I cut a little chunk out of all my fabrics one year as I was going away for the summer. I thought I would organize them all while I was away (with nothing else to do :roll: ) but didn't touch them. Those little bits were eventually all thrown away and now I am annoyed by fabric with corners missing!

I thought of doing this, but I'd need to haul around a trailer behing our van.

I do something similar to this. I bought baseball (or football/basketball whatever) card holders that go in a 3 ring binder. I cut cardstock down to the size that would fit in each space. I then cut out a small swatch of fabric and glued it on to the card. I then write on the card where and when I got that fabric, and how much I have of it. I haven't done my whole stash yet, but I'm working on it. This way, when I find a pattern I like, if I need to "fill in" by buying new fabric, I can take the cards out of the holders and take them with me. (The cards would even fit in a wallet/billfold) This way I can see the true colors of my fabric to find something that goes with it.

~Heather

Sounds like a great idea!

I'm just now organized enough to do something like that. I like to think of myself as a quilter not a scrapbooker. I do keep a quilt diary with name, date, recipient, why I made that particular quilt, etc.

I started to do that, then decided it was too much work and I may NEED that piece I had cut. I then cut smaller pieces to catalog. Now though I have a photo 'catalog' of my fabric. Since my printer is wonderful at correct color it works pretty well. If I am trying to match fabric for a project though, I take a small piece(s) along.

If I only had time to keep up with all the ways to stay organized! AND had time to quilt AND time for everything else. OH, wait I do ---- as long as I don't sleep at all. :thumbup: :thumbdown:

I'm always trying things like this. They seem like a good idea at the time, but keeping them up-to-date is a challenge. I like the idea of BEING organized more than I like organizing.

I love this idea ans will start doing it. I will cut 1 1/2" squares, save the selvedge name, and glue to a piece of heavy paper with an acid free glue stick. Then I will put it in a plastic sleeve with a 3 hole edge and into a binder.

I think I will do this by color (red, blue etc) rather than mfgr. name for when I take it with me. That way I will have a few colors in mind for my project and not have to carry the whole thing with me.

Geeze.....I've just spent the last couple of months organizing my stash of over 200 fabrics (and still have more to do) and wish I had known about this then. I could have cut fabric swatches as I wrapped boards and had a bit more organization.

I have gotten into the habit of when I bring fabric home, I usually buy all fabric for a quilt at a time even if I don't know what quilt it might be, to cut a small piece off and add it to a receipe card then I staple the receipt to the back. This way I know where I bought it and if I need to find more I have the manufacturers number on the receipt to get more.