Quiltingboard Forums - Organization-how do you do it?

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Wow, it really looks great. Is all of that washed and ironed and ready to use? I don't have that much but I'm sure I will have and also, I have a shelf like that. I love it. Libby

I love your sewing room and I have one of the wire basket shelves did yours come with the wooden top or did you have to buy it seperate? I was told that you have to buy thoes seperate so I don't have mine yet. Libby

OH my gosh--wish mine looked that good.

I keep organized by not buying "stash" fabrics. I buy all the material to make a quilting pattern and then store the material and pattern together is a clear plastic container. I have found that I never seem to have the "correct" material to make a pattern so I end up buying more and the stash keeps sitting there not used. This is a waste of money and I really can not afford that. I buy material to make pattern I like or pattern to make material I like. This is especiall true of focus fabrics. I have 6 pattern/material to sew so do not think that I am boring!

Quote:

Originally Posted by natalieg

Hello all! Being fairly new to the board (mostly hang out in chat) I would like to get some thoughts and opinions on organization.
I have a six foot shelf with six shelves that are 28 inches side by 11 inches deep. DH drilled and placed dowels through the shelves to provide stability for fabric stacks. This shelf is only for cotton fabrics, no flannels. Fabrics are ruler folded and stacked by colors. The bottom shelf holds baskets of fat quarters, by color. Next to last shelf holds backing fabrics and some special fabrics set aside. I then have another shelf full of labelled containers containing all the cut pieces of scraps using my accuquilt go cutter.
Then, in the closet with wire shelves I have containers of special fabrics that I don't want anyone to help themselves to (fabrics I'm holding for special quilts-grandbaby quilts-etc) and UFO's and WIP's as well as two stacks of quilt tops, one to be machine quilted and the other to be handquilted. I recently decided to change the 6 ft shelf and have removed all the fabrics that are under one yard and folded them smaller. I put them in the fat quarters baskets at the ends of the rows, but not sure I am too fond of it. Looks like I have hardly any fabrics now! I am attaching a picture of it, but you can't see the last two shelves. That's the before picture and will attach an after picture as well.
How do you like to have your fabric organized???
And, in your cottons, fo you have a size cut-off, or do you just mix it all???

You look very well organized to me, I'm not sure that there is a right or wrong way only what suits you best. My room sure doesn't look like that!!

Talk about bein organized! Would you like to come to Ohio and do mine.LOL I always have good intentions but at some point I get tired and quit. Now the test is to keep it that way. Good luck and what a wonderful job you did.

Are you kidding me? You should be giving lessons in organization. Great way you've got everying by color, etc.

The next time I "tackle" my stash, I am going to do the ruler fold...my biggest problem is that I am not consistant and too easily distracted. But at 74 I think I might just be getting better. Thanks for the inspiration...there is always room for improvement.

I definately need more room !!! A larger room would certainly more organized.

Very nice! Thanks for sharing and inspiring the rest of us. My studio is directly under the roof so my storage is kind of like real low down attic space acessable by small double doors along the edge of the room and directly under the roof. I have to get on my knees or sit on the ground to get in. I keep fabric in plastic bins that I can drag out. I own predominately fat quaters and many bins have FQ that are standing on end. There are bins with FQ sorted by color, civil war, 30-s, batiks and collections. I also have a large bin for Hawaiian, batik, civil war and 30-s. These contain larger cuts suitable for borders and or backing. When I start a project I take a new bin put everything in there for that project except batting and backing. I go by the different FQ and put a "kit" together including the pattern or ideas I have for that quilt. I like working many multiple projects and by keeping vigilant in keeping things in the right bin, I easily go back and forth between projects.