The Sewing Place

drawer space in sewing room

annierose

drawer space in sewing room
« on: July 23, 2022, 16:03:41 PM »
Hello all, my sewing room is due a bit of a refurb, I've been meandering about here, but would like some specific advice about drawers.
I have: open shelves that store boxes of fabric and notions, books, and there is a hanging space.
I currently have a custom made (DH) 'desk' with 2 pedestals of drawers. DH is going to extend the 'desk top' to be 70cms. deep and 2.5m long, so that I can do most of my cutting out on it*.
This means I can have another pedestal of drawers. However, I am not happy with how I currently use mine and wanted to get some ideas.
I am happy with my drawer space for needles, threads & bobbins, and cutting out stuff like scissors, pins, rulers etc. One deep drawer holds my tracing paper and pens etc. but always feels a bit of a mess. Another deep drawer holds 'craft stuff' (I don't do much, but occasionally need paper, glue, beads etc.)
It seems that in the drawers I should have things that I might need 'handy', and things like fabric and patterns aren't needed so often.
Anyway, all advice gratefully received!

*To clarify, I have a cardboard craft board on a large bed on which I lay out fabric, but it is getting difficult for me to cut out on it. By having a deep desk, I can do a rough cut on the bed, and a proper cut on the desk (which is covered with cutting boards cut to fit)

realale

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2022, 22:19:38 PM »
I sectioned off my drawers with open tray/basket type containers of different sizes. I found putting like stuff together really helped me with my organisation and things aren't such a jumble.
So many beers, so little time.

Kwaaked

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2022, 04:43:13 AM »
I have my area set up to work and a treadle with a sewing basket at home. 

At work, the drawers at each machine are either one drawer industrial or a sewing table with at least one drawer which contain a thread snip, a brush to dust (some weird art brush I found), the feet and accessories that match that machine and my saddle treadle has the needles for that machine since I have to get my husband to make them as he is a machinist, an extra bolt for the pitman (I had to get those cast special) and a blob of bees wax in a baggie (sometimes I have to use the oil cup...I have actual liquid oil for it, but generally don't use it) .  The desk style is split in 2 on drawers, the left side is for the machine on that desk, the right for the table next to it.

Then I have actual drawers, as in a dresser.  In those I hold zippers, boning, manuals, elastic, button trays, bra cups...you get the idea.  And even in the drawer, I split them up in smaller sections: the guy that sells my leather goods is a wood worker and can cobble an insert that I need (like the drawer that is one of the longer ones has a large insert that splits the drawer into several sections, and some of those are made to have even smaller sections, like bra cups to sort by cup size).

Standard needles and small items are in small part organizers on the wall (includes my hand needles).  I have one just for my grommet machine to hold all the parts there.  My attachments for the 99 (set up for the automatic zigzagger attachment for bar tacks most of the time, but will also use different attachments as needed, including the buttonhole attachment) has a filing cabinet drawer for JUST those (it sits next to it).  Between the cams (I have all 4 sets), different zig zaggers (Griest, Ruby, Singer auto and disk...I have a couple more can't remember, but they all do different things better), the buttonhole and those cams, a puzzle box, sewing bird...this is the drawer for all those things that are cool and useful.

Any machine with special needles stay with that machine in the drawer.  I eat Altoids like their candy (see what I did there?) and put the packs of needles in them that go in the drawer (I label it because I have help...my 10 year old will move them about, and I don't want to fight to look at size and junk.  I just label the tin).  Anything specific to the machine stays there in general, or to the machine that is most used for that task.

At home, it all sits in a smallish space, but I also don't usually sew at home.  I'd take the machine to work, but my husband says I can't (and it, like everything else, has its home).

End of the day, this is probably TMI.  Everything has a place and lives there.  And only there.  Where you put the things largely depends on what you do and how you do it. 

SewRuthieSews

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2022, 10:13:09 AM »
I got some drawer inserts for a kallax unit. These are quite small drawers.
In each one I have zip lock bags labelled with the contents - for example one drawer has sewing machines needles, sewing machine feet etc

Another drawer has grommets with pliers, kam snaps etc again in their own bags or trays.
On the edge of each drawer (can't see when closed) I have a small label saying what's in the drawer so I only need to open it a bit have a quick read and close it again.

Generally I have "like with like" and everything has a place. Then when I tidy up after a project I know where things need to go.
So if the big category is closures then that drawer has zip locks for Velcro, press  studs, hooks and yes and etc
I have a lot of buttons and zips so they have separate drawers. The zips are split into open ended, invisible zips and normal zips.


HenriettaMaria

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2022, 09:52:46 AM »
Google 'drawer tidy' and see what comes up - there seem to be lots of options. 

I keep my small habby and machine accessories in plastic takeaway boxes, screw-top plastic tubs and old sweetie tins, all in a big Prym storage box - one of these with a third tray added:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prym-Jumbo-Base-Model-Click/dp/B00DOXDVWY/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1EJIS64TZFLQ3&keywords=prym+storage+boxes&qid=1658739062&sprefix=%2Caps%2C47&sr=8-6

I can carry this about when necessary, which is handy.  It lives on a shelf otherwise.

Puzzler

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2022, 12:34:53 PM »
I have a unit with five deep drawers and 10 shallow ones. The shallow ones are handiest because I can’t store too many layers of stuff. I have a drawer for cutting and pointy tools like stilettos, one for needles and pins, etc. My main issue with it is they aren’t complete closed so dust does invade the contents. It was meant to be a temporary solution but most of my temp stuff ends up as permanent fixtures. I don’t have a handy person in situ to build me stuff.

annierose

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2022, 08:04:25 AM »
Thank you all very much! A gremlin got into my computer (and the grandchildren got into my house!) and I haven't been able to reply - whilst being able to view your replies. No TMI at all!
Kids still here, so no time to reply in detail, but I will consider all carefully & let you know!

Sara-S

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #7 on: August 05, 2022, 10:28:18 AM »
I'm with @realale on this one. Sounds like all you need are some drawer organizers, whether store-bought or improvised.
You can't scare me. I taught high school for 32 years.

WendyW

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2022, 15:31:58 PM »
Planning your drawer organization is a personal process. Only you what needs the easiest access where. If you don't want to search out various containers and baskets to organize with, it's pretty simple to make custom organizers using foam board and glue.

I just reorganized the drawers in my sewing table. At one point in time, those drawers were ALL of my storage, and became "home" to a variety of items. I had gobs of paraphernalia cluttering up my table top because I needed it near at hand from my machines, but my drawers were full. It finally dawned on me (after a decade or more!) that the stuff in my drawers could be relocated so the drawers now hold what NEEDS to be in them. 

annierose

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #9 on: August 10, 2022, 14:32:56 PM »
Thanks! I do know at least about the top drawers - I have organisers in there with all my pins, scissors, chalk etc. so that they are easily to hand.
Reading these posts gave me thought - and I thought I might buy one of 2 things to try. I bought these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09XXKBG5C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am trying patterns in one, and folded bits of interfacing in another. If they work then I might buy more.

Ohsewsimple

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #10 on: August 10, 2022, 17:42:45 PM »
They look useful @annierose.  I wonder if they’d fit my drawers :thinking:  I need something to organise my interfacing as it’s a bit of a mess. 

annierose

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #11 on: August 10, 2022, 18:05:24 PM »
It gives the size, and they do fit into my deep drawers. However, I think some things are always a bit messy, interfacing especially as there are so many kinds and we keep odd scraps.

Ohsewsimple

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #12 on: August 10, 2022, 18:22:54 PM »
Oh yes I have two bags of interfacing scraps.  I keep lots of little bits for doing things like the points at V necks and plackets.  And I’ve always got strips of very lightweight fusible cut ready for shoulders on knits. 
When I can be bothered to venture into my veeeyyy hot SR I’ll look at the drawers. 

LeilaMay

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #13 on: August 10, 2022, 20:05:34 PM »
Honestly, you could start out with shoe boxes or similar, and see if it works for you. Being organised isn't about spending lots more ££, it's about systems that work for YOU  :)

annierose

Re: drawer space in sewing room
« Reply #14 on: August 10, 2022, 20:52:21 PM »
LeilaMay, I agree with you! I have a ragbag of old chocolate boxes, desk trays, and yes, shoe boxes! Happy with some bits, but could do a lot better on others!