Organizing Sewing Patterns

I have been slowly fine-tuning the way I organize my studio. One of the challenges have been how to best organize my sewing patterns, and I have recently started using a method that has really been working well for me. Over the years I have used several methods to keep my patterns organize; however, for one reason or another they did not work for my purposes so I decided to try something new.

I wanted to keep things simple, organized and intuitive. I also wanted to be able to see my patterns at a glance, and as such using manila envelopes (which I have tried before) was not an option. Finding a method to separate the patterns into categories was also on my list. I wanted to use something that will work well with daily handling and can be easily relabelled when needed.

I found these black plastic binders (Oxford - Black #57722) at the dollar store. They have just the right amount of structure, flexibility, are easy to clean, and the price was .50 cents per binder. I got four divider tabs from each binder. I made the labels with my labeller and placed them over a strip of lime green polka dot washi tape for a burst of colour. I will be relabeling them in the future for a more uniformed look, but for now they work.

I have a few clear resealable plastic bags that I am testing out to store the individual patterns. The idea is to place a pattern in one of these bags to protect the envelope and to easily see the pattern. The bags are the just a little bigger than the patterns, so they fit perfectly. They have been working quite well; even after the pattern has been cut everything fits nicely. I have also started a binder where I store a copy of the pattern in plastic sheet protectors so that I can catalogue what I have in my collection.

All of the commercial sewing patterns I currently have fit into two draws. There are approximately 200 patterns, some of which are for the sewing classes I teach. There are still lots of room for more patterns if needed. I have chosen to store these patterns separate from the ones I design and I am still thinking of a better way to organize those patterns (future post!).

I hope that sharing this has been helpful and will spark some ideas on how you can approach your pattern organization. I am guessing that I will make some changes in the future, but for now I am happy with the results. I think that is important to be flexible and to think of how you will incorporate new patterns as your collection grows. There are also lots of ideas available and with a little planning; the right organizing solution is always within reach.

DIY Trinket Box

Several weeks ago I posted a picture of the "Gulliver's Travels" trinket box I made for my eldest son. I originally posted it on Instagram and I have received several inquires about it, so I decided to share it as today's crafty project.

It was a simple and fun project to do and was made to store a few little odds and ends. I really love the way it turned out and I am considering doing something similar with some bigger boxes. I also think it provides great storage and is a fun craft project that can be done with kids.

Supplies
Paper mache box
Decorative paper
Mod Podge
Sponge brush
Jute twine
Hot glue sticks
Hot glue gun

Instructions
1. Cut the decorative paper to fit the top of your trinket box lid.

2. Use mod podge to glue the decorative paper in place on the top of the lid, remove any air bubbles and let dry.

3. Apply several coats of mod podge and let dry between coats.

4. Hot glue twine around the edge of the lid.

5. Hot glue twine on the outside of the box, leaving space at the top of the box for the lid to sit and cover the box securely.

Tip! The top of my trinket box was covered with craft tissue paper, which I printed with a page from "Gulliver's Travels." To print on tissue paper, you may have to bond it to card stock or other printer paper to make it easier to print on.

Crafty Idea: Nesting Box Storage

I have had these pearlized lime green nesting gift boxes for a long time. I originally purchased them at a packaging store for my fashion design business, but found that they were too heavy. I decided to keep them and now I finally have a purpose for them.

I used the Martha Stewart - Adhesive Metal Bookplate, which was easy to use and is a great way to convert these boxes into storage boxes. With the help of a sewing gauge I was able to centre each label easily. The boxes are perfect to store a few odds and ends in my craft studio.

Organizing Yarn

In the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of organizing and developing my ideas for the Home Decorating Challenge. At the beginning of last year I did the Home Organization Challenge and the focus was on decluttering. This year I continue to focus on getting things better organized for my business and my family and I have been improving on how I do things and finding better solutions for organizing and displaying items in my home.

I work from home, and I have several areas of the house that I work from. This helps to keep things organized and allows me to create a separate work space for the different type of activities that I do in my business. This year two of the areas that are at the top of my list are my sewing and craft studios. My sewing studio is on the main floor of the house, just off of the kitchen and my craft studio is in the basement.

One of the things I started with was to reorganize my yarn stash. I have started to collect more yarn than I may have bargained for and it was getting a bit out of hand. I recently purchased a ton of plastic storage boxes ("shoe box" bins) from Walmart and they were just the things I needed to corral the excess yarn. I love these containers and I have used them before in other parts of my home. I love that you can see the contents, the lids are great and they are stackable.  I love labeling, but I can easily see the contents in this case and did not feel it was necessary. I passed on labeling them because I felt they looked cleaner and less busy by leaving them plain. Next time I will share with you what my new yarn cabinet looks like.

How do you organize your yarn?

Tin Can Organizer

There are several different crafty organizing solutions that I am working on over the next few weeks. My goal is to find creative ways to organize some everyday items. As part of this organizing project, I decided to make something for the kid's room to hold their coloured pencils.

I used a tin can, some jute and hot glue to create a container that is fun and functional. It also works well with the decor. It is a simple little project that is a great way to reuse a tin can and it adds a wonderful decorative touch to the room. The container coordinates with the bulletin board and is a natural compliment to the jute-covered lampshade.

To do this project, I used the same method as shown in the DIY Lampshade Makeover project. I hope that you like my little project and that it gives you an idea on how you can reuse your tin cans.

Crafty Idea: Spray Painted Clay Pot

I like clay posts, but I cannot say that I am a huge fan of their colour. I have had this little clay pot in my craft studio for a while now and I have finally gotten around to painting it. I have painted clay pots before, and I generally use a brush. I have been doing several projects lately using spray paint, so I decided to try the spray painted method.

Weather permitting; I prefer to work outside when doing a paint project. I set-up my workspace and before getting started, I wiped the pot clean. I then placed the pot on a wooden block to lift it off of my work surface. I applied several light coats of paint and waited for the paint to dry between coats. I also painted the inside of the pot for a more finished look. I did not use a primer coat, but it is something worth doing especially for larger projects.

I now have a much better looking container to hold some items in my studio. The ivory is a great colour match and the pot looks more finished. I left the pot a solid colour; however, I think next time I will like to try lightly sanding the edges to create a shabby chic look.

I hope that my little project, gives you some ideas for your own projects. Let me know what you think!

Home Organization Challenge: Studio

I cannot believe that twelve weeks have passed since the start of the Home Organization Challenge. The final room is my sewing studio, and this past week I was so happy to organize a few things that really needed my attention. I teach sewing classes in my studio, so I vacuum on a daily basis and I am always mindful of putting things in place at the end of the day. However, there were a few things that I have been neglecting. I have also found myself rushing to clean up before my classes and by the end of the week things were a mess.

Over the past few months I have made a few small changes to the room that have made a big difference for keeping things organized. I found that I use my pegboard a lot and the beautiful pattern storage boxes I found earlier in the year have been great for storing the patterns I use for my classes. I also bought plastic bins for my student projects and I find they are great for keeping things separate and within easy reach. The big challenge was dealing with the overflow of fabric and my new fabric boards were really helpful. The boards are easy to make and have been great for folding the over abundance of fabric.

I have a few creative touches that I will like to add to the studio, so I also used this past week to think through some of my ideas. I have a few unfinished projects such as finishing painting the wardrobe and making new draperies. I hope to get my projects done in the next few weeks.

It has been a great time for me, and I hope that it has been helpful to you as well. I will be doing a final round up of the challenge next week, so visit again. Thank you for joining.

Happy Organizing!

Home Organization Challenge: Dining Room

The Easter holiday was fun but hectic, and as you can tell I am a bit behind this week with my post. I am however, very excited that the end of the 12 weeks Home Organization Challenge is in sight and there is just one week left to go. It is amazing to see the changes around my home and I hope that if you are following along, that the challenge has been working well for you as well.

With just one more week left in the challenge, I am looking forward to getting the last bits done and having an organized home that my family and I can really enjoy. Last week the challenge was to organize the dining room. As I mentioned before, my dining room is part of my kitchen. The dining area is small, so there is generally not a whole lot of organizing for me to do except to keep the table free of clutter.

However, the biggest challenge in the space was sorting through all the items from the various rooms that had been gathered in the past weeks. Placing everything in its new home and trashing other items. I also had to find a new place for the hardwood flooring that is meant for the living room, but has been housed in the dining room for way too long.

The idea was to clean things up and remove all clutter. I will be doing a make-over of the space some time in the next few months, so I wanted to create a clean canvas for adding some much needed style and personality. I am happy that my family and I have a place to eat dinner together again and I look forward to further transforming the space.

This week the focus is on my sewing studio. I teach sewing classes from home and the space has to be kept clean and organized. I generally do a good job of keeping this room organized, but I will really like to work on my fabric and notions here. I also have some decorative touches that I will like to add to the room, and getting a bit more organized will make a big difference.

Week 12 - Studio

To-Do-List:

• Sort and purge items into four categories; keep, donate, trash and other room
• Empty cabinets and wipe shelves
• Clean window and door
• Wash drapery
• Clean floor
• Clean light fixtures
• Clean sewing machine(s)
• Organize notions, fabric and other supplies
• Organize patterns
• Create a donate box with fabric and other unwanted supplies

Happy organizing!

Home Organization Challenge: The Basement Part 2

The basement can seem like a dark dungeon, but they do not have to be so bad. My basement was used as a gym, storage and my father-in-law's carpentry workshop. Not much was done to the space with the exception of one room, that my husband used to practice music in as a teenager.

In the past four years, my husband and I have chipped away at small projects in the basement, mostly focused around creating a sound production and music-recording studio. We have sound proofed a couple of the walls, did some dry walling, closed off the staircase on one side and created an isolation booth. We have done a few other projects, and have rearranged things a countless number of times.

The basement has two small west facing windows, which means we do not get much natural light. We are lucky that it is nice and dry and has great air circulation. We have future plans to remodel the basement and transform it from semi-finished to finish. However, until the remodelling becomes a reality, I am trying to work with what is there and to get the most out of the space.

I continued where I had left off in Basement Part 1 and spent most of the week organizing the rest of the space. I am very happy with the results, but there is still more that can be done to improve things. I am happy to have things a lot less cluttered and I look forward to making it homier. As I have mentioned before the basement is currently home to a craft studio, family area, recording studio, gym, and utility room. Yes! A lot has been packed into the space and making it work the way my family and I will like it to has meant getting everyone involved in the process. I am happy to have it organized so that my family and I can fully enjoy the space.

This week we are into week eleven of our twelve weeks Home Organization Challenge. The focus this week is on the dining room. My dining area is fairly small and is part of my kitchen (eat-in kitchen). I left this space towards the end of the challenge, because it has been one of the main areas that I have been using to sort items and deal with the spillover items. My family and I are looking forward to reclaiming the space and having a proper sit down meal again. Just in time for Easter!

Week 11 - Dining Room

To Do List:

• Clear out the space and sort items into four categories; keep, donate, trash and other room
• Wipe walls and baseboards
• Clean table, chairs and other furnishings
• Clean or wash blinds or draperies
• Clean doors, door knobs and windows
• Clean floors
• Clean light fixtures

Happy Organizing!

UPDATE:
This post will be updated with images during the week.

Home Organization Challenge: Closets

Over the past nine weeks I have been creating a pinterest board with organization and storage solutions. I have also created a board with cleaning tips and tricks. So when it came time to organize the closets the wonderful resources I collected came in very handy.

Linen Closet
My linen closet had been neglected for way too long. There was a time when it was organized, but lately it has been begging for help. Initially I think the problem was trying to fit too much into a very tiny space. Some items just had to go and weeding through which pieces of linen I wanted to keep took a bit of time. Several weeks ago I started separating the linen into three categories, master bedroom, kids' room and guest.

I like reserving a few pieces for guest and I have a trunk with extra blankets to accommodate sleepovers and to make comfy floor beds. I also created a small collection of hand-me-down sheets that have some sentimental value. Another consideration was how to store the handmade quilts and knitted and crocheted throws that my husband and I have received over the years from my grandmother and his great aunt. For these wonderful treasures, I found that the large bags that came with our comforters and duvet sets were very handy.

I do not have any space in my kitchen or dining area for kitchen linen and I needed to find a solution, so I repurposed a pair of wooden boxes that originally stored items in the basement. They fit perfectly on the lower shelf of the closet and I was able to store several table clothes in one and linen runners and napkins in the other.

Things I have found helpful:

• Reducing the amount of linen for each room has been a great way to simplify things and reduce the clutter
• Keep the plastic bags that come with sheets, comforters and duvet sets, they are great for keeping things separate
• Reuse containers in your home to help organize and keep things separate
• Group similar items to make it easy to stack and organize
• Fold linen fresh out of the dryer for less wrinkles

Bathrooms
When it came to the bathroom closet, I took the same approach of purging. I will like to get some new towels, so I decided to keep only the best of what I have and to get rid of the others. Some of the towels survived and have a new home in the laundry room where they will be used to clean-up spills, while some will be repurposed into household cleaning cloths.

To organize items in the bathroom, I use a combination of sea grass baskets, glass jars and plastic bins. My family and I do not use a lot of products, so it really makes things super easy. We do not get sick very often, so there was not much in our medicine cabinet to sort or purge. However, I do need to put together a new first aid kit and was very surprised at how limited we were in first aid items.

Things I have found helpful:

• Create a place for each family member to store personal items
• Make toiletries visible and easy to access
• Create a place to store a cleaning caddy for the bathroom
• Purge expired items on a monthly basis

Master Bedroom
With limited closet space in my bedroom, having a separate dresser and armoire makes the world of difference. I like keeping things organized and easy to find. To help keep things organize I use plastic containers for some of my shoes. I got my containers at the local dollar store several years ago and they have held up very well. I also like to store my evening dresses in garment bags or clothes covers. You can get affordable clothes covers at IKEA that are available in sets of three.

I had way too much clothes and not enough place to put it all. I really had to evaluate what items I liked, what fits well and what I have not worn in a long time. Going through this process was very helpful in sorting through things and creating a collection of items that I will actually use.

A small dresser placed inside the closet, creates extra storage for underwear, sleepwear and socks.

Things I have found helpful:

• Purge my closet at the end of each season
• Do not hold on to ill fitting clothes
• Quality wooden hangers with rounded ends, help to maintain the shape of my garments
• Make sure that air circulates well in the closet
• I prefer to store my dirty clothes in the laundry room or bathroom and not in the closet
• Keep the top of my dresser clutter free
• Use containers or dividers to organize dresser draws for storing small items

Kids Room
As I mentioned in the post I did on the kids' room, I removed the closet doors last summer and I placed an IKEA PAX wardrobe in the space instead. I found that this has been a much better use of the space and it is easier for my eldest son to reach things, get himself dressed and to help organize his clothing. This past week I added a smaller PAX unit that now fills the space. This additional unit will serve as a guest closet or additional storage space for the room. I did not add knobs to the wardrobe, but they are easy to open and it makes it a bit of a challenge for my youngest son to open (which means no rearranging).

Things I have found helpful:

• Wooden pull out draw and wire basket was worth the additional $40.00 and $30.00 respectively. They have been great for organizing folded clothes and keeping socks and underwear organized.
• Storing the linen for the room in the wardrobe has been a great help. I reduced the amount of linen and kept only three sets for each bed in the room.
• Quality wooden hangers for larger pieces and small plastic hangers for the little clothes
• Small wire basket  keeps things organized and visible

Do you have closet organizing tips that you will like to share?

This week the focus is on reclaiming the rest of the Basement. In week four we did the Basement (Part 1) and got the process started. I did an initial sort and purge and was able to identify storage requirements. My husband and I purchased tons of storage containers and I started placing things in bins, however there is still a lot more to do. This week is perhaps the biggest challenge for me, because the idea is to not just clean and organize, but to transform the space into a usable space that the whole family can use.

Week 10 - Basement (Part II)

To Do List:

• Sort and purge items into four categories; keep, donate, trash and other room
• Identify areas for specific task
• Identify needed storage requirements
• Dispose of trash and take away donations
• Start organizing the space by section or based on the specific task you have identified
• Clean and wipe as you work through each section

I will like the basement to be an extension of our living space rather than just a storage area. The space is home to several activities, but I will also like it to be comfortable and easy to access items. Let us see how things go.

Do you have any tips for organizing basements?

Home Organization Challenge: Laundry Room

Last year my husband and I made some much needed changes to our laundry room. Since then it has stayed pretty neat and tidy. As a result, most of this past week was about maintenance and refining the way things were organized in the cabinets. I also had to reduce my collection of vases and votives, and limited myself to only what could fit in the designated cabinet. Believe me this was a challenge, but I hope that they will all find a new home via the Value Village where I donated them.

The real treasure for me is my mini collection of milk vases. I am happy that I have a place to safely store them. I have been able to fit them all in this cabinet, with the exception of a few pieces that are on display in the house. I have collected them over the years and was also very happy to receive several from my husband's grandmother.

The laundry room originally had a long open shelf above the washer and dryer and a shorter shelf on the opposite wall. Having overhead cabinets and an under the sink cabinet has been such a wonderful change. Everything can be neatly stored behind closed doors and are out of reach from our youngest (very inquisitive) son. The change has also meant that we now have additional storage space for other household items.

I am now on the hunt for two perhaps even three, matching laundry hampers. I will like to find ones that are not plastic. They must also fit in the laundry room and facilitate the opening of the doors and access to the deck.

Here are a few tips that really help me out a lot.

Tips!

1. Review the expiry date on cleaning products and discard safely
2. Save old towels and use to clean-up spills or make cleaning cloths
3. Store candles and garbage bags in a basket for easy access
4. Keep the space clean and clutter free, which will improve workflow
5. Get family members involved in laundry duties by making it easy to sort items
6. Create a laundry basket for each family member
7. Folding items fresh out of the dryer can reduce the need for some ironing
8. Remember to clean your baskets and hampers on a regular basis
9. Schedule a regular cleaning of your washer and dryer 
10. Make the laundry room a bright and cheerful space that will make doing laundry less drab

I am excited about this coming week. Most of the house is organized and I will like to focus more closely on the closets and other storage areas. I know that most of what is left is items in the "keep" category and I am looking forward to giving everything a home.

Week 9 - Closets

To Do List:

• Empty contents
• Select items that are to be kept
• Discard or donate other items
• Categorize based on rooms
• If possible create a space to store linen in designated rooms and reserve main closet for overflow or bulky items
• Place items in baskets where possible

This week the idea is to refine the way each closet is organized so that it is easy to find items. The goal is to create a home for everything, and organize items so that it is intuitive to the other members of the house.

Do you have any laundry room or closet organization tips that you will like to share?

Home Organization Challenge: Home Office

I started last week's challenge by collecting all the items in the home office that did not belong and I added a few knick-knack items into a donation box. The office has a four-draw legal size file cabinet, which I have had for more than ten years. The file cabinet stores tons of files, but really needed some reorganizing.

I emptied the contents of the filing cabinet and cleaned the drawers. I then designated a drawer for our household files, businesses and office supplies. I manage two home-based businesses, and originally I had a drawer for each business, but I have decided to condense them into one draw (I will see how well it works). I also removed my eldest son's school materials and filed it in the file cabinet that is in his room.

Using different colour file folders I created files and sorted the contents by date. Each folder is labeled and placed in the file cabinet in alphabetical order. Admittedly, a lot more filing needs to happen, but I got a great start on the process, collected needed tax documents and updated all the current bill folders. I am also working on a few Excel spreadsheets and workbooks for Crafted Spaces and Verona Collections.

The office supplies drawer is a much needed change. I was using a wicker basket before, but it did not do the job as well. Now everything is within easy reach and the IKEA transparent plastic box, helps to keep things separate.

My husband and I like to keep the surface of the table as uncluttered as possible. Mind you there is the occasion when it gets covered in paperwork and file folders and you are unable to see the table. We both share the office, but we also have a computer in our individual studios. The computer in the office is dedicated to specific task, and all the computers in the house are connected through a network.

I added a few personal touches to the space, but kept the clutter to a minimum. The room was originally designed to be a mudroom and when my husband and I moved into the house we converted it into a home office. The space therefore has a few limitations, but it is a wonderful little office with lots of natural light. I hope that you have found this post useful and have gotten some insight on how you can organize your workspace.

How do you manage your office files and clutter? Leave your comments below!

As we continue our Home Organization Challenge we move into the eight week. This week the focus is on creating a laundry room that works for everyone in the home.

Week 8 - Laundry Room

To Do List:

• Clean behind washer and dryer
• Clean dryer
• Clean washer
• Organize cleaning tools
• Organize storage cabinets
• Organize laundry
• Clean light fixtures
• Wipe walls, doors, cabinets
• Clean sink
• Clean floor
• Discard empty containers

Home Organization Challenge: Kids Bedroom

Creating a fun but functional space for children can be a challenge in so many ways. The main objective for me was to make the room easy to clean up, but have it reflect the personalities of my two boys. As with most kids rooms it serves multiple functions, and I wanted to make the best use of the space available.

Having my eldest son involved in the process was crucial. I feel that by doing so it gives him a sense of responsibility and teaches him valuable organization skills. He loves to draw, enjoys reading and he will probably tell you that he cannot live without his computer. He can be a bit dramatic and was initially clinging to his old desk, which I have replaced with an older wooden desk that offers a larger work surface and drawers for storage.

The "new" desk also works a lot better with the other furniture and is the same height as his old keyboard shelf. I purchased the desk about ten years ago at a vintage store, so it looks a bit shabby, but I personally like the worn look and the departure away from so much red. Over the past few days my son has grown fonder of his new desk, but I have promised to hold on to his old desk a bit longer just in case he really decides he cannot live without it . . . the DRAMA. The lamp seen on the desk got a lampshade makeover in November and I have a few other pieces that I am working on for the room, which I will feature in a later post.

Before

I have to say that I absolutely hate plastic blinds. The windows currently have blinds that came with the house and I have plans to remove them in the spring. I was hoping they would grow on me, but they have not. To clean these major dust collectors, I use the brush attachment on my vacuum. I have found that this helps a lot with the dust and can be followed by a cloth.

This past week I replaced the curtains with some lighter coloured cotton curtain panels that I found at IKEA. The previous curtains were too dark for the room, which is already a dark blue colour. The room is clean and well organized, but there is still more to be done. I have several changes I will like to make and I look forward to the room looking a lot brighter when I am finished.

Before

Organizing my son's video games and tons of trading card games was the most time consuming part of getting the room in order. He also has bins of Lego and way too many Beyblades. I took the Lego to the basement, where the little pieces will be out of reach for my youngest son and I stored the countless Beyblade parts and stadiums on a shelf in the wardrobe. I also placed the game systems in plastic bins and labeled them.

The bedroom closet doors were removed at the beginning of last summer and replaced with an IKEA PAX wardrobe that I had in my sewing studio. The wardrobe makes it easier for my son to help organize and access his clothes. I added a pullout drawer, a wire basket, and an easy to reach clothing rod; which has been a valuable change and saves us time in the morning when getting him ready for school. The wardrobe also holds the linen for the room, which helps to keep things organized.

My son has several posters that he will like to display and I am thinking of a practical solution for putting them up without tacks and sticky tapes. A bunk bed is also a future consideration.

Tips!

1. Design a space with kid's needs in mind
2. Define zones
3. De-clutter the space about four times a year
4. Designate a home for everything
5. Create floor space where possible
6. Consider putting the dresser in the closet to create more floor space
7. Get kids involved in the process
8. Rotate toys
9. Organize school materials as they come in
10. Make organizing a fun routine

Week 7 - Home Office

To Do List:

• Sort and purge items into four categories; shred, file, trash and other room
• Shred unwanted documents
• Organize paperwork and label files
• Organize shelves
• Clean light fixtures
• Dust shelves
• Wipe desk
• Clean windows
• Sweep, vacuum or mop floor

The main objective this week is to create a functional workspace that is free of clutter.

Thanks for following this Home Organization Challenge, we have six more weeks to go and I hope that you will share your organization tips here and on the Facebook page. You can also invited to join us on Pinterest.