I attended an organizing seminar. Clear containers for sorting are best and the size depends on your shelves. I put a paper in the front with a summary of the contents and adjust as used. I prefer to sort by colors and sometimes by collections. My minimum buy is usually a yard. But it depends on the design and desire. I do by collections. When I moved to PA from GA I donated all of my stash to a group. They were very kind to send me pics of their work. Very nice. But here in PA and especially when I have gone to Lancaster Co. I could not resist starting anew. Good luck and have fun. :D