How do you store your fabric stash?
07-21-2012, 09:01 AM
#1
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: northern California
Posts: 1,098
How do you store your fabric stash?
There is a new thread about the size of foam board to use for your fabric stash. Probably because all of us have our own style of brain we have many different approaches to this.
I have a large cupboard 4'x 8' x 20" deep, with 6 shelves. I put my folded fabric in sections according to the dominate color (all blues and blue-ish togeather, etc.), with the exception of a "kiddie print" stack. Smaller than a fat quarter goes into plastic drawer, also by color. Tiny squares (left over from 1" and 2" projects) have their own plastic case.
When I am looking for a color for a quilt I tend to "reorganize" a stack as I plow through it. I might take out several pieces and put them down on the table and move them around until the "right" mix surfaces and then restack the ones I won't use. I tend to "need" to feel the fabrics as I make decisions. But I'm seeing more and more that people are using "boards" on which to wrap their fabrics. This takes time, as does my putting things back where they beong. Is it a time saver? Does it work for you? I'm thinking that if EVERYONE says yes, maybe I'll do it. But, if there are some of you for whom this does not -- did not work -- I'd like to hear from you also.
I have a large cupboard 4'x 8' x 20" deep, with 6 shelves. I put my folded fabric in sections according to the dominate color (all blues and blue-ish togeather, etc.), with the exception of a "kiddie print" stack. Smaller than a fat quarter goes into plastic drawer, also by color. Tiny squares (left over from 1" and 2" projects) have their own plastic case.
When I am looking for a color for a quilt I tend to "reorganize" a stack as I plow through it. I might take out several pieces and put them down on the table and move them around until the "right" mix surfaces and then restack the ones I won't use. I tend to "need" to feel the fabrics as I make decisions. But I'm seeing more and more that people are using "boards" on which to wrap their fabrics. This takes time, as does my putting things back where they beong. Is it a time saver? Does it work for you? I'm thinking that if EVERYONE says yes, maybe I'll do it. But, if there are some of you for whom this does not -- did not work -- I'd like to hear from you also.
Last edited by Sierra; 07-21-2012 at 09:04 AM.
07-21-2012, 09:16 AM
#2
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: A Hop from Heaven, a Skip from Sanity and a Jump from the Good Life....
Posts: 6,665
I don't use the foam This is how my room is organized..
These are in 30 gal 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, etc) and solids, blenders, and the rest are seperated by color on bookcases
Batiks are in a see thru 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 see thru 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 see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Strips longer than 10 inches but less than WOF has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2 inch strips are hanging on the back of the door
1.5 x wof has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2.5 x WOF strips has a a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3x WOF strips have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
5x WOF strips have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
all other strips x WOF are separated by colors and has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Crumbs have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Scraps less than a fq but larger than 6x6 has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own- these are waiting to be cut with my Accuquilt
2 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
4 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
4.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
And my selvages are kept in recycled plastic Ice cream tubs by length..
And that's how my room is organized..
I followed Bonnies method.. www.quiltville.com.
My 1930's fqs section- (just one of my fq sections)
Fabric corner- bookcases and shoe cubbies
A few of my Sterilite drawers-
These are in 30 gal 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, etc) and solids, blenders, and the rest are seperated by color on bookcases
Batiks are in a see thru 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 see thru 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 see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Strips longer than 10 inches but less than WOF has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2 inch strips are hanging on the back of the door
1.5 x wof has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2.5 x WOF strips has a a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3x WOF strips have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
5x WOF strips have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
all other strips x WOF are separated by colors and has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Crumbs have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Scraps less than a fq but larger than 6x6 has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own- these are waiting to be cut with my Accuquilt
2 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
4 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
4.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
And my selvages are kept in recycled plastic Ice cream tubs by length..
And that's how my room is organized..
I followed Bonnies method.. www.quiltville.com.
My 1930's fqs section- (just one of my fq sections)
Fabric corner- bookcases and shoe cubbies
A few of my Sterilite drawers-
Last edited by luvTooQuilt; 07-21-2012 at 09:30 AM.
07-21-2012, 09:28 AM
#3
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 6,395
I have a similar system to yours although mine is open 12" shelves on the wall and I keep all sizes of a similar color together (except scraps). I separate the fabrics by type as well, corduroy, home decor, fleece, flannel, tapestry, velvet/suedecloth, brocade/satin, batik, regular cotton.
And like you I reorganize the stacks every time I'm looking for fabric to use for a particular project. Isn't it fun!!!
In general I do not use boards. I do have the rolls for the velvet. If it is 3 yd or less I prefer to fold it in half lengthwise, then do that again, and finally fold so that it fits the shelf (however many folds that takes). It seems to me like the boards would take up space that I could put more fabric in. LOL!
And like you I reorganize the stacks every time I'm looking for fabric to use for a particular project. Isn't it fun!!!
In general I do not use boards. I do have the rolls for the velvet. If it is 3 yd or less I prefer to fold it in half lengthwise, then do that again, and finally fold so that it fits the shelf (however many folds that takes). It seems to me like the boards would take up space that I could put more fabric in. LOL!
07-21-2012, 10:35 AM
#5
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Southwest Kansas
Posts: 4,820
I had stacks of folded fabric for several years. I really hated it. I have anything longer than a yard wound on fabric boards. Anything a yard and shorter is in two dressers. It seems to take about the same amount of space for the mini bolts as it did for the stacks. I have wound as much as 16 yards on one of the mini bolts.
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[ATTACH=CONFIG]350447[/ATTACH]
07-21-2012, 11:14 AM
#7
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Southwest Kansas
Posts: 4,820
Originally Posted by luvTooQuilt
Scissor queen-you win!!!! Lol mine will never be that neat and clean ever !!!
how much did it cost for all the boards you used ??
how much did it cost for all the boards you used ??
07-21-2012, 12:18 PM
#8
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41,453
The advantage of the mini bolts is you can just pull them off the shelf without messing up the other bolts. I did have my yardage neatly folded in stacks but I would get the rest of the folded fabric messed up if I wanted to pull one out. They are also easier to see what you have storing upright on the mini bolts.
07-21-2012, 01:50 PM
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Morganton, North Carolina
Posts: 2,882
Originally Posted by luvTooQuilt
I don't use the foam This is how my room is organized..
These are in 30 gal 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, etc) and solids, blenders, and the rest are seperated by color on bookcases
Batiks are in a see thru 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 see thru 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 see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Strips longer than 10 inches but less than WOF has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2 inch strips are hanging on the back of the door
1.5 x wof has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2.5 x WOF strips has a a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3x WOF strips have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
5x WOF strips have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
all other strips x WOF are separated by colors and has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Crumbs have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Scraps less than a fq but larger than 6x6 has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own- these are waiting to be cut with my Accuquilt
2 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
4 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
4.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
And my selvages are kept in recycled plastic Ice cream tubs by length..
And that's how my room is organized..
I followed Bonnies method.. www.quiltville.com.
My 1930's fqs section- (just one of my fq sections)
Fabric corner- bookcases and shoe cubbies
A few of my Sterilite drawers-
These are in 30 gal 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, etc) and solids, blenders, and the rest are seperated by color on bookcases
Batiks are in a see thru 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 see thru 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 see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Strips longer than 10 inches but less than WOF has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2 inch strips are hanging on the back of the door
1.5 x wof has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2.5 x WOF strips has a a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3x WOF strips have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
5x WOF strips have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
all other strips x WOF are separated by colors and has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Crumbs have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Scraps less than a fq but larger than 6x6 has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own- these are waiting to be cut with my Accuquilt
2 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
4 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
4.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
And my selvages are kept in recycled plastic Ice cream tubs by length..
And that's how my room is organized..
I followed Bonnies method.. www.quiltville.com.
My 1930's fqs section- (just one of my fq sections)
Fabric corner- bookcases and shoe cubbies
A few of my Sterilite drawers-
WOW!!!!! Can you come to my house?
I'm still trying to sort out my shop, and could REALLY use your organizational skills....your space is FAB-U-LOUS!!!!
07-21-2012, 02:05 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Missouri
Posts: 391
LOL... I don't have enough fabric to worry about, not compared to all of you. I have a bag, that holds all of my Christmas Fabrics, all 1-2 yard cuts.
Then I have a stackable tray system that holds all of my scraps and my FQ's. Then I have a collection of Patriotic yardage cuts, that are stacked in a bin, and a bin filled with made blocks .... That's it.
No more, no less. I am amazed each time I see how much fabric most quilters have. Amazed.
Then I have a stackable tray system that holds all of my scraps and my FQ's. Then I have a collection of Patriotic yardage cuts, that are stacked in a bin, and a bin filled with made blocks .... That's it.
No more, no less. I am amazed each time I see how much fabric most quilters have. Amazed.
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