I think that getting organized is easier than staying organized. I used to put all my scraps of one color in the same container, but I now have a sandwich baggie for each fabric. I found that it was hard to know how much I had of one fabric.

It is my goal to sew up all my fabric before I die. I have sewn a lot, but still have a lot to go. I try to only buy solid color fabric when on sale. It is my goal not to buy any more fabric until this is sewn up.

Good luck with your stash.

So, what kind of chair is that??? I just ordered a new piece of
furniture yesterday that I'll get in October, and I need a chair
that can go from regular height to counter height. Interesting looking chair....

I have my stash and then I have the stuff for known projects or quilts. I have the projects in their own baskets and then the stash is in one box and one shelf. Not a big stash but it needs some organiation. Then I have the stuff I am working with is on the end of table in a pile. I love to see how others are organizing. ( I really need to have spell check.)

Yes I had to do the same think because my sewing room is a guest room as well. Being organized feels like being in control and I like that feeling.

I also have a TON of scraps that need to be cut/sorted. Also, whenever I work on a project, I just toss the
fabric(s) I had out into a large canvas bin - "to be filed"! Just finished a Boomerang swap, making 34 blocks, so have an overflowing bin. I think I am going to hire my neighbor's teenage granddaughter to help with sorting and 'filing' Might even get her on the Accuquilt GO!

So many good ideas. I also am trying to get my sewing area in order. It is large so it should be easy, right? wrong! Disorder is disorder and I am ususally in that state.

One caution.... I put similar colored scraps into into two drawers of those stacking drawer units with the clear fronts (from just about any store). One drawer is "squares and rectangles" and the other is just plain scraps that can be pretty small!

I've thought about cutting the small scraps into strips or squares, but can't get myself to do it. This summer I found out why! While 10 year old gd was busy making her first quilt I had 7 and 8 year old gs and gd making "quilt pictures". They each chose a picture (one from a children's picture book about Raven in the Haida culture, and the other from a Dover flower coloring book) and went through my "just plain scraps" drawer and chose colors for each seperate element in their picture. I helped a bit if I thought they'd fallen into a rut, but even then I gave them a choice of several different colors, or followed their idea and gave them a choice of several different shades, prints, batiks or not, of the color they wanted.

When they had their colors chosen we put bonding on the back and they cut out the pieces (I helped on a center cut-out complicated piece) and placed them where they belong and I pressed them down onto a backing (NOT scrap) and they had their picture. A very good prequilting exercise and actually very suiltable for framing!!!!.

So, don't be too quick to cut everything into strips or squares... What if you end up wanting a circle? Or what if your grandkids (or kids) want to..........?

The results were outstanding. The mommies were thrilled. Oh no, I forget to take pictures :-(

Hello Bettyboop, After 23 years we are moving house so this is my chance to have a sort out ! I have already made up a big 'donation box' for a lady who mkes things to sell on behalf of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity.Now I will organise my 'stash', not so great,but I am determined to only use what is left to make things over the next year.Moving is proving to be very expensive so I am going back to thrifty mode. you are all so helpful on this site with ideas etc. I'm sure I will get lots of ideas. love Letty.

Love the organizing. I had friends help me get my room organized and now I just have to keep it up, put fabrics up where they belong as I buy and put everything bac where it belongs. It's a challenged to keep it that way. Thanks for sharing your rooms.

How awesome to be getting this started! Looks like you are well on your way to a beautifully organized studio! Yeah for YOU!!!

I am so encouraged by those of you who have attacked the stash and won. I also appreciate those of you who are sharing the same challenges. Too much fabric, but where is it. I am uncovering treasures that I forgot I had. I am also using a ruler to roll the larger pieces of fabric.

For those of you wondering about "the system." Go to Quiltville.com . Bonnie Hunter has a great system and oodles of projects to use up all those fabric schnibbles. She even inspired me to haunt thrift stores for cotton shirts. I only buy XL or XXL, XXXL . I have a basket next to my chair and I dismantle the shirts while watching the tube. Those are getting cut into strips, squares, etc. The back of a huge man's shirt can yield more than a yard of fabric. I follow the bag sales at our Humane Society Thrift shop. $2.00 per bag and I stuffed 8 shirts in a bag. Good quality cotton. I will stop doing that until I get everything sorted and put away.

I started several months ago. I have some 3D pinwheels, half squares triangles and some orphans blocks, but none sewn in a quilt top. However, I have made 2 quilts in the meantime. But I do intend to keep after those scraps. I'm thinking maybe, cathedral windows. Because batting is not required and can be a take along project.

Looks great and sounds like you are off to a fantastic start. I seem to have lost my organizational skills for the time being, but I know there in this apt. somewhere.

Oh, dear, there must be a virus going around! I have it to!
My DH has been helping me, he's the best! I started out by going thru all of my scraps and sent 35 pounds to a girl friend! Then I unfolded all of the fat quarters and refolded them into quarters because it is easier if I can see a bigger piece of the fabric, put them, by color into large bins and they are stored under the bottom of my fabric
shelves. The shelves hold the rest of my fabric which is folded using the 6 x 24 inch ruler, and sorted by color! Now if it can just stay that way!

Should have said under the bottom shelf of my fabric!

I've been working on re-organization, a long way from being done, but I'm seeing progress. You're doing great !

Well, I reorganized my sewing room this Spring, pressed all the fabric, used the 6 x 24 ruler method, put the fabric away in the plastic drawers, took a lot longer than I thought it would, but I got it done, started on a quilt for my DB, then my DMIL passed away. My DFIL wanted everything sorted through right away, so SIL and I did it, EVERYTHING related to sewing came home with me, now I just have to figure out where all of it is going to go. Seems like a never ending job trying to keep the sewing room organized. :shock: :roll:

I am so envious. HELP!

Hi bettyboop,
you asked for my link to what I did. Now my room is a wreck from a flood in the attic during a reroofing project...no fabric was harmed YEAH!

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-43871-1.htm

I love what you are doing with your fabrics!

I love your great start on you re-organization. Nice work. I personally know you will love the results of your labor. There is something to be said for knowing what is in there and having it ready to go when the inspiration hits you.

To answer your question, yes I did this in last summer when I moved from one room to another. I washed ironed yards of fabric, refolded them to fit my new shelving and drawers. It took three months of diligent working to get it all finished. It was hard, because I kept wanting to sew and play instead of organizing it. To tell the truth... there is one bin that is still in need of ironing. But I know where it is and what is in it. I just got under the gun for a deadline and had to stop for a while.

This is the finished product back then. But, there are overhead cabinetry above my machine now that has a light attached to it underneath to help with my sewing. (A christmas present from hubby.)

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-61710-1.htm

Grama Chris wrote: "I love organizing"

Would you like a vacation in Florida? You are welcome to come and organize my space! It sounds like you have a great space to create. I think once I figure out the storage containers necessary, it will be better. I am really tight on room.

Hi Betty! Looking good!