Help! Storage ideas needed
 

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I was here, miss you all! Can you please share how you store fabric safely and efficiently? I also need help with thread! Thank you for anything you can share. I have a BIG project ahead of me this weekend!!!

Do you need to store it because you are moving or just to organize it?

My stash is folded and placed in a curtained closet that have four shelves. My small threads are in a craft plastic double sided case, my thread cones are in the bottom 2 drawers of plastic rolling storage unit next to my sewing machine.

I have some on comic boards and some in plastic containers. Solid color containers are labeled and some clear containers. If you are unable to keep your fabric away from windows or even indirect lighting put a dark cloth over that will repel any sunlight. I have some thread in thread containers and some Ziploc bags. All are labeled.

I have purchased those plastic Iris storage boxes that JoAnn Fabrics sells. Costco also has some similar ones for a good price too. They fit a 12 1/2" block perfectly and I use to store completed blocks for Block of the Month programs. I also use them to store fabric. I also use the same one that is made to hold thread. These are easy to label and stack on each other very well.

I have some extra chest of drawers that I use for storing part of my stash.

I have stackable slide out basket units, one on top of another, in the closet in my studio. I also have some rolling bins, like for children's toys, under my HQ16. I have sorted all my threads for embroidery, sewing/quilting/ and HQ each separately. The embroidery threads are in boxes in a linen cupboard, as I don't use them that often. My sewing/quilting threads are in boxes in the studio stacked under the desk area next to my sewing machine. The HQ threads are in zippered canvas boxes from a quilt show. Each box groups colors for ease in finding just what I want.

I keep my stash organized by color and type in plastic see thru totes. Love it. They stack efficiently and I can see thru the sides. The tops are white and there is a latch to keep the lid on. I can go straight to the tote I want with little hassle.

To protect my stash from sunlight I put up UV sunscreen over my window - works well to keep excess light off my fabric. I have metal shelves w/plastic coating on metal and folded my fabric by wrapping each piece around a 6x24 ruler. The solids on one shelf and prints on another. Then all pcs less than 1 yd are folded in a bin on 3rd shelf. Now I can see everything at a glance. It helps me be more creative to see what I've got. Threads are in rolling drawer unit. Notions in 2 carriers - one for quilting & one for m. embroidery. I spent last month organizing, refolding, going thru all fabric. This takes time and is worth the effort. I congratulate you on getting organized, it will help you as you sew. Duplicates are going to rummage sale in April Yeah! Dollars in and excess out. Hope you can use these tips. I got the ideas from this board. Everyone helps and I sure appreciate it.

Well--not being the queen of organization---in my sewing room the thread is sorted by color into large mouth canning jars and those and the larger scraps (1/4yd +) get stored in the top of a china cabinet. The bottom holds wools, my fusibles and some tools. There's a trundle bed in the room (covered usually with works in progress) and the trundle has no mattress but does have some bat and some fabric (wide backs and future I Spy fabrics) I also have some of those plastic drawers full of smaller scraps and patterns.
In the basement long arm room, I use a closet with shelves to hold tools and pantos, rulers on a pegboard (I do this upstairs too) and have 3 footlockers full of thread cones, sorted by color and each kind/color together with left over bobbins, in plastic baggies. Both rooms have window coverings that keep the sunlight off of the fabrics (although I'd like to be able to look out the window!).

Bought organizer from Sams (online) for my thread storage. It's also on wheels. I believe it is called a 10 drawer organizer on wheels. It's the one with different colored drawers and 24 dollars and change. You could use it for anything, but I got it for my threads.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/search/...equestid=89245