rushdoggie

Sounds like cabinets are the winner here...

M.I.Late

I actually use glass front lawyers bookcases - yes flanking the television in the middle of the living room. But they're all the darker ones. They're wrapped and sort of look like books. Took DH a long time to realize I filled them with fabric. He doesn't mind that it's fabric because it looks good.

kathyquilts40

If you don't already have one or the other I would vote for the cabinet/armore. You can get the tv type cabinets at thrift shops very reasonable now as no one wants them. Works great for fabric and sewing items. Can add shelves where tv went previously. Just a thought.

lindaschipper

Years ago I bought two matching dressers for my fabric....one for yardages and the other for fat quarters. All are arranged by colors, and the fat quarter drawers have dividers from balsa wood that I cut to keep everything in neat rows. I'm able to find anything at a glance. For me, I could not have asked for a better system.

Auntie V

I prefer something with doors over drawers. Drawers stick or if over full hang up. With doors you can see a whole stack of fabric at one time. Also I think you have more folding & sorting options with doors.

my-ty

I think the choice depends on the size of your stash and if you already have something that can be re-purposed and/or your budget If your stash can be folded, sorted by colour and fits in a dresser then this will work. If your stash is larger or you are the type that needs to see everything at once, then a cabinet works better.

My fabric and quilting stuff is stored in shopping bags and plastic bins until I can create a quilting area.

mike'sgirl

I have a small armoire/jelly cabinet type thing that holds baskets that hold my stash. Works for me.

DebbE

I'm with Sewnoma - I bought Billy cabinets and the ones on each end have glass doors. I store TONS of fabric on those shelves, I love that the shelves are adjustable, and they hold a ton of weight in fabric. For the long term, its perfect. Cabinets are the way to go. I've had dressers, and I never saw what was in the bottom of each drawer. You can get the short Billy cabinets and put a board across the top from one end to the other and you can have a cutting surface, ironing surface and display area, too. It's basically what I did on one end of my room - took old kitchen base cabinets & put one on each end, and hubby built in shelving (heavy duty with 2x4's) in the center to hold the large plastic totes that hold fabric I don't have displayed in the center. Put a Home Depot countertop across the top from one end to the other and hung a fabric curtain over the shelves in the center. Put the curtain up with Velcro, so it comes down when I need to clean out, or look what I have (or wash it). Cheap, cheap way to do things and since its painted the same color as the Billy cabinets (the other side of the room), it looks wonderful. You can get kitchen cabinets (used) for very little in Craigslist - but these came out of our kitchen when we re-did the whole room.

Mousie

so glad you asked.
I have purchased shelves from lumber stores and dh put a square of plywood between the shelves bc they
really do not hold as much weight as they say.
With the addition of the square, they hold a lot of fabric, folded of course, I fold mine 14 x 14 and get two stacks
per shelf.
I then put old dyed sheets on with velcro.
Some are inspired by seeing all their beautiful fabrics, and a few of us are overwhelmed.
I like that mine are protected from the lights and dust etc.
ETA: i cover the squares of plywood with tin foil.
I have a book that says it will not harm fabrics. (no acid)

rushdoggie

Those are nice, but I don't want clear cabinets. I really don't want to see my "stuff" once the doors are closed. I find I get overwhelmed by visual clutter. I currently have my fabric/batt stored on open shelving in bins and baskets and I kind of hate it. Its always dusty, messy, hard to find/get to stuff and when people sleep in there it is kind of ugly.

I actually fold my clothes and set them on their ends in my dresser drawers. Kind of like this

http://sunsetblonde.files.wordpress....ze-tanks04.jpg

So I anticipated thats how I would store fabric in the dresser as well. I was also thinking I would like to be able to place a small TV/DVD on top of the dresser.

But there are some good points about the physics of available space in a cabinet. I could put my TV elsewhere, and of it had doors it would look nice.