Sunday 10 October 2010

Ribbon envy

Some time ago, say when I first thought about it, I think I may have blogged about my ribbon problem. See, I have a thing about it; I like to have it in case I need it, I tend to buy 3 metre lengths. Because you understand, if I don't get it from shopkeeper gal, I might run out!


The foot high vase that is home for my ribbon is still in a horrid mess. On Friday evening though, having convinced myself that the reel that I needed was at the bottom of the glass, I started to sort it out. You can see from the picture that I got about three inches from the rim. And then I'd lost the will to live. And I was chatting to Miss Dunnit in front of the telly. And the basket that I thought would make a great transfer receptacle turned out to be way too puny for the job.


So I gave up, naturally! Eventually I hit the web again, and visited another bunch of workdesks. See, WOYWW is probably my best procratination tool of all! Anyway, I went to Mad Morti's place only to see that she too is using a good coat hanger arrangement for her ribbon. Sincerely I intend to convert. But for goodness sake, what will I use my lovely vase/jar thing for? All the junk currently hanging on the back of the door that the coat hanger arrangement will displace? Not suitable really. Oh my, I feel some re-organising coming on. Oh, and the ribbon I was looking for? Not there; must have used it all. But that's OK, Shopkeeper Gal stocks it. Maybe I should buy two reels.


24 comments:

Unknown said...

Get you!!! With your arty fabulous photographic delights!!! Have you got a new camera??? I will read your post now ... got carried away with your smart new piccies :0)

Tracy Evans said...

LOL LOL that always happens to me, I look through a draw, container, basket for something only to get to the bottom to find I have already used it LOL. I would have to find a use for that lovely jar though. Have a good evening, Tracy Evans x

Ohhh Snap said...

I'm thinking this might be a good example of a need to make a little card with the last scrap of something, to remember to get more of it :D. Plus then you get to have a little sample card to put in your mojo book in the favorite things section :D.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I've only bought ribbon in meters (yardage) once. I got it at a closeout sale at a scrapbook store. I found it was very expensive when I bought it that way, even when it was 75% off. I hope you find a good way to store your ribbon, one that works for you and one that will be easy to get to. Hopefully those will be the same (grin).

I read your comment on 10/10/10. When I was photographing that entry, I thought the same thing. I thought that today it didn't matter where you lived, the date could still be written the same. So happy 10 Oct, 2010 to you, dear friend.

Chrissie said...

I got myself some new ribbon storage... bought three racks which turned out to be not nearly enough, but I'm not getting any more for the moment, I wouldn't know where to put them.
I think your beautiful receptacle would look fab with green apples in it!
Chrissie

cheryl said...

oh I have all my ribbon in a large basket and still cant find the one I want when I want must make some kind of storage thingy when i get round to it he he love that,jar though hugs cheryl xxxxxxx

Gez Butterworth said...

Good Luck sorting your ribbons.. I will watch carefully ;) mine are stuffed in jars.. I did try winding them all onto wooden clothes pegs which worked for a while. Have fun.xx

Carola Bartz said...

I'm ALWAYS afraid of running out of ribbon, although it has never happened yet! Organizing it is a constant problem - I've tried many ways, including storing it in a tall jar. Yesterday I found round wooden clothes pegs at a yard sale and plan to wind each ribbon around a peg and store them in a box. Hope that this will finally solve the ribbon-problem. I will let you know.
Oh - and what about putting colorful fresh flowers in your vase. Yes, I mean it - flowers in a vase. Interesting concept, right?

Paige said...

Thankfully I'm not a massive ribbon user although as you know from paperchase visits I still have to buy it in every colour. I really like the plastic splints they sell their ribbon on and save these up. winding my other ribbons and laces onto them and storing them neatly into a mid sized RUB.
Did you managed to get blogpress working yet???

Helen said...

I love that jar! I have my ribbons in a box, I think I've WOYWW'd it once. It is sort of tidy at the moment (can't have used ribbon for a while, lol!) but it's not ideal.
Good luck sorting it out.

Daniele said...

know what you mean about those ribbons, you don't want to spend time ironing them, I saw a trouser hanger with 4 rows and thought about that but as yet haven't done anything about it mine just hand in a row
hugs

Claire said...

I have one of these - just brilliant and holds so much too! ribbon storage this may solve your problem?

Morti said...

I'm honoured and touched that you would mention me..... LOL

as for the jar, I'd do something completely different with it like Strawsilk Glasswork, and then put a load of fairy lights inside to light it up. But then again, I AM strange, and you knew that already!

Kaz said...

I am soooo with you on the ribbon thing - I need 3 metres of each colour for 'just in case'. I started sorting mine months ago and gave up, never to return to it again.
However, I have a clear glass jar like yours, just not as big and I put the little leftover bits of ribbon in mine. Those bits that are just too long to get rid of because you know you'll want that scrap xx

Highland Monkey's said...

Wow thats a big ribbon obsession youve got there!!! Love it!

Ann said...

No answer to your ribbon-storage dilemma, Julia. Half of mine are in a plastic box with a lid to stop them springing out. They are a tangled mess! The rest are on reels and are stored in a couple of old sweet boxes.
Still can't ever find what I'm looking for though!

Angie said...

Is there really any true answer to the ribbon problem ...we have tried it so many ways ...some more easy to use than others but never quite right....why do we buy so much ...go on admit it ...we just love to stroke it ... ribbon is a sort of comfort blanket for crafters lol.
Now things will be a little easier here ,I should be back to WOYWW next week....and oh boy do I have some blog catching up to do XX

Anonymous said...

Having too much ribbon is not a problem where I'm standing!

Hugs
Brenda

Liverpool Lou (Anne) said...

Some of my ribbons are in the box they came in, but with holes punched in the sides to pull the ribbon through. I've got some from Dunelm Mill that was a bargain price about a year ago, of which I've used very little, still in the original containers but they are nice boxes the rest is stuffed in a jumble in a plastic box with a lid. Like you I will organise it one day! Maybe! I love the glass container and though it's not everyone's cup of tea I do like them filled with fairy lights :-)
Anne xx

HeARTworks said...

You are hilarious! If I had a big vase, I'd fill it with my buttons! I have a lot! Usually from vintage clothing I've ripped up.

Amber Alvarez said...

Ha! I hear you, I have a button problem.....

The Taming of the Glue said...

Aah...someone else suffering from ribbon-itis. There is no cure so we have to suffer in near silence!

Ciara said...

I spent ages winding all my ribbons around wooden dolly pegs. They look pretty cool actually :-)

Lyn said...

LOL, I get an attack of OCD-itis just looking at your (very pretty) jar of ribbons! You will not be surprised to know mine are all wound and organised and stored according to colour!