Fabric Organization
04-01-2009, 05:32 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Albany, NY
Posts: 565
Since I'm still so new to this quilting thing, I don't have a whole lot of fabric, but I do have enough for a great start, maybe about 20 yards total, if not a little more. For now, all my yardage, fat quarters and scraps are being kept in one of those plastic drawer things...it has like 6 drawers to it. The one thing that sucks about it is that my 2 of my 4 cats knows how to open the drawers and get all the fabric out. So this morning my almost 10 year old daughter comes upstair before I got out of bed to tell me I have a ton of fabric all over the floor, and of course the cats were lying all over it!!!
So how do you guys organize and store your fabric?
So how do you guys organize and store your fabric?
04-01-2009, 06:05 AM
#2
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 5,552
I'm sorry--but I am laughing so hard that I cannot come up with a storage solution for you!!! :D :D I just wish you had grabbed your camera!!!! That is just SOOOO funny!
My stash is on open shelves, but that will definitely NOT work for you. I think you need a lock and key for those cats!!
--There are plastic bins with locking lids.
--Instead I would spend my money on more fabric, making the drawers so heavy that the cats can't open them :-o
--Put a chair in front of the drawers overnight to keep the cats out
Okay--I am out of ideas here :lol: But I am still laughing!!
My stash is on open shelves, but that will definitely NOT work for you. I think you need a lock and key for those cats!!
--There are plastic bins with locking lids.
--Instead I would spend my money on more fabric, making the drawers so heavy that the cats can't open them :-o
--Put a chair in front of the drawers overnight to keep the cats out
Okay--I am out of ideas here :lol: But I am still laughing!!
04-01-2009, 06:11 AM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Albany, NY
Posts: 565
Originally Posted by Marcia
I'm sorry--but I am laughing so hard that I cannot come up with a storage solution for you!!! :D :D I just wish you had grabbed your camera!!!! That is just SOOOO funny!
My stash is on open shelves, but that will definitely NOT work for you. I think you need a lock and key for those cats!!
--There are plastic bins with locking lids.
--Instead I would spend my money on more fabric, making the drawers so heavy that the cats can't open them :-o
--Put a chair in front of the drawers overnight to keep the cats out
Okay--I am out of ideas here :lol: But I am still laughing!!
My stash is on open shelves, but that will definitely NOT work for you. I think you need a lock and key for those cats!!
--There are plastic bins with locking lids.
--Instead I would spend my money on more fabric, making the drawers so heavy that the cats can't open them :-o
--Put a chair in front of the drawers overnight to keep the cats out
Okay--I am out of ideas here :lol: But I am still laughing!!
I wish I did grab the camera! But it was too early in the morning and aboslutly no sleep last night (baby was wide awake at 2:30am)
But it happens about once a week, so next time I will get pics!!
04-01-2009, 07:17 AM
#4
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 205
Laughing here also, yes we would love to see a picture.
I store mine in the plastic tubs that slide under beds, this serves many purposes. They are clear plastic so I can see into them before I pull them all the way out and of course keeps dust and dirt off the fabric. They are stored under the futon in the kids playroom (right beside my sewing room), so it prevents toys, socks, garbage from collecting under the futon. It is also easy access for my children, when they need a quick birthday gift for a friend and are choosing pillowcase fabric.
Forgot to add that fat quarters fit in perfectly in end, so I can see every piece of fabric when I take the lids off, no rummaging. So I just fold all my fabric, even yardage, so it is the right size, and can see it all at a glance.
Good luck.
I store mine in the plastic tubs that slide under beds, this serves many purposes. They are clear plastic so I can see into them before I pull them all the way out and of course keeps dust and dirt off the fabric. They are stored under the futon in the kids playroom (right beside my sewing room), so it prevents toys, socks, garbage from collecting under the futon. It is also easy access for my children, when they need a quick birthday gift for a friend and are choosing pillowcase fabric.
Forgot to add that fat quarters fit in perfectly in end, so I can see every piece of fabric when I take the lids off, no rummaging. So I just fold all my fabric, even yardage, so it is the right size, and can see it all at a glance.
Good luck.
04-01-2009, 07:28 AM
#5
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: In the middle of a mess...
Posts: 20,025
I'm sorry, but I"m laughing too!
They just want to help, Mom!! lol
I have dressers that I keep my fabric in. Check out 2d hand stores. One of the dressers I bought...really nice...was $25!!
I have plastic bins, like shoe boxes that hold my fat quarters and I have a laundry hamper that holds my scraps.
One of these days, I'll get pictures of my NEW room posted.
They just want to help, Mom!! lol
I have dressers that I keep my fabric in. Check out 2d hand stores. One of the dressers I bought...really nice...was $25!!
I have plastic bins, like shoe boxes that hold my fat quarters and I have a laundry hamper that holds my scraps.
One of these days, I'll get pictures of my NEW room posted.
04-01-2009, 07:33 AM
#6
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 15,639
I have basic white cabinets in my sewing room and use plastic bins to store my fabric. One thing I wish I would have considered is how well the bins fit in the cabinet. Some could fit more - just not the sizes of the ones I have :cry:
What I don't like about that system is that I have to know ahead of time which colors I plan to use, or pull a boat load of bins out of the various cabinets.
But all in all, it works. I sort primarily by color and I keep my large backing pieces seperate.
....and Mr. Bean and Monty LOVE the fabric too. That's why they only have supervised visits.
What I don't like about that system is that I have to know ahead of time which colors I plan to use, or pull a boat load of bins out of the various cabinets.
But all in all, it works. I sort primarily by color and I keep my large backing pieces seperate.
....and Mr. Bean and Monty LOVE the fabric too. That's why they only have supervised visits.
04-01-2009, 07:42 AM
#7
Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Quinlan TX
Posts: 28
Oh dear, I know about helpful Quilt Inspectors!
I have a TON of fabric, but probably not a lot compared to some people! My wonderfully handy nephew put up Elfa shelving along one side of my sewing room, which is a "bonus" room over the garage with a sloped ceiling. I have my fabric in plastic tubs that are sorted by color and labeled (more or less) on the ends. I have all my sewing machines lined up on the opposite wall, but need a couple of lengths of shelving over them the next time he comes over (which may be why he hasn't been over lately....) Scraps are in (more than one) copy paper boxes that I bring home from work; and ones that have been semi sorted and cut into assorted sizes of squares are in plastics drawers. I could probably sew scrappy string quilts until I'm 90....
I have a TON of fabric, but probably not a lot compared to some people! My wonderfully handy nephew put up Elfa shelving along one side of my sewing room, which is a "bonus" room over the garage with a sloped ceiling. I have my fabric in plastic tubs that are sorted by color and labeled (more or less) on the ends. I have all my sewing machines lined up on the opposite wall, but need a couple of lengths of shelving over them the next time he comes over (which may be why he hasn't been over lately....) Scraps are in (more than one) copy paper boxes that I bring home from work; and ones that have been semi sorted and cut into assorted sizes of squares are in plastics drawers. I could probably sew scrappy string quilts until I'm 90....
04-01-2009, 07:51 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Triad, North Carolina
Posts: 639
My fabric is stored on open plastic shelving, 5 shelves high, deep enough for a nice, neat stack.... but it never ends up nice and neat. I have fabric all over the place, in almost every room of my home. Thankfully, I live alone so I have no one to complain. :lol:
One thing I did learn the hard way .... be careful about the sunshine. I had a piece of black/white print that was in the direct light, where the sun would hit in the morning. The fabric faded, and I lost a portion of the cut. I would prefer to have my stash behind closed doors, and am pursuing that avenue as we speak!!
When my hubby was alive, he teased me that the fabric stacked five shelves deep that was against the outside wall was good insulation against the New York winters!!! :lol: :lol:
One thing I did learn the hard way .... be careful about the sunshine. I had a piece of black/white print that was in the direct light, where the sun would hit in the morning. The fabric faded, and I lost a portion of the cut. I would prefer to have my stash behind closed doors, and am pursuing that avenue as we speak!!
When my hubby was alive, he teased me that the fabric stacked five shelves deep that was against the outside wall was good insulation against the New York winters!!! :lol: :lol:
04-01-2009, 09:02 AM
#10
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Front row
Posts: 14,646
Your cats are something else! How funny! I keep my fabric folded on bookshelves and fat quarters stacked in pretty containers. I found some cast off plastic coated wire freezer baskets that are the perfect size for fat quarters. I have the white craft boxes from WalMart that look nice on a bookshelf that hold lots of notions. You can turn the drawers toward the wall when you leave your sewing room that will keep the cats from opening them. Unless they turn it around :lol: :lol: :lol:
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