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Do you think that it is better/easier/best use of space to store fabric in drawers or in a cabinet with shelves? I want shelves but DH thinks the best use of space is putting everything in a drawer. I want shelves for the big pieces as I fold every peice to the same size and it stores so neatly and is so easy to see. Drawers, not so much, it is harder to riffle through them, I think. Any thoughts. Dh is doing everything he can to help me with the sewing room reorganization and I appreciate it so much but now I am to a point where I think I know best. Just thought I would ask for input to figure out if I am right or if I should listen to him. I have one of those white cabinet things with the doors (sell for about80 to 100 dollars) and I love it. I want at least one more. Help with your advice, please.
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Personally, I hate drawers for fabrics. Shelves, shallow bins, baskets, are all preferable in my opinion. I also use those fabric boards for fabric - but not all of it 'cause I have too much. :roll:
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I just finished wrapping my fabric around comic book boards and putting them on bookcase shelves and they look wonderful. I will take a picture tomorrow and send to you. I really like having my fabric out where I can see it all (and gloat)
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no drawers or bins for me. i like to be able to look at my fabrics and find them at a glance
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I prefer just folding and putting on my shelves. I have a drawer with FQ's and 2 layer cakes, but I forget about them. It's like out of sight, out of mind.
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I recently re-organized my sewing room and placed all my fabric on acid free bolts in book shelves. I absolutely LOVE it!!! I can readily see all my fabrics (by color) and it is MUCH, MUCH easier to grab a bolt.... use what I need and put it right back (which helps in keeping things neat and tidy). Good luck!
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I vote for shelves too cause I like to be able to SEE my colors and patterns. Wouldn't like to rummage through drawers because then I'll have to take the time to refold the fabric. I have tried the drawer thing and it didn't work for me...
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I prefer shelves also. I am in the process of refolding my fabrics and putting them back on the shelves in cabinets. I love being able to open the doors and see all my pretty fabrics just waiting for me. LOL!!
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I keep everything but selvages.. This is how my room is organized..
These are in 30 gal see thru tubs no matter what size pieces they are: Holiday- each holiday (xmas, 4th, halloweenie, easter, etc) have its own tub Flannel Vintage fabric (35in xWOF)- all goes in one tub Authentic 30's feedsacks All my Bolts (3+yards) are on the bookcase and in walk in closet. All my 1-2 yards cuts are ruler folded, then separated by theme (floral, kids prints, Asian, animal, Civil war, 1930, etc) and solids, blenders, and the rest are separated by color on bookcases Batiks are in a clear sterilite three drawer separated by light med dark.. Fqs are separated by color, floral, novelty in it's own sections on wall cd racks, closet maid 24/36 bin shoe organizers.. Each area has its own 'theme' so i can find what I'm looking for. My scraps are in specific see- thru bins, tubs and drawers depending on size.. Each Accuquilt Die cut shapes have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own- I do have most if not all the dies already.. lol.. strips less than10 inches but longer than 5 inches of has a a clear sterilite drawer all of its own Strips longer than 10 inches but less than WOF has a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 2 inch strips are hanging on the back of the door 1.5 x wof has a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 2.5 x WOF strips has a a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 3x WOF strips have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 5x WOF strips have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own all other strips x WOF are separated by colors and has a clear sterilite drawer all of its own Crumbs have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own Scraps less than a fq but larger than 6x6 has a clear sterilite drawer all of its own- these are waiting to be cut with my Accuquilt 2 in sq have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 3 in sq have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 4 in sq have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 5 in sq have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own And that's how my room is organized.. I followed Bonnies method.. www.quiltville.com. |
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I tried drawers, but when I got more than a dozen pieces of fabric, that went out the window. You are right, they are harder to go through them, so you tend not to. Also, the drawers become heavy and tend to warp on the bottom. I am a littl predjudiced...I like to walk into my sewing room and see this.....
Course it's a little messy right now. And, I really need to put the rest up there!
Originally Posted by Dotha
Do you think that it is better/easier/best use of space to store fabric in drawers or in a cabinet with shelves? I want shelves but DH thinks the best use of space is putting everything in a drawer. I want shelves for the big pieces as I fold every peice to the same size and it stores so neatly and is so easy to see. Drawers, not so much, it is harder to riffle through them, I think. Any thoughts. Dh is doing everything he can to help me with the sewing room reorganization and I appreciate it so much but now I am to a point where I think I know best. Just thought I would ask for input to figure out if I am right or if I should listen to him. I have one of those white cabinet things with the doors (sell for about80 to 100 dollars) and I love it. I want at least one more. Help with your advice, please.
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Wow, thanks for all of your input. I was sure that I would not be in the minority in wanting shelves. I just don't get it that DH thinks that the shelves are not as space saving as drawers. I guess it is time for me to draw the line and say, "Look, I love all the help that you gave to me but now I need to personalize it for my liking. It has to be shelves. If I run out of room, then I need to down size some more." haha I certainly can see good reason for some drawers, but also I WANT shelves!! He is one of those kinds of people that thinks that everything needs to be hidden away to be neat and orderly.
It was disappointing to me to find out that I have to wait until a long time and more posts before I can sell here. I have so many great books to get rid of. Well,I will just keep on posting! I love the interaction here on the board but it takes away my working time to read and post..when I am supposed to be working to reorganize and sort! When I finish filling my one cabinet, I will take a photo and see if I can get it posted on here. Quite some time ago I found some little plastic basket things that my patterns fit in perfectly. Love those little guys. Also in another part of this quilting forum I found the tutorial on using sign board for little bolts. Yayy, my son has a sign business. I am going to email him right now to see if he has any of that coroplast on hand. I love this board and ALL the help that is on here. My one regret is that there is no one else doing the Quilted Diamonds quilt to get me motivated again to get started back with it. quilted diamonds, anyone?? |
I have done both shelves and drawers ... definitely prefer shelves. I put my FQ in rectangle clear plastic salad containers from grocery store. I can separate them by color etc, set them on the shelf and still see what I have. I got the idea from Stash Manicure at Blogspot. Everyone in my family saves the containers for me. Good thing for me that we are all big salad eaters!
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Originally Posted by luvTooQuilt
I keep everything but selvages.. This is how my room is organized..
These are in 30 gal see thru tubs no matter what size pieces they are: Holiday- each holiday (xmas, 4th, halloweenie, easter, etc) have its own tub Flannel Vintage fabric (35in xWOF)- all goes in one tub Authentic 30's feedsacks All my Bolts (3+yards) are on the bookcase and in walk in closet. All my 1-2 yards cuts are ruler folded, then separated by theme (floral, kids prints, Asian, animal, Civil war, 1930, etc) and solids, blenders, and the rest are separated by color on bookcases Batiks are in a clear sterilite three drawer separated by light med dark.. Fqs are separated by color, floral, novelty in it's own sections on wall cd racks, closet maid 24/36 bin shoe organizers.. Each area has its own 'theme' so i can find what I'm looking for. My scraps are in specific see- thru bins, tubs and drawers depending on size.. Each Accuquilt Die cut shapes have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own- I do have most if not all the dies already.. lol.. strips less than10 inches but longer than 5 inches of has a a clear sterilite drawer all of its own Strips longer than 10 inches but less than WOF has a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 2 inch strips are hanging on the back of the door 1.5 x wof has a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 2.5 x WOF strips has a a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 3x WOF strips have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 5x WOF strips have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own all other strips x WOF are separated by colors and has a clear sterilite drawer all of its own Crumbs have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own Scraps less than a fq but larger than 6x6 has a clear sterilite drawer all of its own- these are waiting to be cut with my Accuquilt 2 in sq have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 3 in sq have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 4 in sq have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own 5 in sq have a clear sterilite drawer all of its own And that's how my room is organized.. I followed Bonnies method.. www.quiltville.com. |
Natalieg, I am showing that photo to my husband. He will think it looks like "messy" because it is not in a drawer out of sight but I think it is lovely! I think he thinks that I am the only one with lots of fabric! I just love my cabinet with the shelves...the fabric looks so pretty in there. I just stare at it sometimes. All my whites and off whites in one pile, all my batiks stacked so nicely, and my many pieces of Christmas...oh, so pretty! I have not finished with filling it yet. Many tubs of my fabric are still waiting in the pump house needing to be put away in it however I am going to figure out how to do it.
Fat quarters are tough to put away or store, it seems to me. I don't mind sticking them in a drawer folded like we did in the quilt shops where I have worked. I have lots of fqs since I am doing a drunkard path out of 30's reproductions...all different fabrics. As well I have started a yo yo flower quilt with lots of pastel small prints. And Let's face it, I love fat quarters just ot have. Time to go sort some more or go to bed. Which shall it be?? That is my question. |
Another vote for shelves...same reasons as given above.
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Originally Posted by snicker dee
I have done both shelves and drawers ... definitely prefer shelves. I put my FQ in rectangle clear plastic salad containers from grocery store. I can separate them by color etc, set them on the shelf and still see what I have. I got the idea from Stash Manicure at Blogspot. Everyone in my family saves the containers for me. Good thing for me that we are all big salad eaters!
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The only drawers I have are used to keep little things away from my helper, (Otis, my devil cat) like my thimbel, bobbins, thread, pincushion, needles, rippers, ect. all the small things she likes to take off with and hide!All my fabric is neetly folded and kept in an old china hutch.
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I vote for shelves. I have a set of shallow drawers that I keep some frequently used thread, needles, bobbins, sewing machine books, etc. ALL my fabric is on shelves of some sort, folded different widths according to how much I have.
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I use dressers and lower storage units with drawers. Keeps all neat and clean.
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Shelves/Cabinets with doors to keep the sun out are the best.
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Agree - shelves. I have no room for shelves so I use storage bins filed by color. I have a mess when I am picking colors. I want shelves!
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I like shelves for bolts or larger cuts, so you can stack them and see what you have at a glance. My shelves have sheets attached to the top like curtains to keep out the sun and dust. I store all my fat quarters and scraps in shoebox style totes by colour or by fabric line, that way I can see what is in there at a glance. Leftover squares or really small pieces are stored in ziplock bags and labelled.
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Shelves for me! where I can sit back and admire my stash.
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Shelves work best for me. If I can see the fabric, I'm more likely to use it. If it is buried in a bin or drawer, I'm too lazy to dig through everything, so I go buy what I need. Perhaps explain to your husband that it will save $$ in the long run to have shelving.
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show him the picture that natalieg posted of her shelfing unit full of fabric - and then tell him you won't have nearly that much - :thumbup:
Then tell him that if you can see it then there's no chance you'll miss it and have to go purchase that "just right color"! Sometimes a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do! |
I'm actually doing this now. I've moved most of my fabric up to the spare room which is going to be my guest/sewing room for the cold weather months. Don't do what I did. I tried making enough room between shelves to try and accommodate a stack of colors. Well I left a 2' space between shelving and you know fabric gets really heavy. If you need a bottom piece you have to lift everything on top of it to get to it. :roll: :roll: I'd opt for maybe 1' spacing instead next time.
My FQ are in a dresser drawer, and have filled up the dresser with other stuff that I won't be going after as much. |
Tried the tubs...hated going through them. Bought the plastic storage units with drawers. Too hard to get open with the heavy fabric and too much time spent finding the right fabric. Bought a china cabinet at goodwill. Used the ruler folding method. I love it. I am using sooooo much more of my stash. Fat quarters are still drawers.
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Easy viewing of your fabric for pulling fabric for a quilt,
bins, shelves, etc. You want your fabric stored where it can breath, you can see what you have at a glance. Not have to shuffle through it everytime you need a piece of fabric. I would say draw storage is the worst way to store fabric. In a closet to prevent fading from the sun in wire bins, or on shelves would be the best way to store fabric. |
Originally Posted by Dotha
Do you think that it is better/easier/best use of space to store fabric in drawers or in a cabinet with shelves? I want shelves but DH thinks the best use of space is putting everything in a drawer. I want shelves for the big pieces as I fold every peice to the same size and it stores so neatly and is so easy to see. Drawers, not so much, it is harder to riffle through them, I think. Any thoughts. Dh is doing everything he can to help me with the sewing room reorganization and I appreciate it so much but now I am to a point where I think I know best. Just thought I would ask for input to figure out if I am right or if I should listen to him. I have one of those white cabinet things with the doors (sell for about80 to 100 dollars) and I love it. I want at least one more. Help with your advice, please.
Mr. P from P&B fabrics showed samples of fabric exposed to the light for different time frames in three days it was so easy to see the fading. After attending his lexture I stop displaying my fabric and quilts just to admire. I strive to keep them in the dark. |
Originally Posted by Dotha
Originally Posted by snicker dee
I have done both shelves and drawers ... definitely prefer shelves. I put my FQ in rectangle clear plastic salad containers from grocery store. I can separate them by color etc, set them on the shelf and still see what I have. I got the idea from Stash Manicure at Blogspot. Everyone in my family saves the containers for me. Good thing for me that we are all big salad eaters!
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I have a silly question - how do you keep the dust off you shelved fabric? I have most of my fabric in clear boxes - when I dust my fabric boxes the top are usually really dusty.
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I think quilters are generally very visual people, therefore like shelves where they can see everything. I know that is the way I am.
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no drawers you have to take everything out if your fabric is on the bottom.
I have shelves and also use plastic ontainers to store my Ufo's and such. this what i did peek http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-125475-1.htm |
I use the comic book boards too, and cut them in half for the fat quarters. That way I know how much I have of each fabric (1/2 yd or more on full board, less than 1/2 yd on small board.) I love being able to see all the colors lined up, and it is fun "shopping" my shelves for just the right pieces. Now I just need to convince myself that there is a limit.... Ha...
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Originally Posted by Dotha
Do you think that it is better/easier/best use of space to store fabric in drawers or in a cabinet with shelves? I want shelves but DH thinks the best use of space is putting everything in a drawer. I want shelves for the big pieces as I fold every peice to the same size and it stores so neatly and is so easy to see. Drawers, not so much, it is harder to riffle through them, I think. Any thoughts. Dh is doing everything he can to help me with the sewing room reorganization and I appreciate it so much but now I am to a point where I think I know best. Just thought I would ask for input to figure out if I am right or if I should listen to him. I have one of those white cabinet things with the doors (sell for about80 to 100 dollars) and I love it. I want at least one more. Help with your advice, please.
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I forgot. Also the cats.
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I like shelves, even for regular clothing. Unless you have a way to stack the fabric on end in drawers you have to take each stack out to see what is in it. Hope tha tmakes sense LOL. Take care.
Linda |
Right now my fabric is a mess. But I am choosing to use drawers. But the fabric will be folded to stand up, not laying on top of each other. I choose this because I have a bad back and can reach down in the lower drawers with a "gripper". Then I can fold my fabric back up that matches all the other fabrics and my husband then puts it back away for me :) when he gets home.
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Stuff in drawers can't be seen. I NEED to see my stash.
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Personally, I prefer drawers. I have my fabric "ruler" folded, then I stand them on edge in the drawers, this way I can see the fabrics without having to mess up the drawer looking for a particular fabric. This way also prevents so much dust and sunlight exposure, although in my sewing room that isn't a problem, since I have only 1 fairly decent sized window, but it's a north facing window. I'll send a pic when my dh gets up, I can't figure out how to attach a photo right now. LOL
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