Stitching Notes: My Daily Needs

I visited Rachel's blog the other day and saw her "before" and "after" photos when she reorganized her craft area. I wish I do really have a specific craft room but in reality, I don't. Though I had been organizing my stash in the attic, I still do my stitching mostly in the living room, specially at cold weathers. On the other hand, I get to enjoy the attiuc during summer. I don't have the guts yet to show how messy my working area is so I'll start with my threads and basic stitching notions.

Part of my christmas gifts last year were these organizing drawers: two white 5-drawers sterilite were from SIL (one is on the other side of colorful drawers), and a colorful 10-drawers cart from MIL. Anyway, I used the 2 sterilite drawers to store my ever-growing stock DMC threads and various specialty threads ( i.e. GAST, Dinky Dyes, Caron Threads, SSS, Rainbow Gallery, metallics, chinese silks, silk ribbons, etc.) while the colorful one is now full of my fashion jewelry making supplies. I also have another sterilte drawers full of linens, not to mention the drawers DH bought for me early last year which are now full of my other craft stash like trimmings, ribbons, etc. I love all of these drawers as I did able to seggregate my stash by brands and kinds. The colorful one is so perfect for my beads, stones, wires, jewelry findings and various pliers.

Drawers filled with threads and jewelry making supplies

While on the topic of talking about stash, I thought I better share photos as well as to how I store my daily-used supplies. The photos below are all behind me when I'm stitching... I'm still using the old fashioned way in storing use-threads, wound-up in bobbins with the color code taped on top.

The box on top is filled with DMC 3000 series and the whole line of DMC variegated threads (in green bobbins). The bigger transparent box at the bottom holds all the 100 to 900 DMC series. It is a double-sided huge box but I only use one side while the other side stores some of my new bobbins. One side can hold about 300 bobbins with thread. The last time I went home, I bought about 300 pieces of bobbins at my favorite DMC shop in SM MegaMall, as well as about 10 yards of different color aida fabrics... will blog about it some other time. The third box at the bottom most in the photo is filled with various specialty threads particularly SSS, rayon threads, and variegated ones aside from DMC. I have yet another box that stores my use hardanger threads from size 12 to size 5 Perle Cottons, Caron Threads, etc.

Boxes of Used Threads in Bobbins

The box below is bigger than the first box and holds my precious stitching beads particularly Mill Hill brands, Miyuki delica and some "good-kind" glass beads. I have another box that stores different kinds of glass beads. I usually organize my stitching beads by kind like antique, petite, etc.

Mill Hill seed and Miyuki delica glassbeads

And lastly, aside from linens, threads and beads, the items in the following photo are always behind me as well when I'm working. SIL gave me the DMC colour card on Christmas 2006, and I'm so glad she did as it now plays very important role on my stitching and designing activities. A calculator is useful when I rely on stitches count of a specific design, and of course a ruler or tape measure is needed to give you the actual size... a pen or pencil and a notebook or post-it is always necessary for my notes. I have at least 2 pincushions nearby: one for my tapestry & sewing needles, and one for my head pins. The scissors with orange handle is from fiskars and has been my fave pairs since my arrival here. It was given by MIL along with a boxful of various crafts I found at home waiting for me. It is so sharp up to now despite tha fact that I use it to cut everything, including stranded wires for my jewelries. I do have a bunch of fancy & stork scissors but I never actually use them much until I started hardanger. A sharp and pointed scissors is always needed for cutting the part to be weave. Therefore at least 2 scissors are in my notions bowl now. I put all the small items in either a wooden bowl or mini-plastic baskets... I have a lot of those as well, and use them specially when I'm starting a new project. Before I start a project, I pick the threads I wanna use then put them together in a bowl/basket.:)

Must-Have Stitching Notions

Well, I guess I better stop for now. The items above are not even half of the stash that surrounds me when I'm stitching... lol batting, fibre-fill, walnut shells, skirtex, felts, and lots of books are just some to name a few. I will keep on adding photos of my current stash in the near future under "Stitching Notes" category, and maybe then I'll be able to share my unorganized craft area. As what I told Rachel, I don't know anybody who got a messier craft area than mine... lol So if you think your craft room needs reorganization, let's do something about it soon... then share photos of our before and after scenes.

And before I forgot, I recieved an email from Sally earlier acknowledging reciept of the ornament and altoid tins I sent yesterday... to think that I thought no mailman in IA has delivered mails today due to severe weather and road conditions.

Have a great night everybody!