Organizing My Fabric
 

Hi, I am organizing my quilting room and about to put my fabric on the shelves. Question that I have for you is how do I setup the fabric on the shelves by color family? Open to any ideas.
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I just did mine in color wheel progression -- red, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue purple. My neutrals, blacks, grays and brown are on different shelves than my colors. Is that what you meant?

Yes, thank you.

You might also look at the threads posed under The Mission: Organization forum: https://www.quiltingboard.com/mission-organization-f23/

Lots of good suggestions there.

i used to keep mine in color family but also by size. pieces that were large enough for backings were kept in color families, too, but separate from the ones that were only 1-3 yards.
I recently reorganized and decided I needed a new way to organize so I was likely to use my stash (I do not have a huge stash, by the way, so this likely won't work for those who do...). I grouped my fabrics by ones that I planned to put together in a quilt. that way, when I felt like making something new, I can just pull out a set of 2-5 fabircs that are already ready to go. Then the leftover fabric that I didn't find a "home" for using this method, got color coordinated in a more hidden spot.
I keep my solids separate from my prints.

I keep my fabric in clear bins (sneeze to much if I don't from the dust). I keep all the solids in one bin, batiks in another. Then I have bins organized by usage. Jelly roll rugs, pillows, bags, ect.. in their own bins. It works for me, and I only have to pull that particular bin out when I'm working on particular projects.

I once had yardage (1 yard and more) very neatly sorted on comic boards by color, with separate sections for batiks, holidays, 30's, flannel, etc. But as time goes on I find that it's less orderly. And the smaller pieces are even worse. I try to keep pieces from one line together, and otherwise sort by color, and/or type of fabric, but it's like cleaning your house - a never ending process. (It is a lot more fun though.)

Yardage is ruler folded with a 6.5 inch wide ruler and stacked on the shelves. It is organized into categories or themes. Christmas, Children, Holiday, Batiks, etc. I also store the fabrics from collections together.

Layers cakes are stored in a plastic storage bin that holds file folders. Charm packs are stored upright in plastic bin that is a perfect width for them.

My fabric is folded and stored on comic boards, which seems to be working out. I place them into 2 tall bookshelves. One shelf for wide backing, one shelf has 1 yard or less pieces, one shelf for stripes (I'm collecting them), the rest of the shelves hold the majority of fabrics. I do put collections together. My stash is not huge.

I mostly go by color but if I have most of a collection, I'll put them together. Plus my batiks are together mostly by color and anything on a bolt is by color. Scraps are by size, fat qtrs and jelly rolls are near their color or where ever I can stuff them.

This photo is only some of my fabrics since last 2020 as I haven't bought any since 11/2018 when I put myself on a "FREEZE". Photo doesn't show all the partial bolts stashed under the pressing station, along the back side of the cutting table or under my quilt frame in the next room. Plus the batiks are in the next room too.

Fantastic set-up.

Snooze - Your stash looks like a quilt store! I would love to have all that fabric to pet and admire...oh, yeah, and to quilt with!

I do mine by color also; but, after not that long they are all scrambled up again!!!!!!!?

Fabric & stuff
 

Mine are in boxes--old fashion way--with magic marker writings as to what is (supposed to be) in each box. Since I live in an apatment my second bedroom Must contain all my plants that can kill cats and I have 2. So my boxes are sitting everywhere--kitchen has 2. Living/Dining room has over 25. My bedroom has too many.
I cannot put up shelves. My sewing machine sits on my dining room table and all my laundry also is in my dining room along with my washer. I'm to the point of begging God for a house. I need one of my own as I was given 9 rose bushes for free because they did not know if you cut off the dead blooms (dead heading) the roses will put out fresh buds and you can enjoy your roses all summer long And I need to get them in the ground so they will do better than just sitting there -- these are a ground cover rose and they are needing extra space.

I store my fabric by the quilt project. Which is how I usually buy. I keep a cupboard of orphan fabric, and pull that fabric into other projects as the new projects come along. Since I like the autumn, and civil war colors mostly, I have a lot of fabric that works for many of my quilts. Every once in a while, I'll do more of the summer/spring colors, but more of the deeper, darker values. So they work with many of my quilts as well.

Snooze, your stash is amazing. It looks like a fabric shop. I can understand why you have not bought fabric for so many years.

Hats off to Snooze!!!

It does depend on the size of your stash. Mine is large as I want to "shop" from my stash!

In my stash:

1. anything over 1/2 yard can be wound onto comic book boards, and is. Those mini bolts are stored on shelves by colour family. Solids have their own section!

2. Anything under 1/2 yard is in a wire cube bin, sorted by colour (I think I have yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, blue, green, black and white)

3. I cut a 1 1/2" strip and a 1" strip from every fabric I buy, those strips go into separate strip bins by width...great for making either strip sets or 9 patches or 16 patches

I have a box full of strips that are from 3.5 inches to less than 1/2 but not 1/4 inch so they are sitting in the same box waiting for me to decide what to turn them into.
I'm thinking about sewing the strips together and making dolly quilts for my church's Christmas Shoppe and adding the quilt to the bag of dolly clothes that I make. Still in the thinking stage, tho'.

MaryKa, when I need a bout of therapy sewing, I turn to the strips. I put them into pleasing arrangements to make a strip set usually around 9" wide. You can sub-cut that in a number of ways to generate interesting blocks, I love the look of cutting it into unequal strips across the lines of fabric, and sewing them back together with every other one turned upside down....

I made a tutorial on organizing your fabric several years ago. That may help:)

NOT Moving
 

My big brother decided to stay here. He does not want to leave the area so we will be here at least another year. If he decides to move I will be going with him. He was at war for too many years and I will never let him be along again. His wife walked out because he has ptsd and a few problems from that but not as many as some have. He was able to drive as a trucker and worked on the dock for a time but he wanted his freedom. Now we live in the same complex altho' he has his own apartment. I'm right next door and we can get to each other in an instant

So my 2nd bedroom will become my sewing room. I'll have to get bookcases or something to that effect for my shelves. Will be working on Christmas aprons for the Christmas Shoppe with my church.

Hope everyone is having a blessed weekend and all thru next week and beyond.