shatzi03

I have recently been given three very large boxes of fabric and I am about to attempt to start a sensible stash . . . I currently do not have any stash at all so I want to start off on the right “foot” or should I say “yard” . . lol . . I have read many suggestions regarding folding fabric but I am still a little unclear on what and how to store, e.g. is there a minimum size that I should be folding; should I keep very small pieces or only keep larger (1 yard plus); if I keep smaller pieces, how should I store these; should I iron everything, etc. etc. I have two plastic rulers; one 4” wide and one 6” wide so that helps me with making mini-bolts . . . from all that I have read over the last couple of months on this board, I know that many of you stash everything and that is admirable but I do not have the storage for that and I am certainly not as creative as so many of you guys. As far as colors go, I know lights from darks but what about all those in between . . Any and all suggestions will be very much appreciated . . . I know absolutely NOTHING about how to approach this and need all the help I can get while I am motivated so that I don’t just ‘stash’ it all away. . . thanks
:)

kuseta

I don't think there is any one way to do things. I have my stash sorted only by color. Each color has it's own plastic bin or crate. I put yardage in there along with all of the smaller pieces left over after cutting. I personally don't keep anything smaller that about 3" wide. I don't applique much, so don't have a need for tiny pieces.

Have fun going through it all. I'm sure you'll have many ideas pop into your head as you see different pieces.

catrancher

I use my ruler to fold anything larger than 1/2 yard. Approx. 1/4 - 1/2 yard cuts are stored separately. I don't bother folding them. Small scraps are stored separately and nothing smaller then 2 inches. I used those three-drawer plastic bins--a small size for the small scraps. All sizes are sorted by color a la ROY G BIV, black/brown, white/gray, and multi. I don't think it males sense to iron fabric until you're ready to use it. It just gets wrinkled again. Works for me. Ultimately what works for one won't work for another. There is no right or wrong. Just do what makes sense for your own personal needs.

ckcowl

as for keeping small pieces-
keep what you will use- pass on the rest-
if you are an appliquer- really small pieces come in handy=
if you do charm quilts/scrappy quilts-
if you only make big block quilts- need yardage then pass on what you won't use-
fabrics multiply like bunnies.
scraps are usually what is left over after you complete a project- if you made alot of flying geese blocks and have a bunch of little corner triangles-which you would never use- then toss them in a box to send to someone else when it is full-
if you have pieces you think you will use in another project then put them away-
you could have totes for different sizes- or you could just stack them up on a shelf.
some people sort by color- some by theme- some by size- it is up to you what will work for you.
if you keep your fabrics on open shelves protect them from sunlight-which will fade the fabrics-
what you should keep- what you should just get rid of is totally dependant on what kind of quilts you make-
if you are unsure- keep it- sometime down the road you may find a use for it- when the scraps are piled up like crazy and you haven't used a piece in a year it is time to sort them out-and pass them on...don't throw them away- someone can always use what you won't

grammy Dwynn

Here is what I do;
Yard cuts in a area, sorted by colors
Fat Quarters in another area, also by colors
less than FQ in a tub under cutting table (mixed mess) :oops:
strip scraps in dresser drawer (another mixed mess)
various scraps in dresser drawer (a.m.m.)
1/2" scraps in container for my fabric bowls

You will get many ideas. But only you can figure out what will work in your space. I do not have room for multiple tubs to sort my scraps by colors. So I do what I can, and it also gives me intensive to use up scraps, before the attack.

Some ideas of storage for your stash ~
closet hanging shoe storage
closet hanging sweater storage (do not over load, they cannot take a lot of weight, on my second one) :?
book shelves
dressers
tubs

have fun sorting and petting all you lovely stash

quiltsRfun

I'm not real particular about the way I fold my fabrics. And I think there are probably several methods of sorting your fabrics. Read all the suggestions and decide what works for you. I think it's a lot like the actual quilting - no rules as to right or wrong. Can we also say there is no stash police?

DogHouseMom

Another neat way to store stash if you don't have a lot of storage space (ie shelves) is to use skirt hangers - the kind with the two clips on each end. I use these for FQ's and other shortage yardage especially those that have "chunks" cut out of them. I keep them sorted on these hangers by color. I can easily flip through my FQ's on the hangers to see if it holds a fabric that I want. And a bonus is if you find the skirt hangers that have 5-7 different hangers on them in a vertical line. SCORE! I've got one or two of those.

With regard to ironing, I don't iron any of my fabric after I pre-wash/dry it until I'm ready to cut it. Folded fabric is going to have at least fold creases so I'm going to iron it anyway IMMEDIATELY before cutting. Why do it twice?

paulswalia

Check out this site for ideas:

http://quiltville.com/scrapusersystem.shtml

This woman has made a huge impact on my stash that was built up over 10 years of quilting.

paulswalia

double post

luvTooQuilt

This is how my room is organized..

These are in 30 gal tubs no matter what size pieces they are:
Holiday- each holiday (xmas, 4th, halloweenie, easter, etc) have its own tub
Flannel
Vintage fabric (35in xWOF)- all goes in one tub
Authentic 30's feedsacks

All my Bolts (3+yards) are on the bookcase and in walk in closet.
All my 1-2 yards cuts are ruler folded, then separated by theme (floral, kids prins, asian, etc) and solids, blenders, and the rest are seperated by color on bookcases

Batiks are in a see thru sterilite three drawer separated by light med dark..
Fqs are separated by color, floral, novelty in it's own sections on wall cd racks, closet maid 24/36 bin shoe organizers.. Each area has its own 'theme' so i can find what I'm looking for.

My scraps are in specific see- thru bins, tubs and drawers depending on size..

Each Accuquilt Die cut shapes have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own- I do have most if not all the dies already.. lol..
strips less than10 inches but longer than 5 inches of has a a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Strips longer than 10 inches but less than WOF has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2 inch strips are hanging on the back of the door
1.5 x wof has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2.5 x WOF strips has a a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3x WOF strips have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
5x WOF strips have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
all other strips x WOF are separated by colors and has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Crumbs have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Scraps less than a fq but larger than 6x6 has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own- these are waiting to be cut with my Accuquilt
2 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
4 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
4.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Selvages have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own


And that's how my room is organized..

I followed Bonnies method.. www.quiltville.com.