Tuesday's Tip: 10 Tips to Keep Your Quilting Space Organized

Did you know there's prime real estate when it comes to quilting? Consider using these space saving storage ideas to get  quilting supplies like fabric and quilting notions off the floor.  

I've discovered that if like items are stored together, they're easier to find. Even better, if these items are the same size, they're easier to store. Check out these 10 tips to get you on the path to an organized space.

Recently I was asked to offer some advice on a piece for Redfin "Experts Share How to Create the Ultimate Quilting Room" (a great read which you can find here).

While the article featured only one of many golden nuggets from each “expert” (never thought I’d be called an expert!), it got me to remembering what my quilt studio space was like in the good ol’ days (or maybe not so much good but cluttered).

 

Yep I literally had a path in my quilting studio!

10 Ways to Clear Your Floor Space

FABRIC 

When I started a project in the past, I would start pulling fabric off the shelf and end up with a disaster on the floor.

 

Similarly, as I was working on a project, scraps would end up on the floor. I hate to say, but it seldom got put away after the project was complete. Needless to say, I just pushed the items out of the way so I could work on my project.  It wasn’t easy to work around the clutter on the floor but the priority WAS the project!

 

 

 

But after a while of walking around, over and on these piles, I’d find myself saying “WITWITH”.

Now, fabric is folded and put away as soon as it's used.

 

No more tripping over fabric! Folding fabric, the same way so it stacks easily for storage has solved my problem. You can read more on folding fabric here. Coming soon is the blog post exclusively on storing fabric. So, stay tuned...

NOTIONS

Do you know what is the most underused space in a quilt studio?  No trick question - it's the doors. Whether it’s the closet or entry door to the room, this is prime space for storing notions.

Used to be that all my doorknob was good for was hanging my scissors. (They’re about 2 feet long and a great prop at Halloween!)

Seriously though, think about using a door hanger (normally used for hanging decorative items such as wreaths) to organize embroidery or wooden hoops. 

 

 

An over-the-door clear pocket hanging organizer works perfectly to hold items such as Lite Steam a Seam 2 or Wonder Under fusible web (my personal favorites) as well as stabilizers.

                

I’ve even gone to lengths to take all the spices out of my pantry door organizer and replaced them with more of my fusibles. I certainly don’t use the organizer much because I cook as little as needed so I’ll have time to create.

 

Sure, you can use a wooden holder to store your thread.

But with a little creativity, you can use an over-the-door shoe organizer instead. It’s great for items like spools of thread and Olfa or Fiskar rotary cutters.

  

P.S. Brownie points given for color-coding!

And for you DIY’ers how about making your own over-the-door organizer for all your Omnigrid or Creative Grid rulers like the one shown here?

 

 

Or why not try something like this ruler storage unit as  seen here at Nancy’s Notions?  It corrals your rulers (remember: like kind = easy to find). 

Or this one. 

Believe me, step on an expensive ruler on the floor and figure out that once is enough!

For a walk on the wild side and another way to increase floor space, how about a shower caddy?  I'd love to hear about what items you'd store in this one.

Oh, and don’t even get me started on under-the-counter space!

In my next post I’ll talk about keeping work surfaces clear.

For a blog featuring more about thread look here.

For a tutorial using my favorite fusible web look here.

Happy Quilting,

Jackie