I have mine very nicely folded in the cabinets in my sewing room. Most of it is folded around these.....well 300 yards are, I haven't ordered any new boards lately.

http://www.bcwsupplies.com/products/...ing-boards.htm

the rest is just folded neatly, in the same order....but how do you organize it? Every time I try to go buy color, holiday, theme, or whatever, I come across ones I don't know which pile to put it in.

Suggestions???

robin

i have mine on bolts or mini bolts in a walk in closet.

i sort it by theme then by color.

batiks, gradations, geometric, asian, 30s, reproduction, etc.

You will get a lot of different answers here. And you can use the search for even more ideas.

I have learned that if I buy a collection or coordinates for a specific quilt, that I need to keep them together with the pattern and tie them with a ribbon. Otherwise I might use a piece that I can't replace when I am ready to make that quilt or project.

My "stash" I group by theme, juvenile, holiday, etc. Others will sort by color. You need to figure out what works for you.

I'm just redoing mine. I've sorted by color for the majority of it. Then I have my Holiday, Kids, Novelty (this is wear things like landscaping prints - bricks, rocks, watery looking etc., then prints that I can't decide where belongs etc goes).

I have mine in the closet with those pull out fabic shelves sorted by theme: vintage, nautical, Christmas, etc.

these are pictures of some of our stash(mom's and mine-That's her in the pic)...we wrapped our fabric around poster boards from the dollar store. Made about 3 large and 2 small boards from one piece. The fat quarters are in a cd case we bought.

I'm always envious to see pics of those with their stash stored on mini bolts! So lovely and must be inspiring!!!


Mine ... folded and stored in plastic tubs, the same height. One of my soon-to-be tasks is to sort it out in colour groupings and/or special groupings.

Oh, you have done a great job!! I am jealous!

I store mine in a stacks all over the place.. not so well organized as some of you..

I would so, so, so love to know what the dimensions you cut the 3 large and 2 small poster boards into.

I have been trying to organize my fabric - but I am getting so confused.
I would really appreciate your help.
Love how organized your sewing room is.

I love the way you have everything folded and neatly organized. What size did you cut your boards for the fabrics? Thanks

I too, am interested in the dimensions you cut your poster board to for the two sizes. Is it poster board or foam core board you used? Looks too thick to be poster board. Maybe my eyes deceive me. Is this board acid free? What size do you get per board and how much does each board cost?

Thanks so very much. :thumbup: Love how organized your fabric stash is. :D

Since I am moving ALL my fabric into the spare bedroom (now that youngest daughter left for college June 1st). I have been refolding my fabric to make storing it much easier and nicer looking. I put my fabric in 58qt (23"x17"x13") plastic bins. My current project is sorting by main color (example: multi color print on black background goes in the bin with black fabric etc.)

Once I have all the fabric sorted, refolded and moved into the spare room than I can work on organizing the dining room which is where all my sewing & serger machines are set up.
I will post pictures when I am done.

Hi Robin.....Ive been sewing now for a 100 years lol ok maybe 25......and I never had a sewing room...but now I do I took over my daughters room when she moved out....and when I had to figure out what to do with my fabric I was just at a stand still because I had fabric that was in different sizes,colors etc......and I just kept them in a plastic bin so they wouldnt get soiled etc....so I went to my favorite antique store and I found a cabinet that fit into my room but its not huge and I did that for a reason.......I find if I just buy the fat quarters there already folded and they store neatly until you unwrap....so when I started using my fat quarters I saved the cardboard there wrapped in and I wrap all my fabric that I have on those......ok now your saying what do you do with fabric thats more then 1/2 yd or 2 yds etc......well I dont like buying fabric just to buy and let sit unless I need it.....and its hard to do but I finally have been able to do this and use up all my fabric that I already have.......I know some of you are saying but buying fabric is the best part of a new project and it is believe me......but think about it we collect so much and then we forget what we have or the style goes out etc......so now I have extra money to buy other things that I want for my sewing like the bigkick by sizzix.....which helps with all my applique....and when I need fabric I go to my cabinet and choose a color because now I can see what I have rather then searching my bins........so thats how I store my fabric in little piles.....and colors are separated so theres no spending time looking and messing up.......sorry about the lengthly post I got carried away lol.....god bless Trish

QuiltE...My fab is in tubs too and totes. Don't have a sewing room so fab is really all over the house. Need to take a day soon and resort fab. Since we never do anything special for Thanksgiving except for lots of food, maybe I'll sort on thanksgiving.

I was fortunate to see an ad on Craigs list for a bunch of fabric at a home nearby. Went to see and couldn't believe my eyes!! This lady was selling ALL of her quilting fabrics and she had 6 plastic roller shelves with 4 drawers each and 2 huge lawn size trash bags full of material all most 1/2 yd or more. I paid 100.00 for all, but now I need to sort them so that I know what I really have..Huge job, but I intend to use the folding broads I ordered from Polar.com to store them again in the drawers but by some kind of order like color. Maybe I will also do this on the Thanksgiving weekend.

Ok, I thought the poster boards from the dollar store would create acid on your fabrics. Gee, I took all mine off the boards and I just bought and cut and orgainzered them, and gave to the nursery school for the kids to draw on.. Looks beautiful on the boards. Obviously, I need to buy more fabric after looking at your stash!

1.Just finished sorting etc...pulled out everything that I could use for charity and put in bin outside of my quilt room..Only have what I use...I am blessed with an old bedroom that works for me.
2. All fat quarters are in plastic bins and marked by colors in a closed closet.
3. Everything about a yard are in small plastic bin with covers and filed by color.(they are cheap to purchase)
4. Anything 2 yds or more are measured and marked and piled by color in closet
5. All my battings plus small pieces marked by size....are in open wire shelves in a closet by size.
6. Special projects...christmas....etc. are in small covered containers and put in a bookcase. With my books and magazines. I keep all projects I have done...in notebooks on these shelves.
7. Pulled odd shaped material and am cutting in 2 2 1/2" 3 3 1/3" up to 6"
8. have a bin of WOF ...marked.
9. I keep everything that pertains to each machine in a desk..

I enjoy my quilt room because I can exactly what I need and when I am done a project. I immediately take care of left overs.
FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU...make it uniquely YOURS!!! I decided what I wanted for furniture...open bookcase. 3-4 plastic 3-draw ....couple of wood cabinets under my short arm table...a closed closed portable ..plus a regular closet...and thread and rulers all in one place...this is long and I hop given some semblance of what i did..JUST BEGIN..

Great idea.

How wonderful that your mother and you share an interest and skill in quilting! Your system is looks so neat!

My fabric is stored in metal pull out bins. Fabric is sorted by color, a separate bin for childrens prints.

I live in a dusty area of our state.........I have to dust the furniture 2-3 times a week (I said I have to, didn't say I DO it!!!). Add some cat hair from 2 cats that should be bald considering how much hair they leave around the house, I put ALL my fabric in bins. It's not the best idea, I'd love to have the fabric where I can see it, but it keeps the fabric clean!!!

open shelves by color for cottons; by type for batiks, Asian, upholstery, leather and other odds and ends; and separate shelves for vintage linens. I can look up from my work table in the middle of the room and see it all

cleanup
 

These are pics of two of our group after refolding using a 6x24 ruler to fold the fabric... Amazing isn't it.. The one was actually going to take down the shelves on her wall for a design wall instead several of us went over and helped her fold and now she has a roller up that she can lower for her design wall.
judy

Thanks for sharing the pictures - very organized and inspiring!

DeeBooper, you and your mother have awell organized room with lots of shelves.
The great idea I had was putting my sewing room in the loft over othe great room. We, my DD and I, could sew and still be apart of the family instead of being cooped up off somewhere.
The problem we are running into is the fact that the loft side walls are not 8 feet tall. And then there's the fact that we both love fabrics.

I keep reading how the boards I get free will ruin my fabric and as I now am getting a fairly nice stash going am getting worried. would also like to know more about the poster board and size to cut. my fat qtrs are in a drawer of a chest I bought. they fit perfectly.

I am so fortunate, I have large stand up bookcases lining my double garage where my bolts are kept. I have "stands" with slots that I use for fat quarters.

Dang...the more I read --the more I think once I get done working on the fleece scarves for our xmas boxes for kids that I will just pull them off the boards, and just fold it and stack. SIGH.............................

Wow!! Not that is one neat looking stash!

Oh my goodness Judy - what a difference after folding! wow :)
did it seem to give her more room afterwards?

Mine are also in stacks all over the place. I ran out of room in my drawers and bookcases and storage unit and rubbermaid tubs that I have lots of fabric folded up on top of these items. I also have fabric on my second chair in my sewing room. And on my cutting tables (I have two long tables put together with one long, long cutting board). I have old wooden bread boxes on my bookcases and tables because I can store things in there and then again on top of the boxes. I also have shelves I've put up on the walls to put fabric on. I use to be embarrassed by how much fabric I had. I thought I had OCD or something because I keep buying fabric and then I found this place and realized that I am a normal quilter. That all of you have more fabric than you actually need. I love this site!

Pictures helps me a lot. I would love to see photos of others ideas of storage :)

Love my storage.
 

I used to have it in totes. Then when I moved I had it in those plastic drawers. Then I found this cabinet at Goodwill. I did the ruler fold method. I totally enjoy looking at it and can find anything I want. I do have larger pieces on boards in my closet. Fat quarters are still in drawers, by types.

Using the ruler method? I am not sure what you mean. Was it hard and time consuming? I am still learning :)

Once upon a time, I very carefully folded most of my fabrics "just so" - and packed them on the shelves to the maximum.

My folded fabrics looked very lovely - until I wanted/needed something that was stacked there.

I have learned that it is helpful to me to have a bare/empty spot to pile things on while I'm looking through the stacks. (Other than the floor!)

When I had everything packed like an overstuffed suitcase, the crowdedness made looking for and extracting pieces of fabric to be hazardous.

I don't have a perfect solution. I know - usually - what neighborhood to look in for items - but sometimes the looked for item just does not want to be found when I'm searching for it.

The main idea of this post - leave a little wiggle room - if possible. It is then easier to find things again later.

The up side of having to excavate to find something - it's exercise!

This is fabulous storage and organization.

Mine are on plastic and metal shelving, I can't imagine having so little amount, what do you make with so small amount of fabric? Most of my pieces are one or more yards, plus I have the usual landscape fabric for wallhangings etc. and smaller pieces for coin purses/purses.

You mean we are supposed to have our fabrics organized. But, but, but - isn't it fun to look for "stuff"

My stash is still small enough to hang on coat hangers in the closet!!