My number 1 organization tip - Don't clean your craft space. Do this instead.


I have “drifts” in my craft room

Like snowdrifts that get bigger and bigger during a snowstorm. Except my drifts are accumulated piles of fabric, embroidery hoops, magazines, books, sewing thread, loose papers and all sorts things that build up around the edges of the room.

Not pretty.

One of many "drifts" in my craft room.

What about you? Any drifts in your craft space? Those drifts can really mess up your craft time. If you’re anything like me, it might go something like this:

You get super motivated to craft and, amazingly, have time right this moment to dedicate to crafting.

The stars have aligned!

You go into your craft space. You see the “drifts” and get a little stressed. But you’re not discouraged. You have just enough willpower to get past the “drifts” and get working on your craft project. But where is your scissors? Where did you leave the floss you needed? Where’s the pattern?

Then Bam! Motivation is gone.

It’s too stressful to find everything you need, you’ve wasted your time looking through the drifts, and you don’t even feel like crafting anymore. You could clean up your craft space. But that would take forever and sounds like the least fun thing to do right now.

You give up and check your Instagram feed instead.

Any of this sound familiar?

Our crafting time and motivation are precious. 

And our lack of organization is getting in the way.

So how can we be organized enough to capitalize on our time and motivation, but not have to clean our entire craft space to get started? Here’s a solution that might work for you:


My number 1 organization tip:

Don’t organize your craft space, instead organize your projects.


So what does that mean?

It could mean the difference between crafting or giving up. Seriously.

Ideally an organized project consists of a container that holds everything you need to work on a single project. This includes all materials, supplies, tools, patterns, inspiration, notes and other reference materials.

Everything is right at your fingertips while your motivation is still at it’s peak. And you can ignore your unorganized craft space all together.

Your project container doesn’t need to be anything fancy, however it should have a lid or the ability to close. I use everything from small plastic sandwich containers, to spare handbags, to large plastic storage bins depending on the size of the project.

Here’s an example of what an embroidery project container might look like.

    •    A gallon sized Ziploc bag to use as your project container
    •    embroidery hoop
    •    fabric
    •    pattern
    •    needle (slid in the corner of the fabric so it’s easy to find)
    •    embroidery floss (in a small sandwich bag to protect it from getting caught on things)
    •    small scissors with cover
    •    additional small sandwich bag to use for trash like embroidery floss discards
    •    piece of paper to jot down notes (notes could include a list of supplies to still purchase, a link to a good youtube video on a new technique to try, where you left off last time and what you want to do next, tricks learned along the way that you don’t want to forget, etc.)
    •    pen or pencil to jot down notes

It’s everything you need to work on the embroidery project. You only need to grab the project container and you’re ready to craft.

Project container with all the needed supplies, materials and tools.

Do this for all of your projects, or at least the most current ones you’re working on, and you’ll be surprised at how easy it will be to start crafting, no matter how messy your craft room is.

:-)

However, you may be thinking: I don’t have tons of scissors to put one in every project container.

Here’s a solution if you don’t have tools to spare for each project. This also applies if you’re working on a project that needs large rulers, liquids like paint, cutting boards or common specialty tools like a rotary cutter or fabric scissors.

Gather like items and give them a highly visible place of honor in your craft space.

For example. Find all of your scissors (whether they’re large, small, for fabric, or paper) and place them in a jar with a pretty ribbon. Put the jar in a place of prominence in your craft space. It could be the centerpiece to your cutting table, or it could sit right next to your sewing machine. Make sure the jar is in a place where it doesn’t have to move often and is highly visible at all times.

Then when it’s craft time, just grab your project container and a scissors from the jar.

another idea…

make a grab-and-go tool kit.

A grab-and-go tool kit is a small container that has all the general supplies you might need for any project that comes up.

My grab-and-go tool kit is simply a plastic sandwich container with a lid and contains:

    •    small embroidery scissors
    •    piece of felt holding a variety of needles
    •    neutral colored sewing thread
    •    measuring tape
    •    pen
    •    pencil
    •    water soluble pen
    •    a couple of crochet hooks
    •    thimble
    •    a few random buttons
    •    piece of paper for notes
    •    small crocheted chain stitch piece of yarn that my husband stitched that makes me smile when I see it

With my project container supplemented by my grab-and-go tool kit, I know I’ll have everything I need to craft.

Nothing, not even a craft room full of “drifts” can get in my way.


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What about you?

Do you have a special container for your projects or tools? How clean is your craft space? Does an unorganized space keep you from crafting?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Comment below, or feel free to contact me (Alyssa) at emails [at] penguinandfish [dot] com (type out using the “@” and “.” symbols with no spaces).

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74 comments:

  1. Ah yes, I know the "drift" well. I received several zippy bags this spring from some swap partners, and I *did* designate several of them for projects. It helps! I also re-did my space, which has no room for shelves, so that all of my supply boxes are under one table, and the other "under" is empty. Same thing with the fabric pull/wip drifts-- I allow them to be in one space, but I keep the other clear. It helps to have even one spot for your eye to rest and I've found I'm more productive and less stressed.

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    1. I did the same thing with my walls. In my last studio I covered them with all sorts of inspiration items, but it was just too much. I have lots of things on the wall in my new studio too but I have one wall with nothing at all on it, just so I have at least one space of non-clutter. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. I am kinda obsessive about organization, though I am not particularly neat or tidy. I found that the best way for me to get into craft mode quickly, it helps to have set myself up for success. I have a large can (bigger than the biggest tomato sauce can) for sewing tools (chalk markers, pins, fabric scissors, rotary cutters,seam rippers, pins, pattern weights, etc) and a 2nd for paper crafting tools (paper scissors,QuickStik picker upper, hole punch, tweezers, bone folder) all papers in one area, a big box for markers & paints, storage boxes for stamps, dies...and so on. It took months of slow steady work to get it done and i still have to stop and round up my stuff every few months but I pretty much know where all my things are. Not quite as organized and a spot for each project, but maybe that can be my next goal.

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    1. Your organization sounds wonderful. It's such a relief to know where your things are! Anything to get to the crafting part sooner. :-)

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  3. I certainly keep all my scissors in one spot! And I love the idea of the 'grab and go' tool kit! I have a number of different ways of organising supplies from zippy pouches to plastic ziplock bags but really like the lunchbox idea! My Ikea trolley is where I keep my WIPs projects. The limited amount of space helps keep me under control....

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    1. I don't know what I'd do without my grab-and-go toolkit. I never have to think about something I might need because it's all in there. I travel with it too, sometimes even when I don't bring a crafting project. Never know when one might come up. Hah!

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  4. I seem to do best if I work on one quilt at a time. But in the last couple of years, I've changed to starting more than one at a time and having sometimes four different quilts going at once. I've found if I keep the supplies for each in it's own box or at least in it's own area of my sewing room, I'll be OK. I still feel better if I totally put away all the extra fabric, paint etc. from each project before I start something new.

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    1. Ooo, me too. Cleaning up a project when it's all finished is definitely how I regroup and get ready for the next project. Thanks for the comment Marlyn!

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  5. just spent two days last weekend cleaning up my drifts instead of sewing !! while I was in the cleaning mode I decided to organise my fat quarters and was amazed at the amount of fabric I own !!! thanks so much for your tips and I need to keep the mess under control so I can spend all of my sewing time actually sewing to try and get rid of some of that fabric ! so much fabric, so little time :)

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    1. I just did the same thing. I got all of my fabric in one place instead of having it scattered everywhere. I had a lot more than I realized too. Now I just want to dig in and use it all! :-)

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  6. I keep my sewing room organized because I wouldn't be able to go in my room if it wasn't clean and organized, much less create something. :-). I do keep some of my to do projects in clear storage containers, so when I'm ready to work on them everything is together.

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    1. That's awesome, Cecilia. Crafting definitely feels nice when you have everything in order. :-) Thanks for the comment!

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  7. Wow. You describe my craft room, and problem, expertly. I have drifts by the lounge, by my bed, all over the studio. But your solution is genius!! I'm going to start project bags and a goto kit as I start my next project. Thanks for sharing!!

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    1. Awesome! Let me know how it goes. :-) Happy Crafting!

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  8. Thanks for your ideas. I will definitely learn from this

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    1. Yay. That's great to hear. Happy crafting!

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    2. This has worked wonders for me. Thank you! A difficult project is now almost finished because it was all in one place, whenever I had a few minutes to stitch. I'll post a photo once it's finished completely!

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  9. I have been keeping project boxes for a while now (on sale at Michaels) and it's amazing how much easier it is than putting them away in a drawer. I made the bionic gear bad this summer for all my travel tools and I've found it a life saver! Over the years I've picked up extra tools to keep just for traveling.

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    1. Yes! boxes are so much better than drawers. When I put something in a drawer it disappears forever. And it's missing one of the key points of a good project container, portability. I love that you have tools just for traveling. It really does come in handy. Thanks for the comment Kathie. :-)

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  10. Wow, you are having best and best and best things in your page. Lovely stuff ! Congrats.
    Yes, I love zip-lock bags, make easier to put everything in place, and find everything also.
    Sandra, from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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    1. Thanks so much Sandra! You're so sweet. Yup, zip-locks and old plastic sandwich containers are my friends. :-)

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    2. I used to find all the clippings and thread dropped on the floor and made my area messy, so I now have a small 22cm diameter little basket into which I toss all of my clippings and overlocker cuttings and removed threadmarkings into and it has helped keep my area more workable

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    3. nice! every little trick helps for sure.

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  12. I often classify all things into the small boxes and bags. From working tools, cosmetics, and papers are stored in the special containers.

    http://teflstore.com/

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    1. That's awesome Annette. I love everything stored so you can find everything quickly

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  13. Classify the tools to leave your work better and more convenient. You can avoid the lost materials and the time in finding everything.

    Helen's blog

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  14. I have tried various methods for avoiding the drifts and have found ways that do work and others that do not work. For my embroidery projects, I found a wire roll cart with 3 shelves at a garage sale that holds everything embroidery related. It has been a stupendous time saver. For a couple of bigger projects that are long term projects, I leave the needle and thread attached by a safety pin right to the project and that works excellent. I have a special tote container for all of my beads and accessories. I am just learning bead embroidery and trying to learn a beaded Christmas ornament pattern so will discover this month if this system will work or not. My main focus craft is quilting and I have a sewing machine in every room, sewing supplies in every room and fabrics in every square inch available. LOL. With it just being myself and hubby it has worked out fine. Recently though, my brother has moved into our spare bedroom. Like overnight everything from in that room had to be moved into our closet. Thankfully, the majority of items were already stored in totes...but because of how quickly everything was moved I really do not have a clue as to what is what. So it is not a good set up at this time. But until after the holidays it will have to stay the way it is. LOL. I did enjoy your post, of course...I always enjoy your posts. Thank you for sharing and have a wonderful creative day!

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    1. Hi Brenda. You're so sweet, I'm happy you liked the post. I love the idea of having the needle and thread attached right to the project with a safety pin. Totally going to give that a try. Have a great holiday and good luck with the post-holiday organizing!

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  15. I too have drifts, I clean them up every so often, they usually come from pulling from my stash for the latest project and then not putting it away. :P I do put each project in some kind of container to keep it coraled. I have coffee mugs in a box on my sewing table with all my regularly used supplies so they are easy to grab. This has worked real well for me.

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    1. Thanks so much for sharing Julie. Sounds like you have a good thing going. :-)

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    2. You hit home with this post, Alyssa! I live in a small apartment, & right now I’m sitting in the middle of a huge mess! I started out with good intentions, but I had some health issues that have slowed me down. I keep looking at the mess, & do t know where to start. I’m seriously thinking about getting outside help at this point. It frustrating, & it does stop the creative process. I feel guilty when I do sit & stitch, because I should be doing something else. She basically, I feel like a dog chasing his tail!!

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  17. I have projects in boxes, two different "go"bags.... I still end up with drifts, very large ones ;)
    I quilt, and do bead work; generally have five or six different projects in the works at the same time. One main project, and a few others, I use pieces of as leaders and enders, while piecing. The bigger the quilt gets, the bigger the drifts get. I have short term memory problems, and if I put too many things away... I forget where they are. I need to have anything I am currently working on in sight.
    I have recently discovered that cardboard photo boxes, designed with holiday motifs,go on sale right after the holiday. They are great for cut pieces of blocks!!! Easy to label, and easy to change labels, when project changes. I try to clean up drifts as I end a project, but it doesn't always happen.

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    1. Love the idea of the photo boxes to store blocks. Then you can still leave the project out and have it organized. Great tip.

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  18. I have projects in boxes, two different "go"bags.... I still end up with drifts, very large ones ;)
    I quilt, and do bead work; generally have five or six different projects in the works at the same time. One main project, and a few others, I use pieces of as leaders and enders, while piecing. The bigger the quilt gets, the bigger the drifts get. I have short term memory problems, and if I put too many things away... I forget where they are. I need to have anything I am currently working on in sight.
    I have recently discovered that cardboard photo boxes, designed with holiday motifs,go on sale right after the holiday. They are great for cut pieces of blocks!!! Easy to label, and easy to change labels, when project changes. I try to clean up drifts as I end a project, but it doesn't always happen.

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  19. My process is similar, I keep my projects sorted out into plastic scrap booking containers. Felt, embroidery thread, patterns, notes, sketches, several needles, etc are all in there waiting for me. They stack so nicely and I can see inside them without having to open them all to find the right project. Then when the project is done, the finished piece goes into a large zip lock bag and in a larger multi gallon bin for storage until sold.

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    1. Nice! You sound super organized. It makes the making process just that much easier. Thanks so much for the comment.

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  20. Wait a sec while I put a sack over my head. I'm so unorganized. My drifts have become a tidal wave. Thanks for the organization tip! I have some projects collected this way, but scattered around my small sewing room. There's a major purge coming soon. My guild is having a yard sale. Some of the purge will go there. There may also be some IG destash as well. See you on periscope!

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    1. Oooo, great ideas. I may be heading towards some sort of purge myself. ;-)

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  21. The scrapbooking boxes from Michaels hold a 12.5" square. I use them to keep
    things together. NBig baggies too!

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    1. ooo, I'll have to look for those next time I'm there. Love a good box.

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    2. Wait for them to go on sale for $3.33

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  22. I have only been seriously crafting (aside from knitting - but that's another yarn storage story) for a few years, and my organizational system keeps changing. Since I started The Splendid Sampler (and with a lot of inspiration from you!) I've rediscovered my love of embroidery, so I am now collecting a lot of embroidery "stuff" that isn't as well organized as I'd like. I have a rolling set of thin drawers that I may reorganize those in - but right now all of my current embroidery materials are stowed away for a trip to see my daughter (who wants to learn how to embroider, too).

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    1. How fun that your daughter wants to embroider too! I definitely like my embroidery things to be as portable and easy to grab as possible. I like to have a plastic bag with everything ready to go in it including a few of the next colors I plan on using in the embroidery. Good luck with the rest of The Splendid Sampler!

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  23. I have drifts, but also have projects in the craft boxes like you have mentioned, my scissors and rotary cutter usually stay in specific areas, so that hasn't been a problem, my problem is companionship! Even tho I have drifts, I have been at home so long, wanting and needing someone to chat with and craft/sew with I'm almost lost! I have no social output! And I feel like I'm starving for some type of social communication. I have done everything you can think of. However when I do manage to get in my room, I turn on the radio, and sometimes manage to pull off a block or two, but when no one is interested in what you do... It gets hard. But one step or block at a time & GOD's grace I'm still trying g!

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    1. You should come join me in my 9:30pm central periscopes. (I'm "penguinandfish" on Periscope). Then we can chat every night and sew together. I actually won't be on tonight or Tuesday but that's super rare that I'm not on. Wednesday I'll be sewing on The Splendid Sampler quilt along, block 53.

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  24. I too have drifts that have become mountains from time to time, but that's when I go in with my shovel and get things back into place. I really should just keep abreast of things so they don't get out of control like that.
    I use gift bags to organize some of my projects, and the baggies as you described. And I now have about 8 of the plastic craft boxes too. You see, I've been sewing and crafting most of my life and I just turned 70, so I have lots of stuff.
    But I love it all, am using much of it, and now making charity quilts as well. Life is good...God is good!

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  25. Yes I to have many drifts. Some of my current projects I place in a container I get at the dollar store. I have many patterns I have copied from the computer do you have suggestion how to organise these? Thanks Elaine

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  26. Yes I to have many drifts. Some of my current projects I place in a container I get at the dollar store. I have many patterns I have copied from the computer do you have suggestion how to organise these? Thanks Elaine

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    1. I just bought a large binder at Walmart on clearance. I also bought sheet protectors and tabs. I plan on organizing all the projects I have printed off into that binder. Or at least part of them. I may have to have more than one binder! LOL!

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  27. I am glad to know that I am not the only one who has this issue. I have fabric in 2.5 gallon bags for each project. The to go tool kit is a fabulous idea, will have to do that.

    Aimée Wofford (couldn't get it to post other than anonymous)

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  28. I too have found using storage bins to store my projects works wonderfully!it really does provide me with the opportunity to just grab and craft whenever I have the time or inclination.

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  29. Alyssa,
    You actually inspired me to try an organize my fabrics better. I have a large Armoire I have most of my fabric, stabilizers and interfacing stored. As well as scraps, fat quarters etc.... I couldn't see what fabrics I have without pulling some out so when I saw your fabric storage in the plastic bins with the fabrics folded and standing up on it's edge with the fold up, I loved it. I bought several good sized storage containers and refolded my fabrics like you had yours and separated Christmas, Halloween, fall, Easter type holiday fabrics into one bin. I slid the bins into my Armoire and now I can see what type fabrics are in each bin and slide one out to find fabrics I am looking for. I also have a three sets of plastic, rolling, three drawer units with fabric in them. I folded the fabrics in them so I can see at a glance, what is in them. I keep a turn around, Pampered Chef Cooking utensil organizer by my sewing machine. I keep scissors, marking pens, small rulers, Fray Block, measuring tape and bodkins and such so when I need them, they are right near by. I have also bought some travel boxes. One is like a Caboodle or tackle box and the other is a two layer snap together box with sections and a handle. I put extra supplies in them to take to classes with me. I know I can just grab it and go and I will have scissors, bobbins, some thread, seam ripper, marking pencils anything I need for a class. I have two so I can have an Embroidery one and a Quilting one. I also bought some flat clear plastic 12 X 12 containers to put big kits or projects in to keep them together with their instructions and supplies. I still have a way to go getting all the clutter up but it is a good start. The problem I have is my cutting table. It tends to be a drop off table and always has piles on it. I am also a doll maker and scrapbooker so I have supplies for them in there as well as a small crib and a couple of baskets for the dolls. AND I have to share this bedroom with my husband. His closet is in there and his shoes always seem to flow out into the floor. He always lays his keys, change, wallet and such on my ironing surface or cutting table and drapes his clothes on my baby crib. So I am always moving his things to his closet or dresser. SIGH~ But i do have my own sewing/craft room and have room for piles of big storage containers and shoe boxes of doll kits as well so I can't complain. My room is full with two large sewing tables and a small sewing cabinet with my hubbys grandmother's old Bernina machine in it. The TV sits there and whatever else I can get on it. LOL!!! So I know where most everything is. Although I am still looking for some Tula Pink fabric I put away. Oh and I also have tken up knitting and crocheting so I have yarns and project bags stored in there as well. Sound like a hit mess when I write this all out! LOL!!! Thank you for the inspiration to get my fabrics where I can see what I have anyway!

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  30. Oh, I also save those zipper bags that sheets, pillow shams and things come in. They are a thicker vinyl and I can see what is in them. I store some projects in them. When I tried using ziplock bags, they were so slippery that they wouldn't stack well. I didn't have space for a box or crate to stack them in.

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  31. Hi Alyssa, Mo from London here, boy did I have drifts on drifts, with all the exceptionally hot weather here my sewing room was like an oven, your videos kept me sane, it’s eased off now and I have managed to get everything sorted and finished my SS7 which I found the hardest yet, now doing some binding, thinking of redoing SS7 🧐🧐🧐

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  32. I was actually procrastinating tidying up my sewing room this morning, by catching up on email, so glad you wrote this post, its the shot in the arm I need to go re-organize and get projects going again! I use zip lock bags also, they are awesome!

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  33. Found myself back here at my favourite craft blog-post, prompted by a day of sulking. I love this idea. I just need to remind myself of it every n oiw and then!

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  34. So many great ideas for organizing! Now I have to find the motivation! I have tubs of yarn and one see through zip pencil bag from the dollar store that I store all my needles, scissors, tape measure, etc for crochet so I can have that with me always. All of my wips are in clear vinyl zipper bags so they are easy to see. I have my random craft supplies in a big bin and have to sort it out as well as create one craft/storage space for everything to go. I just picked up embroidery again after years of being away from it so now I have the Hedgie backpack that I ordered and made with Alyssa and I can keep ziplocks with embroidery supplies stored in that and hang it on the wall. So cute! I’m creating a craft storage area in my laundry room and have some ideas. Wish me luck!

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  35. Oops! Forgot to sign it. Hi! I’m Lynn!

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  36. As I read your blog I looked around and wondered if you'd been in my house and interviewed people about me. I couldn't believe other people were actually like me too. My problem is that buying fabric is like candy to me. It's too easy now to do with so many stores on my phone. I need to sit and sew it all before I go to the great beyond. I like your idea of creating a packaging system where all you need to do is grab a box or bag and your off and working. I did this many years ago. With your reminder here I believe it's a great idea. If I can get into my craft room and try to make up 3 bags every other day bet I going to be very busy person between all my items. If everyone can say a little sewing prayer for me I will get a good amount done. I like the idea of placing all your FQ together as someone said she did. Thanks for the energy boost. :)


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