Organizational Balance

When I read the "Thread Organizing Tips and Tricks" description for our latest Aurifil Artisan challenge truth be told I cringed a little.  Let's just say that my skill in the area of neat and tidy sewing notions is not a strength.  The more I thought about it the more I wanted share a few ideas from that perspective as I'm sure I'm not alone. 

First off, Aurifil in all of its many colors and weights is a source of inspiration - Eye Candy to be enjoyed.  Although I tend to create in chaos, surrounding myself with pretty things like a vintage jar of thread, buttons and ribbons has value too.  

There is also a practical side to consider and keeping those beautiful spools safe and accessible is priority.  Because I don't want the to have the thread surface bumped around, I keep the new spools that are still wrapped securely stored this way. 

I'm a huge fan of the cone which given the size, can be a bit harder to find space for.  Lucky for me, I repurposed a CD cabinet to stack my fat quarter bundles in and realized that the shelves work nicely for cones as well.  

If you have a furry sewing sidekick use an upper shelf and put closed containers in the lower ones to make it less likely for them to help himself to your toys.  Just like fabric in my sewing room, I'm careful to limit direct sun exposure on my thread and try to avoid the damage that may be caused over time. 

When I take the open spools out and about to retreat or a workshop, I like to use something with structure to keep them from jostling in transit like this hand crafted zipper case. I’ve also received so many beautiful swaps over the years and any excuse to use and admire them is welcome. 

While working on a particular project it's smart to designate a specific container to keep the thread selection in until finished. 

Of course the very best solution for at home or away is the Thread Storage Case by Aurifil available on their website.  I've found that I can stack two small spools together and have the lid snap closed especially if they are partially used.  While I don't necessarily sort by weight or color all the time, I'm sure that is something that many makers would find useful and the color coded spools make that easy. 

For my final words of wisdom I have a tip that is organizational in  a less physical way. Photograph the spool ends with your quilt in the background and store the picture in a digital folder.  On a iPhone it’s easy to search the word “thread” if you forget this step. 

This is really useful if you need to temporarily borrow a color for another project or as reference later when auditioning what the thread looks like once stitched. 

Be sure to check out the helpful tips and tricks from the other Aurifil Artisans.