Spring Clean Your Studio Blog Hop 2020

This blog hop was just the inspiration I needed to get part of my studio cleaned up.  That, and the piles and piles of stuff everywhere that made navigating the room a dangerous enterprise!

Confess - do you have areas of your sewing room or studio that look like this?  Piles of - well, whatever. Scraps, partially completed projects, UFOs and other mystery materials?  Well I did!  And this wasn't the only one - but you get the idea.

I have Ikea Kallax shelving, which are amazing bookcases that have these awesome areas perfect for storing fabric.  But.....much like the floors and every flat surface in the studio, it was less than organized - messy and out of order.

Armed with the knowledge that I couldn't tackle the entire room and still meet sewing deadlines, I focused on getting the piles off the floor AND getting those shelves organized so I could tell what the heck I had.

After several days - and nights - of pulling out fabrics, sorting and folding, things are in much better shape!

Ah, nice, neat and sorted by solids, prints, lines.  I love it!  Notice you can see the floor now too!  Who knew that there was that much floor space?!  I know - amazing!

Here's a closer look.  Everyone has their own method and preferred order for arranging their fabrics.  I like to group mine by color (my batiks are by color, but you can't see them in this picture.  I have one cubby that has all the fabrics that are for "grandson projects".  Other cubbies are organized by collection, or by fabric company.  

This reflects how I work with my fabrics.  But I have some friends that sort their fabrics by size (precuts, 1/2 yards, etc), or by project.  What's most important is that you find an organization system that works for you.

I also like my fabrics in open storage so I can see what I have.  I have a series of vintage picnic baskets that I use for special groups of fabrics (I'll share those with you another time!).  That works great - but....I find that if I can't see it, I forget about it.  So I'm rethinking that setup.

While I love open storage for the easy viewing, there are a few drawbacks to open storage:

1. Dust:  with open storage, whatever you are storing can get dusty.  Sewing rooms are dusty enough as it is, so minimizing the dust that gets on everything is a must.
2. Light: light will fade your fabrics (and your threads!).  The last thing anyone wants is to open up a fabric and find fade lines where it was exposed to light!

So what do you do?  Ah....that's the white curtains you see in the picture above!  When I'm not selecting fabrics - or putting new fabrics away - I keep the curtains pulled close.  This offers a mild protection from dust, but also protects the fabrics from direct exposure to sunlight.  And in a pinch, I can use the curtains as an additional design wall by pinning blocks to it.

Are you wondering how I put curtain rods on my bookcases?  Easy - I found these tension rods that work great for applications like this.  They are called Smart Rods Twist and Shout Curtain Tension Rods (whew - mouth full!).  You may have to do some searching.  At the time of this writing, I found them here on Amazon.  But in the past, I have found multiple size options, and also was able to locate some at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

These work well for bookcases because they use a bracket that applies tension, so you don't have to put any screw holes in your bookcases.  Awesome, right?!

One added bonus of having at least one corner of the studio clean - I can get to my cozy comfy chair and enjoy some of my quilts in comfort - without risking my neck by tripping over piles of fabric!

Thanks for joining me on my mini tour of my messing to neat studio.  Be sure to check out all of the other designers that have been straightening up their studios during the Spring Clean Your Studio Blog Hop 2020.  I know I always get some terrific organization ideas every time!

April 1 – Sam Hunter – http://www.huntersdesignstudio.com
April 2 – Marian Pena – http://www.seamstobesew.com
April 3 – Jennifer Fulton – http://www.inquiringquilter.com/questions
April 4 – Martha Wolf – http://Www.pinwheelprodns.com
April 5 – Jennifer Strauser – http://www.dizzyquilter.com
April 6 – Steph Carton – http://www.theelimonster.com/blog
April 7 – Simone Fisher – http://www.simonequilts.com/blog
April 8 – Kate Colleran – http://www.seamslikeadream.com
April 9 – Carolina Moore – http://www.alwaysexpectmoore.com
April 10 – Jen Frost – http://www.faithandfabricdesign.com/blog
April 11 – Leanne Parsons – http://www.devotedquilter.com
April 12 – Becca Fenstermaker – http://www.prettypiney.com/blog
April 13 – Sarah Myers – http://www.quilted-diary.com
April 14 – Mitzi Redd – http://www.reddhomestead.com
April 15 – Jeanette Larson – http://www.Jenonthefarm.com
April 16 – Camille Ainsworth – http://www.stitchinthenw.com
April 17 – Becky Philips Jorgenson – http://www.patchworkposse.com
April 18 – Bobbie Gentili – http://www.geekybobbin.com/category/blog
April 19 – Janellea Macbeth – http://www.janelleamacbeth.com/blog/
April 20 – Lisa Ruble – http://lovetocolormyworld.blogspot.com
April 21 – Debra Davis – http://www.tuning-my-heart.com/blog
April 22 – Rona Herman – http://www.Ronatheribbiter.com
April 23 – Sue Griffiths – http://www.duckcreekmountainquilting.com
April 24 – Sarah Ruiz- http://www.saroy.net/
April 25 – Jessica Caldwell – http://www.desertbloomquilting.com/
April 26 – Tammy Silvers – http://tamarinis.typepad.com
April 27 – Ebony Love – http://www.lovebugstudios.com/blog
April 28 – Cheryl Sleboda – http://blog.muppin.com

 

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