my way ..
...i don't wash all new fabric that comes in. the sizing on new fabric is to protect & shield the fabric until ready for use.
...i also have lots of yardage and large scraps from yard & estate sales. if musty or whatever i wash, smooth and fold. before adding it to fabric i already have.
...nothing is ironed until i need it for a project. i think heat can damage fabric fibers and limit ironing only until it's needed.
...large pieces are folded selvadge to selvedge, then in half lengthwise to selvedge again, then end to end till its about 12" or so wide. this fits on most bookshelf depth shelves.
...my current fabric archive is kept ..yardage in closet with doors closed.
..fq's, scraps etc are folded and kept in underbed flat plastic boxes. easier to dig in.
...i sort by ..florals
..era ie- 1800's, 30's, vintage
..solids
..stripes, dots, pindots, batik ..and other odds & ends are stored seperately in bins --i never buy yardage in any of these except for a few nice/interesting stripes.
...in my last home i used a spare bedroom for my sewing room. i noticed after a couple of years that there was fading on the folds of the fabric on shelves. ambient overhead light, no sunlight ..so your room lighting can fade fabric. my solution was to hang sheets over the shelves of fabric. worked perfectly. no more fading. very seldom do i buy for a project. if i'm near a fabric store i shop by needs ..more small prints, more large florals, etc. then i 'shop' in my closet and plastic boxes for new or ongoing project. i have noticed over the years that all my purchase have tended to same/similar styles, subject & colors. the exceptions are things i get at estate sales or are given to me. which is good ..so now i can experiment and find that hmmm ..that green is perfect ..even tho i never would have bought it :)

great ideas! around here where i live, church quilting groups love getting fabric donated for charity quilts. the local thrift shop also, are a favorite place for locals to shop for fabric for childrens clothing, home dec items ....

When I used totes to store fabrics I folded it so it was the with if the tote (short side). I laid the tote on the short side and then layered my fabrics folded edge to the top. Took a photo from the top and printed it and put it on the side of the tote. That way I knew exactly where each fabric was hiding. I have since moved and now have a closet dedicated to fabrics. But before I had the closet I felt I was able to find what I was looking for.

Great idea -- I don't have room to store all my fabric in my sewing room so I think I will do this. I also have a lot of "project (read UFO) boxes" that are stacked on shelves -- this would help me remember what I have yet to do. Thanks Maggie Sur.

I use the shallower totes, about 6 or 8" deep.
Fold the fabrics, so that they are the depth of the tote.
Then when I open the tote I can see the array of fabrics in it.
Anything over a metre folded the long way and has the measurement noted on painters tape on the fabric.
Under a metre is not measured, but folded about 5" square.
So with a quick look I have a good perspective as to the length of the fabrics.

The sort per bin is mostly by colours ... with separate bins for Christmas, Seasonals, Patriotic, Batiks, etc.

I was lucky enough to have a whole bedroom for my sewing room, and because of that I had a free closet that I could use. I ended up taking all my large pieces of fabric (the colors that were alike together so I might have 3 or 4 pieces together on the hanger) and "hanging" them on clothes hangers in the closet. It's the best solution I have found for seeing what I have available. All the greens are together and all the blues, etc. It's just wonderful to look at what I have in one glance. Now if I could figure out a good solution for those little pieces I'd be all set.

I have all my fabrics(unwashed) and ruler folded, then I sort by background color, then put into the appropriate drawer, in the drawer the fabric isn't stacked on top of each other, but laid side by side, this way you can see what's what, and don't have to disturb the "stacks".

As far as the gingham, most of the gingham is cotton/poly and quite "lightweight", so I would hesitate to use it in bed quilts. As I just recently moved into a new sewing room, I went through my fabrics and donated a large amount of gingham, simply for the reasons above.

What I would recommend is try some of the "hints/suggestions" and see what works best for YOU, since what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another.

I recently went thru my fabric and pulled out pieces of fabric, good but didn't think I would ever use it so I donated it to an organization that makes simple dresses and shorts for boys in Africa. They in turn make up kits for anyone who wants to sew these articles of clothing. I have never missed any I gave away and my fabric closet has been downsized. I did wash and press any I donated. Also there are churches out there that love to get fabric for making quilts for the needy. Just a thought.

How fortunate that you have this fabric. Yes, it seems like an overwhelming project to sort, store, etc. As you tackle one tote at a time you will be able to quickly sort as if you are decluttering: likely to use, worthwhile to share, and probable trash. IMHO I wouldn't spend time at this point trying to sort specific storage categories for anything less than a fat quarter......just toss the ones you want to keep in their own separate container. Launder the yardage bit by bit in amounts you can handle quickly. That for me would be one load when I'm not burdened by other responsibilities. If you are able to launder and fold for storage without ironing, I repeat not ironing, you will see results as you go along.

I thank you for posting this question. It's not unusual for each of us to want to kick up our methods a step or two. There is a world of experience available at this site! Thanks to all who shared their techniques. :-)

About 3 or more years ago I was in your position. I would find fabric on a "can't resist" sale or friends would give me their scraps and I had those huge plastic boxes full of fabric and had little idea what was in there. So with the inspiration of the good folks here, I went to the Comic Book store and bought 300 comic book boards, then over to Joann's to buy their storage boxes because they were on sale. The storage boxes are the file style so the boards would stand up straight - they hold the boards and I can see the fabric from the side. Then I went through one bin at a time. Separated the fabric by themes (Christmas, Fall-Halloween, Childrens, floral, etc. and solids by color.) There was some I got rid of because it wouldn't work in a quilt. It turned out I had over 250 Christmas fabrics and 100 Halloween fabrics - so I was back at the Comic book store and Joann's a few more times. It took me a couple days to get it all done (I'm retired, otherwise it would have been a couple of weekends).
My fabric is washed when I bring it home - and I do not iron it until I use it. So when I did the sorting, if I didn't think it was washed I washed it then.
After I knew what I needed I went to Ikea and bought some storage shelves. Since mine fit in a closet I just got the wire ones that were the perfect height and width. So much easier than stacking the bins on top of each other. I kept 2 bigger bins for very large cuts of fabric (5+ yards and flannel) and my UFO's. I have notes on the inside that can be seen on the outside that say what is in the bin.
I am sure you will enjoy it - playing with all the fabric, seeing what you actually have is like finding a new treasure. You may even put together fabrics for your next quilt.