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Folding, folding, folding fabric...
Just a little tip for any newbies and a question. The tip - keep up with organizing your fabric from the BEGINNING!!! I was very fortunate to have several people give me fabric to build my stash. Now, I am trying to oganize it and it is a bit overwhelming. I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it has taken HOURS and HOURS and HOURS to organize. My hard-learned advice - neatly fold and put away each piece as it comes into the home to aviod one big overwhelming project! MY QUESTION - How on earth do you arrange fabric so that it makes sense. First, I separated out all the ones that go with projects I am currently working on and put it in one pile. Next, holiday fabrics. Then, novelty prints. The rest I am trying to organize by color, but it is soooo hard. Do you just go from light to dark in each color, or do you separate out solids and ones that read as solids, ,etc. Do you keep certain lines together, or do you arrange them by color also. Also, do you just wind up with one big whopping pile of *multicolored fabrics* that cant really be classified. Sorry if this is hard to read, the right side of my keyboard died so I dont have enter, quotes, appostraphe, queston mark, etc. I will post a picture when I get everything as organized as I can. Finally, to everyone out there who so graciously sent me part of their stash - THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I now have so many beautiful things to work with! I am planning on making quilts for two womens sober shelters that helped me so significantly when I was homeless. I think that if I buy background materials and backings, I have enough to make one for each bed in each shelter (34). Will likely take me years to do, but I feel ready to get started! SEW excited!!!! I LOVE THIS BOARD!!!!!!!
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Oh - forgot - what about fabrics that are same pattern in a variety of colors - do you keep them together or separate by color Thanksk to anyone who can help!!
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Everyone sorts theirs differently. Last month I finally organized my stash, refolding everything. Took a couple of weeks. This is what I did: I have Christmas separate. The rest is divided between batiks and regular cottons by color. I don't sort within color families, so I just have all the greens together, not sorted light to dark or by print size. I just looked at the fabric and whatever color seemed dominant, that's the pile it went into. The fabrics that didn't seem to have a dominant color went into a 'novelties' pile. I don't have many of these, but they are mostly florals, some pictoral. I put the neutrals (white, beige, brown, black) on a separate shelf.
I do have some misc fabric "bundles" that I purchased as a group, either several colors, same print, or coordinating fabrics from the same fabric line. Fabrics I purchased to coordinate with a vague quilt idea in mind. I did keep these together. I only have a few of those because most of my purchases were from the sale table ;). I didn't stress too much over the categorization... Most of my cuts are at least a yard, so there's enough of the fabric showing for me to find what I want. I also wanted to say that making quilts for the shelters is a wonderful thing for you to do. Good luck! |
I keep collections and holiday together. I then separate the rest into colours but I don't graduate the colours. I put all mine on mini bolts so I could stand them up for easy access.
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It really depends what works for you. We did by color - dark to light with Multi-colored also dark to light. The specials like panels and prints together.
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I have mine by color.
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I believe that it will change over time, go with what you think you want and then make adjustments as you find something that works for you. I do have several of my lines together, then Kids prints and Christmas together, all B&W together (that was the really easy one). I put the ones that read mostly tone on tone and solids into the color familys, then I have florals and Blenders. Will probably end up with one more category of those that dont' fit anywhere! I agree with your advice we have pulled our fabric out of the nooks and crannies and are still in the process of wrapping.
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I have mine sorted by color, with Christmas separate. Then, the fabrics I have set aside for specific projects are stored in those clear plastic boxes that salads, lettuce, and spinach come in. That way I don't use them when pulling from my stash, but they're still visible.
I sort by color because when I go to my stash, that's what I'm looking for - a specific color. I don't sort light to dark within the color, that would get disorganized way too fast. I have a separate section for multi-color fabrics that don't read any one color. I also store my fabrics on a bookshelf (out of direct sunlight) and I made sure my stacks are very short, i.e. the distance between shelves is very small. I do not want the stacks of fabrics to be very tall, because that would make them hard to access. |
You all have some good advice! Thanks so much!
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I have been asking for the empty cardboard fabric holders from Jo ann's and Hancocks, I wrap my fabric around them and set them up like in a fabric store (by color), and it is easier for me to shop (like in a fabric store) and pull out one fabric wrapped around the cardboard than pulling out one folded fabric, and having the rest tumble about and make a mess. My dh made shelves 37" high in the closet, and right now they are 2 fabric wrapped cardboard holders deep (not practical, but better for me than folding) as they are built into a deep closet attic nook. When I move into my sewing room I am going to have 8 feet of linear closet space with shelves 37" apart. I still will have bins of fabric, christmas, kids, flannel, civil war. Ideally, they will be only 1 cardboard holder deep in this space, but that is still on the drawing board. I keep my fabric out of sunlight, so the bins and all fabric is stored in closets, cupboards, all over, in drawers, chests. In my new room, I will be able to bring up a couple of old "chifferrobes" that he has built shelves in for me. I find them in yard sales, and auctions fairly inexpensive. Great place to store fabric, notions, etc, away from sunlight.
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All the ways you do/did it - and some are just stacked because I don't have any more shelf space.
The up side to the stacked fabrics - I get some (a lot of) exercise when I go excavating. :rolleyes: |
I have shelf's for orientals, jungle, birds and butterflies, kids, marine, flowers, holidays, batiks, solids, stripes, novelties, scraps from past projects, 2 shelf's for blenders sorted by color, a shelf for things I am working on now.
And 1 shelf of large pieces I bought for one block wonders. a cd cabinet for fat quarters. I think it depends on how you look for things tho. Good Luck with that Sue |
Thanks for all your responses! Going to post a pic in "mission organization now.
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Arg - don't know how to post pics from iphone. Will try later from computer
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Originally Posted by AndysC
(Post 5889248)
Oh - forgot - what about fabrics that are same pattern in a variety of colors - do you keep them together or separate by color Thanksk to anyone who can help!!
Rosie the Wyldwytch |
I am the odd ball of the group. Our guild had a speaker several years ago and she said you should sort by size not color. I thought she was crazy until I did it. Her reasoning was because if you are looking for 2 yards of a red fabric and you go to your stash and fall in love with one it will be 1 1/2 yards and you can't use it. I do not sort by color within size either. I find that I see more possibilities in the fabric when it is mixed. But because I sort by size I have used more of my stash. Hope this helps.
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Originally Posted by DonnaR
(Post 5890489)
I am the odd ball of the group. Our guild had a speaker several years ago and she said you should sort by size not color. I thought she was crazy until I did it. Her reasoning was because if you are looking for 2 yards of a red fabric and you go to your stash and fall in love with one it will be 1 1/2 yards and you can't use it. I do not sort by color within size either. I find that I see more possibilities in the fabric when it is mixed. But because I sort by size I have used more of my stash. Hope this helps.
Dina |
I use my 6x24 inch ruler to fold my fabric. A member here did a tutorial (a year or so ago) on folding her fabric that way and it works great for me. I keep my print fabric sorted into themes and the themes into colors. I don't have huge stash (working on it!) yet.
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My organizational method is DISorganization....I have fabric all over the place, and frequently arrange and rearrange sets that I want to use together is a quilt...I like the idea of sorting by size...wonder if I can get it done? Can this old dog learn new tricks??
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No matter how you sort it eventually it will get all mixed up. Finally sorted by yardage. I found that when the like colors weren't together it was easier to find what I wanted. Also saves time when finally finding a color and of course there isn't enough fabric in the piece.
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I have a wall of shelves in my studio. Under the shelves is space tall enough for upright bolts of fabric, but they keep falling over and then slipping off into the walk space. Also have some tuppers there with my upholstery scraps in one, tapestry in another and misc in the other. I have my batiks stacked on a shelf unit in the corner by the wall of shelves. On the bottom shelf of that unit I have mostly garment fabrics for costuming. On the other shelf unit at the other end of my wall of shelves I have UFOs and WIPs along with a few completed projects. I have the wall of shelves organized mainly by color. Exceptions are flannels, Christmas, and non quilty fabrics. The color stacks get reorganized frequently as I decide that blue belongs with the purples or the aquas, etc. DGS has done some rearranging as well so I need to get in there and fix it. Lol!
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I got a picture posted on Mission Organization if you care to take a look. [ATTACH=CONFIG]398310[/ATTACH]
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Or you can look at it here lol. My mind is somewhere else.
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Having to search for a specific fabric makes me want to organize better. But, I have mental pictures of where my fabrics are, mostly. Soo, every once in awhile I find a fabric I totally forgot I owned. At any rate, I think sorting like the fabric stores, like fabrics together, then by color with some really mixed ones such as one would find on the sale table will be the way I shall organize my stash.
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Wow!! So many different ideas! Hopefully one day I'll actually have a sewing room, (instead of my dining room table), so I don't have much of a stash. I keep each current project in a separate plastic tote which I can then store/stack out of sight. My stash is then also kept in plastic totes, but all of it, stash and projects, fits into 12 totes.
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Everything on bolts (1 yard or more) I separate first by Christmas, Halloween, Easter...the rest (solids and colors) I place on my big cutting table and sort by using the colors of the rainbow, each going from light to dark. My smaller pieces are folded to 4" by 4" and placed on two standing CD racks using the same color-sorting method as above. I know this sounds like a lot of work and maybe I'm a bit OCD about it, but the finished product is quite beautiful! You see, my quilt area is the bottom of the 'L' in my L-shaped finished basement, making it open to my family/tv room. It's open and visible to company, so I MUST keep it neat and tidy!
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Fabric is by holiday then the other fabric is by color . This is what helps me out when looking in my stash ..
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I tried to use boards to fold my stash on,but I found the boards take up too much space on my shelves..I put all my stash on boards, the thin ones, took over two weeks to do so, ran out of shelf space...all my stash was originally on these shelfs, so I spent another two weeks taking the boards out..I have a big stash and a small amount of space to use. That was about 4 weeks of not sewing..waste, waste, waste. I always learn the hard way! ENJOY YOUR WEEK!
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I read in a book about organizing crafts ets. to hang your large pieces of fabric on plastic coat hangers. I am in th e process of doing that and works really well for me. I don't have enough room in my sewing room for shelves. For my fat quarters I bought a CD cabinate at Big Lots. The space between each shelf is the perfect standing then in rows. I love all your suggestions and will definately be using some.
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I am in the process of refolding all of my fabric too. i am doing by color trying to put larger pieces on the bottom of stack anything about 12/ yard pieced I am putting in seperate container and small pieces like chunks into another bin for scrap quilts and applique. My DH redid my closet and put in more shelves and narrower ones. went from 3 - 20 inch shelves 2 ft apart to 5 shelves of 12 inch wide and one 16 inch shelf on the bottom so totes will sit under it. put kids, pre-quilted, homespun, sewing motif, and stripe fabric for table runners into these totes. I am not done folding yet but will get there in another week or so... will hate to mess it up when I am done.
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Originally Posted by Anniedeb
(Post 5891002)
Wow!! So many different ideas! Hopefully one day I'll actually have a sewing room, (instead of my dining room table), so I don't have much of a stash. I keep each current project in a separate plastic tote which I can then store/stack out of sight. My stash is then also kept in plastic totes, but all of it, stash and projects, fits into 12 totes.
Loving all the ideas and hoping one day to have a sewing room in which to implement them. Thanks to all for you for your input! |
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I don't use the foam 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 prints, 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 And my selvages are kept in recycled plastic Ice cream tubs by length.. And that's how my room is organized.. I followed Bonnies method.. www.quiltville.com. My 1930's fqs section- (just one of my fq sections) http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...eorganizer.jpg here is how i store my misc scraps from my swaps I host and participate in: |
Im a scrappy quilter so my scraps are not separated by colors but by size..
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I have a humongous stash (that means it is bigger than huge!) and one of the most useful organizational tools I have found is: When I buy a new piece with a project in mind, I put the 'kit' together with the pattern or a note of what I had in mind. This keeps me on track with my purchases. Doesn't mean I can't change my mind, just helps me know why I bought it.
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I sort pretty much like Paper Princess. I've found a really nice way to store my faberic where I can see all the faberic, remove what I want without having to pick up faberic that is on top of the one I want to use and keep my faberic dust free. I had a clear plastic filing box with the hook kind of folders and this idea just seemed so good and easy I wondered why I hadn't though of it before. I frist cut the folders in half so I have two sides that still hang in the filing box. I fold my fabric to match the width of the hanging folder half and any lingth, then wrap the faberic around the folder half and hang it in the filing box. When it's full I set it on a shelf with the side facing out and I can see each peace, small or large. I have six now, each with a different color, I'm sure some colors will have more than one file box.
I love it... |
It sounds like you are on the right track. Do what seems right to you as you work with your fabric.
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Thank you to everyone for all your wonderful advice! I have done all I am going to do to my fabric for now, but keep the tips coming - I am not the only one getting great ideas for the future! You guys rock.
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I'm so glad you will paying it forward. Good luck with organizing. I was all organized and now we are moving!! Exciting but I'll have to do the set up all over again!
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I have been buying up other people's scraps and unwanted fabrics and most of it comes in all mixed together. After washing I start sorting into piles and then box most of it. I then take boxes out and start ironning and then put it in a basket and take every week some time 10 minutes to hours to sort and put away. I sort both by theme (1930, civil war, floral), size scraps, FQ, and large pieces and color. I also toss and give away at the same time.
Bonnie Hunter http://quiltville.com/scrapusersystem.shtml has a wonderful system. I follow some ideas but am not as good at it as she is and I add my own touches for my own purposes. I try to keep fabrics together where I am most likely to use them else I can't find them. So fo example I am big on kids I spy quilts and have a bin with cut squares and FQ with those types of fabrics. I also have an old plastic zippered bag froma comforter that is full with I Spy type kid's prints scraps. All 1930 type fabric is in several plastic bins and are stored on a shelf together. I might even put patterns in it that I like. I also have a shelf with UFO. Most are a pattern , fabric for that pattern and some are partially done. I might even store a ruler in it or other items needed but I am trying to avoid that because I "lost" some of my rulers that way. It is kind of like making my own kit. |
Thank you Donna for posting and explaining.
I used to sort this way but now I am sorting by color and theme mostly like most seem to do. I think you are right and I used to be more out of the box with fabrics then I am now. Interesting.
Originally Posted by DonnaR
(Post 5890489)
I am the odd ball of the group. Our guild had a speaker several years ago and she said you should sort by size not color. I thought she was crazy until I did it. Her reasoning was because if you are looking for 2 yards of a red fabric and you go to your stash and fall in love with one it will be 1 1/2 yards and you can't use it. I do not sort by color within size either. I find that I see more possibilities in the fabric when it is mixed. But because I sort by size I have used more of my stash. Hope this helps.
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