Looking at all the pictures on the web of sewing rooms and stash cabinets is not good for me! I'm thinking about making a couple of the kids move out lol! Seriously though I don't have a sewing room or space for tons of stash. What I have is a corner of our bedroom and a small space in my closet for stash. Its getting crowded in there though. I've folded everything as neatly as I could....using the ruler method but I see the day coming where everything is NOT going to fit. So I'm trying to plan ahead. I need ideas of how to keep my stash where I can see what I have and still get to it easily. Right now the only thing I can come up with is stacking those plastic shoeboxes up on the shelf in my closet. That is kind of going to be a pain though as I will need a stool to reach them.

If you can't see it or get to it easily, then any method will be a hassle. I know. I use to keep my stash in plastic bins. It was easier for me to go buy more fabric then to sort through the bins for fabric I know I had in one of the bins.

perhaps those air bags where u suck all the air out. Maybe that would help.

I wonder if anyone has tried those "Shoe Under" storage thingies that slide under your bed. I looks like it would be good for fat quarters.

i agree, you can buy bins that span the entire width of the bed - and for even more room you could elevated the bed a few inches more.

I would put a long ribbon or cord on the handles of storage bins under the bed. Sure would save a lot of time pulling them out. :D

I'm currently using the pastic storage bins. I have my fabric sorted by colors and I have a general idea where everything is. It's not a hassle for me because I'm a slow worker, and it gives me an opportunity to reaquaint myself with what I have. My sewing room is the livingroom.

i tried picking up all the kitty toys :) but missed a few

Only this week am I trying to sort out the very same problem. I've got one small drawer under the bed and bags piled up in the corner, a precarious couple of piles on top of the computer unit then the bits I've just left on the dining room table that I'm using.

So, totally fed up with the set-up, yesterday I've ordered some extra deep book shelves which are arriving on Monday, and now looking for some suitable baskets or nice boxes for all the fabric, books and the plethora of sewing stash.

I picked book shelves so that I can actually see what I've got at a glance without all the rummaging for something I remember buying last year... sometime.
Joanne

We're supposed to manage our stash?LOL The overfill of fabrics goes into the very large plastic totes, sorted more or less by color of type of fabrics.

THis weekend Joann's has their plastic storage containers on sale at 50% off. That might work on your book shelves as they are clear plastic and you could easily see what you have. Just a thought. Marge

I use clear rubbermaid totes and fold the fabric so they look like little bolts that I can see from the sides. I arrange them by color but keep solids separate. A couple times a year I go through them to remember what I have and am usually pleasantly surprised.

I have been in Justification Mode for the last 6 months. If I can't justify buying it - meaning do I REALLY NEED THAT - I won't, including fabric.

It's not easy, but it is possible. I just don't want to waste more $$ or fabric, and when it just sits there I feel it's wasted. And I have fabric that I bought 23 years ago. Not much, but some.

The good thing is....I love what I have!

I have all of my scraps in those stoage bins fo walmart. They have 3 clear drawers so you can see what color is in it. they cost less than $10 on sale. I have all of my yardage folded on big book shelves so I can see what I have. I have 3 of them full.
Judy

use the garage your trunk a pantry, linen closet or whatevwer crack you have available!!!!hehehehehe

I suggest stacking your out of season clothes on the closet shelf and using your dresser drawers for stash. A few over-the-door shoe organizers might help. - 1 for the bedroom door and 2 for the closet door - 1 on the inside, 1 on the outside. Good luck with this

Over the years, we had lived in places with little storage...being creative was a necessity lol. I have turned couches sideways covering a corner, mounted a corner shelf behind it on the wall and in that corner were storage items that were hidden. I have place book shelves on top of chests of drawers, anchoring them to the wall for additional storage.
If your kids are young, put some of your things on the shelves of their closets, if they aren't using it.

I'm using a free bedroom as a combo sewing room and office, so space is hard to come by for my ever growing stash, too. I've had to resort to some measures I don't necessarily care for, but what's a gal gonna do? Here are a few things I've resorted to lately:

1) Our attached garage has become my 'annex' for flannels, fleece and batting. I've put all that stuff in plastic tubs.

2) I put my WIPs under my sewing tables in tubs.

3) I hung a few baskets by their bottoms on my walls to display some small things, like jelly rolls, charms, etc.

4) The closet has a metal shelf unit that stores most of my stash.

5) I put some of my stash up for sale, here on our board.

6) I've donated or given away some fabric.

Can you hang some of your pieces on hangers in your closet? Do you have a cedar chest or other type of furniture that could double as fabric storage? An ottoman would work as do those benches you put by your front door. Do you have any of those little round tables with a table cloth that you could store fabric under where it's hidden? Can you install a few shelves on your bedroom walls for fabric storage? I hang my finished tops on those clamp style skirt hangers behind my bedroom door.

Thanks for starting this thread. Lots of good ideas already. Best of luck to you. :)

Karla in CO

When my daughter was in a sorority I saw some very creative use of space. The girls bought LARGE plastic storage bins that were 40" long and about 8-10 inches tall. The bins had wheels. They fit under the twin beds (which are 40" wide) and rolled out. The girls could fit an incredible amount of "goods" in those boxes. They could line up three or more under every bed. When my daughter moved into an apartment, she wanted to continue to use the "under the bed" storage for her millions of shoes but her bed did not have enough clearance. She got "bed elevators' and still uses the huge amount of space under her bed for storage. Somewhat like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Range-Kleen-Be...455675&sr=1-16

I have a sewing buddy that keeps a HUGE stash like this.

Some good ideas here! Thanks! So far I'm thinking that underbed containers would be best. Dh built our bed frame and it is laid out with "boxes". So I could fit maybe three on my side. That would give me a lot more space. And I could possibly fit one more three drawer unit in my sewing area. I don't need all that space yet but hey I gotta plan ahead you know!

You don't want to use these. Fabrics, especially natural fabrics like cotton, need to breathe. It's why we're not supposed to store fabric in bags or in plastic bins that seal shut. Of course, guess where most of my fabric is...in plastic bins. :oops:

Do you store anything under your bed? If not, there are some great bins out there made for sliding under a bed and according to one of my friends, you can fit a lot of fabric under a bed. If her husband ever looks under there, boy is he going to be surprised!! :lol:
EDIT: I see someone else already posted this idea, and with a link. Thank you!

I couldn't tell you but if you figure it out--let me know! I just buy decorative trunks and storage containers and I organize everything into kits with patterns or bundles. I am trying to use all my "stash" fabric that is not in a kit because .....I tend to but all my fabric for certain patterns so I don't really need a stash anymore. So it is going for peiced backs or in my scrap quilts.

I have a wall of plastic totes in my bedroom and a closet full of plastic shoe boxes. Interesting decor but I love it.

I store all my sewing supplies/stash in a corner in our bedroom. I do my sewing in the kitchen. I found tall bookcases with doors at Walmart and store my fabrics in there. I have one for cotton and one for flannel. I can see at a glance what I have and still keep it clean. I store my thread, scissors, etc. in plastic shoe boxes with lids on top of the bookcases. I have 5 and each one is for specific items. I store my batting in Rubbermade totes that sit between the bookcases.

Instead of using the standard round decorator table with detachable legs and a tablecloth, start out with a sturdy large garbage can that is the correct height. Then, buy a precut circular piece of wood to make into a lid. The lid would need another circular piece glued to the bottom of the tabletop to make the table top secure.

I saw this tip years ago to create storage for Christmas decorations. I have been thinking about making one for batting!

I've always been told that if you "roll" your clothes or wahtever, you can get more in a space. I just did that when I sent a box it Izy in Spain and it really does work. You might try that and then you could lay them with justthe ends showing so you still can see what it is.
Just an idea of mine.
Good Luck. Let me know if you try this and how youlike it.
Thanxs,
Bev

I didn't want to risk ruining any of my fabric...so I used those space bags for ....our clothes....now I use the space I made for stash... :lol: :lol: :lol:

I know some knitters that store their stash in bins in the freezer.......I wouldn't, but..........:)

I'm reducing my stash and kitting up what I buy. That way I don't have to store as much and I get more done.......I use bookshelves and a cedar chest and an old chest of drawers for my stash.

Sounds like my method!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

When I first started out sewing (long ago and far away), I would put fabric in drawers, under the bed, closet shelves, etc. Of course, I soon outgrew those methods and now I use plastic totes. The only drawback is now I can't always lift them to see what's in the tote below... :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

I used to use under bed storage but now have a sewing room and a closet to use.
How about those hanging cloth shelves? I have one and it hold quite a bit of fabric.

It has become somewhat of a dilema for me as well. I currently have a large bookshelf with fabric sorted by color and about 3 large stacks of fabric on the floor and a 5 drawer plastic cabinet. The bookshelf is great bc I can see it all. The stacks are terrible bc I have to dig through to find out what I have. I agree, it's easier to buy more than it is to dig, lol, adding to the problem. Good luck and let us know what you figure out.

I like the way I have my stash organized. Maybe it would work for you. The plastic shoebox way is a good choice, especially if you can see through them. I have mine sorted by their dominant color in ROY G BIV order, and I have an extra couple of black, white, brown and multi. (Pink is in with red and gray is in with black.) I use the shoe boxes for fat quarter sizes. Then I have some of the plastic stacking bins with pull out drawers--one larger for yardage and one quite small for bits and pieces that I might use in paper piecing. It works for me. The small drawers for bits and pieces are especially nice because I can pull out the whole drawer of pieces rather than having them spread all over my table. You say you don't have much room, but if you can stack the bins, you can fit quite a bit in a small space. Hope this helps. I can post pictures if you would like. My methods have evolved according to my needs. Sometimes it's helpful just to look at, say, The Container Store (which can be expensive), and see what's available. Then decide what method would work best for you.

Thank you so much for the suggestion. I would love to go to Joann's as I've read so much about this wonderful place... but I'm in England. I'm sure that I'll find something that is similar back here that will work... just got to shop around.

I just can't wait for my shelves to arrive.
Joanne

Go to your local supermarket and ask the fish department to save those long, flat containers they get filets in. You will have to wash them really good with a lot of soapy water, but they will be free and will fit under the bed with no problem at all. As a matter of fact you can even stack them a couple high under there.

BY THE WAY EVERYONE, I got the book "Country Christmas Quilting" yesterday through Amazon.com. I paid $1.85 plus shipping which is a steal because there is NOT ONE THING in this book that I don't like. Also, it was so neat to see Sandra Hatch right on the first page in her beautiful Holly Jacket.
Way to go girl!!!!!

I have two book shelves in my sewing room, which is very crowded. I file my fabric by seasonal, plain colors, etc. on the shelves. I have also added roll down window shades to the front of the shelves to help keep dust off the fabric. I sprayed adhesive to the fronts of the shades and put white felt on them. When they are down I can also use them as a way to audition my blocks. When I need fabric I can just roll up the shades. Works well.

I have a few of the under the bed storage units and they are ok, I only put flannel in them. when they are empty i just fold them up and wait for a sale to refill.

Until I moved to the mountains, my stuff was scattered all over the place and I never knew what I had. It was in the master closet, guest closet and in stackable cabinets and a cedar chest. I now have two shelving units 5 ft long and 12 inches deep and most of what I have is there. It makes a world of difference to be able to see what you have. So maybe a book shelf unit would work for you. It sure helped me!

The plastic bin companies just love me to death. when they see me coming cha ching is in the air. the following is how I stash my stash- EVERYWHERE there is space! in my dresser( I dont have a lot of clothes but I do have lots of fabric), in my closet in bins and hanging on hangers, in my sewingroom in bins under the tables, in the guest room closet,under the bed in the guestroom and our room.BUT Santa thought I was a good girl this year so Santa is adding an addition on to our house to make my current sewing room (16x12) bigger (adding additional 20x20 room)SO
with that said there is never enough room to stash the stash only creative stashing. Happy sewing to everyone!
T.Farmer TX

The shades are a great idea ... wish I'd thought of doing that. I use book shelves too, with the fabric arranged by color. To protect from dust and fading, I just made some full-length muslin curtains with rings on the top making it easy to slide the panels out of the way when I want to access the fabric. I used plastic bins for a long time, but it was too difficult to find what I wanted. Vertical storage takes up just a bit of floor space, and I can see all of my fabric at once making it easier make color choices.

I have several Tennsco Bulk Shelving Racks - adjustable, sturdy, available in many sizes
plus a bed and some plastic totes.

Sometimes it is easier to just go buy some more than to excavate.

http://www.tennsco-shelving.com/inde...elving%20Racks

I think I have the Z-Line of it.

It's pounded together - no screws or bolts - and it's adjustable.