All those odds and ends

While I was updating the stash zone I kept running into things that I didn't know where to put.  The space was lacking.... something. 

While discussing the issue with Bonnie one day and complaining that I needed different drawers I remembered that I had a 7 drawer unit in the bedroom I wasn't using very much.  I had actually bought it years ago for the stash zone but took it out because I wasn't using it.  So, out of the bedroom it came, and into the stash zone.

Once I had moved it from the bedroom I had to figure out where it should go.  I decided between the cubes and bookcase but that meant that the thread board and cat cross stitch didn't fit anymore - so ended up moving the cat to the other wall.

The drawers:

The top drawer has page protectors and magazine keepers
The second drawer has storage bags (stored in desk organizers from the dollar store)

The third drawer has thread storage - including floss away bags and bobbins

The four drawer has beading supplies

The fifth drawer has some random items
The sixth drawer has batting and felt
The seventh drawer has quilt batting

The big bookcase stores ribbon, cord and beads.  Non-Mill Hill beads are organized in little jars from Michaels and spice jars from the dollar store.

Mill Hill beads and charms are in watchmaker cases

The bottom shelf is books and project bags.

The cubes

The main part of the stash is in these cubes from Ikea.

The left side has bins for 25 and 32 count fabric, kits and my never used sewing machine.

I decided to add more drawers to the middle and move all the thread including the extra DMC.  When I organized the threads I set it up by Manufacturer and left lots of space to add to thread as I pick it up.

The right side is pattern binders, still organized by Designer and title.

I have organized so goodies along the top.  I unspooled my wired ribbon and put it in the wire baskets - pretty and it saves space.  There is a flower frog and some scissors and an assortment of cool things like the word stitch in painted wood letters, some Star Wars figures and a couple of dragons.

The snowball effect

Here is the new, improved stash zone aka the "dining room" (who needs one of those?)

It started with adding more drawers to the cubes.  Then I need to move the binders.  Then the fabric bins needed to move... you get the idea.

For the most part how things were stored hasn't changed, just tweaked a bit.  I still have a few things to put away and I need to update the inventory.

Changes are coming

I decided to make some small changes in the stash area

those small changes lead to other changes ... and kinda snowballed.

It is now complete (well there are a few new patterns to put away)

Here is a picture of the main cubes before changes....  so many changes

stay tuned

You have to start somewhere

In the last month or so several stitching friends and I have been discussing our stashes and how it is all stored.  Most of us are lucky and have a spot for our stitching supplies but keeping things neat, organized and inventoried.  

I made up a list of questions for a friend as a starting point for us to make a plan for her new space and thought I would share it (also have it accessible later instead of "somewhere" in the email folder.  There are more things to consider but this is a good place to start when either setting up a spot or making changes to an existing space.

Questions

1. Is there a spot that can be taken over just for the stash?

1a. How big is it?

1b.Is it open to other parts of the house?

1c. Do you want things to be hidden/covered if it is? Or  mix?

2. Is there a theme or colour scheme?

3. What furniture pieces are available?  Are they going to be purchased or taken from other parts of the house?

4. Do you want to have display for finished pieces such as tree or hanging frame?

5. Do you/will you be putting away things as they are acquired/used or should there be a place set up to hold things?

6. Is everything in one spot right now?  Going forward do you want everything in one spot or are you to use several?

7. Are WIPs going to be in their own spot in the stash area or by your stitching spot?

8. Is the space going to be just for your cross stitching or other hobbies?

9. Are you going to purge while setting things up or keeping everything?

10. How are you storing the following and are you happy with it?

10a. Charts
10b. Kits
10c. Magazines
10d. DMC – Regular
10e. DMC – Other
10f. Threads – Skeins
10g. Threads - Spools
10h. Fabric
10i. Beads
10j. UFOs/Pre-Kitted Projects
10k. Finished Unfinished pieces
10l. Finishing materials
10m. Stitching aids like hoops, frames, scissors, needles, highlighters etc.


Most of these questions look pretty easy to answer but can actually be challenging.  Then there is the hard part: setting things up.

I have added some more drawers in my cubes in the stash zone so have been tweaking things a bit. I hope to be done soon and will post an update.

I made it

Today is the last day of November

First, I have no idea where the month has gone, it doesn't seem like it should be here already.  

Today marks the end of NaBloPoMo, I'm happy to say that I managed to blog a day all month. There are still a couple of "post ideas" on my list - I may try and do those next month.

Today I finished assembling a drawer unit that I got for the living room/stitching area.  Some stash from the stash monster may relocate here and I am planning to use the rest of it to hold stitching supplies for daily use.  

I Wish I May

In an effort to better organize myself I decided that the Blog needed a wish list page.

There's now a new page that I've listed the charts I'm drooling thinking about for the stash and a few odds and ends.  Well let's face it - it's the start of a wish list.  

Hopefully now I'll remember where the list is and I can keep track better.

Let the shopping begin!

 

Taming the Stash Monster: Corralled

The stash monster has been corralled, for the time being at least.

There are a few tweaks to be made, but for now it is all done.

Finished space

Patterns, threads and a few special pieces.

 The large bag on the top shelf has finishing materials.  Glue, cutters, pins, measuring tape etc.  The small pots have chalk and pins for the bulletin board... I actually found cute pins at the Dollar Store with emi-con faces...

The middle has beads, kits and magazine.  On the top my travel ott light and two tier basket for small finishes and small kits

The left side has ribbons, fabric, finishing fabric and Just Cross Stitch magazines

 I have add a tie cord to hold up the cutting mat etc. against the wall for when the ironing board isn't there. 

28 count fabric and bulletin board

Please let me know if I've missed something or you want more details. 

I'll put a reminder in my calendar to do a space update in a few months so you can see what it's like after being "lived in" for awhile.

Thanks for being a part of Taming the Stash Monster.

Shadow: still not impressed (bags are more fun)

Taming the Stash Monster: Keeping Track Of It All

Having stash is great... until you don't know what you have and end up buying the same pattern twice.  Or spend hours searching for something you don't have. 

Creating some type of inventory is helpful.... I admit it I really just want to catalogue it all and would if I could!

I haven't found a  commercial product that easily keeps track of it all: patterns, different threads, magazines, fabric, gadgets etc. in an easy to use manner.  There might be, but for now I'm using the Awesome Note app of my iPad.  


I took some screen caps, each section of the stash has a different folder:

Taming the Stash Monster: Ribbon

Thick, thin, wired, transparent, cord.... there's a ton of it.

I actually have a lot more than I thought I did!  Clearly hiding it in different places around the apartment was not a good idea.  Or it was.... 

There are a ton of ways to store ribbon, expensive, cheap storage comes in as many styles as the ribbon.

I decided to remove the ribbon from the spools they were on to reduce the bulk.  Those spools take up a lot of room and stash space is limited.  Well for ribbon stash space is limited ;)

The system I chose is pretty simple, small zip bags and jars.  

I haven't sorted the ribbon beyond trying to keep all the cord together.

 
It's actually also kinda pretty to look at :)

Taming the Stash Monster: Finishing Fabric

Most of the non-stitchy fabric I have is a fat quarter size so when I was looking for a storage solution it was for small cuts, not yard size pieces or scraps like a quilter would have.

 I settled on:

I picked up some CD cases to use as a size guide and as support for the fabric.  Then I picked up some plastic canvas to cut to size and act as a folding guide and more support.

I decided to do two containers, one for regular fabric and one for holidays.

Taming the Stash Monster: Stitching Fabric

Allow me to first say that I am a fabric snob.  It's true and I admit it, working on evenweave makes me happy so that's what I do.  

That being said, the only fabric I have to worry about sorting and storing fabric by type.

All the fabric has been sorted by size, ignoring type.  And all the colours are mixed together.  I tend to just go through the choices when I'm looking for something for a project.

25 count and 32 count are in these nice lined baskets that my mom got me a few years ago.  I took a picture of some of the fabrics and added the fabric out to it before printing and attaching to the outside with some ribbon.  This way I don't have to remember which is which.

The 28 count is in the big basket stand mom and I found at Costco and has been the home for my fabric for many years.  All my hand-dyed Joblean is in the bottom basket and most of my neutrals and in the middle.  I didn't try for it to work that way but some how it did.

For those small cuts that will be useful for things like ornaments,  I picked a deep scrapbook case from them to be stored in 

Taming the Stash Monster: Thread

Like a lot of stitcher's I have more threads (or fibres) than just DMC.

I mean really, who can resist all those pretty, pretty new ways to individualize a piece?

Almost all my threads are stored in the same way, in Floss-A-Way bags, sorted by brand, then number or name of the thread and put together on a ring to hold them together.  There are a couple brands that I have used more than one ring in order to make the size more manageable.

One everything was in bags/on rings, I have put them in these boxes that I picked up at Ikea

I have also labeled the outside of the box so finding the right one is easier.

My Carrie's Creations I have hanging on the hanging board from the last post.  I thought they would add some nice colour to the sea of white.  They are sorted  by colour name.

Taming the Stash Monster: DIY Boards

As part of the saga of taming the stash monster I decided to add some display/note aid boards to the mix.

Chalkboard:

Super easy to make, all that is needed is:
- one 8x10" picture frame
- one 8x10" sheet of self-adhesive chalkboard paper
(and chalk of course)

Take apart the picture frame, attach the chalkboard, re-assemble, and hang/put out like a normal picture frame

Bulletin Board:

I made mine out of regular foam core, some cork tile, a Dollar Store table cloth and some ribbon
Attach cork to foam core, cover with table cloth (or fabric), cross ribbon on front, and hang


I have hung mine with some left over finishing nails

Hanging Board:

Really, I'm not sure what to call this.  I had been thinking about putting together a pegboard but when I was looking for an inexpensive frame I saw some painter's wood canvas.  I decided to try one of those instead.  The one I picked up is 16x20".


I put on a couple coats of paint, some gloss varnish, and added a few hooks.....

Stay tuned to see what it's for

Taming the Stash Monster: Beads

They add that pretty sparkle to your piece.  

Or if you're a two year old looking at the finished piece hanging in your room, they're stars waiting to be plucked from the sky.

 The Mill Hill collection of beads I have arranged in watchmaker's cases from Lee Valley Tools

As I was putting them all in their new 33 mm homes, I wrote the bead number on the top and labeled the container, then put all the containers in number order.

I decided as I was doing this to leave empty containers where the numbers I didn't have would go.  I thought it would be easier than to add and re-arrange containers as time goes on and I (maybe) fill in the missing ones.  

The cases are labeled with the numbers.  Like the DMC boxes there are labels on the top and both sides.

All the Mill Hill, lots of room to add

I found some spice jars for my mixed regular beads... added bonus they look pretty. 

I also found this cute stackable screw jars that I have stored charms in.


For the beads I have for scissor fobs etc., I have them in this little box

Finally, here is the bead section all done

The scrapbook case on the bottom holds tools, my tacky bob, nymo thread and other beading supplies.
 
Let's hope nothing falls on the floor

Taming the Stash Monster - DIY

As part of the great stash clean up, I decided it would be a good idea to do some up-keep on the shelves that dad and I made a few years ago.

They still had their MDF factory finish and due to age and weight were starting to sag.  I thought a nice coat of white paint would be a good place to start.

I also added nails to the backing board, and then a dad-crafted fix for the shelves: adding some shelf brackets.  There was some major creaking when they were added. 

I finished them off with a couple of coats of gloss varnish.  They look pretty good now. 

This process took much longer than I thought it would, mostly because they needed several coats of paint and varnish.  Given the hot, humid weather we had earlier this month it took longer drying and for me to actually feel like doing work for any length of time.


Also on the DIY front, I thought I would try out a neat idea I found on-line while surfing the net. 

I give you the picture frame pin cushion.... how lucky I was to have a blue dragon fabric :)

Instructions on how to make one can be found here


And also this month that I forgot to share a stash related story:

At work, we have two summer students (both our students are named Tara - what are the odds?).  One of the Tara's had learned to stitched and was motivated to do a piece when she saw the pieces I was working on/have in my office.  So I sent her a link to a few on-line stores to find something she liked.

She sent me a link.

I started laughing and had her come to my office.... and asked if she would like to start right away.....


Yes - that's right she picked something I had in my stash.  I came home and pulled the DMC, fabric and thread so she could get started while waiting for her order to arrive.  She has promised to send a finished picture which I will share.

 

Stash.... sometimes it's about sharing :)