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-   -   Please don't let me buy your fabric!! And stash coordination HELP PLEASE!!! :D (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/please-dont-let-me-buy-your-fabric-stash-coordination-help-please-d-t73686.html)

quiltingranny 11-03-2010 07:12 AM


Originally Posted by mac

Originally Posted by e4
Any system that works for you is the right system. I sort by main color for general fabrics of a 1/2 yard or more. I also separate batiks, orientals, holidays, and 30's fabrics. If it's a fat quarter up to a half yard it gets folded with fat quarters. Anything less gets cut into my standard scrap strip sizes and separated into lights and darks. That works for me, but anything that works for you is what you should use.

I think e4 has a good idea. I understand your predicament. I decided to take 30+ years of fabric and wash it all. It is taking me weeks and I'm still not through. But what a difference it makes when you organize your colors so that it is like going to a quilt store and you can just pick fabric out and use it when needed.

Your time is growing short to get your Christmas presents done, so I would do this to get some sort of order in your sewing room. You can always go back after you finish your projects and do a better job of folding and organizing. By then you will have a better idea of what is & is not working for you.

First thing I would do is get some bookshelves. I have 3 – 7 foot bookshelves in my sewing room that I keep my fabric in. This is for the larger pieces of fabric that are at least a half yard or more. I sort out my fabric by color, fold it simply and put it on the shelves. For now, use big groupings of basic colors like black, red, blue, green, yellow, etc. You can go back later for fine tuning as you find out what your preferences are when working.

Pieces smaller than a half yard I would put in those big see-through plastic bins, again, by color. Pieces smaller than a fat-quarter, I would just put all together in one bin as scraps.

I would do as e4 suggested and keep Asian fabrics, holiday fabrics and specialty fabrics, etc. on a separate shelf and not mix them in with the regular fabric colors. It will make them easier to find later on. All non-cotton fabrics are put away in plastic bins and do not get mixed in with my cottons at all.

You can get bookshelves for FREE on Freecycle in your area. You just have to be able to pick it up.

I also use the shelves that I don’t put fabric on for those plastic drawer sets you can get at Joann’s. I put all my tools in these drawers and label the drawers so I know what is in them. Additionally, I put all my patterns in a plastic shoe box and my quilting books on the shelf. I really love using my bookshelves for this purpose, it keeps everything neat and I can see what I have at a glance.

I hope this gives you some help in organizing your sewing room.

I do my stash this way and it works great for me. The only thing not mentioned that I do is....Any fabric that is large enough to use for a backing I fold differently (mine finish up about 8" x 22) and I stack in a section all by themselves.

My only problem is that I need more shelves :lol: :lol:

lillybeck 11-03-2010 07:22 AM


Originally Posted by sueisallaboutquilts
Carrie, I just may get lost! What a mess I've stirred up!!

I really have a lot of fabric I no longer want, like cotton calico prints but I don't know if other people would want them. I have too much, that's all there is to it.
Maybe I should do another post when I get done in my room.
I will send yardage or pieces free to anyone if they can pay postage. I wish postage was cheaper :(

I will take that calico off your hands. PM me

Minick 11-03-2010 07:27 AM

Look at Pat Sloan's website and she said how to sort UFO's.

Get rid of things you don't like.

dunngriffith 11-03-2010 07:31 AM


Originally Posted by sueisallaboutquilts
Friends, I am dead serious!!!!!!!!!!!
PM me if you want a flat-rate box (10.70) of fabrics. They are not scraps. I don't even know where those scraps are yet.
Your only charge is postage. Paypal, check, or money order but Paypal is safest. Let me know if there are colors you really don't like. The only color I don't have is orange.

I would be glad to send you postage for a box of fabric and I use paypal

mimee4 11-03-2010 07:41 AM

O my dear...hang in there. About the time you get the sorting done, you will need to pull out fabric for the next 10 quilts and the sorting will be in even more piles. I do have mine in somewhat colors and size of piece of fabric. Just sort-of. Keep at it.

jdavis 11-03-2010 08:57 AM

I see nothing wrong with your system; although I might separate the batiks entirely from the novelties.
In my own stash, I haven't separated Christmas from everything else, but I'm forever having to dig through the piles, so maybe I should have them separated.

kclausing 11-03-2010 09:55 AM

I wrap my fabric (1/2 yd+) on corrugated plastic boards. I place these on DVD racks. I have them coordinated by the predominate color in the pattern.

I did separate out fleece and upholstery weight fabrics, but all cottons I organized by color.

For 1/4 yd to 1/2 yd cuts, I have them on even smaller boards on their own shelf.

For anything smaller than a 1/4 yd (scrap), I have these in show boxes based on size/shape. one for strips, one for squares, one for larger or odd shaped scraps.

Charleen DiSante 11-03-2010 10:19 AM

PM'd you about Christmas fabrics needed to make stockings for homeless shelter.

Sherry D 11-03-2010 10:20 AM

Hi, You might want to use clear plaster bins with lids to store your fat quarters and scraps that we all save for a later project. They are very helpful. Sherry

Charleen DiSante 11-03-2010 10:22 AM

I agree with several of you on the clear palstic bins. I especially like the drawers as opposed to those with the lids you have to remove to get to all that lucious fabric !!!

Originally Posted by Sherry D
Hi, You might want to use clear plaster bins with lids to store your fat quarters and scraps that we all save for a later project. They are very helpful. Sherry



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