Sorting Fabric
 

Ok, so I just spent the last 2 days putting my fabric on the Comic book Boards. Got through 6 plastic bins only about 100 more to go. Any of you gals that have done this, I need to know what you did with smaller cuts, fat quarters and smaller. Right now I'm just putting them in a separate bin. I do plan to cut some into squares for future projects. got any ideas?
alicemaryhergett.

I put small scraps like that into clear plastic shoeboxes, by color. I will cut strings from 1.25-2.25 if there's just a small length leftover because I like to make string quilts. But I prefer to keep as large as possible because I don't know what I'll use it for and I don't want to limit myself. But if you know you use a lot of 5" squares, for example, it doesn't hurt to cut those to size if you won't waste much fabric doing it.

I put my larger pieces FQish in clear boxes like zozee, and also by color. Smaller pieces up to 7" get sorted by size, not color because if I have a pattern that calls 2.5" of blues, it's easier to look in the 2.5" and the 5" boxes and pick out the blues rather than going to a blue scrap box and measuring each piece that "looks" like it might be the right size.
No precutting! you never know what size you'll need. :o)

I am a Bonnie Hunter fan, so Scrap Users system for me! That being said, I am only about a month into cutting into predetermined sizes. I have quite a few bins to wade thru! Looking forward to some more organization...

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/...rs-system.html

Here's how I do it - one to three yards goes on a comic board, larger than that goes on a regular fabric bolt. less than one yard but bigger than 1/4yd goes on half of a comic board(on it's own shelf). 1/4yds(linear or fat) get folded and put on their own shelf. Odd size pieces and scraps go in a couple big drawers, strings go in a bin, strips and left over bindings go in a drawer.

Cari

I wish I had an answer for you, when I put all my fabric on comic boards, I was very pleased with myself. Could see what I had and easily access it from the shelf instead of stacks or bins. But ran into the same questions as you plus some.
My biggest problem (and still is) what to do with all the fat quarters! Still looking for a good storage solution. For now they are in those big Artbin plastic containers on a shelf. I am just trying to use them up and I no longer buy fat quarters! If I like a fabric enough to buy it, I just buy a yard and be done with it. But basically I just quit buying fabric last year and now only buy absolutely what I need to finish a project.
Organizing scraps??? I did cut some of the smaller pieces into strips for string quilts and got them organized by color.
Hopefully someone will be able to provide an answer for us all.

I think there's as many answers from us on how to do it as there are quilters here:)

Thank you for all your idea's. This is going to take a lot more time than I thought but now I have some idea's to move forward with.

What patterns do you like to make? I do like jelly rolls and have made many scrappy ones so of course, I cut a lot of my scraps into 2.5 inch strips, doesn't matter how short or long they are. I can also use those strips for my scrappy quilt binding or cut them narrower for my string quilts. Fat quarters can also be cut into 2.5 inch strips or different size squares. I usually cut six inch blocks from FQs to make the disappearing nine patch. People give me their scraps that they don't want to deal with and I usually cut them into 2.5 strips or different size blocks. Just make sure you start using them or you will have a whole different problem.

The first thing I did when I organized was to get rid of any fabric I no longer wanted. I sent some to friends, donated, etc.
Then I put yardage on bolts, some of those little white cards for maybe a yard or two. For fat quarters I used clear boxes and sorted by color family.
Believe me, when I got rid of stuff it made it so much easier! And of course I still have a ton :)

I too have anything over a yard on the comic boards, I have 2 flat basket trays that are the perfect size for fat quarters. My scraps I do cut most into 5 inch squares and 2 1/2 stripes since those are the 2 sizes I use the most for my charity quilts. Any big scraps I have a seperate basket for and that is my go to spot for bindings and borders on small quilts.

I fold fabric into 5 inch squares and but then on end in Art Bin boxes. The same for charm squares. I have totes full of scraps that everyday before sewing I spend about 5 minutes cutting into strips or squares and store them in plastic drawers for each size.

I used to not cut my scraps because I didn't know what size I would need, but found I wasn't using them. They were not inspiring just thrown into a bin. So, I spent a few days cutting them into the biggest square or strips I could get out of each piece. I didn't cut any piece that was over 8", left those intact. Now my scraps are in separate bins by size and I have already turned a bunch of the 2" squares into a scrappy Granny Square quilt that I am in the process of quilting. The process of cutting and sorting helped me know how to use them.

I did this about two years ago and it has really made a difference. It forced me to shed fabric I would never use - gave to friends who teach at senior centers. I don't usually buy fat quarters so the few I have are just stacked on a shelf. I have given up saving scraps that I know that I will never use. Happy sorting!

I keep my larger pieces in lawyer's cabinets. I have 1 cabinet for general colors, 1 for children's fabric, 1 for holidays and specialty fabric and 1 for civil war and 30's (I also have a tub of recently donated fabric that I still need to put up). My smaller than 1 yd cuts are folded and stacked in smaller lawyer's cabinets by color). I love being able to look at my fabric through the glass instead of going through tubs. I realize not everyone is lucky enough to have room to do this...

I put all usable pieces on the comic boards. Fat quarters are sorted and put in the 3-drawer plastic chests that I got from Wal Mart.