It has taken me about a year to decide how to organize and how much I can keep without going nuts. I use the ruler folded method (<3 Yds) and keep in stacks by color on closet shelving. At the end of a closet we put up wood shelves- not wide but four shelves. I have 3+ yds (backings mostly) on one shelf just ruler wound but not folded. Then all FQs went into one of those 6 drawer plastic drawers (Sterilite, I think) and it is under my cutting table (6ft banquet). I do have an old suitcase (still nice but who uses those non-rolling) for throwing stuff in until I can manage the mess. I have a basket that holds precuts waiting for inspiration. It is a constant process-like laundry. Google:Stash management and see what comes up. http://kristinawilberg.typepad.com/s...-you-have.html

I have added another site as I use the baseball card pages for my fabric - let's face it - we forget what we have- http://www.meladori.com/shesinfashio...oring-fabrics/

Good luck- we are all independent stashees

I get all of my fabric organized in tubs and then buy more and more and by the time I get to putting the new stuff away, seems I have to start over because my tubs are overflowing! But it's a thrill to go through and revisit everything again, sometimes I forget about some fabrics I've bought so it's like Christmas all over again! (Even though I hate to admit that I have forgotten what I bought) but we aren't talking single tubs anymore ;)

It's really nice!

If you do have someone help, just make sure she is a quilter. Otherwise, she will want to throw out every ruler except one and will think all your other gadgets and gizmos are worthless. And "why do you need all this fabric - you need to get rid of it, that's your problem"! I had a well-meaning friend who is excellent at organizing and decorating who helped me. Didn't go well!

I did get some help folding my fabric, but I took it to her in bins already sorted. I gave her a 5" wide plastic ruler and showed her how to fold it using the ruler as a guide and to put it back in the Rubbermaid boxes. It worked great. That way I did the organizing, but she did the very tedious and boring part, folding.

I paid her by the hour and asked her just to keep track of her time. She is a stay at home mom with a small baby, so she appreciated something to do while being at home.

I wouldn't want anyone else to actually do the sorting....

born2bfree67 - how do you ever get anything done? I would never want to mess that up! I would just sit and admire the rooms all day. :)

My first year of teaching I had a class of 3rd graders. There were 2 other classes of 3rd graders in the building, and the principal divided the class strictly alphabetically, which gave me 21 boys and 7 girls! I discovered the 3rd grade girls were terrific organizers! [I suspect they may work cheaply too.] Just give them the rules for your organization (all purples here, all oranges there; or anything that would make a one-fabric doll quilt in this stack and anything smaller in that box) and don't supervise too closely, give lots of praise, and tell them how much you appriciate their company and their effort! And have fun!
Sally

my daughter offered to help me... however her help was to pitch it all... and i told her to hit the road... lol... there was nooo way she is gonna be allowed anywhere near my statsh... no way.. no how... no sir reeee.... lol

I have organized most of mine but my organizing is nothing in comparison to some organization I have seen here on the board. :lol:

no way!!!