One of my new year’s small goals is to organize my sewing room better, so it’s more productive for me and my business. I do have some kind of organization now but it is all in huge tote which means I have to pull it all out to reach what I want. Many are stacked 3 or 4 high now, so it can be a real pain to get one for the bottom. Years back I had all my fabric on a bookcase so I could see it and reach it easier (plus I didn’t have as much then either) but my fabric was starting to get sun damage so I but it all in totes. Plus I moved last year and it is all still in those totes because I haven’t figured out a better way to organize it all. To improve productivity I want to address storage and accessibility, this probably will take all year though (just because of the cost storage and the large amount I need). With that said I am going to start with a list of what I want to do then go from there, step by step.

1. I want to store my fabric by color in smaller totes
2. Store all my tools for easier use and access
3. Storing all my notions better like elastic and snaps
4. Pattern storage
5. Inspiration board
6. Thread storage
7. Pricing System
8. Scrap storage
9. Project storage system
10. Make my computer area more productive

This is basically what I need for now, mostly storage needs for easy access. I want to be able to start a project and work on it though without needing to stop and dig it out and make a huge mess. I have been saving pins on Pinterest for a couple months now for inspiration. I love many of cute little storage ideas, but first and for most I want to address my storage issues. But I will definitely be using many of these once I get passed number 4 of my list.

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Here is my Craft room ideas board

I have also been looking on Amazon for different storage options, I love ArtBin but I don’t have a lot of small stuff to storage right now. I really need stack-able storage about a third of the size of totes (18+ gallons) I have now so I can store my fabric by color. Right now I have so much fabric that instead of looking through it, I am just buying more (it has become a bad cycle). I do have a whole room, what I think its is suppose to be the living room but it has no built in shelves or anything. Plus I am not allowed to add any according to my lease, so storage needs to be movable. This is mostly why stack-able storage to line up along the wall, which is the only real wall I have, will be the best. The room is pretty big but it has 2 huge windows and 2 huge entry ways and a fire place, so wall place is very limited. I also a huge armoire with all my clothes I have for sale in it and 2 desks. This is a lot of one room, it looks very messy even with everything put away. So besides the storage I really want to clean it up and make it look better so I will want to work in there. I need a happy place to motivate me more to be more productive.

Update 1-7-17

Today I went to Home depot to get some storage containers because they were marked down. I got this Latching 32 Qt storage boxes so I can stack them up and still see what color is in each one. I bought 13 of them, I hope that is enough for all the colors I need and plus one for those that have on main color. I will update you after I get it all done this weekend, while I have no doll orders to fill.

Update 1-10-17

So I needed 3 more of those storage boxes because I forgot the color gray and I wanted to store my upcycled pieces of fabric and the bow squares I have cut out. To I am go to make labels for all of them so I know exactly what it in their easier. The boxes are clear but I think clear labels with big writing and colored squares on it would be best. So far I emptied 2 huge totes of fabric already and need to empty 2 more but they are on buried out other stuff right. Step by step I will get it done. So far I have spent about a $100 on all those storage boxes.

Update 1-14-17

Here’s what I got so far, all labeled and some sorted. I still have to find my tote full of my solid color fabrics and all the pieces I have tossed around. I am also going to tackle my scrap piles, which is now up to a tall laundry basket over flowing and a trash big full. That will probably take me a week is it self. But I am looking for to getting it all sorted so I am create more this year and save money by not buying more fabric. When I need to figure out what to do with all my fleece because I have just as much fleece as fabric. How do you store your fleece??

Update 3-06-18

I had to get more Storage Boxes to organize more of my fabric because my fabric stash is getting to big.