Storage solutions?

[Nardhelain]

I have a confession to make. I am a terribly disorganized tatter. My threads are stuffed in random bags and bins. My shuttles are everywhere from my desk drawers to my jewelry box. My beading supplies are in boxes that I can never locate when I want them. My tatting books are in a number of migrating stacks, at least one of which is lost at any given moment. I've repurchased at least one pattern book only to have the original turn up months later. Help!

Tatters, what are your favorite storage solutions for your tatting supplies, books, works in progress, and even finished pieces? Do you like to keep things portable, or do you have a closet/cupboard with smaller containers stacked inside? I know Gerstner (http://www.gerstnerusa.com/) makes some absolutely gorgeous wooden toolchests that can easily be turned into "lace dressers," but they are frightfully expensive.

I'm curious; what has worked for you, and what would all of you recommend for a tatter who desperately needs to get organized?

[DJtatt]

Well, my small but growing stash of tatting thread is currently in three wicker baskets that fit on one shelf of a bookcase. My shuttles, and other supplies, plus most of my UFO's are in separate sandwich size ziploc bags, and together in a small plastic bin with a lid and handle (so it can be transported). 7 of my 13 doilies are distributed throughout the house; the rest are stored on a shelf in the same bookshelf. My booklets are all in a binder, and my patterns are all in a second binder on, you guessed it, another shelf of the same bookshelf. I found some special binders that have a clasp mechanism on the spine side, instead of having to punch holes in the books/booklets. Very useful.
DJ

[Sherongb]

Guess what - you are human. Reminds me of the time I kept on not being able to find what I was working on, so I would start a new project. One day I decided my purse was heavy enough and it was time to empty it out and clean it up. Found 2 tins with mints in them, one large and one small. Other 4 tins had tatting projects in them. 2 other containers also had tatting projects. Ah well, they did all get finished up. And I learned to check my purse more often.

As to storing threads: I got in an organizing mood shortly after Christmas one year. Easiest thing to find at that time was a christmas ornament storage box. 3 plastic bins that snapped one on top of the other, so a different size thread in each one. Lid snaps on top. Does that stop me from having thread everywhere else? No. But it's a starting place to look for what I have.

[jamlover]

I found what I love for tatting storage!! 8 3 inch deep drawers, each a little over 12 inches square, and 2 6 inch deep at the bottom. We hung the new tv on the wall above it. A Hobby Lobby piece. And it's full with no books in it!! Darn, darn, double darn. Guess I better tat for a while and not purchase another thing!!

I plan to reward myself with it's 'matching mate' about half as tall____for my books____ when I finish my tatted cloth this year.

Notice the black bag setting on the floor next to my black piece. That is all the room needed for my woodworking hobby!! Hummmmmm

[carolivy]

For pictures of my storage solutions check out this album of mine: http://www.intatters.com/album.php?albumid=703 I have several totes for thread. Each tote has a different size thread in it. I have a tool box that I use for my beads which are stored in empty Tic-Tac containers.

[Elfiona]

Wow, Carolivy, that is a lot of thread. And I thought I had quite a bit.

Right now I have a wicket basket with a hinged lid that I put my thread for projects in progress, which I keep by my rocking chair (love to rock and tat, the rhythms go together so well). I have several bins (all smaller than Carolivy's) that I store thread that I'm not currently using. I only started tatting in January of this year, so I have a small number of shuttles (10 that I use and about 5 more that I don't use). I have the ones I use in the wicker basket. I don't have too many tatting books yet, and the ones I have are small (that will change I'm sure). Right now, those are stored in a magazine holder.

[crazytatter]

I just graduated from a little bag to a medium size bag for all my tatting supplies. I put my beads/jewelry making related in a gallon ziplock bag and in the same medium size bag. my threads that are sorted I have them stored in a goggle box that snaps shut, the ones not sorted are all lumped into another gallon ziplock bag. I only have 5 books I purchased so I can stick them in my medium size bag too. The other books are the downloadable type that I leave in my computer. I try not to buy too much material unless I really need to.

[PattyD]

Well, I have been blessed with a lace room in this new home. The books are in the bookcase(s) plural!. One bookcase is decorated with a print of crochet doilies! How cute is that. My husband saw it at Ikea from across the floor (helps being six foot tall). The other bookcase is a converted tv/stereo center.
Another tall, narrow bookcase has more books for other interests and containers for miscellaneous (MissElaine Yuss sure gets around!)

Bobbin lace threads (often pilfered for tatting itty bitties)are in plastic drawers 4 feet high (a double stack). Silk, cotton, linen, synthetic, and wire.
The old drawers which were smaller are being converted to holding tools for various endeavors in some kind of useful arrangement. Magnifiers, cutting tools, a nostepinne for knitting, Renaissance wax for taking care of bobbins, threaders and all kinds of doodads.

A lot of tatting threads are in a great basket that has a tight fitting lid to keep all my kitties out of it. The size 80 fills a photo box with each color group in separate baggies. But I still have 7 storage boxes full of crochet thread mostly and some yarn. It's the supplies items that driving me crazy. I have mat cutting system and the mat boards to use it on. Equipment for teaching kids bobbin lace (we make snakes and they are gorgeous!). My lace pillows occupy 4 shelves where the tv was supposed to go. My sewing box from when I was in high school sits on a shelf.

I have clavichord (think harpsichord, but much, much quieter) that is now in the living room which used to sit on top of the converted tv shelving unit. Now I have 4 tubs up there that are empty. So my options are opening up. No pictures until it's a little more presentable! My sewing machine on a table (no more lugging it out of hiding!).

Just talking about it is getting me all excited to finish! Yahoo!

[Lynn]

I have bits and pieces tucked into five different drawers. But these are bits I can't fit into my tool box because right now I have several balls of very large thread in there. I have plans for that thread, and once it's finished, most of everything else will be transferred. Or, I've been thinking of getting a larger tool box. (sigh) The top shelf holds all my shuttles, except for the ones in use, which are in my little silk bag that does duty as my tatting tote. Fits into my purse very nicely. My books are all on a book shelf. Now that two of my sons are living in the States, I've converted one room into my "office" and I'm using the desk and shelves in there. Trouble is, my third son feels like he should have access to extra storage for all his junk, so we sort of share the space. Which means things get misplaced. I try to stay organized, but things still go missing from time to time. I also find missing stuff in the strangest places. Don't despair, Nardhelain. You're in a pretty normal place.

[susiearnholt]

I have two tatting locations. I keep most of my thread in a big, flat, "under bed," plastic box on the top shelf of a big craft cabinet in my craft area. Books are on a shelf in the craft area as well. Then, I found my bedroom was getting full of tatting stuff, so I purchased a wire basket, a double sided box in the "fishing" section of WalMart and a men's toiletry bag. I keep my shuttle collection in the double sided box and finished projects plus current thread in the toiletry bag, all of which is in the wire basket in the closet (not on the floor, but on the top of the shoe shelf). Finally, I got a 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 binder and some sheet protectors from Staples. Now, I can print on "half size" paper and just put patterns in the protectors. I also can put my handwritten diagrams in the sheet protectors and see everything I'm thinking about doing soon. Finally, individual projects are in tiny locking Tupperware containers (clear) I got from our local Harris Teeter (really expensive if they were for food, but as project holders, pretty reasonable).

[IdahoCanuck]

My small stash of tatting thread and shuttles reside in a small 6"x8"x4" deep Tupperware tub... Yup.. that's it :-/
I do have a few larger balls of crochet (sz 30-10) thread in a sewing desk drawer.
Whatever I'm working on I keep in a small pint size plastic container with hook, scissors, paperclip, needle and a folded copy of the pattern to grab and go.....
or sometimes I just stuff it in a small ziplock and pocket it, if I'm in a big hurry.
I do have 3-4 tatting books and a cardboard magazine holder full of patterns I've printed out.... all on a little bookcase in my sewing corner.

[RandaGray]

I have... Let's see... For thread, shuttles, & tools, a "craft tool box" from hobby lobby - one of the ones that looks like a tackle box with a tray inside. It has compartments on top to put my plastic thread winders in for when I have to unwind a shuttle. I also have 2 of the compartmentalized bead containers... That's for beads & findings. Then I have an old boot box that I put all my UFO's & things without a home in, as well as one more sterilite pencil case sized container for random things that won't fit in either of my other containers, like jewelry wire, ribbon rolls, etc.
One bookshelf holds all my pattern books & the WIP bag I got from DS9Designs, as well as the biggest 3 ring binder I could find filled with page protectors with all kinds of patterns inside.
All of it that's not on the bookshelf fits under my bed, but I'd love a cabinet or chest for all of it in one place :) Someday....

[Nardhelain]

Update: Thanks to my mother and a rapidly approaching birthday, my storage problems are largely solved (http://knottedthreads.blogspot.com/2011/06/tatting-storage.html)!

[Judy]

That reminds me! I have a tacklebox type I used for art supplies for a decade.. now where did I store it....?

[Vonnie]

oh My! You all have stashes much larger than I have:) I'm just getting started!

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I like to keep things compact so I can Tat on the Go. This is my tatting purse. I call it Tatting Central:) I found this little wooden purse at an antique store and just lined it with a bit of felt that I had sewn some pockets onto. It holds everything I need to Tat on the Go. Scissors, needles, extra shuttles, crochet hooks... My threads stay at home but I wind enough for a project on a popsicle stick to keep them handy. I have patterns copied onto index cards and a couple of containers for spare bobbins and such. It was such an easy project! I love it:)

[IdahoCanuck]

Update: Thanks to my mother and a rapidly approaching birthday, my storage problems are largely solved (http://knottedthreads.blogspot.com/2011/06/tatting-storage.html)!

I was in our local JoAnn's the other day and all their storage containers were half off! They had the same storage chest/box that you got for your birthday! I thought it was perfect for my small stash and much better than the little box and tupperware container I have so I couldn't resist and got one...it's perfect! Thanks for posting your picture. I didn't know they existed and never would have thought to look for such a thing.

[IdahoCanuck]

[/QUOTE]I like to keep things compact so I can Tat on the Go. This is my tatting purse. I call it Tatting Central:) I found this little wooden purse at an antique store and just lined it with a bit of felt that I had sewn some pockets onto. It holds everything I need to Tat on the Go. Scissors, needles, extra shuttles, crochet hooks... My threads stay at home but I wind enough for a project on a popsicle stick to keep them handy. I have patterns copied onto index cards and a couple of containers for spare bobbins and such. It was such an easy project! I love it:)[/QUOTE]


1247312474

Vonnie, I also wanted something for grab and go and really liked your little tatting case, I also liked the lunchbox idea but they are too big for my little travel projects. So this is what I found at an antique shop while in Newport last month! It is a mini lunchbox! Only about 5 1/2' wide and 4 1/2" tall.... and I love Peanuts :) small and compact but large enough to hold more than everything I need .... So I lined it and added a divider (thread on one side / tools on the other) that can be laid flat if I need more room. In the lid I added a piece with 2 pockets large enough to securely hold 2 shuttles each. :) So now my tatting is ready to travel and I'm a happy camper !

[Vonnie]

1247312474

Vonnie, I also wanted something for grab and go and really liked your little tatting case, I also liked the lunchbox idea but they are too big for my little travel projects. So this is what I found at an antique shop while in Newport last month! It is a mini lunchbox! Only about 5 1/2' wide and 4 1/2" tall.... and I love Peanuts :) small and compact but large enough to hold more than everything I need .... So I lined it and added a divider (thread on one side / tools on the other) that can be laid flat if I need more room. In the lid I added a piece with 2 pockets large enough to securely hold 2 shuttles each. :) So now my tatting is ready to travel and I'm a happy camper ![/QUOTE]


OH I LOVE IT! It is so sweet! The decorative stitching is great and there is a place for everything:) Well done!

[carolivy]

Very nice case Idaho!!

[Patsy]

I have found that makeup bags such as you would find at Walmart, K-mart etc come in very handy to put my current projects in. They fit in my purse and come in a variety of sizes. I seem to always have 3-4 projects going at a time. At home I have chests of drawers (3) which I picked up at Walmart which hold my thread and and everything else nicely. In defense of the large amounts of threads etc. may I say that I have collected thread for myself and 2 daughters. My books and two folders of patterns are on a shelf of their own. And I also have a sewing box which is in the front room near my favorite seat.

[Vonnie]

I have found that makeup bags such as you would find at Walmart, K-mart etc come in very handy to put my current projects in. They fit in my purse and come in a variety of sizes. I seem to always have 3-4 projects going at a time. At home I have chests of drawers (3) which I picked up at Walmart which hold my thread and and everything else nicely. In defense of the large amounts of threads etc. may I say that I have collected thread for myself and 2 daughters. My books and two folders of patterns are on a shelf of their own. And I also have a sewing box which is in the front room near my favorite seat.

I looked for some of those nice little bags. The zipper on my original one busted so I needed a new one. Looked everywhere! I found plenty of small bags, but they all had designs on them and I wanted them clear. I finally found some at the Dollar Store. They held mini shoe polish kits! I grabbed a couple:)

My thread collection is growing by leaps and bounds. I'll be looking for a new solution for that soon. I just cleaned out a drawer in the spare dresser in the garage...maybe it will hold my tatting supplies:)

[LaurieE]

Update: Thanks to my mother and a rapidly approaching birthday, my storage problems are largely solved (http://knottedthreads.blogspot.com/2011/06/tatting-storage.html)!

In the photo, what type of box is on the left? Right now that would be so perfect for my tatting supplies as well as be used for some of my other crafts.

[mcoperryl@gmail.com]

I just purchased one of these storage boxes from my DH's favorite store, Harbor Freight for about $14.99 with a coupon. Each drawer is removable and has 18 adjustable compartments. 12505

[carolivy]

Oh! Too cool! Let us see it again after you get it filled. ;-P

[Nardhelain]

In the photo, what type of box is on the left? Right now that would be so perfect for my tatting supplies as well as be used for some of my other crafts.

I believe it's this one (http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?CATID=cat2119&PRODID=prd62102). Hope this helps!

[LaurieE]

Thank you so much!

[kcabrera74]

I don't have much space, so I have schooled myself to buy only the thread i need for a given project. Any thread left goes to one and only one box I allow myself to keep on the floor of my closet. In that box I keep my shuttles (about 20) and some other things like fan sticks, some beads, and unfinished projects. I give away everything I tat, so there's nothing in the house [sigh]. I use the remaining thread to teach or make videos and then I discard the samples for the videos. I keep my current project in a cosmetics pouch in my work purse.
Now books... [double sigh] I buy them, scan them, store them in an external hard drive and in an online server so I have access to them from my cell phone and then give away the books I've bought. I know, it sounds crazy, but when there is so little space you learn to sacrifice.

[jamlover]

kcabrera,
I have schooled myself to buy only the thread i need for a given project. Smart move!!

I need another ball of baby pink size 20 for my current project and feel so guilty buying some more when I have so much other thread on hand. And to think I accumulated all of it in the last year since I found Intatters and Handy Hands!!

[kcabrera74]

Happy tatting, y'all!

[IdahoCanuck]

As You didn't sell them... Just consider them to be 'on long term loan' :O .... :)

[mcoperryl@gmail.com]

Happy tatting, y'all!
You too, kcabrera74. Nice to see another Florida member posting.

[mmccurry]

All of my balls of thread gets put on floss bobbins (for the smaller threads) and DMC floss bows for the larger thread. This way the bobbins can fit in a floss box or taken individualy with me and the floss bows have a holder that goes into a binder. Tatting shuttles fit nicely in small tackle trays, in the fishing department. This makes it nice to put a few bobbins and shuttles in a five space tray and throw it into bag. For bead and tackle boxes, they make bags to fit the trays in.

[Judith Connors]

Try your travel department for a toiletry roll, (which is actually square when it's folded up). It has four plastic see-through, zippered pockets which hold all your balls at a glance. Your shuttles and hooks can go into another, etc, etc.
The roll is closed with a velcro strip, is light to carry anywhere, and has a wide grip that will fit over the handle of a small airline case and sit on top of it. It's waterproof and slightly squashable for your other luggage.

[Karen Bickerton]

I go portable on current project, but my threads, as I shared on Saturday, are stored in Pringles containers. They don't get tangled, if you sort them by colour or size, you can see through the lid what is in there. I currently have more than 20. For my #80 threads, I use a scrapbooking container the size of a sheet of paper, again clear so I can see what's there.
Projects get stored in plastic containers, like you use for lunches, and I label them with a bit of masking tape so I know which one it is.
Shuttles are in a mini tool box when not in use, with the project otherwise.

[Karen Bickerton]

This is my "go" bag for tatting. 12540

[CindyK]

I was able to set up my own "woman cave" with all of my tatting/sewing/crafting supplies. I purchased a 9-cube unit at Target, and some fabric cubes. I got rid of all those tubs and such, and find that the fabric bins hold A LOT of thread and fabric in a condensed space. I love it because I can get to everything readily. I have one for thread and one for fabric - much better than all those rubbermaid containers. It would even work if I had to put it in the family room - the unit is fairly small. There's room in the empty cubesfor books, but I have my books on a separate bookshelf with other quilting, sewing and crochet books. I keep WIPs in separate tatting bags.

They don't look like much, but they really do hold a lot of stuff - I'm really happy with this choice for storage. You can see them on this blog post: http://ahappybluebird.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-woman-cave.html

Good luck - I hope you share your final organization choice :)

~Cindy

[RandaGray]

This is my "go" bag for tatting. 12540

I really like this Karen!! What kind of bag is this & where did you get it? I'm using a snap shut eyeglass case right now, but I like yours MUCH better!

[Karen Bickerton]

It is a data case from a place called Smiggle. I've seen portable hard drive case in a computer store--it was more expensive! Also look at hard pencil cases

[Holly Ann]

I think I just found the perfect way (at least for me). I have an eye glass case that has springs to open. I have a small round magnet in it. This hold my needles and crochet hook. Also keep small scissors, sewing kit (for needle threader), and paperclips. It doesn't open unless you want it to. I just keep my ball in a zip lock bag. I use a baby hair barrette to keep my ball from unwinding. Everything is handy and doesn't take up space.

[Shell]

I'm new to tatting, but it immediately became apparent that I'd need to bring it with me everywhere--so I devised a "Tatting to Go" system. It's a bento box (Japanese lunch box) and a little handsewn bag. I have some plastic bobbins on order for thread, but right now, I just use little balls of thread that fit nicely in the top. The bobbins will allow for more colors. When I graduate to proper tatting thread (when I get better), I plan on stowing reserve balls in a lace making table that I have. It's also got a cushion covered in velvet on top that I'll probably use for blocking--not it's original intent I'm sure. I'll post pics of that when it's up and running.

But for now:

Contents of kit:

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Partially packed:

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Mostly packed:

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Ready to go!

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[Vonnie]

I don't have much space, so I have schooled myself to buy only the thread i need for a given project. Any thread left goes to one and only one box I allow myself to keep on the floor of my closet. In that box I keep my shuttles (about 20) and some other things like fan sticks, some beads, and unfinished projects. I give away everything I tat, so there's nothing in the house [sigh]. I use the remaining thread to teach or make videos and then I discard the samples for the videos. I keep my current project in a cosmetics pouch in my work purse.
Now books... [double sigh] I buy them, scan them, store them in an external hard drive and in an online server so I have access to them from my cell phone and then give away the books I've bought. I know, it sounds crazy, but when there is so little space you learn to sacrifice.

You do all of us proud:) I've been very bad this summer since I found a semi-local source for Lizbeth thread. But I'm justifying it by splitting it up between 2 friends. We wind it onto popsicle sticks so it stores flat. I've been crazy this summer with craft purchases so I've put myself on a spending moritorium. I cannot buy anything unless I get rid of something (or finish something).

[Mags]

I was in Michael's the other night and they have a lot of their storage solutions on sale at 40% off. Most are meant for beaders or scrapbookers, but the items would work great for tatters. I picked up a little something that might become my own to-go kit...still working on the perfect solution!

[xstchntat]

I got a couple plastic 'pencil cases' at walmart today for 47 cents a piece. They also had some of the plastic folders that I put patterns in that I have printed from the internet for 50 cents a piece.(I have filled 5 of them already, LOL) They also had these great carriers for a little over 2 dollars that have a space for the crochet hook, tatting needles or shuttles(OK so these items were made for carrying things to school but who says we can't put them to a better use:innocent:)with loads of extra room for projects. They also had sets of 5 plastic shoe boxes for $4.97 that could be used to sort and store thread. And small 3 drawer containers and oh so many other things that were designed for school but could be used for organizing our tatting!

[mcoperryl@gmail.com]

I got a couple plastic 'pencil cases' at walmart today for 47 cents a piece. They also had some of the plastic folders that I put patterns in that I have printed from the internet for 50 cents a piece.(I have filled 5 of them already, LOL) They also had these great carriers for a little over 2 dollars that have a space for the crochet hook, tatting needles or shuttles(OK so these items were made for carrying things to school but who says we can't put them to a better use:innocent:)with loads of extra room for projects. They also had sets of 5 plastic shoe boxes for $4.97 that could be used to sort and store thread. And small 3 drawer containers and oh so many other things that were designed for school but could be used for organizing our tatting!
Yeah, I am glad to hear they have the pencil cases at a bargain again. They also stack pretty well I think. That's a perfect "home" kit for WIP's. I like the idea of them because of their size and they usually come in pretty colors. Since it's time for school to start here in Florida it is tax free weekend. It's a good time to purchase any of those types of things and so many of them adapt well to our needs.