sewing needles

A well-organized sewing room or dedicated sewing space can be the key to a productive and enjoyable sewing experience. From neatly storing fabrics and notions to creating a good workflow, a functional workspace allows you to focus on your creative projects without the frustration of clutter! This blog post will explore practical tips and tricks for organizing your sewing room, innovative storage solutions, and space-saving ideas. Get ready to transform your sewing space into a haven of creativity and efficiency!

Start Evaluating and Decluttering:

Start your sewing room organization journey by evaluating your current setup and decluttering unnecessary items. Sort through your fabrics, threads, and notions, and donate or discard anything you no longer need or use. By minimizing clutter, you’ll create more space and make finding and accessing the supplies you truly need easier.

Plan Your Fabric Storage:

Proper storage of fabrics is essential for easy access and preservation. We’ve gathered a few tips for getting your storage well organized.

Categorize and Sort: Start by categorizing your fabric based on different criteria, such as color, fabric type, or project type. This will make finding the fabric you need easier when starting a new project.
Use Clear Containers or Bins: Store your fabric in clear plastic containers or bins. This lets you see the contents at a glance, saving time and effort when searching for specific fabrics.
Fold and Label: Fold your fabric neatly and uniformly to maximize space and prevent wrinkles. Use labels or tags to identify the fabric type, color, yardage, or other relevant details. This makes it easier to locate specific fabrics without unfolding everything.
Vertical Storage: Consider storing your fabric vertically rather than horizontally. This method saves space and allows you to easily browse through the fabric stacks without disturbing the neatly folded fabrics.
Utilize Shelving or Cubbies: Install shelves or use cubbies to store your fabric. These provide a dedicated space for each fabric category and help organize your sewing room. You can even sort fabrics by size or project type within each shelf or cubby.

Organize Your Notions and Tools:

Organizing notions and tools in your sewing and quilting room is essential for maintaining a functional and efficient workspace. Start by grouping similar items, such as needles, pins, and buttons. Utilize clear plastic containers, small jars, or compartmentalized organizers to store these smaller items, ensuring they are easily accessible and visible. Consider using a pegboard or wall-mounted tool organizer to hang scissors, rulers, and other frequently used tools, keeping them within reach and saving valuable workspace.

Designate specific shelves or drawers for larger tools like cutting mats and rotary cutters to keep them safely stored and neatly organized. Additionally, labeling containers or using clear bins for items like zippers, ribbons, and trims can make it quick and easy to find what you need. By implementing a well-thought-out organization system, you’ll streamline your sewing and quilting process and have a clutter-free environment that inspires creativity!

Organizing Those Threads and Bobbins:

Practical thread and bobbin organization in your sewing and quilting room is crucial for a smooth and efficient workflow. To keep your threads easily accessible and neatly arranged, consider using a thread rack or spool holder. These can be mounted on the wall or placed on a table or shelf, providing a convenient display of your thread collection. Group threads by color or type, allowing for quick identification and selection. Alternatively, you can store threads in clear plastic containers or drawers, protecting them from dust and light exposure.

To keep your bobbins organized, use a bobbin storage case or tray specifically designed for holding bobbins securely in place. This prevents them from unwinding and tangling. You can also match bobbins with corresponding thread spools, storing them together to easily locate the appropriate combination when needed. By implementing an effective thread and bobbin organization system, you’ll save time and frustration, allowing for a more enjoyable sewing and quilting experience.

Creating Your Workflow:

Creating an efficient workflow in your sewing and quilting room is essential for maximizing productivity and enjoying a seamless creative process! Start by organizing your workspace in a way that suits your working style. Arrange your sewing machine, cutting table, and ironing station in a seamless layout, and ensure easy access to all your needed tools and materials. Consider setting up your own assembly line for different stages of the process! Such as cutting, piecing, and assembly, to keep everything organized and efficient.

Next, establish a workflow that works best for you! Start by planning your projects in advance. Gather your fabric, confirm your pattern, and have your cutting instructions ready. With a clear roadmap, you can avoid unnecessary interruptions or backtracking during the creative process.

Prioritize tasks and break your sewing down into manageable steps! This allows you to focus on one project piece at a time, cutting fabric, sewing seams, or ironing. Remember to declutter and tidy your workspace to maintain a clear and inspiring workspace. By creating an efficient workflow tailored to your needs, you’ll be able to fully immerse yourself in your sewing and quilting projects, resulting in beautifully crafted creations!

Inspiring and Personalized Decor:

Create an inspiring environment in your sewing room by adding personal touches and decorative elements. Display finished projects, hang inspirational quotes, or place around artwork that sparks your creativity. Look into incorporating good lighting to avoid eye strain during your project creation. Maybe add a pinboard or corkboard to pin inspiration, project ideas, or fabric swatches!

A well-organized sewing room is a haven for creativity and productivity. By implementing the tips and tricks in this blog post, you can create a functional and inspiring workspace that enhances your sewing experience. From efficient fabric storage to optimizing workflow and adding personal touches, these strategies will help you maximize your sewing space and enjoy a clutter-free environment. Embrace the joy of organization and watch your sewing projects flourish in a space designed for creativity and efficiency. Happy sewing!

When creating, you may wonder, what needle should I use on my machine and project? Today we will give you a lesson on needles and what you need to know before you start sewing your next idea. Understanding what needle you need will help you create without the mess of skipped stitches, a thread coming loose, a pucker in your fabric, and so much more. Let’s start from the bottom and work up to picking the right needle.

How do you read the needle size?

Depending on your fabric, you’ll want to find a needle that can puncture the fabric well but not tear it when you are sewing.

The needle size ranges from small to large, and each sewing machine needle will have two numbers etched onto it. Usually separated by a slash, these numbers determine whether it is a heavy-duty needle. 60/8, for example, is a lightweight needle suitable for cotton. At the same time, 90/14 is a heavyweight needle good for vinyl.

Now what do those numbers mean exactly? The first number is measured in the European/Number Metric (NM)/International system, for example, the 60 in 60/8. The metric number usually increases by 5 or 10 when you need to size up your needle for heavier fabric. Home sewing machine needle’s most common metric size is between 60 and 130.

The second number is measured in the American/U.S./Singer/Imperial system, for example, the 8 in 60/8. For your home sewing machine, the most common imperial size needed is between 8 and 21, and the needle sizes usually increase by 1 or 2.

How do you choose the right needle?

There are a few brand options for sewing machine needles, but today we will discuss Organ needles. When choosing a needle, our best recommendation is to pick the smallest one possible for the fabric you’re working with. Needles will leave holes in your fabrics as it goes, so you want to minimize the view of them.

Now know you’ll need to find the right needle for your fabric, we’ve compiled a list of fabrics and the recommended organ needle size to use when creating.

Fine Fabric: Silk, chiffon, and lace

Silk 55/7; Microtex 60/8 and 70/10

Lightweight Fabric: Cotton or spandex

Universal 80/12; Jersey 70/10 or 75/11; Super Stretch 75/11

Medium-Weight Fabric: Linen, fleece, velvet

Universal 80/12 or 90/14; Jersey 90/14; Super Stretch 90/14

Heavyweight Fabric: Leather, canvas, denim

Jeans (blue shank) 90/14 and 100/16

Very Heavyweight Fabric: upholstery or heavy denim

Titanium 90/14; Jeans (blue shank) 110/18

For all needles, including Organ needles, these are things to keep in mind:

Universal Needle is the most commonly used needle on a home sewing machine. It can be used on woven fabrics, synthetics, and knit fabrics. A universal needle should use polyester, cotton, or silk threads.
Ball Point Needle: with a rounded tip on the needle, this is commonly used for rib knits, interlock, cotton knits, fleece, double knit, and most knit fabrics. This is because the ballpoint pushes the fabric fibers apart rather than cutting them, preventing stitch runs.
Stretch Needle: with a scarf tip, this needle allows the hook to pass by and prevent skipped stitches when working on fabrics like stretch knits, silk jerseys, or spandex.
Jean Needle: You might have noticed above that Organ recommends a jean needle when working on denim material; this is because the very sharp point on the Jean needle can handle that firm fabric and cleanly pierce through. You can also use this on heavy canvas fabric or home décor linens. This is a perfect moment to study your thread too! If you’re working with threads like 100% polyester or heavier top stitching threads, this needle will help you create easier.
Sharp Needle: Quilters might know about this one. A sharp needle can penetrate through multiple layers of fabrics, like for quilting creations that involve several layers of cotton and padding. Helpful for preventing skipped stitches and needles breaking, a shark needle is an excellent needle to have no hand.
Quilting Needle: Quilters can also get the traditional quilter needles created for penetrating several layers of fabrics in projects. You will notice that quilter needles are a little shorter than Sharp needles. Choose the best needle size for your needs!

Remember, the thread you’re using for your sewing project will also determine the type of needle you choose! For example, if you’re creating with a fine thread, you’ll want to use a small needle size to reduce the thread from falling out the eye of the needle. Also, remember that the lighter the fabric, the smaller the needle size, and the heavier the fabric, the larger the needle size.

We hope this helps you create your next project as you use the right needle on your creation! To learn more about Organ needles, visit here.

Tag: sewing needles

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