I organize by background color, or if a particular color seems to be the prevalent color. I keep all flannels, homespuns, orientals, Christmas together in their separate drawer/s and category. I do have 2 drawers full of "to do" fabrics. Each color or type of fabric has it's own drawer: 4 of white background, etc. All of "non" cotton fabrics are in large totes stored in the "storeroom" along with several machines, patterns, and other miscellaneous other sewing "stuff".

Cardboard from fabric bolts should be o.k. after all, they once had fabric wrapped on them. Cardboard boxes are sometimes treated with chemicals that will fade any fabric that touches them. I learned that the hard way!

HAHAHA me too!

I recently went through all my stash, which is very small compared to many, but it still needed organized.

I first removed all the stuff I had purchased for specific projects and that's all in 1 bin now. The rest I pretty much organized best I could by "theme" I guess you could say. My patriotic/americana is all together, my florals are all together, my asian/oriental is all together, etc.... that's working best for me now.

You just have to find what works best for you! Good luck!

Do you keep only squares? How about rectangles?

So let's say you have a 7" leftover piece. Do you trim that to a 6" square, or into two 3.5" squares? How do you decide? This is something I struggle with obviously.

I too am in the process of organizing and I started organizing by color because that is the way my mind works when I am looking for something. I originally had it stacked on the bookshelf but it kept falling over so I found some small milk crates at the dollar store that allow me to fold the fabric in a nice square and stack them on the shelf.

I used fabric shop cardboard bolts and found if I kept the fabric on them too long, the fabric got white faded lines on the spots that went "around" the edges of the boards. Maybe the cardboard is treated with something that causes that, or maybe isn't treated with whatever is supposed to stop that from happening. I figure it doesn't happen in fabric stores because the fabric gets sold quick enough? Anyway, now I'm using boards I bought from polarnotions.com. that I saw advertised in a quilting magazine. Haven't had them long enough to say if anything goes wrong yet but they're nice boards and makes my quilting room look like a fabric shop. Easier to see the fabric choices I have.

I think the plastic bins I was using gave my fabrics a funny odor. Maybe the type I have are too airtight like someone else mentioned. Anyway the odor is hard to get rid of so I don't use those any more.

It's a constant problem for me too. The more organized I get, the less organized I feel, when I go looking through my fabrics, lol.

Is THAT what you're suppose to do with it?

Oh my gosh you sound just like my grandma, she died 10 years ago at 98 years old, but the way you said that I can just hear her. lol

sometimes I sort by color. Sometimes I sort by print. Always seperate flannels and batiks. Then sometimes I sort by project. And sometimes I have my neice sort by however she wants.

I recently started using comic book backing boards for my fabric. They are archival and won't harm the fabric and then they all are similar and easy to sort. I sort by color with the exception of suiting fabric/wools.

I have 1 section each for batiks,asian,and christmas. Everything else is by color,

I am using the same cardboard. It works well for me.

Whatever works for you. I seem to change my mind on that one every time I turn around

I fold my fabric and keep in a dresser that has lots on drawers. Each drawer is for a different color and one is for future quilts. Also keep my fat quarters in a bookcase with doors.

If I bought several fabrics in a single line I'll stow them together. Otherwise it's by color.

I have this theory that if you throw it all in together, you have happy accidents as to what colours look well against others...(really, it's just a jumble).

i sort mine by the prominate color

Wow this must be organize the fabric month. My grandaughter and I had a wonderful day Saturday starting out with waffles. Then into the room. She and I reorganized everything. We put the chenilles, velvets and flannel in the top because they take up so much space. We did not color match it just put it in layers so we could see them. Then down to the bins. These we sorted by color. The ones that had a separate bin were Xmas, Childrens prints, ie. bugs, etc., and bright brillant colors were put together. Laurel Burch has her own shelf. I have to get those UFOs done, and I have a misc shelf that has some fleece and a few things for sewing clothes. It looks fabulous and I said about 100 times, oh I love this. So I think that creates another UFO. So does that mean we made progress or lost it? Doesn't matter we had a terrific day and now she knows the difference between yards, fat quarters and fat eights!

I was told in a class yrs. ago,(& didn't listen) not to store fabrics in cardboard boxes, on wooden shelves, etc. because something from the wood products would fade/stain the fabrics. Well my husband had just built me some shelves for my fabric storage until I whizzed through it.Hmmmm! So I took some of the YARDS of double-knit polyesters and laid them on top of the shelves & under the stash. It worked! After being warned about heirloom framing & protecting heirlooms/ heirloom sewing, I wasn't taking any chances. Besides, I paid $6.50 for some of the good stuff! star619

My sorting method keeps evolving. I sort my yardage by color and type, such as florals, juvenile, holidays, blenders, batiks, solids, flannels, fleece, etc., all folded the same way using a 6x24 ruler and stacked on shelves so I can see at a glance what I have available. Fat quarters are also sorted the same way folded neatly and stored vertically in small clear bins. If I buy full bolts I keep those standing on the shelf. I also have a great collection of sample pieces, panels and other smaller pieces that I sort by collection and store in plastic stacked drawers. These are wonderful for scrappy quilts and smaller projects. Then I have my real scraps that are just tossed in a small tub. Stabilizers, fusibles, batting, etc. are kept on the bolt or folded flat on a shelf. All of this is kept in a walk-in closet that is well-lit and off-limits to pets. Once I get started on a project I pull what I need, cut it and pack it into a large zip-lock bag so everything stays together. My sewing room is a bit small but keeping it organized really helps me be more productive and focused.

Since I buy all cotton fabrics, it's easy for me to sort. I usually buy no less than 3 yds of any fabric. This is how I sort:

All fabrics above 1 yd is sorted buy color unless it was bought for a particular project, then it is put in a container for that project.

All fabrics 1/2 to 1 yd is put into one container since I don't have much more then that at any one time. Of course it is sorted in that container by color.

Anything below 1/2 yd is considered as scraps which I through into a contain until I get around to cutting them into squares or what ever pieces I can to make more quits from. This is where some of the quilts I made for the soldiers came from.

If by change there are still scraps left over after scrapping them out, I have another container to hold all the tiny pieces so that someday when I have time I can maybe learn to make the small doll quilts or use them in smaller projects. So far I am still building and have not used them.

Sort? What is that? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

. Laurel Burch has her own shelf. I have to get those UFOs done, and I have a misc shelf that has some fleece and a few things for sewing clothes. It looks fabulous and I said about 100 times, oh I love this. So I think that creates another UFO. So does that mean we made progress or lost it? Doesn't matter we had a terrific day and now she knows the difference between yards, fat quarters and fat eights![/quote]

I also have a special section just for Laurel Burch.
Pam

This is my new years project! I am a fabricaholic, and also inherited my mothers stash, so it is a major project. I have acquired bookcases for 3 corners of my quilting room, the 4th has 4 sets of rolling plastic drawers. Someone at my local guild suggested fat quarters in one section (plastic drawers), and also for quarter yards. Everything 1 yard and under, is folded in a specific manner, also in drawers. Over 1 yard to about 3 or 3 1/2 yards gets folded as a bolt, but without the bolt, they are too bulky and take up baluable space ( I have tried that, looked like my own store!). Anything more than 3 1/2 yards is folded the same way, but in a seperate section for backings, along with the wide fabric. Of course, I also have a bunch of smaller containers that fit the lower shelfs, they contain fabric for specific projects so that something does not get used for a different project. I have a seperate large tub for all batiks, under the long arm. flannels are also in their own drawer, along with Christmas fabric. Threads have their own drawer. I just added a custom built cabinet that my Dad had made for record albums, it is doing a nice job of 3 ring binders that I am filing patterns and magazine collections for future use. I have decided to not renew any of my scripts after starting to go thru all of mine and Moms, I will never have time to make all that I would like to!!! My room is starting to take shape, however, I have been emptying tubs of fabric onto my long arm table for the sorting process, and it is still piled. Oh, I am also cutting all those little scraps into the largest pieces it will take, just to get rid of it. I have managed to get 2 queen size scrap quilts cut out since the new year. A fellow quilter also suggested to just have a collection of cut squares, then when you see a scrap pattern, you will probably have more than half of it already cut! and you are eliminating all those small pieces that you don't know what to do with!!! Sorry this is so long, I got carried away.

As I have sorted mine for storage until we move, I used the cardboard and then pulled it out to use on the next piece. They are still all folded nicely ,but don't have the extra piece in there.

I get the cardboard forms (for free) from the fabric stores that fabric is wrapped on. They are about 7- 1/2 inches wide, and about 22 long and usually folded. Bring them home and cut each side lengthwise into two pieces about 11 inches long. Then fold your fabric with the fold to the selvege so that it's only about 11 inches wide, and wrap around the cardboard piece. If you have shelves about 12 inches apart insert each like you would a book, and the edges out. They are so easy to access the fabric you need and put it back without having to dig to the bottom of a pile. There is a tut on this website that gives a wonderful example of storing your fabric like this. She has pics and a better explanation than mine. Hope this helps!

As would Halloween and Christmas. Maybe Easter. I guess there are several different ways, but I start with color.

I organize by color,but.....I have a section for kids, a section for Christmas, a section for novelty, and a section for "why did I buy this and what will I ever do with it".

I put together 4 or more fabrics that look good for a quilt and fold them, stack and wrap a ribbon around them. They stay that way until I "need" to steal one of the pieces. This happens frequently so eventually I end up with a mess and have to start all over again.

I sort my blenders and batiks by color, then prints, stripes, children's fabrics, blacks, whites and neutrals. :-D

Organize? Sort my fabric? I'm not sure I would be able to function if that happened! LOL

I go by what I would use together so I have Hawaiian, batik, civil war, 30-s, Australian, bugs, fish, I have several bins with mostly tone on tone type that are FQ arranged by color, a bin with some larger pieces for backing and then kits I either bought or made myself.

I sort fabrics that are mostly one color or one color with just a touch of another color by the main color. Then I sort others by children's prints, western and southwestern (a big stack for me), orientals, I love polka dots so have a big stack of just polka dots, stripes, bright geometrics (swirls, squares, etc.) holidays of course, black and white, black, red and white, flannels are kept separately as are fat quarters and scraps. Oh, also have a tub of patriotic (red, white and blue) fabric. Florals are separate. I love cats and sunflowers so those each have their own tub. Oh, and stars are in two tubs. Can you tell that I have a huge stash?

Type, then print size and color. Also by project, of course.

Ex.
Civil War> large check> dark blue.
30's> tiny dots> primarily light green.

I have bins, project cases and shelves.

If I had a larger stash, I would also organize by print type. Floral, dots, checks, stripes, panels, etc.

thanx for the info,i'll definately look for something else to use.
thanx again,dar

I cut mine into the largest square. Most of mine are 5" or smaller. I can always cut them smaller if I need them for a specific project. The smallest squares I ahve a 1" but I find I don't use them very much. I have more 2 to 3-1/2 inch squares thatn any other size even after making a queen size quilt with all the scraps.

I store mine in baggies by size and in darks and lights (if there enough to warrant separating them.) The baggies are in a plastic bin labelled SCRAPS. It took a long time to get them cut. I started out just putting them, uncut, into a plastic bin. Now I cut them during or right after I finish a project.

I also have a bin of strips left from making bindings.

It sure is fun hearing how everyone organizes their stash.

I don't have a large stash although it is growing yearly.

At the moment I have all mine folded in clear plastic totes as I have no where else to put it and certainly no where to store where I can see what it is. I have all my fabrics which I have bought with something in mind, bundled together in large brown paper bags with the pattern or book with the pattern in it for each project in mind. That way I will know what the fabric was intended for and wont use it on something else.

So love hearing or seeing what others are doing with their stash as it gives me lots of ideas.

Maybe1day :lol:

[/quote]I cut mine into the largest square. Most of mine are 5" or smaller. I can always cut them smaller if I need them for a specific project. The smallest squares I ahve a 1" but I find I don't use them very much. I have more 2 to 3-1/2 inch squares thatn any other size even after making a queen size quilt with all the scraps.

I store mine in baggies by size and in darks and lights (if there enough to warrant separating them.) The baggies are in a plastic bin labelled SCRAPS. It took a long time to get them cut. I started out just putting them, uncut, into a plastic bin. Now I cut them during or right after I finish a project.

I also have a bin of strips left from making bindings.

It sure is fun hearing how everyone organizes their stash.[/quote]

I thought maybe if I cut scraps for just 30 minutes an evening eventually I'll get to the bottom of the pile. I have begun cutting the scraps from current projects as I work on them, but still have a lot of scraps from previous projects just sitting there. Time will help, I hope.

I agree, it is interesting to read other people's stash organizing methods.

I have three dressers in the shed, four huge tubs in the house and a bookshelf in my sewing room full of fabric. I go by color, type of material, then whatever I pawed through last! I volunteer at a thrift shop, so whenever they get ANY kind of cotton material I bring it home! Any material I bought for a project goes in a cloth bag with the pattern for the quilt. Fortunatley my husband never complains! (he collects miniatures for a war game, lol) Chantel