Sunday, May 22, 2011

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway

Hello and welcome to my regular readers and those who may be joining in from the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway!  What fun, huh?

I decided this time around I would give away one yard of fabric from Come Quilt With Me by Pat Yamin for Marcus Brothers. 

I will let Random.org pick a winner on May 25th.
I will ship anywhere in the world.

In return for your entry...I would like to pick your brains!  I really need to organize my craft/sewing space.  If you would please leave a comment with your best organizational tip...best way to store fabric, best way to store patterns...misc. ribbons, buttons, ric rac, scraps, pillow forms, batting remnants...you get the idea!  Let me know what works for you!!

Please leave a way for me to contact you if you are a no reply blogger.

Ok then, leave a comment and be off with you...go enter more giveaways!


340 comments:

  1. Unfortunately, my advice involves a hutch I bought recently to store my fabric in with glass windows..so I can just look at all it of sitting pretty in there! No comic book boards for me yet though...

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  2. Well, I am not the best at organizing my space, but I do like the pretty magazine file boxes (for patterns) and larger cube boxes (for fabric scraps) you can pick up at IKEA or Target. The kind that come folded up. Have a fun giveaway day!

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  3. I have some of my fabric on the comic book boards and it looks fabulous! Unfortunately, I don't have the patience or enough of them to do all of it. I think the best way to manage a stash is to keep reorganizing-you find such lovely fabric that you have forgotten you have! Or is that just me?

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  4. I like to have a plastic tub for each current project I'm working on since I need to put everything away when guests arrive. My guest bedroom is my sewing room too!

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  5. I bought some clear plastic shoe boxes from Bed Bath and Beyond. They're fairly small, they come in packs of 10, and with my BB&B coupon, I think I got 10 for $20 or something like that. Great deal. I ended up going back for more two more packs of 10!

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  6. One of the best storage items in my room happened by accident. It's an old kitchen/utility type storage cart made to roll into small spaces. It fits perfectly between my fabric racks and holds all my ribbon rolls, with a box on the bottom rack for all my ribbon work accessories. The best part aside from it being compact yet holding lots of ribbon is that it rolls so I can easily move everything to my work station when I'm ready to use it. :)
    Thanks for the fun!

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  7. Cute fabric! I like the rolling carts with drawers (Sterlite) for patterns, especially. They make one size that seems to fit patterns perfectly, stored sideways. Fabric storage? Well, since I have long ago overflowed my plastic storage bins for those, I have no helpful advice. Most of mine is all out where I can see it, but that's far from organized!

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  8. That fabric is pretty! I think I better read your comments though. Throwing scraps in color-coded baskets is all I do and it doens't work that great. I wish I had something see-through or a way for knowing just what I have. My current solution -- use up as much as possible! Scrap quilts.

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  9. For ribbon- keep it on its rolls, and run a rod through all of the rolls.
    For fabric- organize by color, folded and stacked side by side (like this: ||||||) in clear plastic drawers

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  10. I just went to Walmart and bought a couple of those big plastic drawer sets. I put my fabric in the big ones, and I bought a smaller one for all my notions. It works for me, but then, my fabric stash is pretty small! I love that yellow fabric!

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  11. I have started doing paper crafts and would love to incorporate fabric and paper crafts. I love sewing but am just not very good :(

    I store my craft materials in dedicated storage systems and have a bin for scrap materials. I think you just need to find what works for you.

    great blog!

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  12. I am horrible at organizing my craft area- most of it is a giant mess- BUT my scraps are sorted into three color ways (warm, cool, and neutrals) in three identical plastic baskets that stack and store when not in use.

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  13. I also keep ribbon on small dowel rods--works perfectly! Thanks for the giveaway. :)

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  14. Fun fabric, Jenny!

    I implemented a new storage solution this year and I love it. I bought several (9?) containers to hold my WIPs. The containers are by Artbin (http://tinyurl.com/3phm379) and are frequently 40-50% off at Joann. The bins are big enough to hold 12.5" square blocks + extra fabric for backing and binding. I keep everything for that WIP in the box, including any sketches/plans I have written up. While I am tempted to buy more of the bins (so I can start more projects!), I like that having a finite number of them helps to keep me from starting more projects (not that I don't once and awhile). The bins also make it easy to take a project to a sewing event.

    Anyway, just thought I'd share a way I organize my projects.

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  15. Organizing? What's that? lol I have cutting days, where I cut out projects, blocks etc. They each get stored in their own scrap-booking container. Actually, I use a lot of scrap-booking containers for sewing supplies. I like the small bins, that they lock closed and have handles~ and they stack better than projects in ziploc bags. ;-) Thanks for the great giveaway!

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  16. I use a tackle box for storing small spools of thread. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  17. I have just started organising my sewing area & fabric stash & I've found that storing in colour order works well. It also helps to fold fabrics in uniform shapes for neater storage, in clear plastic tubs so that you can see what you have without having to open every container. I've also decided on the handle-each-thing-just-once rule, a huge time saver.

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  18. I use glass storage jars for buttons, small bits of ribbon and other things that look pretty. My fabric stash lives in big plastic bins that I have to store under the bed. I also have a chest of drawers that contains nothing but sewing materials. I'll have to read your comments at a later stage as I could do with some more organising...

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  19. I think I'm not a good person to give you any tips... I have constantly a mess in my sewing room. Fabric lay everywhere, same with ribbons... have to have everything at the arms' lenght when I'm sewing ;) Thank you for the giveaway :)

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  20. I wish my sewing space was more organized.
    In an effort to tame the mess I:
    - keep my fabrics folded and arranged by color
    - keep all my scraps in a bag
    - save buttons in a in a small plastic container with dividers

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  21. I'm not qualified to give organizing tips ;-)
    I have a draw full of ribbons and miscellaneous objects, a button box I organize scraps in open baskets {so I can keep an eye on them} according to colour and the rest gets (stuffed) I mean neatly folded ;-)

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  22. oh dear. I'm probably not the best person to advise you here as my craft space is an absolute mess! I have yardage on one shelf, fat quarters on another, smaller bits on a third, then I have big boxes where I throw my scraps, divided by colour. I store patterns in ring-binders.

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  23. I'm a terrible organizer! I store everything in empty sweet tins. :)

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  24. My ideal storage solution would be a set of 50's haberdashery shop drawers! Sadly I have neither the space nor the money :( So instead, I built a counter-top along one edge of the room and put plastic children's drawers underneath. The plastic is clear so I can see what's inside and they are on castors so I can drag them out if I need to. I hung a curtain all along the edge of the counter so everything is hidden away when I don't need it.

    It sounds very organised and like I have lots of storage, but there still isn't enough space so there is also a lot of stuff under my bed!

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  25. Great giveaway! Please count me in!

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  26. I'm not that great at orgnaising, you should see my stash..lol. However I am starting and have some in plastic drawers

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  27. well so far I'm a new fabric storer - I'm just using plastic tubs but I'm mining your comments for ideas!

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  28. My sewing room is an absolute mess LOL! But here are a few things I do: For my fabric, I have some cheap cloth bins from Ikea for my scrap pieces, and I use fabric sweater organizers that hang on a closet rod for the yardage fabrics and divide them by colour. I re-roll all my ribbons off of the cardboard wheels to save space, and I store them in plastic bins with lids by colour. For my batting, once the package is opened up, I stick it in those thick plastic vaccum bags--the kind where it has a valve that allows you to squeeze the air out of the plastic bag so that it takes up less space. For all my other stuff, I am at a loss as well! I will be reading the other comments to get ideas. :)

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  29. * Cottons in clear Ferrero Rocher chocolate containers.
    * Buttons in Decor containers that stack... sorted by colour
    * Fabrics stacked in an Ikea bookcase... sorted by colour
    * Patterns in coloured cardboard boxes
    allmap(at)y7mail(dot)com

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  30. I use a concertina folder for my patterns and have a bookcase that holds all my fabric; it has to be on display so that I can be inspired by it when I walk past!
    Thanks for the great giveaway.

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  31. thanks for chance to win. I store my fabric by designer - that is how I tend to remember each line

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  32. My organisational skills are not the best! Scraps in a plastic bag, knit scraps in another, patterns in clear folders, stored by type pants/tops/kids/etc! In a tall ugly plasic drawer set, which I must cover with fabric and make cool looking!

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  33. I use one of those office supply organizers for thread, ribbon, zippers, etc. The kind you would usually use to organize paper or pens...it has 3 drawers and sits right on my table.

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  34. I have a few baskets that I keep on or under my sewing table. One is full of small scraps that I want to use in scrap quilts. The other one I keep all my zippers and such in. That way they are all in one place, and I can easily see what I have and dig thru them to find the perfect fit for a bag or whatnot. Thanks for a chance at winning.

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  35. Two years ago, I had to get my craft space organized (I'm not saying it stays that way, but this has helped...) I went to IKEA (conveniently there is one about 10 minutes away!) and got this huge bookshelf type thing that has all of these square cube spaces. Then, they have different types of inserts that you can buy for each space...plastic drawers, baskets, regular drawers (two for a square), doors.... so I can sort of customize each cube for what I want to put in it. I chose the biggest shelf (5x5) but there are also smaller combinations...4x4, 2x4, 1x4, 2x2... Admittedly, it is not the highest quality out there, but it really suits my purposes.

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  36. Best way to keep fabric is to fold them round a stiff rectangular board. This way you can store them standing up on a shelf. Same goes for ric rac. If you use containers to keep anything, go for see-thru' ones so you needn't open them to see what's inside. I use plastic see-thru ones.

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  37. Plastic tubs for the win! You can stack them easily - as long as you don't get them so big that you can't shlep them once they're full of fabric.

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  38. Pretty fabric. I need some yellow in my stash.
    I store my fabric in a closet with bolts on one side and folded fabric on the other side. I was able to install those wire type shelves on both sides and I have one in the center that holds clear plastic bins with my fat quarters and scraps sorted by color. I got some inexpensive clear plastic food storage containers to sort notions that I keep in the drawer of the desk I have my machine on. I start off very neat but as the project progresses it looks like a storm is passing through the room. I try to reorganize after each sewing session.

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  39. Beautiful and fun fabric for giveaway!...Fabric by color and wrapped small on shelves if you have the space...Notions in small, separate bins and labeled (or you won't use them or forget what you have). Thread by color. Patterns in 3 ring binders in vinyl pages (4 to a page)...Hope I helped.

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  40. Needles/Pins/bobbins etc are all stored in washed glass jars. I like being able to see inside them, move them easily for dusting etc.

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  41. I use a lot of recycled things like shoe boxes and glass jars for storing most of my stuff. Also I found that having an old bookshelf full of yarn and fabrics (provided they're folded which does kind of take time) looks pretty nice in an otherwise colourless room.

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  42. I am an organizational disaster zone! What has helped me is
    the artbin systems, which someone else has already described. They make a thread box, too, which works well for large spools, and boxes that work well for small notions. I dedicated other boxes to individual projects. I am currently working on getting my out-of-control fabric stash into plain sight on a bookshelf, where it can serve as visual inspiration.

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  43. Oooo, what a pretty, sunny piece of fabric! Just what I need after several days of rain :)

    I live and work in an open-concept apartment and share the space with my family so I have to be really creative about storage for all of my tons and tons of fabric and craft supplies. I store my fabrics by category (quilting, home dec, vintage, apparel...) in vintage filing cabinets (a drawer for each color) as well as vintage suitcases lined up on a high shelf. My other storage is still a work in progress but I keep it contained to lots of shelves in my sewing area and I'm always on the look out for pretty vessels to keep things in :) Good luck!

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  44. Very pretty fabric. My organizational tip is see-through plastic boxes for scraps of the same colour family. And it looks pretty!

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  45. i'd love a chance to win! i keep the bulk of my fabric on shelves, and all my scraps and projects i'm working on in clear bins. gooberific@yahoo.com

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  46. I use old shoe boxes and old tins for storing lots of things in my sewing room....patterns, ribbing, FQs, elastics, ribbons, scraps, etc, etc.

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  47. believe me i am the last person to ask about organisation! i do somehow manage to wind all my embroidery floss onto little cards - but never remember to write the number on it! thans for the giveaway, and i'll be back another day to read all the suggestions - must get organised, must get organised....

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  48. Back when I was sewing regularly, I had a separate clear plastic box for each project. Everything for that project went in the box - pattern, notions, fabric, thread. And since they were clear, I could see at a glance which one I wanted to work on.

    Then I moved to the UK, and my stash got ebayed off, and my sewing machine went into storage for 6 years and I've JUST NOW started sewing again! I have to start all over, but I'm so excited. =D

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  49. do organizing with some 'tetris game' strategy:)you can browse them in the internet.
    it simple but works for my fabric storage:)

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  50. I keep current projects in separate bags or baskets.

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  51. i'm a beginner but I have a few of the clear plastic storage containers for thread and such. I don't have a way of storing fabric or patterns yet...maybe I'll find a way on here! :)

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  52. I have a plastic drawer box for my ribbons and other craft supplies. A big rubbermaid box for my fabric and patterns and then a sewing box for my thread, pins and needles. I to am looking for a better system.

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  53. Pretty fabric! I found a wonderful idea on folding fabrics to same size for storage on Quiltvilles Quips & Snips. I don't have much fabric yet, but I can see how it will happen. Thanks for the chance to win your giveaway. jmniffer at comcast dot net

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  54. I'm lucky and I have a large built in wardrobe in my office/sewing room so I can hang up my material, all sorted according to colour!

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  55. My advice for organizing fabrics would be theoretical as I'm looking to finally get my sewing room furnished and organized myself later this year. I've been eyeing those Ikea EXPEDIT bookcases, they would be perfect for sewing room storage! Another thing I'm also loving is the VÄRDE free standing counters, especially the one with lots of drawers, perfect for storing notions and tools! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  56. I still have a long way to go on organizing my craft room but so far I think that the best thing I have done is to fold all of my fabric on a shelf with the folded side facing out so I can see the fabric and stack it by color. It makes it so easy to find the color and print that I need.

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  57. I Have put my fabric on mini bolts and that has helped me tons.

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  58. Pretty fabric! :)

    I don't have a lot of fabric, I'm a Knitter with a stash that is trying to take over the house LOL. I am partial to cube cabinets (with baskets for smaller items) and clear plastic tubs.

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  59. I have recently acquired a table with drawers dedicated to sewing and crafting. It has made the difference between sewing and not sewing at all. II'm still trying to put the drawers to use but first i need to convince my little ones that they're not for their toys.
    So, I'd say, to be a crafter who actually crafts one needs to make a space just for that, even if it's just a tiny corner in the house.

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  60. Oh girl. You asked the RIGHT PERSON. I did this crazy huge post about all the organizing ideas I had amassed over quite a bit of time with regard to the creative arena here: http://www.skooksplayground.com/2010/10/best-sewingcraft-room-organizing-tips.html

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  61. I bought a small filing cabinet from IKEA it has 7 drawers they are about 9x12 and 4 inches high. I keep permanent markers in one drawer, cords, glue/tape, washable markers,speciality papers, and bobbins and tension gauges in the other drawers.

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  62. oh I have tons of organizing ideas! Too many in fact. But one of my favorite little tips is to store spools of ribbon in those cardboard photo boxes. They are small enough to keep on any shelf but deep enough to hold even large spools of ribbon.

    Have fun organizing!

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  63. Nice fabric. And I may be eliminated because I am clueless about helping you get your sewing room organized. Mine is chaos. About the only thing I've done that has been of any help is using my acrylic ruler to fold all my fabrics so they line up on the shelves nicely. I'm sure you've seen those "how to" tutorials and videos all throughout blogland. So my advice isn't anything new. Sorry.

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  64. Man, I wish I had organization tips! My fabric and yarn stashes are a mess, and my notions are mostly just thrown into a bin.

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  65. A peg board on the wall was an answer to my dreams. I simply painted it to the color of my walls so that it was appealing to look at. Love it.

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  66. I'm afraid that my crafting space is in need of some help as well! I am a mess with yarn and needles and fabric strewn about. :/ sarahbeth_smiles@yahoo.com

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  67. My sewing room is a complete mess!! But I do manage to keep my pattern pieces organized by putting all the pieces in a gallon sized zip lock bag with the pattern envelope in the front. Then I put them standing up in a drawer. They're easy to flip through and find what I'm looking for :)

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  68. I use an over the door shoe holder to store small notions...easy to see

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  69. I store my patterns in ziplock bags, two per bag...each facing the outside. They stay dust-free, don't get tattered, and are easy to find. I also put all my stamp collection in giant glass jars - they look pretty on top of my bookshelf!

    Thank you for the giveaway!
    stephw3-at-yahoo-dot-com

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  70. hummmm... well I keep my buttons in old glass gars,and my zippers are in zipp lock bags. My patterns (I have a lot) I keep in an old fileing cabnite. Fabric is on a shelf... my sewing room is my bed room. so it is always a mess lol.

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  71. I use a lot of paper towel and TP tubes to store things that can be rolled up. There never seems to be a shortage of these tubes, and they're handy for controlling things that like to lounge everywhere. Good for fabric too!

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  72. I have been using canvas boxes to organize my patterns that I have sitting on top one of my shorter shelves. Good luck with organizing.

    Thanks for the wonderful giveaway.

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  73. I use see through plastic boxes for most things! My fabric is on shelves supposedly in colours!

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  74. Right now, I have my fabric in two old suitcases. I plan on clearing out a walk-in closet with shelves when I have more fabric.
    Good luck!
    Lauren

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  75. Hmm my craft area is a mess, so I'm obviously not very good at giving organizational tips. But I can help you organize your ideas. I find a huge bulletin board above your work area helps a lot. You can pin pattern pieces, drawings, ideas, photos up on there to look at while you're figuring everything out. :)

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  76. if you have small pieces of fabric that are big enough to fold, fold them and put them a way, dont just toss them in a big bucket or you will have one big mess

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  77. I took the plastic jars we had from Christmas pretzel sticks and removed the labels to store rolls of ribbon.

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  78. Pretty fabric! My sewing space is organized with the help of containers, each one dedicated to a specific item or type of project. As for my fabric, most of it is bought with a specific pattern in mind. I always pre-wash and fold up the fabric and then stick the pattern I bought it for in with it so I know what I was planning. It makes it really easy to grab the next project off the shelf and get started.

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  79. I don't have a dedicated sewing/crafting room, so my stuff is stored here and there around the house. The best thing for organizing all kinds of small stuff are the 12-compartment clear shoe organizers that are meant to hang on a closet door. They hold my tape measures, small rulers. embroidery flosses, all kinds of needles, fabric scraps (sorted by color sometimes!), fabric glues, etc.

    Ginger

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  80. I got some decorative open top box/bin type things to hold a lot of my spare notions on the tall 6 foot shelf I bought. This allows me to pull down the box for what I need and bring them over to my crafting table. Also, for buttons I use egg cartons which allow me to sort buttons by color and size for ease in finding the type I want and neat storage. I painted them so they look nicer.

    Hope that helps and thanks for the giveaway!
    crazyncrafty (at) gmail (dot) com

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  81. This is a very good way to store crafting stuff.

    http://theadventuresofroryandjess.blogspot.com/2010/08/crafty-room.html

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  82. Fabric is sorted by color and kind and intended project. I go through it 1-2 times a year and giveaway stuff I don't think I'll ever get around to using.
    Thanks for the giveaway.

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  83. I'm still working on finding something that works for me but for patterns I've taken to putting them in picture boxes from the craft store. They already have dividers so it makes it pretty easy to sort by type and the boxes are pretty sturdy. Plus if you get them when they go on clearance they are as cheap as anything else I've found. Oh and for buttons and stuff I think the little jars they make for scrapbooking embelishments work well and they look pretty on a shelf.

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  84. I don't have a lot of good organizing tips...my craft space is a mess! But, when I finish up these next two projects I will get everything put back together. I have lots of clear plastic bins and drawers. On for ribbon, one for notions, a bunch for fabric (separated by type). I keep all of my thread/bobbins/pins/cutting stuff in the drawers of the desk my sewing machine is on. Thanks for the chance...LOVE the yellow!

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  85. G'Day! I'm here for the Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day! Please visit me, too:
    http://www.homemakerhoney.com/2011/05/sew-mama-sew-may-giveaway-day-ends-may.html

    Deborah
    Homemaker Honey
    @Homemaker_Honey
    homemakerhoney.com
    homemakerhoney @gmail .com

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  86. My goodness, I am the worst person to ask for advice on this subject :) So this is a "do as I say, not as I do" comment! My best advice is to organize scraps by color and to try and keep them in separate containers folded nicely. Mine are all just tossed in a drawer willy-nilly :)

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  87. organized by color in a giant pink plastic tub!

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  88. Thank you for the opportunity to win. My favorite organizing tip is to put your fabric on mini-bolts. I love being able to see them all lined up on the shelf.

    pstaveley(at)roadrunner(dot)com

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  89. I love reading everyone's ideas! I agree with the clear shoe box storage and organizing by color (though mine rarely stays that way!)...loved the idea of putting the pegboard up and painting it!!
    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  90. I am so new to sewing that I don't have any tips. I need tips. lol. So I will suggest a craft wall with cubby compartments. That sounds nice.

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  91. Hi, Thanks for participating in Giveaway Day!

    All of my fabric is organized by color in a filing cabinet, each drawer holds 2 colors. I refolded all of it a few months back and found that I can easily see everything now.

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  92. I use Ikea shelves, boxes from Ikea, tins, baskets. I like to see what I have!

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  93. The way I organize is to keep everything in a separate location. I use a plastic rolling drawer cart for all my notions - ribbon, buttons, snaps, thread, etc. And a hanging closet organizer for fabric.

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  94. So pretty! I'm just getting into organization -- an Expedit Ikea bookshelf is on its way to be filled with buckets and boxes and cubes. I want a rolling organizer (or two) too!

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  95. I put an old bookshelf in the closet to hold fabric and hang ribbons on a wire hanger.

    mindfulhome at gmail dot com

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  96. I store everything by color. It is inspiring to look at and it makes it easy to find things. I also keep as much visible as possible because I am very much an 'out of sight out of mind' kind of person. jinglesells at gmail dot com

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  97. I use whatever I have, lol.
    I use baskets which are nice, since you can hang them on the walls of your sewing room to save space. If you visit Red Brolly's site, you can see her new post about my sewing room.

    Debbie

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  98. I think keeping all your ribbon spools on a hanging rod makes finding the ribbon you are looking for really easy and it is a great way to just pull and cut. Thanks for the giveaway
    jacquelinelockhart10 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  99. Gorgeous fabric.

    I keep all old boxes - for instance tins or ones that mugs come in.

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  100. As soon as I finish the fabric flowers I'm working on I am going to make mini fabric bolts using cereal boxes.
    Thanks for the chance to win.

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  101. My favorite way to store buttons is to put them in clear glass canning jars -- but any jar with a top(to prevent spilling, or getting them soiled) will do. They look SO pretty and irresistible that they inspire me!

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  102. I LOVE that fabric. It's so pretty.

    I have a couple of ideas that keep me organized. ... (1) I like to keep small scraps of fabric in glass jars, coordinated by colors. That way when I go to do a scrappy project they are somewhat sorted. Plus they are pretty sitting on a shelf. :) ... (2) When buying new fabric (especially solids) I put the name of the fabric and the company/line on an address label and stick it to the fabric. That way I know what I am using for my projects.

    p.s. my email is khsmiles(at)juno(dot)com

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  103. I love the clear over the door shoe hangers. They have about 12 pockets I think and you can stuff all sorts of stuff in them to organize.
    I use ours for kids craft items, like crayons and markers...

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  104. I am in the process of trying to organize my sewing room... I use to have plastic totes to hold my fabric, but the one I wanted was always on the bottom of the stack of bins.. so I get two dressers and have my fabrics in the drawers but color... I have my cutting table in between the two dressers.. I also bought a craft cart on wheels, it has three shelves and It holds all projects I am working on, and since the closet is just storage I park the cart there..

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  105. Babyfood containers. Not the jars, the little 2.5 and 4 oz plastic containers. They'll hold anything.

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  106. Pretty fabric, I'd be thrilled to win!

    Organization, I like the pincushions made from wide mouth canning jars so you can store pins underneath. One of these days I'll make one for myself!

    zucchinisummer at gmail dot com

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  107. Oh, I just love this print! I made a pillow with some over a year ago, and I would love to be able to get my hands on some more. As for organization, I'm certainly not an expert, but I have recently started sorting my scraps and keeping them in plastic bags. It's helped me tremendously, and it's fun to sort them every couple of weeks.

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  108. My advice is just that if you are never going to use it, throw it away. I love saving fabric scraps but I go through them later and think "Why did I keep this tiny little piece that I am never going to use?" Other than that, I sew in my tiny two bedroom apartment and try to keep things hidden and minimal.

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  109. My best tip is to fold fabric neatly and put it in clear containers. Good luck :)

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  110. I like storing scrap fabrics on those slack hangers with the little bars that go across. That way I can easily see what I am hoarding!

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  111. I love the fabric!
    My tip is to wind your fabric on to cardboard to make your own little bolts. I then keep them in crates. I have one for fat quarters, one for yardage and another for remnants that are somewhere in between. Works for me!
    missa.moe@gmail.com

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  112. I collect all the craft room ideas I see here:
    http://pinterest.com/brizzlepinner/craft-room-ideas/
    Probably easier to look than for me to try and describe them!
    Thanks for the giveaway, Laura x

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  113. I like to keep my notions and sewing supplies in small baskets with lids that I find all the time at thrift stores. I have also found that photo boxes are sturdy and work well and come in cute attractive colors and prints.
    My fabric stash is all in plastic bins, seems to be the only way to keep it fresh in my studio area, since I am also a painter it is a bit of a dangerous mix.
    Thanks for the chance to win!

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  114. I was using my daughter's changing table. Binders with patterns and ideas up top, notions in the drawer and fabric piled and in bins below.

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  115. You seriously do not want organisation tips from me!! I am hopeless! I currently have my fabrics all in tubs but everytime I need to pick one I just throw it all all over the floor!!! So perhaps shelves would be more visable and work better???
    Thanks for the giveaway :-)

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  116. This is what I do: First by type (corduroy, vintage linens, clothes to refashion, quilting cottons, and within quilting cottons, certain designers and collections go together (Echino, Heather Ross - my special or expensive fabrics), the rest by colour.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  117. i'm about as disorganized as they come, so my advice is to listen to everyone else!

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  118. I store fabric up to 1.5 yards in square baskets on those open closet shelves, but they are installed along the wall. Larger cuts are folded neatly and placed on a bookshelf. Ribbons, zippers, etc. Are in separate plastic boxes on the shelves.

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  119. I'm probably the worst person to ask for organizational tips, but I'd love to get some comic boards for my fabric to organize the stash! I keep ribbon spools on one of those pants hangers, and notions in separate plastic tubs. I just made a fabric storage basket for all my scraps, too!

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  120. I plan to organixe my fabric by wrapping around comic book boards... right now it's in a giant rubbermaid!

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  121. I wish that i had an organizational tip for you. I really need some for my own sewing room. It's a bit of a mess.

    limor477 at aol dot com

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  122. I don't have any brilliant ideas, except to organize according to color. :)

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  123. Ikea's expedit shelving. Love love love love love. All my fabric is stored in there. I used to store batting on there prior to just buying a giant roll. I use the little plastic table-top drawer thingys from target for things like machine feet, needles, extra bobbins, etc.

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  124. I bought some plastic drawers on wheels for smaller items and use plastic bins for fabric.

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  125. Vacuum-pack bags! Best thing ever invented for crafters!
    Gem
    x

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  126. It might not be practical, but i use empty baby wipe tubs to sort all of my sewing/crafty stuff. It was wonderful, until my daughter learned how to open them.....

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  127. My favorite is borrowed from my husband's garage- - he hung a pegboard up on my sewing room wall and then you can buy all sorts of inexpensive hooks at the home center to hang scissors and rulers and tools on the wall - keeps them out of reach of my little ones.....

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  128. Hi.That fabric is so prettiful! I like to save jars from food, like spaghetti sauce, pickle jars, applesauce, etc. Once there empty I clean em and then i like to store my buttons, ric rac, lace, and other sewing/crafty things so can see them!
    streetheartsandiego@yahoo.com

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  129. Fun giveaway! I have all of my fabric scraps stored in a plastic shoebox and my fat quarters as well. My fabric is folded and stacked in one of those units that you can put the fabric cubes in. Let's see...my batting scraps and some notions are stored in one of the fabric cubes. Hope that helps! :)

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  130. Pretty fabric!

    I don't have a craft room so my supplies are not very well organized. But I do keep pdf patterns that I've printed in a binder with page protectors and that works well, you can organize them that way also.

    I think things like loose ribbon and buttons look great organized by color in jars.

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    searchingoutsimple at comcast dot net

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  131. I store my current projects in pretty baskets. Buttons are stored in fancy glass jars so that I can see them. Fabric is folded and sorted by color and stored in a closet with extra shelving installed floor to ceiling. Plastic bins hold laces etc. Sure need to finish up some of my projects.

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  132. I store my fabric in underbed boxes that then sit under the couch since my sewing area is in my living room. Not ideal, but it works.

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  133. I am a visual person, so if anything that is stored away and hidden, I generally forget about it so today I tackled my sewing spaces and put out everything for display and of course my personal use :) I have a hard time organizing my fabric so they usually are spilling out of my shelves but I generally would organize them by color instead.

    rachaelroyce [at] gmail [dot] com :)

    thanks!

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  134. I've started trying to keep things organized by using clear plastic tubs and lots of labels! If everything has a home, it helps me keep it organized!

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  135. I use manilla folders to store my patterns so that I don't have to fold them too much! But I've also started to write notes on the inside of the folder with the date made, fabric and any alterations. I also stick pictures from magazines and catalogs that are similar in the folder for inspiration.

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  136. I use shoeboxes for small collections.

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  137. I like to store my fabric in a set of plastic drawers, that I believe are meant for organising pyjamas, underwear and the like. You can get them at DIY stores in England at any rate.

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  138. I use a shoe holder that hangs from the top of a door to store my machine quilting thread cones. Thanks for the chance!

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  139. My fabrics are pretty unorganized, but I did pick up some pretty boxes at IKEA for project storage while they are in progress.

    chancyf (at) gmail (d0t) com

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  140. Just today I sorted my buttons by color into fabulous glass jars! They look so beautiful and bright lined up across my craft table and they inspire me to create! Don't you LOVE buttons?
    piperbellaboutique@gmail.com

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  141. I store my fabrics on a bookshelf on mini bolts made with magazine archival boards. It not only is a great space saver but it is so inspiring to look at!

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  142. HA! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Organized??? (Love that fabric though...)

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  143. Using comic book design boards to wrap your fabric around will help store fabric.

    lindsay.forgette at gmail dot com

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  144. Uh, I am super unorganized! I wish I were better at that, for sure. :) I would love that fabric, though!

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  145. I am not sure that I could actually give organization tips, because the only things that are stored neatly in my studio are buttons, ribbons and rick racks: they all go in glass jars on a shelf, where I can see them.

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  146. I always fold my fabric around my quilting ruler so they are the same width. :)

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  147. I'm thinking about buying one of those shoe holders that hang in a closet, there is a wide one at Target that would be the perfect size for how I fold my yard long stash pieces.

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  148. For fabric over a 1/2 yard...cut a cardboard box into pices 12.5-13" long and 6" wide. Fold your fabric lengthwise (just like it is fold off the bolt) again. Now your fabric is about 11" wide. Wrap it around your cardboard and secure end with a stick pin. Leave the cardboard in the fabric. Place all scraps with like colors into plastic storage drawers. I hope this helps! Thank you!

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  149. I use IKEA CD shelves for my fat quarters. They fit perfectly!

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  150. Hello,
    The best organization tip I have is to have all fabric folded the same size/way. I use my 6" ruler and wrap my fabric around that. That way it is easier to store on my shelves and looks nice.

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  151. I like the square Expedit shelves from Ikea and the boxes they have to go on them. You can turn it on the side for an awesome work surface too.

    jenicagirl at yahoo dot com

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  152. I have clear plastic boxes for my ribbon and other trims. I don't try to roll them up individually (unless they are really long). I just stuff them in the box, then root around when looking for something that works. I find that saves a ton of time, rerolling and they stay clean and together.

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  153. if you have the shelf space, fabric on mini bolts (comic book boards) is the best! it's like going to the fabric store every day!

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  154. Oh, I only wish i could you an organizational tip. I reading what everyone wrote so i can get tips.
    thanks,
    joanne
    jmarcellus@frontiernet.net

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  155. I am not the best to get tips from seeing as my sewing area is a mess. I keep patterns in a drawer, but I don't very many. I keep my fabric folded and stacked in a small kitchen hutch. I saw a really neat way to store ribbons in a basket with dowels to hold the spools and in a jar with slits in the lid for the loose ribbons.

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  156. Thanks for the chance to enter! Love that fabric. The BEST thing I ever did for organizing my craft space was to follow this tutorial on folding my fabric - http://www.thehappyzombie.com/blog/?p=124. I will never go back! Good luck.
    http://www.thehappyzombie.com/blog/?p=124

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  157. So maybe this is kinda lame BUT I have a binder for tutorials and patterns I've printed from online...I use binder clips to organize ribbon, ric rac, etc. in a drawer, fabric I stack by color and sometimes pattern...that's it. I don't have many other EXCITING ideas :) LOVE that fabric...obsessed with yellow! Thanks for the giveaway!
    Megan
    schacht.megan@gmail.com

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  158. I use the wood divided shoe cubbies from Lowes (25 compartments) to stack fat quarters and half yards. Two of them hold a painted square of plywood at counter height and that is my cutting table. I'm super organized, send me an email if you'd like more tips or photos. Thanks for the giveaway, that fabric would go perfectly with a couple pieces I bought last week.

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  159. I keep some of my fabric in my grandmother's old luggage, and notions in an old travel case I found at a yard sale. But when we moved, one of my dressers wouldn't fit in our bedroom - so we put it on the sun porch & I decided to use it to store fabric. It has drawers on one side & shelves on the other & I haven't found just the right way to organize it yet, but at least everything has a place to live away from the dust & pet hair in my house. Thanks for the giveaway! xo

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  160. Such pretty fabric! Thanks for the giveaway, Jenny!

    Folding my fabrics the narrow way and stacking them vertically has helped me a lot with inspiration and seeing my entire stash at a glance. I also sort them by general color.

    I store a bunch of stuff, supplies, notions in clear plastic boxes with lids and I label them with masking tape and sharpie: easy to change the labels when I change what's inside!

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  161. My best advice is for fabric. Get comic boards to fold your fabric on. I show my folded stash in my tall ikea book cases here http://cyarnell.blogspot.com/search/label/stash just scroll down and there is a link to how I fold them.

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  162. pretty fabric. my best tip is kind of generic, but i think it's helpful - group like items together. I found a great bin on clearance in the office supply section at walmart today. It was divided into 6 compartments. I snatched it up because I knew it would be helpful in organizing all the little notions that tend to get tossed together.

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  163. I love this fabric! Sunshine! And I have no advice for organization... my sewing space is a jumble. A complete jumble.

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  164. Thank you for the great giveaway. It's lovely.

    atchisonsteph at gmail dot com

    I use plastic totes to store all of my fabric by color.

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  165. I like to use clear plastic containers to store my fabrics and tools so I can see what's in them. I also purchased a label maker so everything is clearly labeled - helps me to not mix things up.

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  166. My craft organisation is a disaster, so I better read through all the comments. My tip is a don't: don't pile up all your craft supplies on the bed in your craft room/spare bedroom. I'm guilty of this all the time, and frequently lose WIPs and supplies.

    Good luck with your craft space!

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  167. Cube bins & (shhh) a bunch of old boxes taped together into closet shelving!

    RP from BBC {at} gmail {dot} com

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  168. I have an old dresser for larger pieces of fabric and fold then so I can see them all when I open the drawer. Buttons are so cute in glass jars. My tools are hanging on a pegboard above my cutting table.

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  169. Plastic boxes for fabric. Cottons with cotton, flannel w/flannel. similar designs together. I have a tool organizer, the one with lots of little drawers for all my buttons, needles, snaps, odds and ends. The drawers are labeled and alphabetical because you can't see what's in the drawers unless you open them. I store my patterns in the 6 in high large plastic boxes. I group them kids, adult, crafts. I like the bigger boxes because they don't seem to get as torn up at when I had them in the littler containers. But I still always seem to have fabric that hasn't found its home lying around. Good Luck!
    bc(underscore)hats(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  170. Not very original, but the comic book boards for fabric changed my life.

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  171. I'm still working (years in the process. LOL) of getting some semblance of organisation in my crafting area.

    Best tricks I have run across are clear 'bins' for fabric and assorted pretty jars and vases for nick knacks. I have a enameled 'Chinese' vase my Dh gave me that is big enough and tall enough that I can put all my straight knitting needles point down into it and I'm the only one who remembers they are in there. Which is handy when little hands what to run off with them. I'm always washing the labels off of jars I think are neat so I can put buttons or what not in them. And the jars can be decorated if you want the lids covered. :)

    Thank you for the chance to enter your giveaway.

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  172. I can't say I'm really organized. If I was, I wouldn't make such a darn mess in my sewing room. My best organizing tip is always leave a couple of shelves with nothing on them, that way when a friend comes over to sew you have a place to hide all the stuff you left on your sewing table! I have a tip too. Iron a piece of freezer paper on your ironing board when doing applique projects with fusible web. When you are done your project, peel it off and your ironing board is free of gluey bits!

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  173. I love the fabric! I organized my fabric by color in plastic boxes that I bought at Walmart

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  174. I'm pretty new to sewing and my stash is super small, so I don't have great tips. I actually recommend opaque storage containers. Clear containers always look sloppy to me, causing me to store them out of site. But when they're out of site, I don't get inspired to sew as much. I like some attractive bins on open shelving near where I sew.

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  175. Oops, so sorry. Forgot my e-mail in my previous comment. akmajor (at) gmail (dot) com

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  176. Great giveaway. Skimming through some of the tips - great ideas. I use the clear totes or bins to store fabrics by color. And I like to use a special container made for thread to hold all my thread. Linda
    rodlindafansler (at) gmail (dot) com

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  177. I love this yellow. I use plastic shoe boxes for my smaller pieces of fabric (fat quarters and smaller) and I have clear glass canister for my buttons. They are stashed and look pretty too.

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  178. I bought an IKEA shelf unit (2x6 square grid tower) and use their wicker baskets to store all of my fabric! That way the fabric can breath, and the baskets are organized by color so it's easy to find what I'm looking for! (email rmlitton@gmail.com)

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  179. I keep my ribbon and lace in clear zip up pouches my daughter's princess dolls came in. I keep my patterns in a clear plastic salad box. I saw a great tutorial once for making little boxes for notions out of old milk jugs. Haven't tried that one, but in a any case look around the house to see what you have. You'd be surprised how many great storage option you already have lying about.

    pa7oma(at)yahoo(dot)com(dot)mx

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  180. I keep my ribbons in a wide mouth vases/jars. They are esy to reach and look pretty.
    becker.olga@gmail.com

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  181. I keep my fabric stash organized using Fabric Organizers by DeNiece's Designs (http://www.thefabricorganizer.com/) It turned my messy closet of fabric into a mini-fabric store! They are very versatile and would highly recommend them!

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  182. I use plastic bins by color. Then storage drawers for strips. Now i need to sew up some of the strips i have cut!

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  183. I wrap my ric-rac around antique bobbins...pretty and practical, too.

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  184. I'm going to come back and read all the comments. I struggle with supply organization..part of it is my small space, but yikes! The one tip I did pick up somewhere is using a pill box to store bobbins in. I really like it because I can usually find it and they don't unravel every which way.

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  185. I store my sewing tools (pencils, rulers, elastics, shears, etc) in canning jars and suspend them from a dowel, right where I can reach them when I need them

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  186. Well don't know if I am the best person to give organization tips but here it goes...I put my patterns in filing folders with the pic pasted on the outside, and fabric swatches stapled inside. For fabric I love those very large plastic bags, I use those see through plastic drawers to put the fabric in. For everything else plastic veggie containers work great, they are free and you are recycling!

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  187. I've not been very good at organizing my quilt room. I mainly depend on Rubbermaid containers to sort different color fabrics. Great giveaway! Thanks for participating in SMS Giveaway!

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  188. I have to give you a link to a post on one of my favorite blogs: http://stashmanicure.blogspot.com/2010/10/welcome-to-my-underwear-drawer.html

    Ever since I saw this post by a guest blogger on that blog, I have invested in plastic containers and notecards. I used to try to keep all my fabrics in one container but ti was always a mess to find anything. Once I separated by size of scrap/fabric pieces and color, everything is so much easier to find and use. I am not done yet though!

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  189. I'm not sure that my organizational tips would benefit anyone, all I can say is that I need to clean up regularly because I'm not very organized, BUT I do find it great for my creativity to store fabric in colour coded sections on the shelf, and to make them into a pretty rainbow type gradation! :)

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  190. I like tupperware for my organizing, but I found that empty CD cases can be hot glued together to create a mini bookshelf :-)

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  191. Lots of containers with samples of the fabric or whatever is in them on the outside so you know know whats in there.

    quixoticdreamer(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  192. I saw a tutorial recently for storing wrapping paper and ribbons on cafe' rods attached to a picture frame...I REALLY want to try this But a pretty wall would work too! Thanks for the chance to win.

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  193. I recently organized my sewing space. I used comic book boards to create mini bolts. My fabric is not only organized, but looks amazing all lined up. I use IKEA Expedit cubbies for everything else and some shelving. I hope this helps a bit. Good luck!

    fabricdonkey(at)gmail(dot)com

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  194. I store my fabric on the comic book boards. Then they are organized by color. I like rainbows. :D I put my patterns into a gallon ziplock bag and then store them upright in a box. My plan is to eventually have them sorted with dividers - kids clothes, women's clothes, toys, bags, etc.

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  195. I keep flat folds of fabric on an upper shelf if they are larger than 1/2 yard... my fat quarters and smaller get folded and put in the tubs I saved from diaper wipes from when my kids were little. All the colors are kept together, and the tubs pull out easily from the storage shelf when I want to work with them.

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  196. I love the yellow fabric! I have all of my buttons in baby food jars, sorted by color. That seems to be the only thing that is at all organized...lol
    katiefewell@gmail.com

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  197. I'm fairly new to sewing but my stash is ever growing, I store fq's in a large clear plastic crate. Patterns I have began to store in folders inside A4 pockets in alphabetical order (ocd much)

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  198. You must have know I love yellow! The best thing is a label maker and plastic storage bins. You can find things with a glance.

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