Best ways to organize fabric
 

I am moving. I am sorting. I probably won’t be able to go through all my fabric before I move it. I will try. I am getting rid of what I don’t think I will use.

Then I see a pretty scrap. i can’t part with it. It reminds me of something.

So, what is the best way to sort scraps. By color or by value. Is their much of a difference in sorting by size if it is less than a fat quarter.

I have some fabric sorted by projects in process. I have batiks all together. Then I have some fabric sorted by color. If there are better ways or difference ideas I am open to suggestions.

I am a bit ADHD and always struggle with organization. So any help will be appreciated.

Thanks, Shannon

Bonnie Hunter has a good way to organize and cut scraps and I have done some of mine that way.

I starch and iron scraps. Sort them into bins by either batiks or other prints. I haven't cut them down yet as some are going into some applique quilt projects. Larger size pieces (not fat quarter size) are folded on a 3 1/2 inch ruler and stacked in the bin.

Seems like we both use similar methods. Good luck on your move!

i sort by color except: Christmas, juvenile, batiks. also, with so many modern quilts these days, i've also sorted out solid colors. and, like you, there are some that are just too special and I don't want them lost in the mix... so I have a small pile of those.

I do the same as Nan with one exception- I don't keep many scraps. I probably should but by the time I'm done with a project I'm really tired of the fabrics I used! ( I know I'm weird) :) Everyone else seems to love scraps! lol

I use a variety of methods for my scraps. I store all my fabric in drawers and like to be able to see what I have at a glance. Yardage, fat quarters etc. gets wrapped around comic boards cut to fit in my drawer units. These can then be filed by size (>1yd, 1yd, <1yd, fat quarter) with a separate drawer for each size. I separate by color and value within sizes.

Here’s what I do for scraps- irregular and largish scraps get wrapped around comic boards also filed and arranged by color and value. I define largish and irregular as anything larger than a 10” square or Strips that are at least 2”wide and 12” long. Everything else gets cut into sizes that I like to use. Those are also stored in drawer units and are separated into stacks by size and value.


Rob

I do the same as Nan also...except I hadn’t thought about keeping any “special” fabrics aside. I have a bin of crumbs and another of strips that are of all color. And in my 2018 organizing, I now have two bins of larger scraps that are by color...one bin is of lighter/neutrals and the second is darker/brights. I keep FQs and half yards and more separate.

I sort mainly by color, but also have containers for jelly rolls, charm squares, kids, vegetables (!), florals, christmas, Asian, etc. It's getting out of hand.

I am with you - not everyone loves and saves scraps.

I store most of my scraps in shoebox bins by color... In addition, I have a bin of 5" squares, 2.5"squares and a couple of bins of strips... 2.5" and 2" (which I use for EPP) That being said, I understand those special scraps. For me, it's that last little bit from the Easter dress I made for my oldest DD 16 years ago.. or other scraps from early quilting... The ones that made it into several quilts for our closest family members.

I made fabric boxes out of my scraps in each color and keep them on my storage closets. It's amazing how much I use them.

Love this! Especialy for those of us with sewing stuff in living areas.

1/2 yard and larger pieces get rolled, rubberbanded, and stacked on a shelf in my supply closet. At a glance I can see every scrap I have. The start of my stack uses the side wall for support and tension curtain rods extended from the upper shelf support the open end of the stack. . It is stacked about 12 inches tall and extended maybe 2 feet. Uses much less space then when folded and in those hard to keep organized piles. Within the stack I also organize by color. Easy to get to pieces on very bottom and nothing else gets disturbed

Darcy--I'm going to jump in and focus first on the fact that you say you are a bit ADHD--and moving! And trying to sort your fabric as you declutter/pack. If your move is soon--like in next 2-3 weeks, I'm going to suggest that you do not have time to set up a scrap organization system, but instead need to decide what gets "tossed", what gets moved. Once at your new place, you can use one of the suggested systems--first by projects in progress; then yardage; then FQ and then those true scraps by color. Make it pretty straight forward so that you can maintain the system.

I leave my scraps the size they are and organize them so I can find them later. Usually I can. I keep like fabrics together - batiks, light/white, Kaffe, prints are by color, yellow, red...