So much space... So little stuff

I have been trying to get a better handle on organizing my sewing supplies, tools, and equipment.  Which has, of course, led to my collecting quite a few containers.  Who designs these things???  My pencils with caps measure 9"... so what is the size of the pencil cases I bought?  Why 8" of course!  The feet for my sewing machine, which could all fit into 1 ziplock sandwich bag, now reside in a 12"x18"x2" box!  90% of the stuff I would like to get into a container won't fit in any reasonable sized ones.  And even if you can find one they will fit into, the organizer for the containers wastes even more space!  I considered a tackle box, but they have all these little compartments that you cannot resize... or you can resize them... the wrong way.  You need a spot 4"x2"?  well, guess what?  You can have 1.5" by whatever length you want!  My Martelli rotary cutter is ergonomically designed... ergonomic is latin for "Won't fit in spaces normally designed for this type item".

It fits into the space in the container, but is 1/4" too tall for the lid to close.  The little grab and go box for sewing tools I purchased for going to classes?  Scissors are 2" too long.  My sewing thread takes up 4 containers because the spools have to lay on their sides in the spaces they give you.  They are a 1/2" too tall for the lid to close if I stand them up.  And yet, I can stand ALL the spools on the lid of one box.  If it were only 1/2" taller, and the divider walls were removable.
I looked at sewing baskets/boxes, you know, the ones you see at WalMart and Joanns.  Most stuff will fit into them, but they are major space hogs too!  They are constructed with straight interior sides, but then the exterior walls bow out an average of an inch on each side.  They pad the top, not enough to double as a pincushion, but more than enough to make it unsafe to try and set anything on it.  Then they put little feet on the bottom, making it even taller. Have they wasted enough space yet?  Why no! Let's put a nice thick handle on here, and have it have to hang over the sides so we can eat up another inch on 3 sides of shelf space.
It makes me wonder how many centuries it took them to design the silverware drawer thingees to only waste as much space as they do.  I just know in the beginning it took a full drawer for each utensil type.
I am seriously considering replacing all my containers with ziplock baggies in baskets.  Of course then I need somewhere for the baskets to sit, because at least the containers can be stacked.

Gah!  As Linda Richman would say "I'm a little verklempt, talk amongst yourselves"