My favorite thread storage solution

       

My thread storage cases, which I have implemented thanks to the brilliant example of my friend and fellow Off the Wall guild member, Shirley.  She brought hers to a meeting to show us, and I fell in love instantly. 

These boxes are perfect for me.  I love them.  They make it easy to store, organize, find, carry and select threads for a project.  They are so compact; I have hundreds of spools yet they take up very little space!  The very best thing about these is that you can see so many spools at once.  As you can see, I organize my threads by color, with a  separate box for the multicolored threads I so love.  Because my spools are organized this way, the storage boxes have become a design tool, too.  The portability is a blessing too.  I had to look pretty hard to find them, but now they are sold by Superior Threads (thank you, Bob!)  http://www.superiorthreads.com/shop/product/48-slot/.  I tend to use lots of different threads in each quilt, so I plan to buy another case soon to corral and organize the threads for a project in process. This is especially helpful with a kitten in the house!

Occasionally there is a spool that doesn't fit, but that is not a problem.  I can either trim off the large flange at the base of the spool or rewind some or all of the thread onto a spare spool or bobbin.  For example, I once got a great deal on a huge cone of beautiful copper metallic thread.  I'm sure it is a lifetime supply!  So I store the big cone elsewhere in deep storage, and keep a couple of bobbins in my thread case.  If I have more like this, I think I'll put notes in the thread case compartments to remind me that there is backup.  One more little tip I just love.  I purchased some thin clear vinyl by the yard (1/4th is plenty and less than $1) and cut into strips to wrap around unruly spools, delicate threads, or those without a slot or groove for the thread end.  This keeps things much neater and avoids wasted thread and time from tangles.

Read more...

Free Magazine Giveaway

I'm trying so hard to clean out my studio and pare down the myriad accumulations so I can have room to work.  I have one liquor box each of back issues of Threads Magazine and Quilters Newsletter (a few other quilting mags thrown in for good measure) which I would hate to just toss in the trash.  I stopped my subscriptions to both a couple of years ago, but I couldn't let go of the accumulated issues until now.  I don't have time to inventory them or put them on EBay, so I am offering them to my blog readers for the taking. These are all free to anyone who wants to come pick them up in Decatur, GA.  No cherry picking, please take the whole box of either or both magazines.  Please email if you are interested.  If you are not in the Atlanta area, I would be happy to ship them to you at your expense. 

Thank you for reading and for helping me with my studio purge!

Read more...

Adventures in creating a design wall

I moved from the tiny bedroom studio to the converted carport studio several years ago, and left my old design wall behind.  I missed it, but there just wasn't a good place in the new studio because every wall was busy, with doorways, windows, bookcases, birdcage, etc.  I developed some amusing work arounds, like going up to the loft and looking down over the edge to my worktable below to get some perspective.  Not great, but I thought it was the best I could do until I saw the perfect answer on Pamela Allen's blog http://pamelartnews.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html .  It's a rolling design wall, made from an inexpensive rolling garment rack and a sheet of rigid insulation board.  It's fabulous! So, I got started figuring out how to make one for myself.      

First some problems to work out.  Our local big box home center stores only had Styrofoam insulation board, which is weak and kind of floppy and the edges break down easily.  Solution Laminate the Styrofoam board to a sheet of luan.  Second, how to attach the upholstered board securely to the garment rack.  This took some fiddling, but I think my cable tie solution worked out well.  Velcro could have worked too, but I didn't have any on hand, and getting it snug might have been an issue. 

I am DELIGHTED with the results.  It rolls easily, works great, looks great, didn't cost much, and serves some bonus purposes I hadn't even considered.  When my naughty little studio mate Mylo Birdie shrieks (parrots are SOOOO loud!) I simply roll the design wall in front of his cage and he becomes quiet as a little mouse.  The quiet is followed by his soft, contrite, flirty voice, saying sweet little things like "I love u" and "Hi, baby".

I will soon add light storage, too, by hanging large pot hooks from IKEA over the rod at the back.  This should be ideal for stuff like aprons.   I may even suspend another hanging rod from the garment rack for a few small folded quilts.  I have written a tutorial to show how I created my design wall http://quiltrobin.typepad.com/quiltrobin_my_creative_jo/design-wall-tutorial.html. 

Read more...