Suggestions for Storing Floss

[sajehill]

Since rejoining the cross stitching world, I have purchased a set of Gentle Arts & my husband bought me a set of WDW. Yes, he's a keeper : ) Anyway, I am wondering how best to store them. I read somewhere that threading them on large binder rings works well. You can hang the rings & see all your pretty threads hanging down. That seems to be a better idea than storing them in a box where you'd have to dig through them to find what you're looking for ... but what do I know.

The thing is, how do I store them? Having them follow each other numerically makes sense since if a pattern calls for specific numbers, I'd know just where to find them. However, for designing purposes it seems to make more sense to store them in color families.

Feedback please???

Blessings,
Shirlee
http://farmhouseponderings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank

[Nachstenliebe]

I store them numerically on stitch bows.. If you're big into designing I suppose it would make sense to group colors together Personally I would just invest in a color chart
Faith

[Mrs Milkybar Kid]

I've been wondering the same thing about storing my speciality threads too. I store them in alphabetical order with each brand on a seperate ring and was thinking about using floss away bags (I don't have full sets - yet!) so will be interested to see what others do.

[debupnorth]

I store mine on large binder rings, about 25-35 per ring, in alphabetical order because not all of them came with numbers (seperate rings for the various brands). Then I use a metal shower curtain ring to connect 2 rings together and hang them all from hooks in my cross stitch closet.

I'm not lucky enough to have whole collections, so I've printed off the color lists for each brand and marked which ones I do have (makes it so much easier to see at a glance if I have what a chart is calling for & to take with me when shopping). I've thought about arranging by color family, but it seemed like too many decisions to have to make & too time consuming - I'd rather be stitching!

Deb

[rcperryls]

I bookmarked this topic. Up to now I have mostly just dealt with haveing to store DMC floss (easy - bobbins and floss bags for extras not yet on bobbins) and I have a sewing box that is for krenik spools (I have a lot because of a sale years ago when AC Moore stopped carrying them.). But I have been wondering how to store the newer threads I am starting to get. Definitely looking forward to seeing what ya'll do.

Carole

[mechie]

I don't have too many specialty threads, so for now they are just stacked in a box so I'll be looking at other peoples suggestions for that. However, it seems that most charts I've come across call for wdw and Gentle Arts colors by name not number, so I've been keeping mine in alphabetical order.

mechie

[MaggieM1750]

I use the StitchBow system. I don't have many skeins that are not DMC.. maybe 10. So I just wrap them around a bow. They are all in a sleeve in the back. One I have has pre-cut thread, I think it is the Belle Soie silk. That one I have in a floss bag.

[sajehill]

Thank you ... I really appreciate the suggestions! I like the binder ring idea so I think I'm going to do that & organize the threads in alphabetical order keeping brands separate. This sounds like a good weekend project With my DMC threads in the pat I made little labels with numbers on them ... maybe 4-6 numbers ... & then I put the corresponding skeins into Ziploc sandwich bags. Then I put the bags in numerical order & filed them into a plastic shoe box. I had 2 (or maybe it was 3) shoe boxes for the whole set. This was if I needed a certain number skein, I'd just go through the filing system to fetch it I do remember having a color chart for the DMC so I'll have to invest in another one of those. Didn't realize that GA & WDW had color charts as well. Gotta get those : )

Blessings,
Shirlee
http://farmhouseponderings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank

[rcperryls]

I am so glad I bookmarked this topic. Do the stitchbows work well for silk and/or satin floss. My instinct is that the bobbins (which I love using for my regular DMC floss) aren't good for these specialty flosses. right now I have the few satin skeins in a ziplock and that is easy. but if I decide to expand my specialty stash I am thinking that the stitchbows would work, except labeling could be a problem. I'm not sure of the best way to do this. typically, I cut a length of thread (all of the strands) and then use up that length before cutting the next one. Its easy with bobbins, because the unused thread can just be wrapped around the bobbin till the next time. Do you just cut the strand you need each time from the whole skein?
Is my question making sense? It is almost giving me a headache to think about what I am getting into here.

Carole
going to go really give myself a headache and see how smyrna crosses work!

[MaggieM1750]

This is a skein I have with me today. When I cut a length off the skein, I wrap the leftovers around the end.
As for labeling specialty skeins, I just cut the tag and either tape it to the bow, or slip the tag in the pocket.

[rcperryls]

Doesn't look bad. I don't know what would happen to satin and silk floss on a bobbin. I might try this and see.
thank you.

Carole

[Vega]

I use the stitch bow system without the holders.

Basically I put the skein in the plastic sheets the way it comes from the store. I use a pen to open the pocket up. That makes sliding the skein in easier. Sometimes I have to use the pen against (not the ink side) to pull them out without losing the top wrapper inside of the sleeve.

[sajehill]

I spent some time yesterday putting my DMC skeins in order & organizing them in the filing system I used in the past which I mentioned previously. I made little labels with 6 DMC color numbers on each label, ascending order of course. Then I put each label on a Ziploc sandwich baggie & placed the corresponding skeins into the baggies. Next I closed up the baggies, folded them in half, & filed them in a plastic shoe box. It's sort of like the old library card catalog filing system. You just need to go through the baggies to easily choose the floss numbers you need!





I've got my GA & WDW skeins currently on large binder rings hanging from my diningroom chandelier. Nothing Better Homes & Gardens is going to approve of, I'm sure. I need to put one of those spring-type curtain rods in the closet upstairs if I'm going to stick with this filing method. I like it but there's something about it I don't like. I'm not sure what that is. Maybe it's just the chandelier thing ... lol!

Blessings,
Shirlee
http://farmhouseponderings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank

[carolanne]

Sajehill, I like this. I currently use rings to hold floss in numerical order and it works pretty well but it is bulky. I was wanting to use a set of drawers that are already in the house to put the floss in, but thought the rings groups were too bulky to fit the drawers. My floss is already in little bags with a hole in the corner for the ring. So, maybe I can just remove the ring. Hmmm. I was planning on putting the drawers in a cabinet that I just recently decided would be a good spot for floss. Currently the floss rings are in all sorts of boxes, I did mark the boxes with the group numbers. Well, I'll have to look at my stuff again and see it this might work.

[carolanne]

Sajehill, I just looked at your blog. If I weren't afraid the environmental control people and safety experts would show up and shut down my "laundry room" affectionately called the black hole of Calcutta,if I posted a picture. I would feel bad about your laundry room but can't work it up, but I do sympathize with a crawl space furnace that needs filter changes, that is UGH!!!!

[stitchingmae]

I use a similar system.
I use the floss away bags though and a file card to make the bags stiffer.


one skein in a floss away bag...with the number on the card


The bags in the shoe box.

I have right now a total of four shoe boxes.

Then I have a lovely list on my computer that Dwitt helped me make that keeps track of what color and how many skeins of each that I have!