Top Tip for Tangled Zips

Is your zip drawer tangled and overflowing like mine was?  Is it impossible to open your zip drawer because it is stuffed full and some of the zips have wedged themselves in the back of the drawer?  You're as mad as hell and you can't take it anymore?

Does your zip drawer look like mine did?

Don't panic!  You can heave a sigh of relief - I have the solution. Last week I had a flishy-flashy lightbulb-overhead-moment.








My solution:
I emptied the drawer out and sorted the zips into colours.

Zips that didn't have ends to enable hanging up, I made the ends from some leftover card........

....... and wrote their length on the tab end for easier identification, and used a single hole-puncher.

Then stapled the tab to the end

I then bought a $6 metal towel rail from the local hardware store, bribed the man of the house to dig out his drill (yes I could have done it myself but was busy stapling zips, wasn't I?). We fixed it to the underside of my shelving unit, found some hinged rings and threaded zips all colour-coded to the rail.  

So now they sit beautifully behaving themselves behind my sewing machine and I can see at a glance colours and sizes from small to large.

And no, my shelves do not have a serious bow in them, I  just got too close with the old Nikon!

After all that effort I needed some coffee, Pfeffernüsse and chocolate therapy.

The result? I'm a much happier camper regarding zips now, although I'm always on the prowl to further streamline my sewing room and sewing methods.

I'd love to your your ideas on streamlining your sewing practices.  
Drop me a line and/or please comment on my blog.