THREADS, BEADS, and "DOO-DAHS"!!!
How to keep them organized!!!

I believe that this is an age-old question. Haven't you at one time or another had a huge "nest" of tangled threads that you had no choice but to throw away...well, unless you wanted to spend your stitching time separating them all. I have!

I am sure that one of the first organizational tools was a wooden bobbin or disc, it would have held one or two threads and they would have been hanked onto it. Then they became works of art, carved from precious wood, ivory, bone, abalone, perle or other delicate mediums that could be found. If you had a number of thread colors perhaps you would have selected a wooden paddle with many holes whittled out of it. We have such an item available to us today. There is a similar holder out of Plexiglas. This is very nice for kits. You can write the color number and symbol for the thread on a piece of card stock that slips in and out of the holder.

This isn't my favorite way to store full skeins of thread, though, as you must cut them to secure them on. Full skeins will tend to "ruffle apart" on the cut ends. Full skeins work very well on plastic or cardboard bobbins. You can place the color number in the upper corners and then line these in numerical order in a storage box. When I am working on a project I like to tie the chosen colors together with a pretty ribbon bow. This is a good way to store your cotton threads.
As for silks and synthetics, the floss bags are good. These threads don't need to "breathe" so they are suited for the bags. Remember; don't leave any of your threads, in any type of storage system, in sunlight!!

One company has all of its threads on cardboard cards. Another metallic comes on spools, and then there are beads, charms and buttons. I like to put the charms and buttons in plastic containers that have dividers in them. There are many choices and some of the best are in hardware stores.

BEADS can get out of control the moment they are opened! To open the plastic boxes tap, tap, tap on the top (to break the static electricity) and then carefully slit the paper wrapper on both sides. Lift the top gently and I assure you they won't go flying all over the place! Then you can choose all kinds of systems, as they never go back into the package!!!

Keeping all of these items orderly will give you many years of embroidery enjoyment. (Plus, it will keep all of your thread and "doo-dahs" nests under control!)

Still Stitching,
Susan Greening Davis
The “Original Gadget Gal”
Check out Susan’s web site to see where you can study with her.
www.susangreeningdavis.com