How's it hangin'?

I'm tall, so when I look around for additional storage space, I generally look up. Years ago I rigged up a couple of systems in my sewing room that allow me to store things up high, but access them easily without using a step ladder. It's evocative of the method of storing a quilt frame, decades ago, by raising it to the ceiling when the quilt wasn't being work on.

Flimsies & backs awaiting sandwiching then quilting

Upper left: canvas "sweater" storage system

Here's what I did:

To an anchor shackle I added a metal sewing machine bobbin. This eliminates the drag of rope over metal, because the bobbin turns as the rope is pulled.

For each system, there are 2 anchor shackles and 1 eye bolt for a guide.

Left pulley

Right pulley

For the quilt rack, it's easiest to raise and lower it from the side, so the guide bolt is offset. Toggle bolts secure the hardware into the ceiling and wall when I couldn't hit a stud.

Guiding eye bolt

Along the wall is another hook that holds the rope securely while the rack is strung up. Knots along the length of the rope allow me to stop and hold the descent of the rack at various heights.

The storage above the cutting table uses the same principles and hardware, with the addition of a large dowel. My original intent was to have the dowel filled with these canvas cubbies, but the weight proved exorbitant.

As it turns out, this isn't as convenient as I'd hoped because it's hard to pull back up once lowered (the aforementioned weight), and it's difficult to lower because of the addition of the shelving on the right and the shop light hanging in front of it.

It's definitely easier to haul on the rope from the middle, so that's where the guide bolt is placed. Due to the extra weight, I opted for eye bolts to also hold the anchor shackles.

Left pulley

Right pulley

Guide eye bolt

A screw in the wall, near the surface of the cutting table, holds the knotted rope so the system stays suspended and the excess is doubled back and pinned up on my Styrofoam bulletin board using a fancy stylus gifted by a Magpie.