Thank you Martha Stewart!

Thank you dear readers and friends for all your lovely comments about my scissor display.  I love organizing my stash almost as much as stitching it that's for sure.   I've been keeping all my patterns in 2 file drawers in my office/sewing/stitching room for probably 10 years.  The drawers kept getting more and more tightly packed with stash acquisitions to the point it was getting difficult to pull out patterns let alone squeeze any more in. I couldn't get to any in the back without pulling out a bunch of folders first to get my hands back in there.

Of course I COULD quit buying more patterns but let's face it - that's not going to happen!  I decided it was time to make some room.  I know a lot of stitchers keep their patterns in binders, but although I've got most of my patterns in those see-through page protectors I never had used binders.  I took a look at what I had and decided that I could make more room by (1) putting my 2 bulging file folders of Prairie Schooler charts in binders, and (2) finding a place for all those half-size patterns (the ones that are sized like the LHN ones).  I thought maybe I could find half-size page protectors to fit those patterns and get some of those smaller ring binders to hold them. 

So off I went to check out Staples office supply store.  They do make half-size page protectors I found out and so  got a few bulk packs of those (they were about $5.49 for 25 - Staples own brand).......then I started looking at the vinyl binders to fit that size. WHOA - these binders, even the cheapest ones, were like $7-8 apiece.  This was not going to work out if I had to pay that kind of price.  Just then I noticed a clearance rack.  They had a bunch of Martha Stewart branded office supplies marked way down.  I found out from the cashier later that since Martha has a new line out, they were closing out some of her older stuff.  Well there was a stack of binders - not vinyl but very nice - and also cute adhesive label holders. The binders were 50 cents each!  I grabbed every aqua and brown one they had plus the little label packs for a dollar, and I got 14 binders in all.  What a steal!!   I didn't even need that many binders but I couldn't pass up a deal like this.

I put all the patterns that would fit into these little binders, putting 2 patterns in each page protector.  Martha Stewart also makes various sizes of page protectors so I got a small pack that would fit some of the tiny patterns.   I'm real happy with it all and now I have more room in my file drawers.  As Martha would say, it's a good thing!

I do have some progress to show you on the Humble Servant Sampler.  It's coming along well and I'm enjoying this project a lot.

Shakespeare's Peddler - Jenny Bean Humble Servant Sampler

who doesn't love a purple cow??

My next project is figuring out a better way to store all this DMC floss - it's taking up too much room!