I have seen pics of some of your "to die for sewing rooms". I will never be that organized and neat even if I had the space! So, my question is how do you keep your blocks and projects organized, but not out of sight? Sometimes I only have a few minutes to sew, I don't want to spend those precious minutes "finding " the right plastic box.

There are lots of ideas in the office supply section of Target (or a like store). Just when school starts you'll find so many wonderful things in the school supply sections for cheap, like binders, plastic pockets, washable markers and pencil boxes for thread. I also have clear plastic project envelopes from there that zip and are larger. I have all sorts of things like that stacked as I work on lots of projects at the same time as whim takes me.

I must say that I still have little stacks of fabric from projects I'm working on around...but I think that just goes along with loving fabric and loving quilting!

Susan

Teresa - a creative slob

Oh, and if you're creative you can use the lights above to hang things from!

right now, my huge cutting mat is on the end of the dining room table, and there are some scraps to be tossed, and some to be saved lying on it, along with the wall hanging I put together last night. Then, next to one recliner in the living room, I have Kate's block center for the Round Robin that I am still working on (do you know how difficult it is to aim a tank turret at a butterfly???). On the other side of that chair is an envelope containing last month's lotto blocks that I won, and a bag with our minister's signature quilt pieces started inside of it.

Now, off to the bedroom where I have the machine set up, there is a small stack of block lotto winnings from Sept. on the back of the table, on the floor is a hatbox with a dozen blocks all cut out that ended up being the wrong size for a project (although each one will look good with all the others, but I couldn't put it with someone else's work due to size), which will now have to be sewn into blocks and then set into a top. Between the table leg and a little table with drawers in it is a box with fabrics in it (and some cut pieces) for middle daughter's graduation from college quilt. Thank God she's not graduating until Dec. of 2010 at the earliest!

I also have 2 different projects on the chair in front of my machine, another project under my bed on top of the boxes my stash is in, and a project under the foot of the bed that just needs to be quickly pieced and taken to the longarmer's house to back a quilt top she's got that is for my husband.

Oh, and don't forget the large laundry basket full of fabrics next to the dining room table so I have something to cut up when I am at the mat.

I wish I were more organized, but those nice see-through plastic boxes cost money nad I don't always have it. When I get a box or two, it seems that particular size/style goes out of style and I am now left with a ton of mismatched boxes/tubs/totes, etc., which makes for a nightmare of organization.

I didn't even mention the fish quilt that is started for my oldest grandson, the star quilt top that is ready to be quilted for younger grandson, brother-in-law's comforter his grandma made that needs to have many patches replaced and is draped over the back of the sofa in the living room so i can work on it when there is nothing else to do, and my parents' anniversary quilt that I have been working on since pre-1986 that is about 40% quilted.

No, organization is not my strong suit. I find I have too many ideas that get started and not enough hours in the day to finish them, so they "float" around, waiting for permanent homes.

Odessa

Basically, I'm just not very organized.

beverly

The fabrics, I have a handle on. They are for the most part folded by type in those HUGE plastic bins, stacked one on top of the other. (I also have some stuffed in the closet I am denying are there, and in two drawers of the baby changing table.....sssssh I don't even admit it to myself).

I am another one of those out of sight out of mind sewers. They have to be out in plain view nagging at me, if I want to remember to work on them. Thankfully, this is all in one bedroom-turned-sewing-room. So, I can close the door, leave it out and not feel guilty.

Kate

I love to get my things all organized....but it doesn't last very long because the juices get flowing again. i tried to get my scraps organized a couple times, but that's also in disarray again....need to start making crumbs again. But, the best containers for things I'm working on are the clear plastic project bags that zip....I have the combo set from EB's site and could use a few more. Something else I just bought are some good sized containers for blocks. They're see through but in colors. I have one with all my BD swap info in it, another with all the hot dish mat fabric that's cut and ready and I forget what's in the other one....will have to go look. Ahhh yes, how could I have forgotten the Wall Hanging Challenge! Those came from Connecting Threads and they're approx 14" X 14" X 3"..could use some more of those, too!

Rosa, How many times you plan to put 'get organized' on your list next year???? LOLOLOL Yes, I'm laughing with you.

Sharon