Tuesday, January 4, 2022

WIP Storage Problem Solving


I have a problem that I have complained about many times on my blog. I have decided it is time to fix it.

I sew in my living room, but when I have planned company over, I have to turn the sewing room back into a living room. I usually work on two or three quilts at a time, sometimes more.  This means I have to put away all of the quilts I am working on. I usually put them in boxes, mostly shoebox sized boxes, and take them upstairs into a bedroom where I store my fabric and other craft supplies.

One problem is that it is a lot of work taking things upstairs and bringing them back down, but it was something I was able to manage.

Another problem I have is that I am running out of room to store these boxes.I have finished 80% of my quilts, but as the number of quilts I start go up, 80% becomes a bigger number.  My usual solution to this problem was to decide that I needed to whittle down my UFO [unfinished object] projects so that there is room to put away current WIPs [works in progress]. This solution has not been working. 

The other problem is that when I put a quilt in a box and take it upstairs, it becomes "out of sight, out of mind". I start a brand new quilt project instead of going back to the WIP. Most of my WIPs become UFOs only because they have been put away, and there are lots of ideas of new quilts that are available to start.

I have decided that I need a different plan. I looked for those plastic scrapbook boxes that are at least 12x12, especially those that are drawers stacked together as a unit. I could take the whole stack upstairs and downstairs so I can resume my quilting on the current WIPs. I have a couple of those, and have used them for other things. They work wonderfully for my spices and paints/markers.

Unfortunately, they have been out of stock for a while.

Then I found something that I think will work even better.


 

I bought a different storage solution for the WIPs. Instead of boxes, I bought a set of drawers. I thought about cubes which would keep things visual for me, but I think that will look messy and allow dust to get into them. I am hoping that if I put labels on the drawers, I will be able to keep them on my mind. 

Once I got the chest of drawers, I realized that I could find a place to tuck this away in the living room, so that will eliminate my having to take everything upstairs too. With the wheels, I can find other places to put it out of the way on the first floor. This will also really help separate the WIPs from the UFOs. We will see if at the end of the year, I am able to finish more than 80% of my quilts.


Around the World in 80 Days is a new series on PBS. David Tennant stars in a new adaptation of Jules Verne's classic adventure novel. I highly recommend it. Also on PBS, Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. will have a new episode tonight.


12 comments:

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

That was a great idea to get something on wheels that you can keep in your living room. I have a problem with the out of sight, out of mind thing too. That is why I have so many piles, constant reminders for me. Maybe we all need to set aside one day a week for solutions and eventually there won't be any problems.

Robin said...

I'm so glad you found a good solution. UFOs sure weigh me down. I'm getting quite a few done but working on some of them seems like a job - just putting my time in. I think my solution to getting more of them done is to do as you sometimes do and make smaller projects.

Cynthia@wabi-sabi-quilts said...

I love reading about how other quilters manage their stuff/projects. You have found a terrific solution. The wheels are a bonus. I quilt in my living room too and have two towers of plastic drawers side by side. I label them and most of my projects have a dedicated drawer. Overflow goes into my bedroom closet but I try not to have overflow (except batting). I also have a dresser right in our living room, that contains sewing supplies etc. Sometimes I think about chucking it all and taking up crochet or something that doesn't take any space, but, I don't really mean that lol.

- said...

David Tennant's performance in Broadchurch was exceptional. What a charismatic actor. Focused.

Jeanne said...

Effective storage is a constant battle for me. Congrats on your new plan!

Libby in TN said...

I use 12x12 boxes from the scrapbooking section at JoAnn. I can fit five of them in an Itso cube (from Target but no longer available). I'm embarrassed to say how many I have ...

cspoonquilt said...

Ah yes, Space the Final Frontier! Solving those kind of Storage problems is so liberating, congratulations!!!

Queeniepatch said...

Like Cynthia I love reading about, and looking at, other people's storage solutions. I think the set of drawers on wheels is a nifty idea and you will have the quilts right there in the living room. Then you can also show the work in progress to anyone who comes to visit!

I must admit to having my WIP in shoe boxes and they DO take up space and are not nice to look at. I cover the pile of boxes with a cloth so they are a bit 'out of the way'.

Kyle said...

Finding the perfect solution for storage, being organized, and the ease of use is a challenge. Sounds like you have a plan. Love the new drawers.

Wendy Caton Reed said...

It sounds like a great solution. You make me realize (once again) how lucky I am to have a room dedicated solely to my quilting. I can leave it in all its messy glory and when we have guests, I simply close the door! I'm quite sure I would be more organized if I had to move my projects periodically. Enjoy your new cabinet.

O'Quilts said...

Yeah you!! Looking forward to seeing your living room all set up. btw, I just have my company with my sewing things. If I feel energized, I just cover it all with antique quilts..xo

Rose said...

I have looked at these or something similar and wondered how they would stand up to wear. Not for quilting but for all the papers/statements I tend to keep on hand. There have been two or three times I was really glad I kept them so I am not going to change now.