sounds like you want to keep the individual patterns separate and stored in a manner where you can easily choose the exact fabric. If you do have a carpenter at your disposal, I think I would have a bookshelf made. I would make it about 6" deep, so 1 square would fit but there is a bit of room so the stack doesn't fall off when you select a patch from the stack. I would make the shelves about 6"-7" apart. You want enough space to get your hand in there. I'd cut up some of your cardboard boxes & mock up the sizes to see how it would work.