pittsburgpam

I've been going through every room in my house and cleaning out junk and clutter (might have to move). I'm down to my sewing room and I hardly know where to start.

I tend to buy fabrics by collection. I see one I really like, decide on a quilt pattern (or design one) and buy all the fabrics for it. Not always though, sometimes I just love a collection and buy an assortment that I estimate will make a basic quilt and then later I figure out how to use it.

Then of course there are the fat quarter bundles, the jelly rolls (and very often a few yards of one or more of the fabrics for borders or repeating elements). Anyway, you get the picture.

How am I going to organize all that? It looks pretty messy having JRs and FQs together with yardage but I don't want to seperate them because then I might forget that I have yardage that goes with something! Is the solution to put everything in plastic bins on the shelves?

I also have others that are just yardage, like the 60 different 1-yard cuts of batiks :-D And what about the scraps from finished quilts that I want to keep? Do those by color?

Help me get rid of the chaos!

Judith1005

maybe you can take pictures of different projects you want to do. and then store your fabric by color, fq's, jelly rolls, etc. there are great ideas here on the board also. just search storage solutions, sewing rooms ect.

Pinkiris

How about using the large ZipLock storage bags and putting the fabric for each project in it's own bag? They could then be stored in tubs, if necessary.

pittsburgpam

The bags is a good idea, especially for scraps. Maybe I should just get a bunch of cheap plastic tubs and put things together by project/collection. They may need to be packed up anyway. I will find out in about a week whether I will lose my job or not, whether I will be let go or stay on with skeleton staff for run-off that could take years.

Looks like a trip to Walmart is in order today.

Quiltbeagle

If I have fabric purchased for a particular project I store the pattern with those fabrics so they don't get separated. Everything else is by color for the most part, and Christmas fabrics have their own shelf. I have shelves and deep wire drawers for storage.

pittsburgpam

I took a quick look a Amazon (Prime member with free 2-day shipping) and they have Sterilite Storage Box, White Lid with See-Through Base, 12-Pack for $23. That's under $2 each and they're 13-1/2-by-8-1/4-by-4-3/4-Inch. Sounds perfect for FQs.

dangelica

You all gave me an idea clear tubs with a picture of the project I intend to make. If not clear tubs by color ziplocs for my scraps. Right now I have walmart bags with my yardage and it's getting uncontrollable. Thanks again

Scissor Queen

I keep all of my collections together. I have a couple of dressers I can keep fat quarters and such in and one whole drawer is devoted to the jelly rolls with matching yardage or charms or whatever.

Kas

If I buy fabric for a certain project I have in mind, I put it all together in a tub, usually with other groups for other projects. I keep all my 30's repro prints together, yardage in one and fat qtrs in another. I have so much stuff, it isn't really organized, though. I am terrible at that so not really the best one for ideas! LOL

kateyb

I put the fabrics that go together for a project in the 2 gallon zip bags. You can unroll the jelly rolls and fold them flat. If that isn't big enough try the plastic shoe boxes or the ones that are a little bigger. When I was moving if I had the top done and already had the batting and backing I got the ziploc bags (the ones with the handy handle) in large or X-large along with the thread I planned to use for quilting, then everything is all together. The larger tubs work great but keep in mind that you will have to move/carry them, they do get very heavy. After having trouble with dislocated ribs I got smaller containers that I can carry if no one is around to help.