just want to say how much i have learned from everyone, from to wash or not wash, iron or not, storing fabric, startch or not, block swaps etc.

great tip was to serge edges before washing. i never would of thought of it. i knew that machine was good for something. haha. many times i have had a tangled mess.

my question is how do you label your fabic before or after washing to store it. as you know, once you wash and dry a meter of fabric it no longer is this size. usually ends up about .92 of meter.

any suggestions would be appreciated.

I still consider a yard a yard even if it shrunk.
I store my one yards by color on metal shelves and my 1/2 yards in a bin by themselves.
fats and charmes etc go into dollar store baskets on a shelf. Fats by color.
Special seasonal fabrics are in drawers or on shelves. I had so much Christmas that it had to go on a shelf.
Some to do projects I hang on pants hangers.
I have my notions etc in small plastic drawers stacked in 3's. My most used rulers are hung on a peg board the rest in inclined sorters for office use. Instructions for rulers are in one of the small drawers.
A set of larger drawers hold my stencils, on going projects, fusibles and applique mat.
With a limited budget I buy cheap, cant afford fancy wood cabinets.

thanks Rose Marie.
you are really organized. i can only hope.

label?

Wow! If I ever really get a stash going, I'm going to have to get more organized!!

Is the question: "How do I tell my washed fabrics from my unwashed fabrics?"

If so, I fold my washed fabrics differently than the unwashed ones.

At one time, I kept the unwashed ones away from the washed ones but I got behind on my washing

I usually serge or overcast the raw edges of the fabrics before washing them (even fat quarters).

I pretty much avoid buying anything smaller than a fat quarter or 1/2 yard because I am so compulsive about prewashing.

I have - very gently - washed cut pieces, but it's a real PIDA to do so. And it gives me an even bigger pain to NOT wash them. So - a girl has got to do what she's got to do.

I wash everything so I don't have to worry about that.
I have all my scraps sorted by color in plastic drawers that you buy at walmart. All my fat quartes are in drawers too. I have all Christmas in a plastic tote. I have unsorted scraps in big totes. I have yardage on shelves and I have flannel on other shelves. I do have my flannel seperated washed and unwashed because I stopped washing flannel Im going to use for a rag quilt.
Judy in Ohio

I serge mine too, but only just before I wash it that way I know it has been washed.

as butterflywing said: "label?"

thanks everyone for your responses.
i guess i didn't make it very clear. i want to know how you know how much fabric you bought. 3 meters, 5 meters, 7 meters etc. after you wash it or are just adding it to your stash.
do you put a post it note with the amount and then if you use some subtract if off.
my memories not that good after a few months to remember how much i bought of it and if i used 2 meters from a 6 meter piece, that i would only have 4 meter left.
hope this makes sense.

label: post it note, piece of paper, list on storage container, anything that tell you how much is in each piece instead of having to measure it each time you want to use it.