I need Coastinest to come to my house and organize my stash, luckily I haven't built much of a stash yet but I like the way hers looked!

I have fat quarters in the cupboards arranged to color. Small scraps are in totes. Fabric half to one yard is in totes and the rest is on shelves.

I have become a fan of Bonnie Hunter's scrap users system. Once I get down to under a yard I cut a FQ if I can. Then, in order of preference I cut 5 x WOF, 2.5 x WOF, Charm squares, 3.0 squares and 2.5 squares. Then each size goes into a plastic bag of same sizes, similar color and bags are stored in plastic bins. When I need to make a scrap quilt I already have cut pieces. I recently made a queen size Jacob's Ladder quilt and only had to cut a few 5 inch squares and the border fabric.

The majority of my fabric is organized by color. I just enclose all pieces together inside the folded largest piece and then the whole thing goes in it's big plastic covered box. I pp a lot so many times use strips only 1" wide, so I keep just about all scraps. It works for me.

The very small pieces I sort by color and place in gal ziplock bags, the others are still on bolds or in plastic bins.

I've just been working on ruler folding my fabric -- I don't have many fat quarters so I have ruler folded all my fabric and have it stored by color and era ( 30's, reproduction, brights) It is certainly hard to decide which way to go with it all!!

Thanks. This was really helpful. I am new to quilting, just over a year and am acquiring a significant amount of fabric. I was having trouble figuring out how to store it. The crates are a great idea.

Haha jmoore....I'll be right up. Hey you just saw part of that stash. Those crates are the ones holding mostly my Asian fabrics. The whole wall is lined with crates like that and are packed full. Maybe after dinner tonight I'll take a picture and give you a peek.

I am not exceedingly creative. My bits and pieces do not get organized. That being out in front of you now ....

I do better if I force myself to look through things. There is something in the looking and the feeling and the juxtaposing that helps me choose the combinations and placements that turn out pleasing me. And I enjoy figuring out answers for any problems or questions that turn up. I cannot "see" those if I try to work from organized bits and pieces.

The smallest bits are stuffed into a large, clear jug. The larger ones tucked into bins that reflect texture or the mental "feel" they impart to me.

Usually all of this is a long process from fabric to finished product. Wish I was more usually organized.

Pat

I use plastic boxes and drop the little scraps in by color. Then I pop the lid on and put them on a shelf with a marker pen label of the color on the side for later.