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Help! How do you organize smaller pieces of fabric?

Help! How do you organize smaller pieces of fabric?

Old 11-17-2013, 04:50 AM
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Default Help! How do you organize smaller pieces of fabric?

I do like using the ruler fold method but my problem is that I have LOTS and LOTS of fabric that measures less than a yard. Other than sorting by solids, flowers, etc I don't know how to fold them and store them.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Pat
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Old 11-17-2013, 05:14 AM
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Anything over a yard I have on my mini bolts. Fat quarters are folded and have their own drawer. I have 1 platic tote with weirdly shaped under a yard pieces and 1 bin of what I consider scraps.
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Old 11-17-2013, 05:18 AM
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I use a 3 drawer roll around plastic container. I just fold the fabric, sort by color and place in the drawers standing the folded fabric on end so I can see the colors without needing to take them out of the drawers. I do like to place the larger pieces in the bottom drawer, the fat quarter sizes in the middle drawer, and the smaller pieces in the top drawer.
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Old 11-17-2013, 05:51 AM
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For me, I like my FQs accessible with my longer lengths of fabrics.

Anything over a metre is folded 1/4 WOF then to about a 6" width, and is labelled with painters tape as to the length.
Under a metre is folded like you would a FQ.
Shape tells me the basic sizing.

All are stored in plastic bins about 6" deep ... on end, so that when I open it up, I can see the different fabric and colour possibilities.

Bins are labelled (again painters tape to the rescue) as to contents and are sorted by colour(s), with extra bins for seasonal/Christmas, florals and birds, batiks and novelties.
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Old 11-17-2013, 06:07 AM
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Less than a yard, I store with my fat quarters in drawers by color. Scraps that can be folded, I store in a drawer by color. Smaller scraps are thrown in those plastic drawer bins by color. (I rarely seem to use them so when the bins get full, I donate them to a church group that loves to use scraps.)
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Old 11-17-2013, 07:15 AM
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Fat quarters I store in a drawer. I have a lot of small pieces in plastic containers however they are not very well organized.
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Old 11-17-2013, 12:05 PM
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Well, I do a couple things. First I have fat qtrs. folded and standing on end in a shallow plastic container, all arranged by color. Secondly my Asian fat qtrs. are stored on my open shelving, stacked on top of one another. I attached a picture so you can have a visual. Then all my fabric yardage is also stored in these open crates stacked on top of each other on top of a filing cabinet/drawer unit. If I have a 1/2 or more yard of what I have in that same yardage I will put it with that fabric. If not it is put into another plastic container marked 1/4 yard. If I cut the leftover into strips or squares I also have corresponding containers for that piece.
One thing I have learned to do also is to have a separate container for pieces left from a project. If I finished a project and there is fabric left I will put it there and heaven for bid if I need to make a repair way down the line, I have the fabric I need. I'm not talking yardage or amounts like that, but will keep 1/4 yards and under. I keep it separate then I know I won't use it for future projects. And then again if I make something and decide later I'd like a pillow or a little wall hanging to coordinate with that piece, I have the matching fabric.
Hope I haven't confused you too much.
Attached Thumbnails organizing-fat-qtrs-2.jpg   organizing-fat-qtrs.jpg  
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Old 11-17-2013, 12:13 PM
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Mine is sorted pretty much the way yours is just doesn't look it.HMMM?
Originally Posted by coastienest View Post
Well, I do a couple things. First I have fat qtrs. folded and standing on end in a shallow plastic container, all arranged by color. Secondly my Asian fat qtrs. are stored on my open shelving, stacked on top of one another. I attached a picture so you can have a visual. Then all my fabric yardage is also stored in these open crates stacked on top of each other on top of a filing cabinet/drawer unit. If I have a 1/2 or more yard of what I have in that same yardage I will put it with that fabric. If not it is put into another plastic container marked 1/4 yard. If I cut the leftover into strips or squares I also have corresponding containers for that piece.
One thing I have learned to do also is to have a separate container for pieces left from a project. If I finished a project and there is fabric left I will put it there and heaven for bid if I need to make a repair way down the line, I have the fabric I need. I'm not talking yardage or amounts like that, but will keep 1/4 yards and under. I keep it separate then I know I won't use it for future projects. And then again if I make something and decide later I'd like a pillow or a little wall hanging to coordinate with that piece, I have the matching fabric.
Hope I haven't confused you too much.
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Old 11-17-2013, 05:41 PM
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Originally Posted by tessagin View Post
Mine is sorted pretty much the way yours is just doesn't look it.HMMM?
Trust me. There are days I wonder what happened myself
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Old 11-17-2013, 06:15 PM
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Thank you all so much for your suggestions.....lots of good ideas. I did order 2 of those DVD cases and thought it they don't work for the fabric they would be very good to carry lots of my rulers back and forth when I go from North to South and back. Can't wait to get them.
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