I'm getting ready to redo/reorganize my sewing area. My husband will build shelves for me if I tell him what I want. Do you prefer to store fabric in see through plastic containers, folded on open shelves, or wrapped on cardboard (similar to bolts in a fabric shop)? And doesn't the design wall need to be attached to a wall or board, or will fabric stick to it if it's just hanging from the ceiling? Thanks for your input

Being that I have a dog, two cats, and three kids, I like to keep my fabric in clear storage according to color! This keeps the kids and the animals out of it!
Since I don't have a sewing room I store fabric containers in my closet like most people store shoes! lol Maybe thats why I only have three pair of shoes, tenis shoes, flip flops, and dress shoes! Doing it this way also keeps the sunlight off of it!

I don't know about the design wall!

I know what you mean about kids getting into things. My two are now 26 and 22, so I don't have to worry. But when they were younger I had to hide my sewing scissors so they wouldn't use them to cut paper or whatever. They were also forever getting into my stash too.

4 X 8 sheets of insulating foam board is light weight, attatches to a wall easily, is inexpensive and gives you a nice surface to stick pins into. 2 pieces is a nice size for laying out bigger bed sized quilts. You just cover it with batting or flannel.

Clear totes are wonderful to be able to see through, but the sunlight probably will fade those in the front if left there for long time frames, some fabrics seem to fade sooner thatn others. A curtain across the shelves can help with that, or maybe DH can make doors for the shelves.

I have my fabric in glass fronted china cabinets... keeps the dust and animal hair out, but lets me see at a glance what I have. And the colours are sooooooo pretty! :D

I have polystyrene for my design wall.... a big sheet that takes up pretty much the whole wall. It's great, I stick everything up with normal sewing pins, from blocks, to quilt tops, to pictures and instructions for round robins. :-)

You dont want to store fabric wrapped on cardboard if you can help it. Cardboard and other wood products contain an acid that will gradually eat into your fabric. "Archival quality" paper products have been treated to eliminate the acid. There are commercially available plastic "boards", some with clips, for wrapping fabric. Makes for very neat-looking storage, but gets expensive if you have a lot of different fabrics. Someone here probably knows the brand names of these boards; they have websites that show how they are used.

For the same reason, you do not want to store fabric in direct contact with wood unless the wood has been painted, lacquered, finished with a poly coating, or otherwise finished so that no aci can leach into the fabric.

I would put on shelves if I could. Easy access is best :D :D

You just made me giggle. I can relate. I have a huge stack of those plastic shoe boxed in my closet, but they are full of fat quarters, not shoes. I have you beat though, I have tennis shoes, flip flops, dress shoes and work shoes. :lol: :lol: :lol:

i keep my fabric in the closet on shelves that way the sun can't fade it. some of it is kept on the cardboard bolts and others are just folded and stacked.

my girlfriend even had it fade in clear plastic bins that she kept out in her sewing room.

my design board is the foam insulation mentioned above.

For years I have been storing my stash in plastic underbed boxes. I recently outgrew the two I had been using, and they were in sad shape: cracked and broken along the edges where the handles were from pulling out. Soooooo heavy! So I've upgraded to underbed boxes on wheels. These are higher than what I had, so the bed had to go up on risers. We're using 8" risers, so there may be enough room for stacking! (tee-hee-hee)

I have metal closet doors, so I can just use magnets to put things up on there when I want to try them out. I have also used wool or felt held up with the magnets and then I can gently press the individual pieces in place and voila.

However, as for the fading problem, let me just say this: there are some fabrics that may fade by being in the plastic boxes, too. I have three fabrics bought for me many years ago by DH for a specific project (as yet unstarted, of course!). When I was transferring the fabrics into their new home, I noticed that they each have a little bit of facing along the top folded areas. Not the bottom folds, just the tops ....

Just for your info, but it may help.

Odessa