Three Ways I Store Threads

 Buying embroidery threads is a joy. Collecting all those colors, imagining them used in a design that has been swimming around my head or better, yet, finding a new color palette that inspires new ideas, is one of the reasons why this art form is so enjoyable. It's a lot like scouring the nursery for new plants for the gardens. Fortunately the threads, unlike my plants, are inexpensive and often on sale. But what do you do with all of those threads? You will want to keep them neat: storing them in a way that they become kinked and knotted is not good.

I started wrapping my threads around clothespins and writing the color number on the clothespin with a thin sharpie. Then each color was assigned it's own mason jar. When I went to select colors for a new piece it was very easy to see the color selection on hand. And the jars were quite lovely to look at.

But, as I embroidered more, and found joy in collecting threads, the number of jars was becoming a bit silly. There is only so much shelf space in my bookcase after all. Next I went to the standard plastic boxes with slots and plastic bobbins for wrapping the fabric around. On a cold day, when I couldn't garden or walk, wrapping threads around the plastic bobbins was a relaxing endeavor.

But, as I collected even more threads, the idea of winding them all around bobbins became daunting. When the weather is nice, I am outside a lot and when I do have time for embroidery I want to sew, not prep threads. So my most recent way to store threads: these fabric boxes. Each drawer holds a surprising amount of thread, organized by color. The threads lay flat, so not to get crimped or tangled. 
The box is closed to keep them clean, away from the sun and it looks nice on a shelf.