Sew Wrong

Thoughts On Fabric Organization


metro textile fabric

I have to say that I’m much relieved that my move is over and I’ve settled into my new place in the past week.  Get this: in the past four years I’ve moved five times.  Crazy, right? I plan to stay for quite awhile now – it’s been a long time coming, but I finally have my own place.  A first ever!

So with that being said, I have all the closet space I could ever want all to myself.  Oh the possibilities for fabric storage!  Which got me curious – how do you store your fabric?

I found ideas online for how to store fabric like quilting cottons, etc.  I do love this idea of using a filing cabinet to organize such fabrics, but that’s not really what my stash consists of (yet…I want to seriously get into quilting this winter).  I have a lot of knits (surprise), lightweight cottons, some wool suiting, and poly dress weight fabric.  Hanging them up over a hanger is an option but it would get wrinkles.  I could ask for some leftover bolts at the fabric store or buy plastic ones, but I don’t have shelving to store them on.  My boyfriend’s mom suggested wrapping them around wrapping paper tubes (I would probably use PVC piping instead, there’s acid in cardboard) and storing them in a big wrapping paper container, an idea I like best so far from what I’ve found.

Well, I’ve got time on my side, I’m in no rush to get my crafting space organized by any means.  I even created a Pinterest board awhile ago with neat ideas I’ve found from other crafters and stitchers that I’m planning on implementing in my bedroom/craft studio (what a combination!).

What are your favorite organization ideas for sewing and crafting?

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Next on the Needles: Spring Garden Tee

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Remember this?  This is my haul from shopping at Webs!

There’s something about summer that just doesn’t motivate me to knit at the speed I do in the winter time.  I’m guessing it’s because there’s so many cute summer clothes I want to sew and I’m not really inside watching Netflix and Hulu as much as I do when it’s cold outside.  At least I have my AC installed in my window now and can knit comfortably without having to deal with sweaty hands…

Anyway, my Gemini is getting very close to the end and I’m planning on that occurring this week.  I’m travelling today to New Jersey for work and have a four hour train ride down and a four hour ride back to Boston over the course of two days, so I anticipate that there will be much knitting happening on the train.  And as any smart knitter would do, I’ve packed the yarn for my new project, the Spring Garden Tee.

I’m not that optimistic that I’ll finish knitting the tee before the summer is over, seeing that I casted (is that the proper past tense?) on for my Gemini, oh, back in May, and I’m still not finished with it.  But I just can’t bear to start my Owls sweater in that heavy, wooly Rowan Cocoon that you see in the above pic.  Maybe once September rolls around…by then I’ve caught the “autumn bug” and want everything to turn cool so I can bring out my boots and jackets and cute sweaters.  Autumn is the one good thing about New England weather.

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Knit In Public Day 2012

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Sunday my knitting group celebrated World-Wide Knit In Public Day in Davis Square.  Specifically, we sat right outside JP Licks in the square because, you know, knitting + ice cream = awesomeness.  We got a couple of looks and stares of passers-by, but nothing that we weren’t used to already from knitting at our usual spot every week.  It was such a beautiful day for knitting outside and snacking on some locally-made ice cream.

Don’t you love the “crafty bitch” bag??  Find them at Yarn Play Cafe’s etsy shop.  I want to get a “yarn snob” tote!

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On the Needles: Gemini

WIP - Gemini

Knitting is usually something I do more of during the colder months and conversely, sewing is something I do more of during the warmer months (like right now).  I always associate knitting with projects like warm and cozy sweaters and scarves, and since I like to knit primarily with wool, it makes it difficult to sit underneath a growing wooly project in the summer when there’s no AC in my apartment.  Yes, there’s cotton, but I’m not such a fan…

However, I’m absolutely in love with what I’m working with right now – Classic Elite Cotton Bam Boo.  Here’s four reasons from the label on why you should knit with Cotton Bam Boo:

  • Incredibly soft hand
  • Great stitch definition
  • Beautiful drape
  • Uses a renewable resource

So far, I agree with all of the above!  I found this yarn at Windsor Button in Boston when I went shopping with the girls from my knitting group and was searching for some kind of drapey yarn to make Gemini.  It feels soft on my hands and isn’t abrasive at all like some cottons, and although it’s a little splitty, the stitches are quite defined as you can see above.  I can tell that this is going to be comfortable and cool to wear on hot days this summer.

This is knitting up in a flash now that I’ve finished the lace, increases, and divided the sleeves from the body. I had to start this five times because of stupid mistakes like twisting the beginning of the round – rookie mistakes, yeesh!  But now that all of the “complicated” parts are done, it’s smooth sailing from here just knitting rounds and rounds of stockinette, great for TV watching or chatting at knit night.  This is definitely a project I’ll finish in time to wear this summer.

BTW – I’m a big Jane Richmond fan!  Check out her original designs on her site and her blog for tutorials.

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Yarn Shopping in Boston – Windsor Button

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What could be better than a Saturday afternoon out with friends to shop for yarn?  That’s exactly how I spent this past Saturday with the girls from my knitting group, an idea that came about due to the fact that one of the girls in our group had never been to Windsor Button in Boston (funny enough, she didn’t make it.  We still love you, Paula!).  And then I thought, wouldn’t this be the start of a great series to blog about:  Yarn Shopping in Boston!

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Windsor Button is a crafting gem tucked away between Downtown Crossing and the Commons on Temple Place.  Its outside is completely unassuming and is easy to pass by if you don’t know of what kinds of odds and ends you’ll find inside.  One of the girls in my group shared that a LYS turned up its nose about it when mentioning it to her, and she assumed that the kind of yarn that Windsor Button sold was Red Heart and Caron.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.

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Sure, at first glance, it reminds you of an old school mom-and-pop type of crafting store that don’t seem to exist anymore (thanks, Walmart).  But once you start exploring, it’s more than that: they have everything from Malabrigo and Rowan to Plymouth and Lion Brand.  I was stunned on my first trip about the selection of Twinkle Soft Chunky I found hiding in the bulky yarn section.  They also have a great assortment of craft supplies for sewing, like zippers and interfacing, along with a whole wall of trims, beading supplies, floral arrangment items, and embroidery floss.

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And it isn’t called “Windsor Button” for no reason – check out that wall of buttons!  The staff is super nice and friendly, and more than happy to pull down a box of buttons from the wall for you to paw through and find the perfect button.  One of my friends ended up finding just the right navy blue buttons with anchors for a sweater she’s currently working on.  They were also really accommodating when we asked multiple times for them to check to see if they had more of a certain color or dye lot in stock.  It’s not easy keeping up with a group of yarn-hungry girls!

Pros:

  • Great yarn selection and prices – we found Classic Elite, Noro, Brown Sheep, Crystal Palace, Rowan, Debbie Bliss, Malabrigo, Katia, Berroco, Nashua Hand Knits…the list goes on and on.  
  • Wide range of needle selection – Susan Bates, Clover, and Addi Turbo (ask for them, they’re at the counter)
  • Friendly and knowledgeable staff – they helped us out with opinions on which buttons to pick and advice on how much Soak solution to use for one sweater.
  • If you have other crafty interests (who doesn’t) they probably have stuff for you as well

Cons:

  • If you like cotton, you’ll have a hard time finding what you want – I found the cotton I needed for a sweater, but their selection is mostly wooly-based.  Which is a pro if you like wool!
  • It’s a little musty – but hey, they’ve been around since 1936
  • Early hours – they close at 6 PM just about each day and are closed on Sundays

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35 Temple Place 
Boston, MA 02111
617-482-4969

Taking the T:   Green or Red Line to Park Street, Orange Line to Downtown Crossing, Silver Line to Temple Place 
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