Floss Organizing System ??

I use the 60-bin tool organizers--I have 8 stacked with a color for
each bin and in numerical order and have room to expand. I have this
setting inside the door of my hobby room so it is completely out of
the way. For the hand-dyed and silks I put them on rings and use an s-
hook to hang over the bar in the closet.

If you are interested I could send you a picture. I've tried winding
on bobbins and don't like the way the floss comes off the bobbins--
seems to tangle more even with thread heaven and I won't even tell you
what a disaster it was for me to use the bags.

Dawn


On Jan 29, 5:12�pm, "Lucille" lzoltynospam@now at comcast..net
wrote:
I know this has been asked and answered a gazillion times, but I'm dense and
I never really paid attention.

�I got extremely frustrated this afternoon �looking for a certain color of
DMC thread (I never did find it) and I decided it's time to do something
about my messy system.

So what's the consensus on the best, easiest way to organize thread?

This time I promise to be good and listen.

Lucille

"Dawn" wrote in message
...
I use the 60-bin tool organizers--I have 8 stacked with a color for
each bin and in numerical order and have room to expand. I have this
setting inside the door of my hobby room so it is completely out of
the way. For the hand-dyed and silks I put them on rings and use an s-
hook to hang over the bar in the closet.

If you are interested I could send you a picture. I've tried winding
on bobbins and don't like the way the floss comes off the bobbins--
seems to tangle more even with thread heaven and I won't even tell you
what a disaster it was for me to use the bags.

Dawn


Oh how I wish I had the room for something like you're describing, but I
simply don't. I use the bags now and I find that it's just too easy to
stuff the skeins and forget about them until I'm looking for a specific
color.

That's how I got so frustrated today. I had to dump the bags to find one
particular blue, which I never did find. It's either hiding or I'm out of
it and need to go and replace it.

I suspect that I'm going to have to use bobbins to make up for the lack of
space.




On Jan 29, 5:12?pm, "Lucille" lzoltynospam@now at comcast..net
wrote:
I know this has been asked and answered a gazillion times, but I'm dense
and
I never really paid attention.

?I got extremely frustrated this afternoon ?looking for a certain color of
DMC thread (I never did find it) and I decided it's time to do something
about my messy system.

So what's the consensus on the best, easiest way to organize thread?

This time I promise to be good and listen.

Lucille

On 29 Jan., 23:12, "Lucille" lzoltynospam@now at comcast..net wrote:
I know this has been asked and answered a gazillion times, but I'm dense and
I never really paid attention.

*I got extremely frustrated this afternoon *looking for a certain color of
DMC thread (I never did find it) and I decided it's time to do something
about my messy system.

So what's the consensus on the best, easiest way to organize thread?

This time I promise to be good and listen.

Lucille

I have two boxes: one for all my unused floss, and one for the ones I
am currently using, on bobbins.

lucretia borgia wrote:

When I started it all I would do a handful at a time while watching
television or something else because it is a bit mind bending, but it
certainly is great once it is all done.


I stitch while watching TV, so my 2-yards-of-each set of DMC sat around
for probably 10 years. Then Kim from Fabrics2U mentioned that her DD
was willing to bobbin floss for customers for a couple cents pin money.
I shipped the set to Kim, a few days later I got it back bobbined.
Best couple bucks I ever spent.

--
Karen C - California
Editor/Proofreader www.IntlProofingConsortium.com

Finished 1/19/08 - Sesame Street group picture

WIP: Isabella's Garden, MLI The Teacher (gift to the library),
Bethany Angel, Flowers of Hawaii (Jeanette Crews) for ME!!!
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel

www.CFSfacts.org -- where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf

Lucille wrote:
My problem is that I have very limited space and the cabinets are just too
big.



That depends on how much floss you have. If you're only separating by
generic color, and not an entire drawer for each number, you can fit
hundreds of skeins in one cabinet, which has a footprint about the size
of a sheet of typing paper. I figure I could stack 6 of them (2Wx3H) in
less room than a standard bookcase, and hold every skein of floss in the
house.

--
Karen C - California
Editor/Proofreader www.IntlProofingConsortium.com

Finished 1/19/08 - Sesame Street group picture

WIP: Isabella's Garden, MLI The Teacher (gift to the library),
Bethany Angel, Flowers of Hawaii (Jeanette Crews) for ME!!!
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel

www.CFSfacts.org -- where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf

I keep mine in snack sized ziploc bags. I like them for several reasons. I
find the floss bags annoying because the top is cut the same height on both
sides and it's hard to separate. The ziplocs I can write the number on with
a marker. When the bag wears out it's cheaper to replace. They're just
long enough so the skein lays flat. I can keep multiple skeins in each bag.
I keep them upright in a plastic shoe box. I have 6 boxes with all the DMC
and all my specialty threads.

--
Tamara n sunny San Diego

Lucille wrote:
"Karen C in California" wrote in message
...
Lucille wrote:
So what's the consensus on the best, easiest way to organize thread?

Depends on how well you know the numbers and/or if you have a DMC color
card.

Since I have DMC and Anchor and MEZ Sticktwist and even some old Susan
Bates, I file by color. A hardware parts cabinet will hold a skein laid
flat. If I don't instantly recognize the number, I consult the DMC color
card to know what drawer to look in.

I start with the general ROYGBIV system, and in colors where I have more
than will fit neatly in a single drawer, I subdivide, e.g., red is split
into violet-reds, red-reds, orange-reds, and pinks. Then drawers for
browns, rusts (which I suppose could be filed under orange), black, grey,
and white/ecru.

The cabinet I bought has a large drawer on the bottom, which I use for my
variegated flosses.

If all I had was DMC, I might file by number, but my conglomeration of
brands makes that too unwieldly.

Using the hardware parts cabinet eliminates all those hours of
bobbin-winding.

--
Karen C - California
Editor/Proofreader www.IntlProofingConsortium.com

Finished 1/19/08 - Sesame Street group picture

WIP: MLI The Teacher (gift to the library),
Bethany Angel, Flowers of Hawaii (Jeanette Crews) for ME!!!
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel

www.CFSfacts.org -- where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf


My problem is that I have very limited space and the cabinets are just too
big.

I'm not wild about winding bobbins but I just may have to do that.

Does anyone use the File-A-Floss system? It looks a bit more compact then
some of the others.



Hi Lucille -
I've been using the Floss-A-Way ziplock bag system for years and love
it. I have every color of DMC and it works for me. No time spent
winding floss around a bobbin - and putting kinks in the thread - I just
put the skein and any leftover long pieces in the bag and I'm done.
Easy to carry around with a project and all the threads stay clean. I
put my bags on big rings in numerical order - say Ecru and White to 500,
then 501-799 on another, and so on. I just store all the rings of bags
in a plastic box and it's easy to find a color because they're always in
order.

I also have a color key card from DMC so that if I'm looking for blues
for example, I can look at the card first rather than pull out all those
bags of floss.

As far as overdyed threads go I store them in plastic boxes and printed
off inventory sheets and just put check marks next to the ones I own -
so I know whether to dig through the box or call Lois at Elegant Stitch
to order some!

Hope this helps -
MelissaD

On Jan 29, 2:12*pm, "Lucille" lzoltynospam@now at comcast..net
wrote:
I know this has been asked and answered a gazillion times, but I'm dense and
I never really paid attention.

*I got extremely frustrated this afternoon *looking for a certain color of
DMC thread (I never did find it) and I decided it's time to do something
about my messy system.

So what's the consensus on the best, easiest way to organize thread?

This time I promise to be good and listen.

Lucille

I liked the Darice boxes for my bobbins, but they are so small! I
found toy car 'garages' in Walmart's toy department, double sided,
stackable, and easily portable, plus each one holds a full set of DMC
colors on bobbins, with some odd sized sections to hold spools of
Kreinik, etc... This is very inexpensive and works for me!

Hope this helps!

Dee

On Jan 29, 5:12�pm, "Lucille" lzoltynospam@now at comcast..net
wrote:
I know this has been asked and answered a gazillion times, but I'm dense and
I never really paid attention.

�I got extremely frustrated this afternoon �looking for a certain color of
DMC thread (I never did find it) and I decided it's time to do something
about my messy system.

So what's the consensus on the best, easiest way to organize thread?

This time I promise to be good and listen.

Lucille

I'm still in the sorted by number (100s, 200s, etc.) with colors I've
used
on bobbins on rings method. Colors I haven't used yet sorted the
same
way but stored in zip lock bags. All stuffed in a tote bag. No place
for
boxes. Oh then, there's always the floss sitting with a project I
haven't
started yet and find I need that color for somthing I've decided to do
first.
Maybe someday.

Nancy in PA

Lucille wrote:
I know this has been asked and answered a gazillion times, but I'm dense and
I never really paid attention.

I got extremely frustrated this afternoon looking for a certain color of
DMC thread (I never did find it) and I decided it's time to do something
about my messy system.

So what's the consensus on the best, easiest way to organize thread?

This time I promise to be good and listen.

Lucille



I use to use the Loran floss system, but I am very happy with my Annie's
Keepers. Similar to the loran but so much easier to pull for a project.
Also I can pull all my empty keeps ans place the on a ring, an I'm ready
to shop for missing colors. I'm ashame to say I have 4 (1200 keys)
storage systems. I can find any GAST, DMC Floss, Variations, Au du
Soir, needlepoint silk, and DMC # 5 perle cotton instantly and that the
system is archival safe.

http://www.nordicneedle.com/Merchant...Category_Code=

or
*http://tinyurl.com/yrtclh

HTH Bobbie V.


*