I think they mate!
 

I started organizing my sewing room over the weekend. I've been so busy the last several months that I would work on a project and just dump the scraps/etc. in a pile and then start a new project b/c I didn't have time to put everything away. When the piles got too big, I'd toss them into a tote so I didn't have to see them. Well, I'm tackling those totes now. I think my FQ mated and reproduced on me. I neatly folded fabrics as I came across them and have like 250 FQ. How on earth did I ever get that many FQ? I really don't remember buying some of them.

As far as organizing the FQ, I have them in a shoe organizer. On Sunday I purchased a 2nd shoe organizer for my less than about 2/3 of a yard WOF and have filled several spaces already. I have both sitting on their sides tucked under the leaf of my craft desk. I've got my yardage (about 2/3 yd & bigger) neatly folded on a coated wire storage unit. I've gone through two totes and have 5 or 6 more to go (not all have quilting stuff in them - some are just other craft stuff that I never got put away when I moved my craft stuff into the master bedroom a couple of years ago).

I am in that process also...it is hard to work on the sorting for very long, but it MUST be done. You sound like you have a good system. I am out of room in my organizers and I don't have room for more. Maybe a hanging system from the ceiling? Good luck with your challenge!

Well of course they mate. They probably learned all about it from wire hangers.:D

Yay !!! Thats awesome... i sooooo feel your pain.. for a month - on and off- ive been cleaning my sewing room.. I finally gathered up all the piles and dumped them on the couch so i HAD to go thru them... A week later I have them ( the lil scraps) organized in bins by the the GO sizes they are going to be cut into this morning..
From the big tumbler size scraps to pieces that will cover the 2x2 die...
My strips are in 4 categories: 2x3 for the register tape sewing, 2x upto10, Any x WOF, Any x larger than 10 but less than WOF....
the fqs are put away.....


And now off to slicing and dicing...

Have fun.....

It nice to know that you had more than you thought you did than less. Can you imagine the frenzy if fabric just dissappeared after a certain amount of time... or reduced its self to half of what you thought you had.

I too have found that FQ mate and multiply -- I don't remember buying that many!! Then I found a stash of really long yardage -- I was probably thinking backs, but I didn't think I bought that much. I think my rulers multiplied too -- I found doubles and did not know I even had singles of some of them. Sigh -- no rest for the wicked.

I have the same problem and can totally relate! I am constantly reorganizing and redoing my sewing room...seems like after every project. My hubby put in shelves all around the room for me...at my direction when we did this room. I am in a quandry as to what to do now because I'd really like some "box" type shelving to place on a couple of the existing shelves.... Would like to see pics of what you're doing.

My thread spools mate as well... in the dark... after I've turned the lights out for the night....

You guys are just so funny thanks for a good chuckle

Well, I am all for "go forth and multiply" but I do need to get mine under control - I think my stash learned from rabbits. I just need to organize it so I can complete all those half-finished projects. Wish I could teach my stash how to reproduce some of the new upcoming precuts - there are so many that I love - but don't want to spend that much money. Sigh!!!

When i reorganized my stash to get them out of the bins, the yardage was easy- fold on boards and put in the bookshelf--- until i ran out of room. Same with the 'smaller than 1 yd. pieces' it took me a lot longer to cut up the scraps into - strips of various widths, Fq, squares, strings and crumbs. I had to force myself to do it and found towards the end that i would just cut the scraps into strings! I now have a very large clear tub full of strings! I dont have enough room on my shelves, so there are stacks in front of them. My Dh promised me a trip to IKEA for the cube shelves sometime in the future. Yeah!!

I am still working on my scraps. And this bunch has been less than a year. I packed up a bunch and gave it away not long ago. I was wondering why the buckets and bins never get empty..

I bought a product called Easy Cores from this quilting site member and what a dream to organize with these, easy and looks so professional. Wrapped my FQ on one size and yrds. on another, found I only needed two sizes. Layed vertical like bolts on shelves and FQ in totes on end in like shoe boxes but clear plastics and you can see every one. If you pm me I can give the info to purchase. Oh and larger pieces I put on comic book paper 8x10. Everything looks so organized and I can see all my fabric at a glance.

I don't think I have that many fat quarters but this sounds like my room... I did get it organized for the most part but the senario has started again.. Good luck with yours

I, also think they multiply. I truly need to start using some of these up.

I am in the process of doing my room, it looks really nice now, I got IKEA cube shelving for stuff. put tons of fabric in bins, but need tons more. My husband went into my room the other day and said it looks really good ! he was so proud! Then he said what am I going to do with all the stuff in the spare room? I was keeping that door shut. I don't feel like finishing, I don't want my sewing room to get messed up again.

Drue, I LOVE organizing sewing rooms. Can you include a couple of photos of your current room along with a description of what you want to have vs. what you have? Maybe we "great organizing minds" on the QB can make some suggestions.

Well of course they do! LOL!

Thank heavens I'm not alone. WHEW!! Unfortunately I don't have a sewing room anymore but a sewing HOUSE. Stuff all over. Fab stored in 16 66 qt containers and in other places too. I took three days a year ago to color sort my stash and I was so proud when I was done. BUT the only totes that are nice are the one I can't reach. Left overs from projects go into containers...so sad. Every time I think about sorting again, I just sit at the machine and sew. Oh well.

I need to pull my scrap tote again and slice/dice and share!

I bought 5 big old doctor bags (the ones that open wide) and have put my little scraps in them. What a mess. Some of the bags won't close. They are a jumble in them. I need to put all my scraps on my couch and do some organizing but I keep thinking that after "this" quilt I'll do it and I've always had a "this" quilt forever. And how would I organize my scraps in my big doctor bags? I think it was a mistake buying those for scraps. I need like a rubbermaid tub or shoe boxes. And I hate the thought of having to cut them down to size. I am so disorganized with my little scraps. With my fat quarters and bigger pieces, I'm very organized. Is there an easy way to organize my little scraps without too much work?

LOL .. I am sure glad someone else has that umm "issue " too !LOL

i am thinking that when i get home next month i'll be spending the two months i'm home before next work assignment making my sewing more quilter friendly. i'm a seamstress as well, so i have shelves of dressmaker fabrics as well as quilting. at one point they were separate but now they seem to be combining. i am quilting a wedding quilt, i signed up for the wonky log cabin exchange and i have two more quilts started. i do wish folks would quit posting the good fabric sales since i've gone to three sites this month. i decided last time i was home that i need to set up a card catalog system for the books, magazines and rulers. i discovered duplicate rulers myself. And since i have daughters that are starting to quilt, i'd like them to be able to use my supplies when i'm gone and still know what i have where.

I got tired of sorting through my wheeled plastic cart of drawers for just the right little scrap. So now when I start work on a quilt I put one of those clear plastic containers that salad greens come in, on my cutting table. Then all the usable scraps go in there. Now I have stacks and stacks of clear plastic containers with triangles, etc. in, basically color coded by the project they were from. It keeps me eating salad, so I am healthy, when it comes time to sort through all those plastic boxes for the right scrap.:D

My stash has been mating for years. I too, do not remember buying all of those fat quarters or big pieces that I thought I would use for quilt backs. This is just what I have in my sewing room. I have another room in the basement where I have other fabrics such as fleece and flannels. They have also multiplied. I don't even think that the fabrics wait until dark. They just wait until no one is in the room. I have also found batting that I didn't know I have. I went to organize my Civil War fabrics and to my surprise I found that I not only had doubles but four of a kind. I can't imagine that I bought that many of one fabric without remembering that I already had some.

Whew...am I glad to know im not the only one wondering about how they mutiplied...thought for sure some friends, the dog even had somehow snuck into my sewing room and left me "gifts" LOL. did tried and sorting some but after looking at 4 totes...gave some away to quilting guild...let them use it & enjoy it !

One of the things I have been doing while organizing is to hand on hangers or clip to handgers that have clothes pins on the and have found it a good way to be able to see everything and it's quite a space saver. The are like $l.00 for WalMart for 10 of them and they are sturdy enough to hold a couple of pieces. I am very pleaed the way they look hanging in the closet.

With the high cost of fabric, I wish my stash would multiply itself.

Organizing, an unending task
 

Glad to hear I am not alone! I am working on my sewing room. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all the pieces I am dealing with. And I don't want to get rid of them because I "might" need them. I don't really have the space to sort by color so I am separating the theme fabric from the quilt fabric. And I think you are right. They do multiply overnight.
Oh well, it will be great when I get done.

Every time I clean my sewing studio I find fabric that I don't remember buying. It's just like Christmas! lol

When my Mom was here during Christmas, she reorganized and neatened all of my stash drawers. It was Great! For about two days, until I decided to start a new project and went stash hunting! Now I'm back to unfolded heaps in all the drawers, scrap bags bursting at the seams and spilling out onto the floor! The gremlins live in my sewing room! LOL

I just purchased a "wacky web" ruler from Missouri Star and when I tackle my pile o'scraps, I am gonna use the web ruler to cut the larger pieces and hopefully get a start on my wacky web blocks....hopefully!

Wouldnt it be great if they did mate and multiply? Think of all the money we could save and of course the down side. Think of the ugly fabrics that may be produced.LOL But, of course even ugly fabric is usable fabric.

Haha! This is so true and funny! :D

LOL! Ain't that da troof? Or twisty ties or rubber bands? I was in my kitchen junk drawer earlier today & my word! It was a jungle in there!

I can't wait to see you project! Please post it, OK!?!

And I have just been trying to get stuff cleaned up in there so I can sew without the distractions of all the stuff piled all over the place. I have found about 15 projects that I haven't even looked at yet, 3 PIGs, abouty 5 UFOs, and have not idea what else is in there. There are stencils, markers, rotary cutters, rulers... you get the idea. I did get a box of dog toys out. That was a step in the right direction... I don't have enough space! I got about 15 yds of muslin on bolts. I must have 200 FQs. I have yardage, I have kits. I am buried! HELP!!!

Anita in Northfield, MN

I know the feeling. I spent a couple of weeks organizing my sewing room so it would be easier to get to the things I want but haven't gotten to do much quilting since I am currently doing gardening. Hopefully another week will get that in order.

I have to ask.....what is "register tape sewing"?.

If I'm not careful I will learn something everyday!

I know just how that "mating" business happens. I have moved a couple of times in the last 5 years and that helps to get things under control for me. We are finally settled (I think) and I have a fairly consistent method for "dealing" with just this problem. I go through everything each January. I move out "accumulation" and whack it up for charity quilting. I work on those until spring. At the same time, I line up groups of fabrics for my spring and summer projects. By mid fall and sometimes earlier the mating has really gotten evident again but it has to wait until after the holidays. I am starting to really like my method because it's a plan I can work with and enjoy. I think you have found yours as well!