my quilts but I want to start quilting them. I use batting I can get a hobby lobby or wal-mart, but I want to start using betting batting but don't know where to start, what's your recommendation.

holly k said...

I love your idea for hanging up your quilts...my quilt top pile is getting a little bigger than I realized and can't seem to keep track of them all!!! :) Thanks for sharing! I think it's time for some organization!!

Amanda Jean said...

what a LOVELY solids stash you have! drool!!!