Tuesday, October 4, 2011

How To Organize A Big Pile Of Floss ?

I know.  I know. 
After seeing my recent post about organized quilt fabric, you would THINK 
that my embroidery floss would be neatly color coded and wrapped on bobbins.    


Well.... no.
The skeins just get stuffed into a wooden sewing box 
and I have to dump them all out and sort them to find the color I want to use.  


Some folks buy little plastic bobbins from the store.
(But I'm trying to use less plastic.)
Others said they cut their own bobbins from scrap cardboard.
(recycled cereal boxes, etc...)
One friend told me she used a deck of cards.
How do you organize your floss?

Look at THESE cute bobbins from "sugarcookie" on Etsy!


Until I figure out what I want to do, 
I will just have to dive into my big pile of floss and hope I don't get too tangled.

27 comments:

  1. Very nice collection! That'll get you through the winter I hope.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh so beatiful i like so much kisses for you ♥♥♥

    ReplyDelete
  3. Holy smokes you have thread.....my goodness all those pretty colors!

    ReplyDelete
  4. There are also cardboard bobbins - I use two together for strength. I can cut them out of cereal boxes - put to together with the colored sides touching and you don't have to worry about the color. I also take the waxed paper out of the cereal box and use it just like you would use waxed paper from the roll. Wrap a sandwich, use to flatten hamburgers, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I went to an estate sale and snatched up 3 beautifully organized plastic floss cases. Expertly wound and labeled. It has been hard not to follow the lead I have been given. I am not a plastic bin lover either. My kids always laugh because we have more recyclables than trash. Love those Etsy finds...smiles...Renee

    ReplyDelete
  6. The look very pretty just the way they are. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for all your lovely comments on my blog! It's been a busy fall so far! I'm not much of an embroiderer, but those animal holders are adorable!...But would take up too much space. I like to use vintage metal trays to organize my other projects, but they probably wouldn't be big enough? Maybe worth a try?
    Enjoy this wonderful weather we're having!
    Brenda...the Farmer's Dotter

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sadly, I don't do embroidery, every time I have tried it just looked like a sad mess. - Love the little animal holders from Etsy..how cute!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh look at all those beautiful colours......what a lovely collection Gayle.
    Those bobbins from sugar cookie, are soooo cute.

    I wind my thread onto cardboard holders that I bought years ago,long before people talked about recycling. I still have quite a few to use before I need anymore. Then they are stored in a plastic box made for embroidery thread....nothing terribly interesting.
    Have gotten myself in too many tangles not to wind it onto a bobbin before I start using it.

    Have fun with all that thread. Are you planning on doing some embroidery? Your work certainly is lovely.

    Claire :}

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a lovely rainbow of colours you have in embroidery floss! I have been making some poms poms out of tapestry thread..I must admit I have them just shoved in a bubble envelope 9one day I will get more organized) I love the little dog bobbin though, that is just adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Such pretty colors-I know you'll figure out something creative to organize with!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi,
    Sorry to admit, I am one of those plastic bobbin people. Never even thought twice about it. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I have two plastic (there we go again, that plastic) lol! containers. I think you have alot more than that girl! Those animal thread bobbins are too cute!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I like your idea of just sorting through your collection until you've decided for sure how you want to organize the embroidery thread, Gayle. No need to do the job twice.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow lots of thread there...I have the same problem. several years back I had purchased a case and for the life of me don't know where it went to. it was kind of nice. It had cardboard thingy s to wrap the thread on. The animals are adorable but I can't imagine a hundred of them..

    ReplyDelete
  15. At least yours still looks pretty! To each it's own! LOL! Pretty colors!

    ReplyDelete
  16. At the present time, my floss is in a somewhat organized state. I remember a time when all the floss was a tangled mess, but when I learned to do cross stitch work, the floss was wound around little cardboard "bobbins" with the color numbers written on them. I try to organize by color.

    Your thread collection is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I too have a lot of floss and years ago bought a bunch of plastic cards to store them on. However, I too, have been seriously reducing my use of plastic. I have them so I would rather use them then toss them. I was thinking two things you could do- one- if you have a jump ring you could loop them on that or one of those pony tail organizers. or wrap them around used thread spools- either vintage (wood) or ones that are new and empty. Just some thoughts. Please post what you decide.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I have done the cardboard holders for open skeins & kit leftovers and organized the full skeins into numbered plastic snack bags in shoe boxes. But then, I love organized and being able to find the colors easily for a chart.I love the animal holders as well...but wouldn't get them as they would be too hard to neatly organize. Probably more expensive for a lot as well.
    Good luck! Share with us when you decide what to do!
    Ruth

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow...what a colorful problem!

    I haven't used 'floss' since I married almost 39 years ago. Seems I don't sit still well.

    Even with bloggin' I'll catch four post...go do something active then come back for four more. Four's my limit...just sayin'....Heehehehe!

    God bless ya and have a magnificent day sweeite!!! :o)

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am an organizational freak, not about my craft room but definitely about supplies and most especially my floss. I got myself some little plastic baggies at a flea market. The are about 2 " by 3" I put a stick on each one with the number on it. AND then found a large plastic box to put them in, in order. I know too much plastic however I already had the box and the little baggies can be used again and again.
    It is such a pleasure to be able to find the right numbers when I need them. My biggest problem seems to be putting then back after I am finiahed with a project. (LOL)

    ReplyDelete
  21. I tried the plastic bobbins, but most of the time I just throw it in my sewing basket!

    xo
    Claudia

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh I love the little animal winders! SO SO SO cute. I love to embroider and have pretty much switched over the the little balls of embroidery thread.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Love to see piles of thread like that! I do get mine rather tangled sometimes when I'm busy sewing a sampler and picking and choosing colours....at the end of the project I try to have a thread tidy up. Yours look just fine there, very neat and orderly!
    Helen x

    ReplyDelete
  24. Cute! I use the plastic bobbins. I can appreciate the "green" thing, so maybe one of these days I'll think of something else too! I have a friend that put some of hers on those chip board cut outs you can buy, like stars and flower shapes.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Come see how I organized my floss. I like it.
    http://gumbo-lily.blogspot.com/2009/11/little-boxes-solve-big-mess.html

    Jody

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thank you so so much for showing my Flossy Embroidery Floss Bobbins on this post. :) Nice to hear so many organizing solutions, too.

    ReplyDelete

THANK YOU for your thoughtful comments. Replies to your questions will be posted here, so be sure to check back soon. Have a wonderful day! - Gayle, Garden Of Daisies