Fat Quarter Storage-how do you do it?
 

I am setting up my new sewing studio and it has been a surprise to find out how much fabric I really have. It has been in bins, plied on top of one another so if I needed something it was impossible to find. So the answer, of course, was to go and get more! Now I have the space to arrange it in a cupboard. My DH set up 2 Ikea cabinets- 7 feet wide and floor to ceiling, I thought 20 shelves was more than enough space- wrong. It is full of fabric yardage, arranged by color. The problem I have now is my fat quarters. I had planned to put them on 3 or 4 shelves, but the shelves are all used by yardage. I have 4 large bins of fat quarters that need a storage spot.
My question to you all is- how do you store your fat quarters? I would like to have them accessible as the bin storage was difficult at best.
Then there is the issue of batting storage. My big roll of W&N will live under the cutting table, but what do you do with the other pieces?
Thanks for the input everyone.

I have something I bought at Lowe's. Its not really wood, but looks like it, has 20 pidgeon holes, deep enough to have 2 stacks of FQ. Its pretty big, if you bought 2, would probably hold what you have. It was less than $30.00 I think they had them in white also>

I keep my FQs with my yardages, so I can see the colours all together.
So maybe just go back to Ikea and get a 3rd shelving unit, so you can have all your cabinetry to match, and have full flexibility.

Some use CD storage shelving for FQs.
I've often seen it done that way in LQS' as well.

Some use CD storage shelving for FQs. this is what I have done and they show quite nicely.

http://images.lowes.com/product/conv...81786904lg.jpgThis is an example of what I use to store fat quarters. You can get them at Lowe's Home Improvement stores for about $30. They're pretty heavy, so get someone to help you if you have problems carrying heavy items. Good luck with your space! :)

I have an eight drawer dresser. The drawers are just right to stand the folded fat quarters on end. I have my fat quarters sorted by color. Need a color, find the drawer and all are there. And I have the top of the dresser for a ironing surface.

I have mine in a set of plastic drawers. I fold them so they fit in the drawers. When I pull out a drawer I can see all the fat quarters. I store by color and theme.

Fat Quarter Storage
 

I use plastic baskets to store my FQs. Currently I have 4 baskets labeled: solid, blender, print & novelty. I have saved cardboard squares that will fit the baskets. The same size that some FQs are sold with. The FQs that are bought off the bolt are wrapped on a square. I stand them up in the baskets so the each one is visible. This is the cheap way to go. I have seen a cabinet that is made to do the same thing. Like a filing cabinet or an old-fashioned card catalog. Within each basket, I have sorted the colors keeping like colors together such as different shades of purple or pink. You can flip through them easily when you need to find that certain color.

Thanks for the idea and I have a perfect space in my fabric closet to put this.

I purchased a bunch of the shoe sized plastic boxes at my local Costco and store my FQ's in them by color.....they stack easily on any shelf. I usually do Not put the lid on so that they can breath.

I have mine in plastic drawers.

I agree, if I had the FQ in a different place, I wouldn't see the colorplay and tones between all the yellows or blues....etc. I don't buy them often, I'm a strip quilter, so I would rather have 1/4 yd of fabric all the way across, but all my sizes and shapes are stacked together in colors, with as much showing as possible...I do stagger small pcs, putting one pc down, (mine are all folded about 8" wide?) then shift the next pc down about 2 inches, rep for the depth of the shelf (5 or 6 pcs before you hit the back wall) then put the next pc back out to the front again, starting over. This allows me to pick up the longest pc on the bottom of each "fan of fabrics" and I can see the "fan" below with all its pcs...(they are 'fanned' back straight...just couldn't think of a better word)

I bought 2 over the door hangers that have 4 baskets on each. I think they were made for spices or pkg or can goods to hang on the inside of the pantry door. You can stack them flat but I like to stand them on end. I have 2 doors in the basement that they are hanging on. Makes use of space above the floor and out of the way. They work great and are easy to look through to find what I need for applique or whatever.

I use shoe boxes.

Fat Quarter Storage
 

I have found that DVD storage bags are great for fat quarters. They are 23" x 6 1/2" x 5 3/4" in size and in most you can see what you have. They have a zipper cover and handle. The price ranges depending where you get them. I have found mine in a local shopping catalog and the cost is $5.95 for 2, yes 2, bags. Do not buy CD storage bags, they are too small.:thumbup::thumbup:

Mine are arranged by color in shallow plastic bins. They are all folded the same way, and then arranged standing one after the other and conti using into row after row. Holds tons of fat quarters and then the containers stack one on top of each other on shelving unit. I do use the lids on each container.

Apothecaries and drawers chest they come in a variety of sizes, with individual drawers or CD chest also has drawers, that way keep from getting dust and grime from air.

I really love the quality of this library style cabinet. Works well l for sewing or crafts. It is solid wood, really nice. Sides of the drawers are short. I would suggest to put feet on it because it is flush on the floor.

Time to sell some of your stash, perhaps? :)

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I recently installed a closet organizer system and now use 3 drawers like this. My longtime goal to have this after we moved into our forever home. But prior to that I used the plastic bins on the right of the picture. And before that I used canvas shoe bags (all sizes) and stored by color. All 3 worked, but I found separating my fat quarters from the larger pieces is much more useful to me now, but it's clearly a personal preference.

I plan to use the empty plastic pins to store projects. I attach a card on the outside.. keep everything related to the project in it so I can keep things organized and switch to work on one project over another easily. Or take one with me on a trip as we sometimes do . I also use 12x12 plastic bin to store scraps by color. I started storing scraps in baskets when I worked on a Civil War project and soon it was overflowing and switched to the cases and they hold more and easier to store. Now when I get down to scraps I just throw them in the proper case.
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I spent over a week organizing my fabric before we moved into our final home. Cutting and folding fat quarters and larger pieces onto comic board backs. It was exhausting to do, but I am so happy I took the time.

Interesting thing I found @ a local quilt store -- they rolled their fat quarters and secured them with rubber bands. I found it a bit difficult to tell what they were stacked in so tightly as you only saw the end of the roll, but they did store them by color. I have a pile of blue FQs in the red bowl on the bottom shelf in picture above that I used til we had moved everything to the new house. Just haven't taken the time to fold them properly.

I store mine in something I bought from Walmart. It's a 5 shelving unit hanging piece with 40 pockets...
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Smart-Caro...nizer/15579196

THIS was a wonderful idea!! My heart leaped when I Googled the term "DVD storage bags" and saw what they looked like. They're PERFECT!! Thanks for the suggestion.

Debby H love your storage system so neat.

Hi this is what I found to be a good storage for fat quarters. We purchased the two, two drawer units at IKEA also purchased the cube bookcase at IKEA It is nice to just pull the drawers all the way out and choose what I need
Judy in Phx, AZ

Great ideas - - thanks for sharing.

I have these in my sewing room, 4 of them. Like she says works great for fq's and I also store my jelly rolls, charm packs, turnovers, any pre-cuts...Love mine, And if you need some, you can buy individual little canvas drawers that will also slide right in to the compartments..... great idea....

Love the Wire basket as well.....that would work for kits.....

My sister uses plastic shoe box totes and has them on shelves in a closet....you can see all of them lined up nicely....

Isnt it fun organizing?

Shoe cubbies work wonderfully for fat quarters -- also the skinny Billy cabinet from Ikea would do a great job. I've cut up quite a few of my FQ's into precuts, and find that I'm making a lot more scrappy quilts now because of that...a win-win situation.

I love the shoe pigeon hole storage for fat quarters. I think Wal-Mart might be a little cheaper.

I think there are some good ideas here.

My FQ's are kept in bins and tins (to protect from light and dust) on open shelving.

I've been having fun rolling my FQ and then tying with about 8" strip of scrap. I then prop them up in a cute container on top of a short bookcase (used for fabric). I keep it away from the window but in plain view as I find it very cheery.

I bought some cutesy hatbox looking things at Joanns/Michaels, can't remember offhand, and I'm using those. Keeps any dust off and I can shove them under the table if they start getting in the way. I'm debating a cart that I can slide under the table though.

I use shoe box plastic containers separating them by colors and keep them under my cutting table as I added a shelf for that purpose.

I picked up one of those wire shelves that is made to hold spices or something inside of your cupboards. I couldn't get my folded material to go in because I have it on Easy Cores, so I just mounted them on the inside of my stash linen type closet backwards. They worked perfectly. I stacked two, but the door would probably hole 4 racks.

Dollartree is my go to store for storage. My fats are in baskets by color then on a cheap bookcase.

I'm using a shoe organizer. I cleaned up a shoe organizer from our mud room and it fit in my fabric bookshelf perfectly (after removing one shelf). My vintage sheet collection is on the shelf above.
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One hole can hold six jelly rolls! Best of all I can see my stash.
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I have one of these as well that I got at Lowe's. Mine is white and has 25 cubbies instead of just 15. I just bought it a couple of months ago, and it was $34.99. Hope this helps! :c)

Donna