Organizing Thread
Last week, we had a great discussion about thread–thank you to all who participated! I am compiling a list of the recommended threads, websites and other useful information for tomorrow’s Thready Thursday...
If you have a spool that doesn’t fit on your machine–Beth at The Buzy Quilter has a very easy solution. Read about it HERE. Beth, thank you for sharing!
Also, Erika at Miss Sews-it-All shared her blog post on proper thread storage. She offers some great advice about protecting threads from light, dust, temperature, and humidity. Read her post, When Good Thread Goes Bad HERE. Erika, thank you for your advice on rayon vs. polyester thread as well!
All of this talk of thread inspired me to do an inventory of my collection.
Until now, I have stored my thread by color in plastic or cigar boxes. (I collect cigar boxes–read more HERE.)
However, I’ve decided to re-organize all of my thread into plastic boxes–so I can see what I have–and by thread type or fiber, instead of by color…
Sorting by thread type–and thus function–piecing, applique, hand work, quilting…makes more sense to me right now…
I also tossed a few spools of very old thread. I have a few spools that the dogs chewed–do spools of thread look like moles to my dogs? I put those spools in the hand-sewing box.
I’d love to hear how you store and organize your threads? Any favorite boxes—I’m having trouble finding a box to hold the Isacord threads–any ideas out there?
When is the last time you took a thread inventory and tossed a few spools ( or shared them with your dogs )? If you cull a few old spools–you’ll have room for a few new spools from tomorrow’s recommended list….
I store them in clear plastic boxes with covers that stack sorted by color. 🙂
I just got a similar plastic box like the one in your picture. My larger serger cones don’t fit in the however, so I need a bigger plastic tote for those.
And I did toss out really old cheap thread I had after I realized how long ago the 90’s were…
Lori, isacord thread, the site I gave you last week has containers their thread fits in. Usually I have one sent with each order. As for the thread I have, oh I am so bad, have an open container that I sit underneath in the sewing table opening. Yes, will have to work on that!
Perfect! I will definitely order a box too! Thanks for the tip!
Thanks so much for sharing a link to my blog article on thread storage! I’m enjoying your posts on thread. I’m a bit of an organizing junkie – I love to see how others are organizing their stash!
I go through fits and starts in my organizational efforts. When my sewing “studio” gets too cluttered, I don’t feel creative. Then I take a few days to give it a thorough cleaning/purging/organizing before I go off on my messy way again.
Connecting Threads has a double-sided organizer that perfectly fits the larger Aurifil spools: http://www.connectingthreads.com/Tools/Double-Sided_Thread_Organizer__D82068.HTML
(That also made me remember that my friend’s aunt, who is a long-term quilter, swears by Connecting Threads cotton thread. I have purchased a spool on her recommendation, but haven’t had a chance to try it myself.)
Thanks for sharing that source. I don’t like how the Aurifil fits in the box I have…It will be hard to decide–more thread or another box?
I got a tower that holds wire baskets at Lowes to store “stuff” in. The baskets are adjustable and come in different heights. I store my small Isacord in a basket that is about 3 inches deep. The 5000 Isacord I store in the large 3 drawer units from Walmart. I have one plastic box made especially for Isacord thread I keep 1 of each color family, 30 spools in to take with me when I go to the church for our sewing ministry that meets once a week.
I have Maderia rayon in a cabinet with 3 drawers made for Maderia. They are small spools that I use mainly for machine embroidery. I have about 100 spools of Coats and Clark on a spinning display I got from my local craft store when it went out of business.
I have 2 small Janomes my granddaughters use when they come to visit and I use Coats and Clark with them.
I will have to go exploring at the hardware and the office supply stores–so many fun ways to store our supplies!
How luck you are to have two granddaughters that sew!
I store my quilting and embroidery thread together in glass jars sorted by color. They are eye candy 🙂 My fav thread is Superior. I have thought about Connecting Threads, but I have tried their fabric and as the old saying goes… you get what you pay for… So I haven’t tried the thread.
I keep silk thread together in two glass jars (since they don’t fit in one anymore). And thread for piecing and clothing construction are kept in a plastic three drawer that I got at an office supply store. The drawers would fit 8.5 x 11 paper stacks. All are kept out of direct sunlight.
You sound so organized! Which thread from Superior to you like the best? Do you use silk thread for hand quilting/ appliqué? I like the idea of the office supply drawers—I’ll have to look into that! Thanks for sharing!
I have not tried their fabric but do have tons of their thread and can hardly wait until it is all gone, makes too much fuzz in my machine.
I get questions on my Thread wall all the time. My very creative and handy guy Jeff came up with the wall for a birthday gift one year- I had a huge collection of serger cones that need a place to live- he took metal strips that are bent at 90 degree angles and screwed them to the wall, they are just wide enough to fit a serger cone- see my blog header for a picture- sewwrongsewright.blogspot.com He found the metal strips at the hardware store in the drywall area- they are used for reinforcing corners of walls after drywall and before paint. Cheap and easy and you can customize the height to fit any cone size!
I love your fabulous thread storage! Pretty and functional! I plan to do a post on storing threads–do you mind if I re-blog?