Sterlite storage drawers, totes ....curse or blessing?
 

Yea, we all have them. Cheap fabric and notions storage. I am frankly on a mission the clear them out and never buy another one. I aM organizing UFO's and hopefully condensing the fabric to a manageable level. If I think I need another plastic storage thingy, I have too many projects in waiting. Bleh!

Anyone else sick of looking at these??
Sandy

I think you will find that is a problem with a lot of us. The more I clean and get rid of the more I have to find a place for. If anyone finds a way to solve this problem please let us know.

Sorry, I'd be totally lost without my Sterlite storage. I live on a dirt road through a pine forest with no A/C. Open windows all summer guarantee a dusty pollen mess on any horizontal surface. Add two shedding cats and that mess turns fuzzy. There is absolutely no way fabric would stay clean were it not for storage in plastic bins.

Mine are relatively small (27 quart), clear, and simple to move around. I can easily see what's in each one, there is no digging to find what I need, and I've been assured by my quilt appraiser that the storage is safe, even for my antique quilts. Nope, I'm not parting with mine and, in fact, continue to add more from time to time.

Depends how much storage space you have. I have just switched from plastic shoe boxes to Ikea drawer organizers. They store more, especially FQ, half yard cuts, and one yard cuts. I use them on my shelves, on top of dressers, and of course in the drawers. They come in many sizes, they are made of some kind of fabric, reinforced, and the bottom unzips for easy storage if you do not need them. The fold flat. I also have two Ikea fabric under bed storage containers and since they have a zipper covet I use them for yardage, UFOs and batting. Again they fold for storage when you do not need them. The fabric they are made of can be wiped with a wet cloth, easy to keep clean an dusted, and they come in many colors. Mine are purple and black.

I was at a yard sale once eyeing a nice container with a set of drawers. Another lady beside me was admiring it, too. We both agreed it would be a good thing to have. Then I added the downside...I'd just end up filling it!

I recently bought some pretty Craftologie boxes on sale at JoAnn's for a fun alternative to my plastic bins... I am able to keep most of my plastic storage behind doors and leave the pretty ones stacked in my room now.

But by far my best strategy to clear out containers by finishing what is inside them so I hear you!

I recently cleaned out my tall, skinny, outdoor craft shed and it only holds quilting supplies now, but I had to buy a big clear tote to put on top of the two dressers for the rest of what I'd had in bags inside. It looks so nice now. The only drawback is that I have to run between the raindrops to gather fabrics because it inevitably storms just as I get the urge to try something new! LOL! It's nice to open the doors though & not have all sorts of bags pelting you! :-)

I'm not understanding what your beef is with the storage containers. I prefer the almost clear ones. I love them!

I have plastic tubs, and they are getting too heavy for me to lift, as I stack them on top of each other. I am searching yardsales for one of those old tv armoire things with doors and drawers (the kind that held big tv's). I plan on organizing my fabric from some of the plastic totes into it. I am going to donate my old fabric that I will never use at that time.

I dont have a beef necessarily...i frankly get tired of looking at them. Like another poster said...maybe they remind me of the many projects I want to get done, start, finish, whatever. Purging makes sense I guess.

Sandy

I really like mine with drawers, they keep everything organized.

It's a good thing we are all different, I guess.

I have a small room so have the small plastic drawers with labels saying what colors are inside. I have a tendency to be messy in my room so having things in drawers is a good thing for me.

I won't be getting rid of mine...but would love it if I had the room and storage to store my fabric where I could see it.

I just recently bought more drawers to organize my yarn in. I like that you can see at a glance what's inside.

I love my clear plastic storage bins. I have shoe box sizes, tall skinny ones, big flat ones meant for under the bed, a myriad of different sized ones with drawers. I love being able to SEE what's in them. And I love that they are so portable and infinitely rearrangeable (is that a word?) I keep them neatly stacked and even if the stuff inside them is not so organized, at least it looks that way! Now of course my dream sewing room would probably have floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall cherry cabinets with leaded glass doors, a mini-bar and room service, but I live and sew in the real world and I like my Sterlite. You can send me your empty bins...

I love mine. I have a few really big ones, many medium sized ones and lots of small ones. I sort fabric by color and also have bins for particular sized strips and squares. I also use one for leftover bindings and several for leftover triangles, blocks etc that can be used in scrappy backs. I have shelving in my fabric closets and the bins stack nicely so it looks organized and tidy.

i don't use the bins to store my stuff, but i do use the stacking drawer sets.
they are just clear enough to see what's inside, but also protect the fabs from light damage.
they keep everything clean.

i use most of the drawers to store fabrics and supplies.
i use some of the drawers to keep individual projects together.
some for tops waiting to be sammiched for quilting.

now if i could only keep the contents properly organized ... LOL

I'm with Scraplady, until the wall-to-wall cherry cabinets with leaded glass doors come along, just step away from my plastic bins and no one gets hurt!!!

I don't have a problem with them as I quilt in my dining room mostly on the weekends and my storage is in my bedroom closet.

I just wish mine all matched! I have a few sets of different ones I've gotten at different times. The most I have is 5 of one size/ type...

I don't have any tubs but I have the Sterlite cabinets. Four of them line one wall of my sewing room. It is amazing how much they hold.

I have clear storage containers and some fabric on boards. What I have in the larger containers are some heavier fabrics like upholstery and some heavy knits. I do have a couple empty containers that the full containers are able to nest into. Those fit under my sewing table and to the very back right hand corner. DH reupholstered the headliner of his truck this past Sunday so there is some of that fabric left. I'm going to use it to line a small gun case for him. He was going to toss it. I have an old large jewelry box that has seen better days. This will work perfectly. He put a lock on it. I usually attach a note to the material for the purpose to use it. I need my clear storage.

Sorry, but Sterilite containers are friends of mine. I hope they never go out of business. I love the ones that are clear and do not have colored handles so they can all coordinate in lovely clear! LOL

We quilters come in all sizes, shapes and kinds... including likes for storage. AND, we do need storage.

I absolutely love my Serilite totes! I use them to keep my customer quilts neat, safe and in order that they came in. They stack/fit nicely under my longarm machine. I just ordered more the other day because I never seem to have enough.

I prefer the ones with drawers so you have more accessible storage. Think I'm going to have to rub soap along the edges so they will open and close more easily though.

I use the small ones. I don't like the big bins. I found these at Walmart for $5 in the school supplies. I have almost bought all the clear ones they have! There are purple and pink color too. Online Walmart it sells for $13 and in store it's $5. ????

http://www.robertscrafts.com/default...FTRo7Aodx3YAdg

I also love my plastic containers. But, like you, YOU/I can have too many. I have reduced my stash by a 1/3. To someone who can really use it. I have donated finished tops that were nice practice pieces or things that My tastes had changed on. I have passed on projects that I really had no interest in finishing. It really free'd up the perceived stress in my mind. I have what I really really love.

So now, it's time to use it/finish it. NO more additional bins for me. I'd like to keep it to exactly what I have. I live in a small home with limited closet space. So the bins make everything look organized without being crazy. And, I can find what I'm looking for at almost a glance. Like SusanSusan above, I really wish they all matched. But, the manufacturers keep changing the size and styles. Mine are close to being the same. And hence the decision to try not to buy anymore containers.

If your overwhelmed by your stash. Take control in whatever works for you. Hope you have fun making room in your containers/drawer system In whatever way works for you.

I have bookcases full of fabric, storage units with doors (not ideal because I can't see what's inside), dressers (still can't see what's inside) and all different sizes of plastic tubs that I can see inside. Some are stackable. Some are huge. Some are drawers. I love them all. If you don't want yours, I'll buy them from you. I need more.

This is a funny post - we are all desperate for storage and we will all try anything, with hopes that it will help. Plastic is the "material" of the world, and we are all stuck with it. I just want "dust free". I will do anything to rid my world of dust, except dust (I could dust everyday, all day, I hate dust).