The other day someone asked what I do when I use some of the DMC colors from my collection. I want to always have every color in one storage case so when I take something from there, I have to be careful to put a new skein back or . . I won’t have all the colors.
In this post, I talked about how I store the DMC floss. This wasn’t my first attempt at organizing DMC floss but this one is working well. These are the boxes I use:
That box, with the printed labels on each container is my “master” DMC box and it should always have every color in it. I have another box just like it but I’ve written numbers on the outside of the smaller boxes with a Sharpie. As I order DMC floss for whatever reason, so long as it isn’t to replace a skein in the Master Box, those extra skeins go into the second box. When I need floss for a project, I start in the second box. All that floss can be used and not replaced but anything I take out of the Master Box has to be replaced.
The photo below is the called for floss for the project for Addie’s pillow. The floss that has a check on the right side is floss I found in my second box. The floss that has a mark on the left side is floss I pulled from the Master Box and that all has to be replaced.
Hopefully soon I will get by Hobby Lobby and stock up on what I’ve used from the Master List, as well as some DMC I need for a couple of future projects.
I hope all this makes sense. It works for me . . at least for now.
Cindy F says
I like your system! The other day I was thinking I need to do something to keep track of what I’m using and what I need to buy. I’ve been keeping all my floss wound on cards and would pull the cards for each project. That worked well when I only had one project going at a time. Now I have 4 going and I’m sure to add others as time goes by. I also started kitting up charts so they are ready to stitch. That of course means I sometimes need multiple skeins of the same color. Now I’ve been buying other brands of floss and also questioning if I want to continue to wind the floss on those little cards. I’m seeing the appeal of not winding the floss as I’ve used some of the brands that come in convenient lengths. I need to figure out where and how I would store the floss if I decide to keep the floss in lengths. I must be headed in that direction as the other day I was in JoAnn’s and bought a couple of the rings….lol Oh….and I bought the card from Hobby Lobby that shows all the DMC colors so I guess I’m going to inventory my stash at some point to see what I don’t have.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I have the little wooden stick that is used to measure the floss (wrap it around and then cut and you get 18″ lengths). That’s what I put on the floss drops and then I write the number on the cardstock. When I finish a project, I leave the floss on the drop and put the floss, in numerical order on rings and hang them in the closet so when I need floss, I always check to see if there’s already that color on a drop. I hope this makes sense. Sometimes when I’m trying to explain things, I know it’s hard to understand.
Cindy F says
Thanks for the info! Your explanation makes sense. Floss drops…lol I knew they had a name but I couldn’t recall it.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I’m so full of worthless information, right? 🙂