The Lair....Quilt Central...Woman Cave-New Projects in Progress!

[ChickiKat]

I wish I had a neighbor to sew with. That would be cool to have old time quilting bees.

 

[NanaKat]

For scrap and small pieces, I use those big square shoeboxes. I stack the fabrics in the box so that it shows. Fat 1/4s stack really nicely. For small pieces or groups of cut pieces, I put those by color into zip lock bags and slip them in a box.
These boxes slide nicely into a book shelf in the sewing room. I use a window rod with curtains to close up some of the "clutter".

 

[speckledhen]

Kathryn, you are so organized! Since I now have a table and all the area underneath it, will have to see what I can do. This room is odd in that it has a boxed in area that is actually head room for the basement stairs (there is no hallway here, so they had to do that). It takes up part of the room and that is where the television sits and also where the incubator usually sits, and sometimes, the brooder. I hope I don't ever have to brood chicks in there again, though-way too much dust, even for just two weeks.

 

[ChickiKat]

Definitely don't want all that dust on your fabric and in you machine...

 

[speckledhen]

Absolutely right about that! Can't even imagine having chicks in the same room with a bunch of fabric and a sewing machine.

 

[theoldchick]

This thread brings back memories of my Mom's work area. She was a seamstress and made our clothes, curtains and so forth. I remember her basket of buttons. She must of had a million buttons. She had all kinds of buttons, and if I had some of them today I would most likely be independently wealthy! Sadly, I lack the seamstress gene.

 

[ChickiKat]

Hope you don't mind some pictures. You reminded me of a button box I have that is from my family and I would bet it is over 100 yo. I remember as a kid spending so much time just looking at the buttons. The box is an old ice cream carton:

the buttons

a needle holder:

some sort of needle shuttle, anyone know what this is for?

and this must have been on someones coat a long time ago:

I now keep buttons in a plastic peanut butter jar. I wonder if someday someone will be looking at it and thinking of days gone by.

 

[NanaKat]

Those plastic units that roll between a washer and dryer have pull out drawers and a flip up top. You could put sewing supplies in the flip up section and pieces in the drawers. The drawers are three different sizes. Don't know the height of your table...but they could roll under it maybe.

Looking at your first post, what about a narrow book case between your table and your desk.

I also have those big units that WoodlandWoman mentioned.
I sort my fabrics by subject/style: baby prints, Civil War, 30s/40s era, then combined collections by color both solids and prints (Creams/whites, pink/red, orange/golds, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, black).
I also have a container just for my large cuts..5 yards or bigger that would be suitable for backing.
A container for flannels. I also have a container for batting end pieces. I purchase my batting when Handcock's has their 40% off sale and get a whole roll...I get a senior discount also so that helps. There are always end pieces that can be used...sometimes for small projects and sometimes, I can join them for larger projects.

Sewing tip: lay lengths of batting on a table, covered by your cutter surface. If the edges don't match, overlap slightly and use your roller cutter to make a clean cut. Butt the two sides together and hand baste the two edges with a zig zag stitch in a neutral color, leaving a smooth surface. I fold in the sides and then roll the piece to store it so not to pull the basting. It's surprisingly sturdy enough to hold up well for both hand quilting and machine quilting.

 

[NanaKat]

ChickiKat, Does your wooden advertisement open like a lipstick cover? Sometimes, women were given these to hold thread and needles in their purse or sewing box.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I got an old singer cabinet machine from my aunt about 10 years ago.
I went through all the drawers when I got it home and it still had notions in it from my grandma. She died over 10 years before.
On a scrap of paper was a list of three of my dad's sisters and their measurements! I showed it to my dad and he bust our laughing - "been a lo-o-ong time since Peg was that size!" he said.
I mentioned it to the aunt I got the machine from and she laughed and admitted that she never actually used the machine. No-one else wanted it when they cleaned out grams place and she only used it to hold a vase of flowers at the front door.

I had to give it away when we moved cross-country, but I still have all the notions in a baggie!