Whether your passion is embroidery, quilting, knitting, or mixed media, storage is a problem for any fiber artist . But when you live in a space that is 27 foot long by 8 foot wide, the issue of storage is a problem whether you’re a fiber artist or not! From the beginning of our time on the road I have been searching for the perfect solution.

Initially I had been “alotted” the space under the bed (queen sized and 17 inches deep) and one half of the cupboard area over the couch (about 8 ft wide and 14 in deep by 14 in tall).

Since Jeff and I have consistently been trying to decrease the weight we carry in the trailer, I am now using about ½ the under the bed space and ¾ of the living room cupboard space. This has taken a lot of work and a lot of honesty, not to mention a fair amount of growth in the realm of non-attachment—for both of us. (The dogs refuse to make any changes at all!)

A couple of things have helped to make this downsizing possible.

I decided what projects I really want to have done in a year that could realistically be completed given my stitching history.
I picked a couple UFOs to focus on, keeping in mind if I finish them before the end of October I can always pull out a couple more.
Given these choices, I picked out which reference materials would be critical to carry with me.
Everything else was put in the front of the storage unit and labeled very clearly for ease in sorting next spring.
I found a way to store all the thread that doesn’t fit neatly on floss cards (without spending a small fortune for some fancy new “System.”) Yup! I did!

My new thread storage system for items that will not fit into my DMC floss card boxes.

I found a photo album that has archival quality photo pockets. The pockets are divided by acid free paper. They are supposed to hold a photo that is about 4 X 6, so are perfect for perle cotton weight thread. I labeled each pocket front and back with the thread company, thread weight, and color number. (Each pocket will hold two skeins.)

Photo album for 4 x 6 photos, perfect for Perle Cotton weights

Ends close to rings stapled to prevent escapees!

I also found archival quality pocketed storage sheets meant for the older, smaller baseball cards. The little pockets are perfect for Rainbow Gallery thread cards, Weeks Dye Works flosses, and other smaller skeins of thread. Again, I labeled each pocket with relevant info.

Intended for smaller baseball cards but perfect for my smaller thread skeins and cards.

I like this because it’s flexible. As I add a color, I can take off the labeled info and rearrange as necessary. I have loads of extra pages so I can add as my inventory changes. And it’s easier to maintain my Excel inventory of threads. Most importantly, I can easily pull colors from different companies to create my color palette.

There are still a few oddball items, particularly spools. Those I have in two boxes, one a tin for metallics and the other is a Shaker box (made by Allen Fannin) that I use for my balls of Perle cotton.

A French Knot For Every Five Times I Saw This Sign

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about our dreadful experience of traveling North from Alabama this spring. That post was about where I ended up from a stitching/TAST perspective. Just a reminder, TAST is Take a Stitch Tuesday, a weekly stitching challenge sponsored by Sharon Boggon of Pin Tangle. While we were on the road the stitch challenge was French Knots.

Thank goodness we didn’t drive the whole of I-65!

I find french knots tedious. I know how to do them. I think I’ve stitched a million in my lifetime. I prefer bullion knots. They are less tedious and more interesting to look at. Nothing was more tedious than driving on Interstate 65 this spring. We picked it up in just north of Mobile, Alabama, followed it through all of Tennessee, and up to Louisville, Kentucky. I have spent way too many nights stitching the tedious french knot into a sign all too (unfortunately) familiar to me. Now I-65 is out of my system. Well, mostly!

If you want to hear more about the trip, Jeff has done a wonderful job describing the trek. He keeps a blog called OddEssay. Normally he adds to the end of his entries. But this trip warranted its own separate click. I called it the trip from hell. He is nicer than me and called it “Murder Hill: The Trip No One Should Have To Travel”

If you are like me, you talk to the TV, to the dogs (and for the dogs), to the clock, and all kinds of things that don’t have conversational skills or abilities. I also make up silly songs to familiar tunes. When I sing the dogs think I’m happy and it’s time to play.

Lately, I talk to our truck, offering her compliments and encouragement during our very short and focused trips to the grocers, vet, and laundry. We are still waiting for our new engine to arrive. I decided our truck, affectionately called Betsy (after Davy Crocket’s rifle—ask Jeff, that’s on him!), but also known as “The Beast,” needed her own song. After all, I have songs for both of the dogs. I’ll post them if you ask!) Following is the song Jeff and I came up with in honor of Betsy. Make sure you’re alone, then sing it loud and sing it proud!

Betsy, The Beast
by Jeffrey T. Elmore in collaboration with Julie Castle and the Girls