I am trying to sort my fabric (as many seem to be doing for 2011?) and am wondering how to sort and show on my bookcase;

what I have is:
range of print colors, some tone-on-tone, some solids, 8-9 orientals, 8-9 neon bright, 10-15 batiks, mostly leftover feedsack type, 18 homespuns.

I am curious how you all do it? Do you sort specifically by color (thus mixing up the orientals, batiks, brights, homespuns and feedsacks together) or do you categorize? I'm alittle anal here! haha

Lawwwwwww, child! I'm still trying to figure it all out!

I would go by color, with a couple of exceptions. Asian fabric would have it's own area, as would batiks. oh, and probably children themed fabric would be separate too. . Hmm.. and flannels.

I sort by color for my TOTs and then by theme. If I know I bought fabric for a future project, I put those fabrics together so I don't accidentally use one for something different.

I usually sort by colors, but I have only a few batik, and they're in their own place.

Lol. Ok, I don't have a large stash, but what's working for me now is sorting by colors-the background color in case of prints, have florlas batks, stripes whatever all together and only sorted by color. The only exception is that I have a couple of chrsitmas fabrics by themselves.
This seems to be working for me, as I am normally looking for a certain color to complete a quilt, and have all my fabrics folded with ruler and stacked so the fold is visible, so I can see what the fabric is, without making too much of a mess.

If you find a better way, let me know!!!


:mrgreen:

I tend to sort by color, but have separate sections for Xmas, batik, and child's. Fabs with multi-colors are also in a separate section if I can't determine a predominate color in it.

I like to sort by batiks, juvenile, seasonal, blenders, landscapes, etc... and then sort some of these by color also :D:D:D

I sort by color. But also by fabric type, so flannels are all together sorted by color because when i use flannels I dont mix them with my regular cottons.

I have a pretty modest stash and generally keep them sorted by colour, encompassing all different "brands" of that colour (prints, tonals, batiks). I also sort fabrics for planned projects together and separate from the rest. I may change my method as my stash grows (which is happening quickly - I recently ordered 36yrd of various fabrics - prints, tonals, blenders, batiks - and inherited a bunch from my great grandmother) and I don't have a "plan" for ANY of them, lol.

I have been working on my stash for about a month I started out like Amma now I'm not sure because I just found 2 lgr blue tubs from my craft show era full of fabric. Theres no room left .So now I have decided the Veterans hospital therapy ward need some blankets. So its time to get bzzz enjoyed visiting but got to SEW!!!!!!!!

istarted sorting out my stash ,too[must be catching !]then i remember reading about using cardboard not being a good idea. the cardboard i'm using is cut down from the bolts the fabric is wrapped on in the fabric shops,do you think this would be ok ? if not ,it figures that i'd actually get ambitious enough to do this,then find out i'll have to re-do it all HELP!!!
dar

this is how I do it too, and I put my backing fabric in a separate place so I don't accidentally cut that up for piecing.

That's what I do, but I also put things for specific projects together, as I have used fabrics that I planned on one thing in another before I got back to the first. I also have a drawer for fabrics that have been given to me for charity projects, lest I forget and use them inappropriately.

I don't keep things on shelves, where they might be light streaked, but we each must fit our stashes into our living space in ways that work for us.

mine are seperate and yet together..

I have a section of 1930 (bookcase)
I have a section for fat quarters by color, by floral, by batiks (bookcase & cd racks)
I have a section for orientals (part of shelf)
I have a section for flannels (tubs mostly)
I have a section for holiday (tubs mostly each holiday has its own tub(s))
I have a section for WIPS (each in art bins with all fabric needed, pattern, thread.)
I have one section for everything else (bookcases of all the other cotton quilting fabric .5yd to 2ysd, folded by color)
I have two section for bolts ( bookcase & walk in closet)
Any older fabric to be used as backing goes in tubs where ever I can find space..

This is what I did on my book shelf. It looked really good at first but now it is a mess. LOL!!!

When first realizing you need to organize your space, you probably are getting a pretty good stash. First separate out any fabric that you'd use for regular sewing & not for quilting, like polyesters or silkies. Those need to always stay away. Then I'd go for separating out either by color groups or print types, like calicos, reproductions or batiks. That should get you started. Whatever system you use, realize that it will need to be flexible & change over time.

I sort my fabrics by color. If I need a fabric color(print) I can find them easily. I have a separate section for baby/kids fabrics.
My tone-on-tone are separate as well. My solids are separate too. So no matter what I'm looking for the fabric is easily accessable. When I start a quilt project and need to pull fabric I can go directly to the section and find what I need.

Christmas and other holiday-themed fabrics would get their own section, too. :wink:

There have been some great suggestions on various threads on the Board. Do a search, and you will see dozens of threads posted. Have fun!!! Remember, the only one who can really decide how to organize is YOU! Whatever satisifies YOU, will work!! :D

I reorganized a few months ago and some nees to redone. I messed it up looking for different fabrics and also bought some more. I am not sure, what works for me, i do have flannels, kids, xmas, and fleese and scraps seperated.

My stash is all separated by colors except for specific theme like Christmas, Halloween, and the exception of batiks, upholstery/duck, fat quarters/jelly rolls.

I forgot to say that I have a FQ drawer, a bin for larger scraps, a mini bin each for squares of 2.5", 3.5, 4, 4.5 5.5 and 6" precuts and one labeled long skinny (scraps).

The FQ drawer needs major refolding at the moment.

Amen to that :)

I have over 400 1930's repros in special boxes on a shelf,
I have over 500 batiks on shelves,(15" high by 12" deep and 8' long!) then a row of shelves for just Christmas, a row of shelves for blenders/marbles
a row of shelves for prints sorted by colors,
a row of shelves for all white on white or creams,
a closet for larger backings,
a cabinet with large flat bins for Fq's. Each bin has a theme, Oriental, batiks, thimbleberries, nuetrals, mixed prints!
I have a large tote of flannels, and homespuns that I am looking to sell off this summer, and a closet full of shelves that are UFO's and wip's..too many to count that is for sure!

this was the AD at the bottom of this page when I posted my reply....I thought it was just hysterical that it would show up on this thread!

http://www.nextag.com/serv/main/buye...60757907591835

I'm just beginning to set up my sewing room. I plan on using plastic stacking drawers for my fabric, sorted by color. Backing will be in a tub, as well we themed fabrics. I have flat project containers and will have small tubs for cut strips. I have my charm packs in a plastic box. All the boxes are that clear/white plastic. I want to be able to see into them. I thought about wrapping the fabric like some of you do, but I don't think that will work too well for me. I have so many different sizes of fabric and I want to keep colors together.

Seems everyone separates the batiks, why? When you sew with batiks can you not use other fabrics with them?

make sure your plastic is NOT air tight! lack of air will cause fabric to dry rot! Plastic also gives off gasses during extreme temp changes...
also if moisture gets in there, then you could mold...
the drawers work well as they are not air tight, but it is still a good idea to line the drawers with acid free tissue paper before putting your fabrics in them.

I sort more by type then color. I still have a closet full to go through, but the stuff I have pulled out and put in the cubby's are more according to purpose, or collection. I have a cubby or two that are all florals, same with tropicals, kids, solids, asian, skeletons and skulls, ( yes, I said skulls, I know, creepy). I tend to buy in collections since I started quilting,so if I buy stuff that belongs together, it stays together, even the scraps. If I separated it out into colors I would never figure out how to use it together. And that terrifies me.

I usually do NOT mix batiks with regulars cottons. Even though I prewash my fabrics they are still not as tight of a weave as the batiks are and blocks are often uneven!

I also love to see the colors of the batiks by themselves!

What are those white things that your fabric is on? Nice stash you got there. Can I go shopping at your house? LOL

They are foam boards that I bought at dollar tree. It a big sheet and I cut 6 boards out of 1. It's a nice stash but more than half of it is gone now. But that's not all that I have. LOL!!

Intersesting! I am a fairly new quilter and I love batks, I use them very often with other fabrics and don't notice any problems (well, more than usual,lol), I love the texture batiks add to other fabrics in a quilt. I too prewash all of my fabrics.

Here is what I'm working on doing. Just an idea for you.

I separate out batiks because they are generally more expensive than the majority of fabrics in my stash. I just waant to use them intentionally, not just where anything that color would do. BTW, I was told that one should never use them for needleturn applique. That is not true with good sharp needles.

Thanks for the info!

And then there is me! I keep my over one yards in a cabinet that has windows, I keep my fat quarters and 1/2 yards in plastic shoe boxes according to color, I keep the pieces that are 2" or larger in plastic bags according to color and everything else goes into a plastic bag that I save for my sister and her crazy quilts. Then I keep everything stored in the basement until I need what I need, bring them up, design the quilt, get the fabrics, cut and put them back in the box or bags to be used again or relegated to my sister's designs and take them down in the basement in its rightful place (designated by moi!) Right now I have five bags of hst's in bags according to color and they will go in my box for when I need some in the future. It is a system that only I can understand and perhaps that is good. Anyone looking at it would steer as clear of it as possible, but I know my treasures. Edie

I sort by color, for basic cottons. However, I also sort out certain other things. For example, all Christmas, all cats, holidays, all fabrics not cotton, fabrics bought for a specific project, pre cut pieces, small scraps, larger scraps, etc.

We used to be taught in college that if you had more than 5 of anything it needed its own file folder. I sort of think that way and keep like kinds of fabric together, sorted by color, etc.

This is basically the way I sort mine also.

I have a fairly large stash and most I have done by color. Then I have holiday, retro, and all the fabric to make a whole quilt with. Good luck