Day 9 of the Sewing Room Declutter 2024 is threads, a huge area. I did a lot of organising and sorting last year, but my machine embroidery threads were just jumbled in a box, inevitably getting tangled. I’ve got quite a few now with making the Ragged Ruff quilts and they definitely needed sorting.
As you can see I have them all in one of those pretty boxes you can get from TK MAXX, it’s a shoe box size , which they don’t do very often but I really like. Last year I had an idea of how to easily make a try to go inside the box. Luckily I had written my idea down on a post last February!
I have some Pellon in my stash which is like a really thick interfacing, like 1-2mm thick, it’s adhesive on one side too. My idea was to cover the pellon a bit like you can bind a quilt, by double folding the fabric over the edge. I had some fat quarters in my stash that I thought would work well, with the added bonus that I couldn’t see me using them in a quilt.
I ironed the pellon to the backing, which was cut 1″ bigger all round. I used 505 spray adhesive to secure the top fabric, this had the added bonus that some 505 inevitably went on the borders which made them more controllably when I was double folding the edges under. I stitched them om my sewing machine with the walking foot. Here’s the sides half made…
I hand-stitched the sides to the base, neatening up the mitred corners as I went along. I added tabs to the short sides – I did this on the machine too as with the sides being made of pellon and not card, I could bend them under the sewing machine!
Having made one, I realised I needed another, I had to make it slightly shallower so I made the sides with one deeper piece of fabric – fiddly but it worked. I also added a central divider, again I machine stitched it in place, just hand-stitching the ends. This doesn’t only keep the spools neat, it also adds support for the tray underneath.
I’m really please with them, they’re not perfectly made, but they’re functional and don’t my threads look neat in them!
And I’ve used another three fat quarters from my stash! Win, Win!!
thecraftycreek 
I love that idea.
You are doing well with your decluttering, unlike me. I just wander in to the room every now and again, get discouraged and leave 🙄
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That’s what I’m usually like, with the 21 day challenge it’s broken down into manageable chunks…even if its mid Feb and I’m not even half way!
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how pretty!!!
I have mine in hot wheels carriers, they open on each side with thread sized compartments, and have a handle on top. The boxes (four!!!) stand up in an IKEA rolling kids container that lives under the cutting table. When I need a cotton, I pull out that box by it’s handle, and see them all at a glance. Another box is metallic, another is rayon/ or poly
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Wow! That sounds very organised 🙂
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Very impressive, Margaret!
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Thanks Del!
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🙏🏼
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Brilliant! 🙂
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Thanks Laura.
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I am impressed and envious that you even sew your thread containers!
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Ha! It was also a matter of needs must as I didn’t have anything else to easily make trays from!
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That’s very cool
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Thanks Helen
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This looks so neat and tidy Margaret. It feels so good when we can get things in order doesn’t it?
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It does, I do like neat and tidy, I just don’t put in the effort to achieve it very often!!
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That thread organization system is awesome!
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Thank you 🙂
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Practical and beautiful. A win win!
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Thanks, I can see what I’ve got now!
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Lovely use of fabric and so neat and tidy !! Well done
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