How to Store and Organise Your Works in Progress

Have you ever wondered how to effectively store and organise your works in progress (WIPs)? If you’re like me you probably have a few projects on the go and with the upcoming Farmer’s Wife 1930’s Sampler Quilt Sew-along I’m going to be working on something over a year long in the making and so I’ve started to look at how I’ll organise everything and keep myself on track.

This is the first time I’ve worked on a project of this scale. I’ve had a little bit of experience through making the Snapshots Quilt with Fat Quarter Shop about a project that spans a year but there was only 12 blocks in that quilt and so I stored everything in a clear plastic tub. However, the 1930’s Farmer’s Wife is something altogether different. There’s 99 blocks, lots of patterns and templates and oodles of fabric.

I’m a pretty organised and neat creative at the best of times but I know that I’m probably the exception to the rule. So I’m going to share with you some of the ways I keep myself organised and maximise the space I have to work in just in case something I take for granted is something you’ve not heard of before.

I’m extremely blessed to have an entire room in my house that’s just my sewing space and nothing else. It’s a massive luxury and I’m very grateful for it. I have a lot of stuff packed into that room and one of the reasons I can do this is because I have a pretty good storage system happening. Now that I’m juggling a couple of big projects I decided it was time to get a little more organised and keep all my projects and their associated paraphernalia in some sort of system.

Top 5 How to’s on Storing and Organising Your Works In Progress

1. Stationery to help you keep organised

I was that kid that was excited about going back to school, not because I’d get to see my friends but because I’d get to buy new stationery. I’ll warn you now, I don’t need an excuse to buy stationery, but I love it when I can and so this list is a little slice of all the awesome things I found an excuse to use to keep myself organised.

There’s going to be a lot of paper involved with the Farmer’s Wife 1930’s Sampler Quilt Sew-along from the patterns to the conversion charts and then the notes that I’ll be keeping to help write the tutorials. The Snapshots Quilt with Fat Quarter Shop taught me a valuable lesson in keeping my cut fabrics organised and clearly labeled and so I use pegs (a handy trick I learnt off Instagram) to keep things together. (How cute are these pegs, Got You Pegged – 60pk $9.95) I just write the piece number on the peg (if it’s popular) or I have a little post it note that I use to stick on the fabric and under the peg. Paper clips (J.Burrows 50mm Paper Clips 200 Pack – $11.98) also work a treat for this purpose and come in handy when you’re keeping your paper template pieces organised.

I always have a stash of pens and pencils (Novelty Pen Set $20) on hand in the sewing room. I like to make notes on the pattern instructions as I cut pieces as well as jotting down any random things that come to me while working (like remember to pay water bill, call your mother and we need more M&Ms) so I keep a notepad (or two) (Baroque Clipboard $2.50) in there as well. I love the idea of keeping a shopping list in this space as well because I just know that over the course of making the 99 blocks I’m going to have to buy more notions, fabrics, paper, etc. and so a shopping list (Make a List $3) will be just the ticket.

One of the handy little gadgets that gets a bit of a work out in my sewing room is my label maker (Brother P-Touch Labellers $29 – $699). I label everything – my storage boxes, my rulers (handy for when you’re attending a class and someone tries to abscond with your favourite ruler), my books, my toddler – anything I don’t want to lose basically. A labeller is also handy if you want to make those pegs I talked about above look a little bit more special.

2. Storing your Paperwork

The Farmer’s Wife 1930’s Sew-along Facebook Group has been a wealth of information and the one piece of advice I couldn’t go past was to get my book spiral bound at an office supply store. This had never even crossed my mind and now I can’t stop thinking about all the books in my collection that I could get spiral bound. I took my book to the local Officeworks and they spiral bound it for the awesome price of $4.30.

While I was in there and I just had to kill some time I took the opportunity to stock up on some things that would help keep all my pattern pieces, templates and conversion charts organised. I recently took one of the A4 stationery cases (J.Burrows Stationery Case A4 Clips Blue $4.43) away to ProBlogger with me and it was so handy.  It fits A4 sized paper in it (obviously) but it also fits paper smaller than that in it which means it’s really handy for keeping paper, fabrics and acrylic templates handy if you’re working on a set of blocks and have to take them with you somewhere or pack them up quickly. I’m going to be using this when I go to my Lizzy House class next month – so handy!

I also picked up a display book (Marbig Display Book A4 20 Pocket Refillable Assorted Colours $2.32) and some refills to put all 99 block print outs in. This was handy because I could put each block in there in their own sleeve, but I could also put them in order of how the blocks will be made (which is a secret I’m keeping closely guarded).  The only down side to this storage option is that you have to make sure you keep the book up the right way as things have a nasty habit of sliding out of them. (Another reason to get a stationery case as you can store the display book in it.) Display books are great as a way of putting swatches of fabrics in with your blocks as well.

If you’d prefer an option that’s less structured but still allows you to “clean up” as you’re working then file boxes or accordion files are a great option and there’s some really great ones on the market. (For example: Box File Foolscap Matte Laminate Spot Red $9.99 or Martha Stewart Shagreen Accordion Files Large 10 Pockets Blue $20) Or you can go really basic and just use manila folders – loving the wide variety of patterns and prints available these days! (Manila Folders – Set of 5 $7.99)

3. Mobile Storage Units

If you’ve been on Instagram in the past 12 months I’m sure you would have seen the RÅSKOG Trolley, turquoise $79 popping up in people’s creative space photos. I have one and while I brought it as something to sit beside me while I sew and hold or my notions I now use it to hold different projects and their fabrics as I’m working. It’s a great because it’s perfectly shaped for holding folded fabric and all their associated bits and pieces.

If teal isn’t your colour there’s a few other mobile storage units that work just as well and look just as cool, check out Homemaker 4 Drawer Storage Trolley – Chrome Finish $29 and RISATORP Trolley, white $99 for a place to start.

4. Storage Tins bringing a bit of vintage to your space

I love tins and I love any excuse to buy some. I have some great vintage tins that I’ve picked up as souvenirs of my travels and I use these to store smaller projects in like my English Paper Piecing (EPP) or orphan patchwork blocks. They’re also great for traveling with and I often pop a tin into my handbag and take a project with me.

You can now get tin storage and carrying options in most homeware sections which is fabulous. I love this Medical Tin – Yellow $12 and I love that it’s not branded with something you’d expect for patchwork (but works perfectly, I know patchwork is sometime my first aid kit for getting through the day!). I also love this Bits & Bobs Tin – Red $9 which would be perfect for carrying your projects around the house or going to a patchwork class.

5. Storage Containers for Everything

I’m a big fan of stackable storage. I have all my scraps, yardage and fabric collections in clear storage boxes. This allows me to see what’s in there and stack them on top of each other and fit way more than I should into my room. I’m also a fan of portable storage – this means I can move my works in progress around the house with me and take advantage of spending time with my family while I work.

I’m sure you’ve probably got some Tupperware containers in your house. I love having a variety of smaller shaped containers in my sewing space, they’re great for storing things like From Marti Michell Perfect Patchwork Templates, spare machine needles, threads, bobbins and notions. The great thing is you no longer have to pay Tupperware prices to get these types of containers, there’s heaps of container sets on the market that offer a variety of shapes and sizes.

There are some really funky storage solutions on the market at the moment and I’m a big fan of the styles and price points that Kmart Australia is offering at the moment. There’s something for every budget. This group of items proves that storage doesn’t have to be boring or bland: Rectangle Suitcase Storage Set – Solid Colours $12.00, Box It Storage Set $24.99, Rectangle Suitcase Storage Set – pattern $24.99, HEJSAN Box file, set of 3, light blue $14.99, Pack of 2 Rectangle Plastic Food Storage Containers – 1L $2.25, Pack of 3 Square Plastic Food Storage Containers – 500ml $2.25 and Rattan Style Storage Tub – Teal $8.

Looking for more Organisation Inspiration for your WIPs then check out:

• Melissa (of Ms Midge) has written a great post about how she’s getting organised for the Farmer’s Wife 1930’s Sampler Quilt Sew-along and you can see it by clicking here.

What’s your storage tips and tricks for WIPs?

I’d love to know how you store your long term projects and what you’ve found works and doesn’t work when you’re dealing with a million different pieces, fabrics, speciality notions and orphan blocks.