How to Organize Your Thread

I have been collecting more thread with almost every new project. I’ve also benefited from having friends that don’t sew (much) but offer up their threads for my collection. Subsequently, I have assembled a jumbled drawer of miscellaneous threads and bobbins.

It doesn’t look too bad in the photo actually, but it is really not functional.  Most of the time it was hard to see the colour of the threads since they are at the wrong angle.  Without a light directly on the thread, it was hard to discern the navy blue from black, especially since they are on similar spool sizes.  Further, this takes up a lot of prime drawer real estate.  But they had to be accessible since I switch and change often.

I could see that the current solution was quickly going to hit a wall. Not many more threads would fit in there.  Further now that I am the proud operator of both a serger and coverstitch in addition to my regular sewing machine, I could need as many as 9 spools of a single colour per project or it is re-threading insanity. Something had to be done!

The Rack! (please read in a gravelly voice and evil grin-thanks)

I see these types of racks a lot and figured I would make one myself one day – maybe this summer. Well, as my threads issue escalated, I decided making all those tiny pegs might be just a bit too tedious and this seemed a reasonable price at Amazon. Reviews, as always, were mixed but I decided to order it and see.

Well, the rack certainly surprised me. I envisioned a cheap, rickety construction, but not at all.  The wood is nice enough, no missing or fallen out pegs (as observed in some reviews) and it was sturdy and nicely finished enough not to catch threads.  I mean, it IS a simple design. But, it could have gone wrong so I was impressed.  I’m so glad I decided to get it.  I just find Amazon so darn convenient; I hate it!

This is the view with all my threads out and on the rack.  Its kinda embarrassing how small my little thread collection looks now.  It does take up a lot of room, but I had a “blank” space between my computer and sewing machine.  Even with the height and mostly loaded, it is sturdy.

You know what I really find frustrating though are all those loose threads that always appear and leave a long tail every time I touch or move the spools. After handling all the spools, I took out my scissors and snipped all the stranglers off just so it wouldn’t look so messy. I realized though another advantage of the rack – since I don’t have to lift up the threads to view or compare the colours close up, I will create fewer thread tails going forward – right?

Racking Great!

Overall, I am extremely pleased with my new rack and I definitely recommend it.  This rack is only for the regular spools of thread.  Technically, the larger serger spools fit, but they just fall off with the short pegs.

I decided to order the other cone thread rack from the same company, but it is coming from China I think and the delivery is in 1-2 months (between May 22 and June 24).

Now for the bobbins.  Suggestions?