Organizing fabric

Old 08-23-2012, 04:21 AM
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Cool Organizing fabric

I am cleaning out my craft room and I am trying to be more organized. lol. I would like to know how to store fabric quarters, Panels and half yard fabric. I put 1 yard fabric on the comic boards that were mentioned on this board. Thank You very much for this tip. My fabric now looks neat. I found doubles of fabric I didn't know I had so I purchased more. Now I have to organize the rest. Thank You for your help. Everyone on this board is always very helpful
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Old 08-23-2012, 06:07 AM
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I have one of the plastic drawer units on rollers for my smaller pieces. Top drawers is fat quarters, second drawers is bigger pieces and panels and the bottom drawers is for a mess of scrap pieces.
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Old 08-23-2012, 09:09 AM
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I have many of the larger plastic bins that I store fabric in. I make them with sticky notes that are also taped to the plastic as they tend to fall off otherwise.
I use labels like "baby related fabrics", "pillow case fabrics", or use color schems "blue and yellow patterns", "nature patterns" or use the name of the fabric collection (sometimes using one box to store several fabric collections that I feel will work well together) All of these I have stacked in the closed in the basement bedroom (which has recently had the bed moved upstairs to another bedroom so now it is all mine!!!) I also use the plastic drawer systems on wheels with labels like "cuts under 1 yard", "fat quarters" (which I sort by color), "strips" (which contains misc jelly rolls and strips that I have cut from left over fabrics), "backing fabrics".
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Old 08-23-2012, 11:19 AM
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I also use those plastic drawers that are on wheels. I like to buy the ones where the drawer actually can come out so I can move it around when I'm working on something. I use my label maker to make labels for the drawers or that painters tape and a permanent marker if I know it will just be a temporary place to store stuff. I have a friend who bought an old dresser at an auction which she uses to store her fabric in and she converted the top to an ironing board.
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Old 08-24-2012, 05:03 AM
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I bought a tall clothes dresser (4 good sized drawers) at a garage sale for $4. It was in pretty tough shape. I sanded it, and painted it white and purchased new handles for it. I now keep all my fabric in it. I use the ruler fold method, and store all my folded fabric on end with the fold up, so I can see every piece. One drawer if for flannels, one for larger pieces (backing sized) and full lines of fabrics, One drawer if for the remnants I can't seem to stop buying at JoAnns, and the final drawer is for LQS fabrics that I like to keep separate. I love this method. I can see all my fabrics quite easily, and pulling fabrics to audition for projects is quite easy. I also try to keep the fabrics in color families in the drawers, so all the colors run together. reds into oranges, into yellows, greens... etc. Like a fabric store in a drawer.
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Old 08-24-2012, 06:55 AM
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I have an open bin where I put my FQ's and cuts that are folded using the ruler method too. I put my larger cuts on foam board and they are on a shelf. My current fabrics being used in projects on the table, are ironed and hanging on hangers so I can access them and see them as I go. I use clear containers to hold my scraps. I also have a three basket rolling cart thing, I use it for scraps, and precuts. I can just roll it out or pull the basket and put it where I can use it as I go. Very large cuts or bulky fabrics are folded and stacked on the shelf.

I have a walk in closet in my craft room, dh put floor to ceiling shelfs on each wall, one side is for sewing and fabrics, and the other is for scrapbooking... This all works for me.
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Old 08-24-2012, 10:07 AM
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Mine our stored in plastic shoe boxes and bins in the closet on a wire shelf. I mark the box the the size of fabric and can just pull one out to see what fab is inside.
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Old 08-24-2012, 12:00 PM
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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)

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Old 08-24-2012, 12:22 PM
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If you are on a budget or just like to "re purpose" you can ask at your local grocery store for the cardboard boxes that hold the packages of spice/ gravy mix! They hold 50 fat quarter perfectly! I keep my 1/3 yard cuts separate,foldedover cardboard but standing on end in an empty 9x10 box (a box that held 500 envelopes), this way I can spot smaller amounts of fabric easily. Good luck! I know I love being organized and buy so much less. Plus when I find a fabric I just love I can afford to get it!
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Old 08-24-2012, 01:03 PM
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does anyone know the best way to store fabric in a really humid climate. We are moving to the wet side of Hawaii (big Island) and I have heard there is a lot of problem with things getting moldy ;o(
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