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I have three categories of fabric: large pieces, small but completely usable scraps, and scraps. The scraps I keep in baggies by color-ish, the large pieces I keep folded neatly by color. However, I'm wondering about the mid-size. I know color seems logical, but I have lines of fabric that go together and I'd kind of like to keep them that way. I sometimes forget about the set if I separate them
Just curious how you organize your fabric.
A typical quilter's dilemma. If you get the PERFECT response, please let me know.
I sort my stash primarily by color, but some are by category. A few of my categories include batiks, juvenile/kids, 1930's reproduction prints, holidays, flannel and precuts. If I have a full line of fabrics I will keep them together but store them by the dominant color of the prints. stash organization is an ever changing evolution the longer you are a quilter.
Jenny's newest tutorial on the pet beds would be a nice use of some of your small scraps. Be sure to watch it if you haven't already.
I have the same size separation. I have 1/2 yard and higher on a book case shelf...three stacks per shelf and by color.....with solids on the bottom of the stack and prints on top of the stack. Then I have fat quarters to less than 1/2 yard...smaller than yardage, but bigger than scraps, folded and two rows right to left in the top drawer of a tall dresser of four drawers. Next drawer has same, but some a little smaller or specific kids theme or pieces I am saving for something specific. Then scraps (smaller than 1/8 yd) and I just toss till it is full then separate into drawers by color in a plastic 5 drawer on wheels thing. I have another narrow 5 drawer lingerie style chest of drawers...and have charms in the first drawer and the next two are with poly/cotton fabric broadcloth that I have for linings and storage in the bottom two. At the moment, anyway, But I am sure that will change eventually!
I have a tall bookcase in the closet of my sewing room. I put almost all my fabric on foam core "bolts". Fat quarters are on smaller bolts, everything larger than a fat quarter are on the larger bolts. I also keep my batiks, civil war repo & 30's repo fabrics separated in cloth bins I got at Big Lots.
Any scraps smaller than a fat quarter I cut up into charm squares or random strips. When the stip bin is full, that's when I make another scrappy strip quilt.
The "bolts" make it easy for me to pull a bunch of fabrics when planning a quilt & put them back without messing up a folded stack. I used that method for a long time but constantly refolding fabric every time I pulled some out got to be a pain...
As someone earlier said, your storage needs will change & adapt over time.
Good luck.
Since I don't have that great amount of fabrics I simply organized them by color :)
I organize primarily by size, and then by color. I keep the different sizes in separate bins. Within each size, I also have a section where there are multiple colors. I keep them separate just so I will remember to check them when I am looking for coordinate colors/prints. Next, I do keep "lines" together, mostly by size. Finally, I also have some bins for themed fabrics, like holiday fabric and batiks.
I find managing the leftovers the most challenging, and I don't feel I have discovered the "right for me" method yet - but it is evolving.
Sounds like I should just enjoy the reorganization process because it will happen over and over. :)
Thanks for all the good ideas. You have validated a "multi" method with one system for most fabrics, and a different one for lines or specialty fabrics. Also, I like the idea of using foam core "bolts". My aunt uses half a hanging file folder, with her small pieces folded over the top. She then hangs them in a file cabinet!
Good thing it is my 2015 goal to do a little organization each day. Happy New Year!
Louise - I, too, use the foam core. I bought a box of 20x30 inch boards from Dollar Tree (there were 25 boards in a box). I used painter's tape and strapped them all together in a stack and had my husband cut them into six 10 inch squares. I wound up with 150 pieces on which to wrap my fabric. I folded the fabric length wise and wrapped around the boards, securing the tail with a T-pin.
These work well for me - I also had him cut one stack in half again, winding up with 5x10 inch pieces that are great to wrap FQs.
It's the left overs and the scraps that have me totally over-whelmed - oh, that and my buying practices having an enabler for a husband. I oohed and aahed over the DD this morning and he tells me to order it . . . I need it like I need another hole in my head.
Awesome! I love a bargain and Dollar Tree is a good source for bargains! I have three drawer plastic organizers in the closet (two side by side, wish it was a full shelf like Coffeebreak!) and I could cut the foam core to fit in those.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandy Navas
Thanks for the directions for making bolts.
**sonic sighs longingly for the day when when she will have this "How do I organize my fabric" dilemma....**
:icon_idea:
If everyone who has a problem organizing your fabric would send said fabric to me, I promise I will "super organize" them so you won't have to worry about them any more...:icon_whistle:....:icon_evil:....:icon_gigg le:
I used to pride myself on not having much fabric because it meant that (1) I only bought fabric for projects, not just because I wanted it (thrifty), and (2) I used all that I had with little or no waste (resourceful). Then I discovered M*. I really don't have nearly as much as others (two organizers like this and some craft fabric like felt and burlap). But I still want to stay organized. I have very little space, so I still have to be thrifty and resourceful, I just like organization.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sonic
I do mine by theme. polka dots, check, stripes, childrens, Hawaiian, asian, then the rest is by color. Too much scraps in shopping bags on the floor. I cringe when I walk in there :icon_shake:
Uh oh...sometimes my sense of humor comes across as flat as the computer screen...
Louise, I have no fabric to organize because I'm just learning to quilt.... :D so I'm longing (seriously longing) for the day when I have to organize like all you guys.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sonic
You can help me :) My coffee maker is down stairs. lol
I store all of my fabric by the collection...I buy a lot of FQ bundles with coordinating yardage for borders, binding and sometimes backing and sometimes I buy layer cakes, jelly rolls or charm packs..if I buy a lot of one line, those all go together, if I buy a layercake, jelly roll and yardage, it all goes together. Sometimes if I only like a few prints in a line, I will buy 2-3 yards each and sometimes more but they all are stored together since they coordinate. The only time I have bought a one or two off piece of fabric is for a backing on a scrappy or for making sewing machine covers, pot holders, etc..small projects. I don't care for the idea of buying just a piece of fabric just to stash...I must have others that go with it, enough to make at least a queen size top. I don't want to dig thru tons of stash to find a piece here and a piece there that might go together..so that is why all of my fabric is stored by the collection/line. I can look at any particular line I have and know if I have enough to make whatever it is I am planning..I don't want to have to hunt all over the internet for pieces way after the collection is out of print...I usually buy everything I think I will need at once for any given project and keep it all together. As far as scraps...those get separated by cool colors, warm colors and neutrals, I don't cut them up, I like to wait till I need something then decide what size to cut. I am still a fairly new quilter but this is working great so far for me.
Packing bags now!! I've only been to Oahu so can't wait to make the jump over!Quote:
Originally Posted by Hulamoon
Mine is more or less grouped by lines I purchased together for potential projects / background creams & whites / holidays & fruits / kid themed, and lastly precuts. Just how my brain works. But really, I'm happy if it's folded and the closet door shuts! :D
PS
I don't know why holidays and fruits belong together in my wierd little fabric world. :icon_beuj:
Lorie, oh boy did you ever do it!!! ROFL! And Leah, I have the funny feeling I'll have happy animals dancing on my lawn now!! Please tell me you aren't "air dropping" them en masse!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Sonic
Regarding the organization, strips & squares are by color and in clear bins. Larger pieces are by "collection" and by that I usually mean I pick out 2, 3, 4 colors/patterning for a specific design. Tag and wrap with 1" strips of fabric with design note and pics of the pattern. The rest I wrap on corrugated plastic boards cut to size and T pin them. I never buy FQ's, just me, and the yardages I buy, I get extra by at least a yard. Background colors whites (stark, off, winter), tans, blacks, greys, beiges, reds and blues are on bolts. Anything smaller (strips) than 1" gone to the scrap bin for stuffing, along with small pieces of batting. The only fabrics that I'm really picky on are batiks and paiselys they have their own special place on the bookcase.
When I make quilts I have a bin for scraps. When it gets full I take a day and go through it. First I look for strips (1.5, 2, 2.5, etc.) I have baggies labeled by strip thickness. Then I look at the "chunks" and cut the largest square I can. Then these are sorted by size: 6, 5, 4.5, 4, etc. Any scraps left over go into the baggie for making scrappy borders (i.e. sew to a piece of adding tape). I rarely through anything out.
I am using the drawers in an extra bedroom for storage, along with plastic bins of different sizes. I sort by colors, and also by project. If I have jelly rolls, charm packs and fat quarters for the same quilt in the future, I keep it together. My small scraps are in smaller plastic bins, but they are small, all usuable size scraps stay with the original fabric. You never jnow when you need that 7 inch odd piece for a 6 inch square. Any way you organize that works for you, at that moment, is the right way.
My yardage fabric is sorted mostly by color. The exception is holiday fabric. That is sorted into each holiday and in a large stack by itself. The other exception is if I've purchased more than one fabric in a particular line. It all stays together in one grouping so I know what I have.
Precuts are stacked as I get them, newest thrown on top of the pile. But the precuts are also separated by size. Layer cakes in one pile, charm packs in another..etc...
I keep telling myself that one of these days I'm going to start taking photos of fabic as I get it so I can organize what I have on the computer. I just have to figure out how to get that done.