Everyone has their own idea about the best way to store their floss. Well, there are beginners out there still searching for their best way so I thought I'd share mine. I start with a full skein of DMC floss.
I start by labeling a floss bag and adding a 3x5 index card inside. The index card makes the floppy bag stand up, plus, I can see the thread color easier on top of the white card. I hole punch the card where it's punched in the bag. 
The small "DMC" label gets removed and tossed into my band-jar. OCD, I can't help it. I save the long numbered band. I open the skein, doing this carefully so I don't get tangles.
Then I unwind the entire skein, putting the two ends together. Using one hand to hold the ends I carefully pull the threads through my fingers to fold it into halves. Then fold it in half again and in half one more time.
This should give you a folded length with eight equal strands. It's about 38 inches long, give or take.
Snip the loops on each end. Now you have eight cut thread lengths.
I remove one thread length to start working with and fold up the rest and slip it back into the numbered band. As I stitch, if I end up with short threads that can still be used, I tuck these bits in the bag on the back side of the index card.
My floss bags get filed away in my floss cabinet (seen HERE, scroll down.) When I kit up a project with lots of colors these index card file boxes (in the picture) are very handy. The index card in the bag make them stand up straight. This box here contains the colors for Crabby All Year.
When I have only a few colors to use the bags get threaded on rings. These are the threads for this quarter's Crabby blocks.Now, you might want your lengths cut shorter than I have shown here. I use the loop method start so the 38 inch thread is perfect for me. I like to have all my threads cut right off as it eliminates running short if you just pull some out and go. I used to end up with 5 or 6 inch bits at the end of a skein before I started using this method.
I've added a poll in the sidebar for you to vote on the fabric for Snapper Year. I can't promise to use what is picked...but it's fun ~ go vote!
Thank you for visiting my blog today!
xox
33 comments:
It's really good to see how creative other stitchers get, TFS!
Wow! You are so organized! I love the idea of the cards and the floss bags. Very smart.
Your floss storage cabinet is fantastic. I would have never thought of a CD storage cabinet!
DMC - check
Plastic bags - check
Labels - check
Rings - check
Precut thread - nope
http://threadsofdesire.blogspot.com/2007/03/organized-not-so-much.html
Toddled over to your blog from Clare's craftroom, was rather entranced by your 'followers' button of the dancing cow.
The floss storage system is brilliant. Will have to spread the word to my needlework group.
...........love the dancing cow.
An excellent way to store the floss, I still use the bobbins and the plastic containers and it's working for me so far :) If I ever get more room I will rethink this.
I wish I was that organized! I started (many moons ago) with the floss bobbins because that was really all that was available. I would love to reorganize mine using your method but oh how long that would take. (not to mention how it would detract from my stitching time.
I am seriously impressed. That is far too clever. Would you like to come to AZ and organize my threads and then when your done - in the spring - come home to Canada and organize those?
Wow what a great idea. I never thought to organize my floss like this. Thanks for sharing.
That is an excellent way to store your floss!
That is a brilliant way of doing things. Thank you for sharing. I'm going to do it "your way" from now on when I add to my DMC stash.
This is awesome! I'm definitely going to try to adopt this for my floss storage. I have floss bags, and index cards are no big deal, and I'm pretty sure I have some random 3x5 boxes around too. YAY! I'm very visual so I think this would be a great system for me. I might even put the floss in the card box without the lid, so I can "see" all my colors ...
Great way to store your floss - I use plastic bobbins and 'file' them numerically in the plastic bobbin container.
What a great way of storing threads! I'm using bobbins at the moment and just the thought of how long it would take to change over makes me cringe LOL. I love your floss cabinet, it's perfect.
I'm ashamed to admit I just chuck all my skeins and part skeins in a tin. I DO have seperate tines for each different brand though...
Great way to store floss if you have the room. 4 boxes of wound bobbins is my method since it takes up the least amount of room in my small quarters.
Now, that is what I call organized, Sharon! As a librarian--I just love this system--reminds me of the old card catalog :)
plastic bobbins and lots of floss boxes all in numerical order for me - am really impressed with your system though - am liking those little bags!
Great idea!
I wish i would of seen this sooner.
Very organised, I love my bobbins!!
Good idea,I need to get my threads sorted one day.....I never seem to get round to it.
What a great way to organiz your floss.
I have my threads on bobbins in special big boxes...Sill don't have a the DMC floss, so they aren't full yet
This is a very neat way to store your threads! I don't use bobbins either but just keep mine as full skeins. When I have bits left over, I just loop them around the end of the skein :o)
I use the little snack bags and index cards too, but I never thought of cutting all the floss from the start. What a great idea!
What a great way to store floss
I just want to go upstairs and drag all my floss out and sort it! You just verify that we cross stitchers are a bit OCD! but I love it. I followed the link to the cabinet too and love it. Thus goofy little floss cards we have all used then to get tattered and all worn out. You have a great method that I may have to imitate! Thanks for sharing.
How neat! I wish I could be organized!
OMG I think an angel told me to look at your blog today!
I moved from california to las vegas a few years ago and i had to get rid of my filing box for my threads so ever since they have been packed in a jumbo diaper box so when i have a new project i have to go thru it and look for the color i need one by one ... so eventually i just started buying the threads for each project knowing I already had them
last night i was sooooo ready to throw the darn box in the trash and start over
but noooo this is so easy and fast and organized! i am so stealing your idea!! thanks
Wow. I love the way you store your floss. Makes life a lot easier and saves a lot of time when you are stitching. Will have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
A very intelligent way to store your floss. Like it.
You are so organised! May have to pinch this idea & finally get my threads under control! LOL :0)
Daffycat, you have inspired me to get organised (I actually did my own organising today because of you!). With this article you have gained a new follower, where have you been my whole life!!
Thanks for the great blog!
Very cool way to organise your floss. I have bobbins and plastic box for my current project but for long term storage I think I might steal your idea. Absolutely brilliant.
By the way, what are the bags you use? I thought the Floss-A-way bags only had the one hole in them?
Interesting method. Looks very organized, time consuming too; but perhaps less so if you're using your floss all the time, as you wouldn't be looking for numbers all the time.
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