My Sewing Room Organization - Keeping the OCD in Check



Every year I tend to do a bit of a reorganization of my craft room.  

This year, my fabric was REALLY bugging me. I had it all stuffed randomly in a dresser, and had no idea what I had.  

And so began 2 weeks of not only reorganizing how I sort my fabric, but also tweaking my other crafty doo-dads along the way. 

This was my computer desk/craft drawer area before. Not TOO disorganized, but it could use some tweaking.

I labeled the drawers so I know what is where, using low grade chalk marker labels, Washi tape, and my Sharpies.  A Glue gun finished it off by holding the not-so-sticky labels onto the drawer fronts.

I have large plastic separated containers within each drawer (all from Ikea), and sorted my sewing and craft items by type. 

For the ribbons, elastics, lace, and bindings, I wrapped them onto binding boards (I have a LOT from a family donation, and they have come in handy for organizing ribbons, etc.) by rainbow colour.  They are sorted by type into the separate compartments for easy access.

 

Onto my closet - which mainly holds crafting (non-sewing) items.

I find these hanging organizers (again, from Ikea) are great not only for clothes, but for organizing craft supplies! 

Before on the left, and after on the right.

Everything is labeled, placed into the compartment or collapsible Ikea drawer boxes, folded, and organized by craft type.

Paint and scrapbook stickers (organized by type in 3 photo boxes - alphabetically, of course) are on the closet floor. I have a lot of craft stuff.

Onto the fabric.


I had fabric in 2 bins, a dresser, in the closet, and behind the big comfy chair.

So I piled up fabric bit by bit...and here's what I did! 

I purchased 200 comic book boards from Amazon, and started folding.

Place the board centered a few inches away from one edge of the fabric piece.

Then fold the top and bottom edges to cover the top and bottom of the board.



Then fold over the small side - either square or like a letter - the letter fold just makes the edges look prettier.

The next step is easier if you pin the corners of the inner fabric (the envelope part) to the top and bottom edge so it stays still while you start to fold.

Keep the top and bottom of the fabric folded to the same length as the fabric, flip the board, tighten the fabric around the board, and continue flipping until you get near the end.

Fold the edge of the end of the fabric (length) as pictured in the second picture, and you will do your final flip.



Pin the top and bottom, and your folded fabric is done!

 For different sizes of fabric, I either used the entire Comic Book board, cut the board in half once, or cut the half board into half - for 3 different board sizes. 

Look how nice and neat my fabric is now!  SO easy to see what I have and fun fabric no longer gets lost in the shuffle.

It took me about 3 evenings to fold all my fabric. 

Look how nice and organized my drawers are now!

I organized them by size of board (small and medium), colour, and type.  For example, the top drawer started with pink small boards - stretch then woven fabric. Then red small boards - stretch then woven fabric. And so on.

I used my Billy Bookcase, which mainly had my colour organized scraps on it, for the full sized fabric boards - organized by type and colour.

I reduced my scrap boxes to one per colour by a) throwing away scraps that wouldn't even make a band, b) scraps I didn't love, and c) wrapped up larger scraps on the comic boards.

So scrap boxes are now truly for binding sized scraps.

Look how organized it is!

I have some blankets, felt, and comforters (and my upcoming Taylor Trench fabric!) that were also folded onto comic book boards and placed in their own nook due to their bulkiness.

And finally my patterns were organized into magazine holders - el-cheapo at Ikea at 5 for $3.99.  I'm glad I bought 4 packs, as I used them all!

Patterns are organized by type (i.e. Home, Hoodies, Leggings, etc.).

And these are only the patterns I have used. Don't ask about ones waiting in the queue. 

Hopefully you have taken away a tip or two to help inspire you to organize even a small portion of your crafting items.  

An organized craft room makes for a more enjoyable experience doing what we love. 

Until next time!

Mom's Craft Room Renovation - February Progress





So I went every weekend in February - usually a 9-10 hour day, as I was slow and meticulous.

And there was  a LOT of craft supplies to go through.

In order to organize, though, one must make a mess. So I made a mess.

My process entailed pulling everything out of a drawer, bin, or crevice - one area at a time.  Sort through it, repeat

 

And another bag of stupid flowers on the left, and more containers of random treasures on the right - probably a good few hours to sort through.

The organization sprawled into the upstairs hallway for weeks...

So many empty containers in the left picture (hallway) - some were recycled, others put in the basement storage room.


On the right, the window corner with more bins emptied.

On the left, the closet was getting organized! 


And on the right, bins awaiting to be put into the closet on the shelves.

The is a double bed. And the ribbon I spent days twirling onto foam 2" squares.

Flowers organized by colour in separate containers. 

I decorated the containers with a nautical theme - and a colour of the flower pertaining to what's in the container!

And remember that old pincushion from the last post?

The one on the left is old, and the right is new and cute!  A cactus pincushion!!

Did I mention mom Scrapbooks??  Well here's some of her paper and pictures!

On the left, Mom's working table in transition - the basket on top ended up being hung on the wall above the sewing table later on.


On the right, table cleared off, and two cabinets Mom was using to store letters she cut from magazines - now used for beads, brads, and bobbles!


Everything is now labelled on the little cabinets, and the board is $2.50 cork board with some glittery fabric ($1.25) - both from Dollarama.  This is  a great board to pin memories, pictures, or projects.

 

Close up of the board lace fabric, and the table area almost complete!

The left side of the closet - I moved a cabinet that had been under the window into the closet, and hung her craft sheet and stencils.

On the right are 3 photo boxes. I actually separated the words Mom cuts from magazines into themes, printed over 100 labels, made over 100 little folder files, and organized them.


Please stay organized!

I also used two drawers from a box I used elsewhere to make little shelves for her punch stamps!  They're decorated with nautical themed cording and shells

Who doesn't want to be welcomed home wiht a Welcome Board? This and the markers were under $5 at the Dollarama.

I also printed some inspirational stickers (hung up with magnets and hard to see) to inspire Mom to be the best person she can be!

Apicture of Mom in her 20s? She is still a pretty and elegant woman. I'm going to age well!

And a box I hung with dried flowers

I found some old pictures - this is me  graduating College in Mississauga - I was SO young!

Merlin and I in our first official apartment with NO ROOMATES!  It was awesome to be so poor to be able to afford this and nothing else (seriously - I'm not a roomate person - I like personal space).

The balcony was neat, as the old tenants put up chicken coop wire to keep out the seagulls, so I asked the Landlord to keep it up. Merlin and I would sit on the balcony at night and just listen to Lake Ontario - the waves crashing. And have coffee in the morning.

And I found out why Mom decided to start cutting things out of magazines and decorating store bought cards...I guess I started that Trend!

Last but not least for February - the damn ribbon. all the damn ribbon.


All organized by type and colour in two drawers. Vs 20 different spots.


Until next organization day when sh$t gets real!