Friday, November 27, 2009

Organize embellishments on your design wall

Usually a design wall is for putting together a quilt top. I just finished stitching a few myself, The 4 Tops. However, I’m getting ready to work on the LIQ project, a series of small wall hangings. Since I won’t be needing the entire design wall for awhile, a section of it is going to become a storage station for threads, buttons, lace, trims, and whatever else needs to be handy yet out of the way. The stuff is hung on various sizes of pins, depending on how thick each item is.

Perhaps you have the same affliction that I do... out of sight, out of mind. If these goodies are ever going to be utilized, I have to be able to see them! Just having them arranged like this makes me want to get going on the next wall hanging. When I first did some hand embroidery as a kid, the threads ended up as a tangled mess in a box. Hmmm... it’s probably still around here somewhere...
A post that includes how the design wall was made is here. Another way to use this concept is to get a piece of 1/2 inch foam core. Michael’s and Sam Flax are two stores that carry it. You could use it as a small portable storage wall, though knocking it over would be a potential hazard.
Believe it or not, all the doodads shown above were jammed into this cutlery organizer (from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.) It was impossible to find anything as you can imagine. This is what’s left in there for the moment, though it’s sure to be filled up again soon.
I’d be interested in hearing about other interesting storage or organizing tips, heaven knows there are still stashes of stuff piled up that need a better home.

4 comments:

Diane J. Evans said...

I love the idea of having everything on the wall -- you're right: if you can't see it, you probably won't use it. Great tips, Loreen!

Diane

Beena said...

I would love to make something small for the wall like this to hang my all my different scissors, so they are handy all the time.

I don't have a lot of wall space, so I'm big on drawers. I have a lot of supplies in a file cabinet. Those are the items I don't need very often and can remain out of sight. Then, I have a storage tower with lots of clear plastic drawers that even has wheels on it so I can just put it somewhere else with ease. That has worked out very well for the supplies I use most often that used to end up all over the place. I also have a special art bin box for the threads I use most often. I love it that many of my storage containers are clear, so I can see what's in there at a glance!

imquilternity said...

I LOVE what you've done. I'm all for organization but don't always know just exactly how to get it done. Your idea is terrific!

Susan said...

Fantastic idea. I cleaned out my studio today and found all sorts of goodies I had forgotten about.