I am in the process of organizing all my embroidery floss. I really like to see how beautiful it looks neatly stored in these plastic floss boxes. I have a small bunch of skeins still left to wind up on their bobbins.
I was looking at the order of colors on my color wheel and I decided to arrange my floss in that order. Such a nice collection! It looks like I have a lot of floss and a good color selection doesn't it? Well...
..during my organizing, I came across this list that I picked up from the fabric store quite a long time ago.
It lists all the floss color numbers that DMC offers. There is even a check list to mark off the colors you have. Imagine my surprise when I checked off all of my floss and realized that I have 89 different colors - wow! But that is out of a possible 454!!! I have only tried about 20% of their colors.
I find I tend to buy the same colors over and over. I need to branch out - I would love to collect the whole list of colors. I wonder about any of you? Do you keep track of your floss colors and does anyone have a whole color collection?
Quite a time consuming task, but well worth it. I go crazy when there is a good floss sale and find I also select the same colors. I like the idea of organizing by the color wheel, while keeping a list of the colors you already have.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea and task for the coming winter. Thanks for sharing your organizing technique.
Love seeing these photos--all those pretty colors in neat little rows!
ReplyDeleteMay I ask where you purchased your color wheel?
Love your idea do sorting by color. I do have all the colors but I have them in number order. I think I may put them in color order like you did, it looks very nic that way.i also have metallics , and ray owns on got on eBay. I have way too many colors because I like to have them all with me when I embroider but I can't figure out how to take them with me. I have 15 containers of threads and I keep looking for more. I guess I'm crazy
ReplyDeleteI don't have all the colors,but I used to have the "check off" pamphlet,too! I used to stock up during sales. I have mine in order by number,but they look so much pretier by color!
ReplyDeleteCarol - Thanks! This is a good task for winter time. I still have my perle cotton floss to organize as well as satin and metallic.
ReplyDeleteStaci - Thank you! I love this color wheel, I bought this in the art department of a book store but the company that makes these is The Color Wheel Company and you can buy directly from their website. www.colorwheelco.com They have a huge selection of color wheels in different sizes and types. Mine is the 9-1/4" color wheel.
Judy - :) Thank you - 15 containers?!! That is so great - I hope my collection grows to that size! I am separating mine by type as well so I have not mixed in my satin, metallic or perle cottons with the cotton floss.
Darlene - Thank you - I really like the look of them arranged by color too!
This looks so lovely Kim. I used to order my threads by colour and shade this way, but now I have so many skeins of different threads I have to put colour 'lots' into zip lock plastic bags, I would have far too many thread boxes! DMC was my preferred commercial brand but now I use Anchor, which is more easily available locally. I do tend towards the same colours - particular with the Valdani flosses, which are my favourite, and which are incredibly difficult to get hold of here in the UK. I think their variegated threads are fabulous, as they are so subtle.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jules - Color lots are a really good idea! Plus I like the idea not having the floss wound around a bobbin and getting kinks. Thanks for the information - I have never tried Anchor or Valdani floss, I will have to look into that. I love the Valdani website!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I would love to organize my floss by color but I usually follow a pattern with the suggested DMC floss. So I keep mine numerically. Boring, but for me it works!
ReplyDeleteCecilia - Thank you! Yes - lovely as it is, this would not be a good way to have your floss organized if you had to find a particular number!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful colors! And you've done such a great job of organizing them. I used to organize by color, but after buying a DMC color guide I have them in "color family" order as they are in the card. But it's just not as pretty as the "color wheel" way, so I'm thinking of redoing it again! When I embroider I don't go by floss number, I just choose the colors I think look best, so it's not important for them to be in number order.
ReplyDeleteIsn't floss fun!?
Thank you! By color family would be an excellent way too - yes floss is so much fun, I love to organize it and especially to photograph it!
ReplyDeleteGreat organizing Kim! My stitchbow is getting too fat now and I need another way to organize. These would be perfect. Yes, I keep track of what I have in floss and thread and keep it in my purse, so I don't buy what I already have. I tend to go for the same colors too if not.
ReplyDeleteHi Angela - Thank you :) I haven't tried the stitchbows - it looks like they might keep your floss without so many kinks! But these storage boxes are great if you have a lot of floss.
ReplyDeleteIt looks so beautiful to see all these colours together in order!
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend!
I can see So many bright and beautiful colors here that i dont use normally. Many thanks for great suggestions.
ReplyDelete:) THank you Silvia!
ReplyDeleteAiguillettes - Thanks!
It looks great if they are organized. And I guess you achieve that look on your floss. It would surely easy for you to find the colours you need because they are displayed in a very organized way.
ReplyDeleteI think DMC and other brands should provide a color wheel that identifies the colors that way. I have mentioned that to DMC on their blog in the past...
ReplyDeleteOlá, Kim...
ReplyDeleteLindo trabalhinho vai chegando...
Ai, as cores, que lindas!!!
beijinhos,
Lígia e =ˆˆ=
Hi Kim, thanks a lor for your coments in my blog, I am so happy, I love crochet and cross stitch, can back in my blog, hugs from Brasil.
ReplyDeletejelly andrews - Thanks - I think so too, it really works for me.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - Great idea! It is a fun way to look at color combinations too.
Obrigado Ligia. Eu amo todas essas cores. Estou muito feliz com a organização. É divertido! :)
Roberta - You are welcome - I think your blog is wonderful!
Oh I cannot organise by colours! I have to do it by number... that's just me... maybe a little OCD.
ReplyDelete& yes I have all the colours DMC. & all the colours in Anchor thread too! lol bit more OCD? lol
The full set fits in 4 of those boxes in the biggest size, but now I have a custom built by my dad box that fits both the DMC & Anchor in. It's pretty but the boxes were a bit more useful in how transportable they were. lol Love my collection. Sad to say I have about 800 spare DMC too. I have them on an excel spread sheet. lol
Hi Mandy - I can't believe you have the complete color sets for both!! I would love to see the custom box your dad built!
ReplyDelete