What is the best way to store your fabric if it is not going to be used right away?

Thanks in advance,

For my projects that I am working on for Christmas, I put all the fabric in one of those plastic zippered bags you get when you buy the "bed in a bag" set.

Otherwise my fabric is on shelves in my closet, or in plastic tubs with lids. I keep cut up squares (3" up to 10") in a set of drawers in a little stand next to my cutting table. My FQ'S are in a wooden cabinet with lots of cubbys.

I store mine in totes. When I cut up the fabric for a project I put the fabric and pattern in a large plastic bag so everything is together.

I store some of mine on shelves, started projects in the comforter bags with zippers, and I have alot of totes for everything else. I like using ziplock bags to keep smaller projects in and I usually end up storing them in a smaller bin so they are easy to find.

I have most of my fabric stash sorted by color (with a separate stack of kids prints and Xmas prints) in those hangling sweater and shoe bags in a closet. The bolts and larger pieces of several yards are on shelves or up-right on the corner of the closet and scraps are sorted by color in clear plastic bins with lids. No matter how you store it, periodically you should still un-fold and re-fold the fabrics as they will fade where the outside creases are over time. I found this out the hard way and have several pieces of fabric with faded stripes thru them!

All my fabric is sorted by color on shelves that DH put up for me on two walls of my sewing room. I have a plastic tote that I put labels on for particular projects.

I store mine in totes also.

i store mine in plastic totes out of the sunlight

I store my fabric in a dresser, sorted by color groups. I don't let myself buy more than what can fit into that dresser, so if I want something new, I either have to purge or produce.

RST

All of my fabric is stored in old lawyer's glass front bookcases. By collections, specific holiday types, batiks, tonals, childrens and any other category necessary. I also keep all my widebacks together. I can look and enjoy it all the time.

Uuuhhhmmm, at my house???? :lol: :lol: :lol:

I just have all my stuff on shelves. I do have a few totes that hold batting and other project fabrics.

From what I've read and heard, it's best to keep it covered and out of direct sunlight.
I have mine on the North wall (with no window on the south) and it's got glass doors to keep the dust/cat hair/and anything else that is flying around in the air off of it.

Are we supposed to sort fabric?

I have some in a big plastic tub, some in plastic bags and yet more in drawers in a craft shed.

Thanks for the great ideas on how to store my fabric. Very much appreciated!! :thumbup:

I have mine sorted by color in gallon size storage bags. Those are then stored out of the way in plastic storage bins. :)

I have mine in an old dish cupboard with windows(my grandmothers) also a 9 draw dresser(fat quarters) and a closet with shelves (kid fabric and flannel). Oh also totes have my scraps.

I love reading blogs and here is a link to one that has all kinds of ideas for storing your stash

http://stashmanicure.blogspot.com/

I am not affiliated with that blog I just love it. Some people have so much fabric it is hard to believe and the ideas different people have for storage is so amazing. If you go back through their blog posts you see different ideas for storage.

I store mine in four draw file cabinets that i bought for 5 dollars each. they are just the right size if you fold your material with the ruler or us the mat board that you cut you can also just open a draw and see every piece at a glance

wow-great site-thanks!!

For small projects, you can also use the plastic containers that salad mix comes in.

I read somewhere that Rubbermaid tote boxes are made from a type of plastic that won't hurt your fabric. Of course, the one's I have are not Rubbermaid and I'm not planning on replacing them all right now, that would be quite an expense.

I store all my small pieces in those square cardboard decorative boxes that you see at Tuesday Morning and Joanns. I have big ones but I don't see them at Joanns much anymore.

I fold the fabric in to uniform sizes that fit standing up on edge and organize by color. My daughter who is a super organizer started this plan for me and it works. I have to stop now and then and refold when I get too messy. I hung paper tags from them with the colors & info like "Red Green & Blue Small Prints".

Mine is stored in plastic totes, copy paper boxes, ziploc baggies, etc. And kept away from the light.

Cute cat.

Hm, never thought of the sunlight piece.
My big pieces of fabric are in long plastic totes and smaller pieces are in plastic stacking drawers but everything is see-through. I don't think they get direct sunlight but my room is full of windows and natural light.
Guess I'll have to sew my way through my fabric a little faster. :)

mine are stored in plastic totes. I have some cut up fabric that I did not use for any other quilt in baggies, which are then put into the plastic totes

I have mine in plastic storage drawers you can stack at least 3 high and the drawers are clear so I can see whats inside. Have lots of these full.

I store a lot of my fabric on shelves in a closet that doesn't have a door but I stick cedar among it to keep the bugs and moths away. You can buy cedar blocks/balls/flat squares at the store, it's in the laundry section.

I also have plastic storage units with drawers and I store specific fabric in those - asian prints, denim, specialty fabric (like sheers, sparkly, sequined).

I have mine in plastic crates set on their sides,stacked 4 high and sort the fabric by color. I have these in a closet area, which doesn't have doors, but I keep a curtain hung over the area to keep out the sunlight. I keep my plaids/homespuns in a dresses in a spare room, Christmas fabrics in a chest, fabrics I have for backings/borders (larger hunks) I keep in a shelf in another closet. My flannels take over another closet. In otherwords, I keep fabric all over my house, but protected from light.

Ah yes, forgot to mention what was in the closet and the dresser in the guest room. My DH has over flow wood (yes, wood) in the closet in his den since he has a woodworking hobby and collects wood like I collect fabric - and notions, and trims, and buttons, and patterns, etc., etc.,etc..........

And are we suppose have them organized in totes? It's a good thing you don't see my sewing room or boxes of materials. I drive a quilter friend of mine crazy, but I do get things done....

Any serious quilter who saw my storage would die laughing. I have been quilting for about 5 years now. I have made about 25 quilts. I get really nervous when I have too much fabric/scraps laying around. I just made 2 scrap quilts to get rid of the scraps that I had been storing. My fabric storage consists of 3 large shoe boxes. One for larger pieces, one for smaller pieces and one for christmas fabric. I store everything in the bottom half of my china hutch. All tools are in the two small "silverware" drawers in open containers. All fabric and bigger tools are stored in the bottom.

Cabinets, see through plastic bins and large sip up plastic bed sheet bags.

My stash is not nearly as impressive as some peoples BUT my husband just laughs at me when I buy fabric. He even helps me pick out fabric too!! He really has a GREAT eye for putting colors together! Since we discovered we were expecting our first baby the quilter and sewer in me has emerged with FULL FORCE!!! The problem was that all of my crafty/sewing things were spread from one end of my house to the other ....

Soooo one night I threw EVERYTHING craft/sewing related (with the exception of the sewing machine, ironing board and iron) on our bed and then organized it all :-)

The before picture does not really show everything .. probably just 1/2 of it all

Well-done! Congradulations on your good news as well! I always found spending the time tinkering (my word for just hanging out in my quilting room) and organizing really gets me in the frame of mind to dig in and start a new quilt- not to mention the euphoria I experience fondling fabrics and gadgets (I am a gadget freek!) I bet there will be some baby quilts on your mind now!

I use the same primary color drawers that lalaland uses. I got mine at Target and they were advertised as toy boxes. There are 3 drawers in each one and you can attach wheels to them (they come with them) I have a whole bunch of them.

We live in a small house, so my husband put a fold down ladder in our hall ceiling. Then, he put down plywood and vynl on top of that over the attic beams. The platform is about 10 by 10. Then he turned a plastic bucket upside down and put wheels on it and a padded top so I can roll around and get into my stash. We don't have a high ceiling in the attic so I can't stand up. It works out great.
Verna

Same here.

I have mine stored in a closet hanging shoe bin, according to colors. On the other side, I have baby fabrics, bags with scraps/selveges. Plus a few bags of fabric set aside with the pattern in it for upcoming projects. Didn't think I'd collect so much in less than 3 months!!
Can't even hit Walmart without hitting the fabric section. LOL

And this is only the beginning!!!!!