SSF Post # 5 : WIP Storage by Michelle

Hi all, Another fabulous day with another lovely guest... But before that a little about something going on in my life...

You guys know that I signed up for DQS (Okay all those still ignorant ladies - DQS stands for Doll Quilt Swap... And is one of the most "elite" swaps on Flickr... I mean, they have a draw to choose who gets in and who doesn't!!!)I have been selected and have got to work too...

Here's what I have in mind...

The fabrics... Remember the lovely "Housework Whenever" Fabric that my wonderful Mug Rug Swap partner - Marilyn sent me??? Well, I'm using that for my quilt...

I was inspired by this one od Lily's quilts... It was the back of her set of Doll Quilts for DQS9...

The Kokeshi Dolls are having a conversation and that is the label for the quilt... I really liked the conversation that she featured here...


When I got my partner info, I stalked her a lot... And the fact that I "knew" her a little bit before helped too... So I got to work and started thinking of a lot of options...

So after a lot of calculations... Yeah, I ALWAYS forget to keep my calculator in its place and then have to spend a lot of time working out quilt maths by myself... You can see the pythagorus calculations there (Remember a^2 + b^2 = c^2 in a Right Angled Triangle???) All the XXX in the first snap and the "forget it" in the second one was for that... LOL...


In the end an idea inspired me when I remembered the fabric... So thats the "FINAL" on the second sheet...


So basically my Quilt will be made of 4 smaller ones... One rectangular in which there are 3 ladies (They will be me, my partner and of course Marilyn!) having tea... Though they are together they will be thinking about quilting (of course! drinking tea is such a waste of time when you can quilt!!!)


They are at my house, so my partner looks at the neat (!) house and thinks "A clean house is a sign of a broken machine!" The same time, Marilyn is so tired after shopping for fabric (the one I'm making the quilt with) that she is thinking of a long relaxing bath "Happiness is relaxing after the shop hop" And all the while I imagine my partner looking dreamily at my quilt after it is recently washed and thinking "Will the glamour never end?"


What do you think of the idea??? Do tell me, I'd love to hear...


Cheers...


And back to Sewing Spaces Focus... Today we have a lady in orange to tell us about how she stores her WIPs!!! Lets see how she can help us bring out those ziploc bags hidden everywhere in a more orderly fashion!


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Hi all!  I'm Michelle, and I blog over at i like orange, too!  Shruti asked if I'd share some ideas with you about my storage solutions, so of course I said YES!   How fun to be a part of these idea sharing posts!

For many years I crafted at the kitchen table.  Nothing ever had "it's place" and was normally pushed from the table, to the couch or a chair, and eventually into a plastic bag somewhere in a closet or a corner.   I recently made my own little nook for sewing and crafting in the hallway.  This didn't solve the problem of storage, it only gave me a new surface to pile it on.  I soon found myself trying to think of how my projects (works in progress) can stay organized and stored neatly so that I could (and would) get back to them without losing pieces and parts.  Keeping everything in a tight space can be tricky, but I think I've managed to keep it under control.

Here are some ideas I've come up with to keep my projects organized and handy when on the go.

HEXAGON PROJECT STORAGE:

This is an old bucket that was filled with tennis balls for the dog.

Currently, it's holding my fabrics for my hexagon quilt.  I've got it organized by fabrics that are cut already, fabrics that need to be cut are in the plastic bags, and basted pieces are in the disposable Ziploc container.

  

I use this little Ziploc lunch tote to hold my hexies that I am stitching.  It's perfect for the days I carpool, and fits in any purse or bag.

SMALL PROJECT STORAGE:

Again, I love using these containers!  They really do come in handy and are inexpensive.  And when you're not using them, it's back in the kitchen for another use.

This one is holding my Blogger's Pillow Party project.  It is only a 9.5 cup capacity; holding 1 yard of fabric, buttons, and 3 pieces of patchwork.  I also use them when doing mug-rugs, pincushions, embroidery...

OTHER PROJECTS:

This unit holds all of my quilts and projects that are in limbo.  I try to keep them in baggies on their own shelf so that nothing gets mixed up.  I can easily fit a quilt-top (completely sewn) on one of those shelves.

In here I have:

-2 quilts that are cut and waiting to be pieced

- a bag that is missing a piece and waiting for the new replacement fabric to arrive

- a make-up bag that I am trying to make a pattern for.



STORAGE ON THE BOARD:

This back-board is where I have started keeping bee-blocks and swap items.  The blocks you see here are stacked and pinned to the board so they stay nice and wrinkle free.

Having a small space can be tricky when it comes to storing your projects.  Using baggies and clear plastic containers may not be the prettiest storage, but it has helped keep my WIP's organized and simple to find. 



Thanks everyone for taking a peek into my WIP storage solutions.  I hope you are able to take a little bit back to your area for use!  You can find more of my storage space back at ilikeorange, too! or over on my flickr.

Happy crafting!

:-)

Michelle