I have begun the biggest project ever. I am attempting to tame the stash and become more productive. My sewing room is small and functions as guest room, sewing room, yarn storage, and scrapbook/cardmaking studio. I have spent hours reviewing other craft rooms and decided to bite the bullet and attack my fabric storage.

I am using Bonnie Hunter's Scrap Saver System. She is so prolific and attributes this to being uber organized. I have begun to sort, iron, and fold my fabric. Smaller pieces are being slashed into strips, strings and squares of commonly used sizes.

I have taken a pledge to only use fabric in my stash. Have any of you undertaken this endeavor? How successful are you? I feel like this is a lifetime project to get everything sorted, cut and organized.

Looks great. I need to try to tame the stash. Every time I tryt o organize, I start on a new project and it gets all messed up again. Hopefully by finishing a few UFO's I can get organized soon.

I don't have a huge stash but I've been reading everyone's tips on organization and have started pressing my scraps and cutting them into strips. 2 1/2". 2", and 1 1/2". The rest, so far, are going back into the scrap bin but I figure it is a start. The next step is to figure out what to do with the "less than a FQ" - that sort of thing - but I'll worry about that later.

Good for you. I for one need to be organized {sometimes that gene is a curse } Personally I love that feeling after I have reorganized. I have been on a No Buy all summer and its really been easier then I thought.
You are doing a great job!

Yes, I am doing a complete organization process in my sewing room. It seems like I have been working on it for so long. But the wonderful results are so worth the effort. Instead of strips, I chose to cut all "scraps" into squares. Like you, I was inspired by all of the wonderful sewing room pictures, organization tips and ideas on the board and from Bonnie Hunter. As soon as I finish on the board, I am going to start cutting my light blue fabric scraps.....Thanks for sharing; it is encouraging to know someone else is doing this.

Yup, I am in the same boat... needing to get it under control. Will you be posting your progress updates? Hope so, that is always encouraging. :-D

I did the same as BettyBoop. My sewing room is also multipurpose and it was out of control. I had a HUGE container of scraps - I've been cutting them into usable pieces - do some every day & the pile is dwindling. I wrapped the bigger pieces around comic book boards and put them on shelves I got from IKEA. Still a lot of organizing to do but I'm making progress. I'm going to try & post a picture or two.

I did the same this spring, but with 2 granddaughters living here I should take the after pics!

I'm cleaning it up again!

I was brave and took pictures of my mess...As it gets better, I will post more pics. I would love for those of you to post with your progress. I can tell already that my scrap saver system needs different storage containers. I am going to try and get everything cut and sorted before I buy more containers.

Looking good! When you get through there, please come to Tennessee and do mine. LOL

I love organizing & have a sewing center in my basement on my SIDE & MY HUBBY'S SIDE (SMALLER) IS CALLED THE man cave! i HAVE AN 18 GAL. RUBBERMAID TOTE FOR EACH COLOR OF FABRICS, FLANNELS, LITTLE GIRLS, LITTLE BOYS, FOOTBALL, etc. I used to work in a quilt shop & when she closed down I bought magazine racks & all the fabric I can get, you can NEVER have enough of fabrics. My hubby built me shelving (wood) so I have lrg areas to stack & my rolls of batting go on top. I have 4 banquet tables in a row to cut & place quilts on, 2 banquet tables the long way to sew on & 1 machine for my grandkids. My hubby would think this looks like a disaster area but I pull from all over so it's not a perfect place but a used place I veg & stress free.

I am bad about the pressing part, leaving that until I am ready to use something. The rest is about what I do. I cut the smaller scraps into useful sizes and store them in the plastic flip top containers my dog's treat and several other things come in. I have found that these precuts are much more likely to get used than scraps stored in a bin are. I have already posted my marvelous new color sorted storage system my DH set up for me. Having it organized with the fabrics light protected makes a huge diffference.

Looks great

I am so envious. My goal was to get organized this summer while I was off from school but I broke my leg in 8 places above the knee so the only thing I can do with quilts is to read the board and dream.

Is that ALL the fabric you have? LOL...I have you beat...trying to put mine on fabric boards, sorted by color (kinda)...and what happens? SIL donates me 10 trash bags of fabrics! Washing fabric all week...only about half way...most is very good fabric, some is only good for foundation piecing.

I don't save scraps any more...just no room, even before SIL gifted me her fabric stash. I have tons of fabrics from fat quarter to 15 yard bolts, nothing smaller. Well, almost...I do have two totes full I am using in a crazy quilt...but those will be tossed once the quilt is done.
Marge

I was really hoping that someone would want to learn how and come assist me...; )

[quote=margecam52]Is that ALL the fabric you have? LOL...I have you beat...trying to put mine on fabric boards, sorted by color (kinda)...and what happens? SIL donates me 10 trash bags of fabrics! Washing fabric all week...only about half way...most is very good fabric, some is only good for foundation piecing.

I only took pictures of what I had organized. The rest of the mess I daren't show anyone. You can barely walk into that room. I have big blue boxes full that are stashed on the patio and some boxes hidden under my guest bed. Washing....should I be washing????

Good for you for wanting to take control.. I have yet to get 'control of my room.. there's days when Im close but then there's days when I really do think a fabric monster comes in and trashes the place.. :shock:

here's my messy room.. what you dont see is my walk in closet that holds ALOT of my bolts and 95% of my tubs.. and the corner of the room with the bookcases where I store yardage separated by color, kids, oriental, floral, etc.. ..

I keep everything but selvages.. This is how my room is organized.. ok well not NEATLY organized currently.. But one day it will be.. Im sure of it.. ( NOT!! ) ..

These are in 30 gal tubs no matter what size pieces they are:
Holiday- each holiday (xmas, 4th, halloweenie, easter, etc) have its own tub
Flannel
Vintage fabric (35in xWOF)- all goes in one tub
Authentic 30's feedsacks

All my Bolts (3+yards) are on the bookcase and in walk in closet.
All my 1-2 yards cuts are ruler folded, then separated by theme (floral, kids prins, asian, etc) and solids, blenders, and the rest are seperated by color on bookcases

Batiks are in a see thru sterilite three drawer separated by light med dark..
Fqs are separated by color, floral, novelty in it's own sections on wall cd racks, closet maid 24/36 bin shoe organizers.. Each area has its own 'theme' so i can find what I'm looking for.

My scraps are in specific see- thru bins, tubs and drawers depending on size..

Each Accuquilt Die cut shapes have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own- I do have most if not all the dies already.. lol..
strips less than10 inches but longer than 5 inches of has a a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Strips longer than 10 inches but less than WOF has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2 inch strips are hanging on the back of the door
1.5 x wof has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2.5 x WOF strips has a a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3x WOF strips have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
5x WOF strips have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
all other strips x WOF are separated by colors and has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Crumbs have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
Scraps less than a fq but larger than 6x6 has a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own- these are waiting to be cut with my Accuquilt
2 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
2.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
3.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
4 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
4.5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own
5 in sq have a see thru sterilite drawer all of its own


And that's how my room is organized.. well organized for me.. lol

I followed Bonnies method.. www.quiltville.com.

the stuff my SIL gifted to me was left in a shed for years...mice ..and it all smells of mice! The fabrics I have in the house already, I didn't wash.

Still working on my new sewing room. Still a mess, slow but sure I'm getting there. Seems like when I think I'm making progress something in life slows me down, then I get back at it. I will post some before and after pictures soon.

luvTooQuilt: thank you for sharing how you cut and store your fabric. Very helpful.

Hopefully, you don't 'throw' your selvages away... do you? Those are precious commodities to some quilters! ...especially the parts with the color circles of colors used in the prints.

There is plenty of people that would buy those scraps after you wash them....hint, hint!
Just stuff them in a flat rate box!

I forgot all about those 3 drawer units, I have 15 of them with either 1-2 projects in EACH drawer, mu hubby never knows what I have.
I also collect fabrics for special occasions but just put those away for a blizzard day. I even have different yards of pure silk from China. My daughters friend figured I need some since I didn't have any & brought me some back from a trip she made. I have fabrics from Jerusalem, New Zealand, Canada & Australia .
I do use my fabrics as our Church make quilts for "Project Linus" & "World Relief" for other countries to be used how ever they want these are called 'utility' quilts.

I am now inspired to attack that huge box of scraps.

Now you have me beat in organizing. Maybe I should come over for a cupa & visit sometime.

I have a friend from Church that would take any leftovers.

I'm doing at the same thing thing at the moment!!! folding all the fabric using the 6x 24 inch ruler system!!!!
\

what is this system all about?

Your room is looking real good.

Your doing a fine job. I recently got my china closet out of a storage area and have it fill with my stash by color. The smaller pieces are still in plastic drawer units waiting for me to cut them into squares, strips, etc. Keep up the good work.

Nice job. I need some one to get mine organized. I don't have
the patience.

I mentioned organizing my stash to the lady at the quilt store and she said just use it.

I thought about that...but then, I'd still have to find a place to store them...just no space...and the stuff I have now is driving me nutso!
Marged

[quote=Faren
There is plenty of people that would buy those scraps after you wash them....hint, hint!
Just stuff them in a flat rate box![/quote]

Now, there's an idea!...but I have no room to use mine...have to get these fabs put in some kind of order first!

I'm doing that too in my new quilting shed. I think it is going to take a long time. DH asked me if I thought I would get through it by Christmas! LOL! Here are some of the earlier pictures. I'm sorting scraps now and filling the drawers under my ironing board.

Oh Betty - I feel your pain! I too am trying to get organized and am using the Scrap User's System. I used to store all leftovers from finished quilts in plastic totes, by color. So far, 295 yards have been put on bolts. I'm bolting anything one yard and over. If one yard piece, three of them share a bolt. Smaller yardage gets cut into decreasing sizes, a FQ if I can, then 2.5 strips, 1.5 strips, then squares of varying sizes. My first plan was to put each size of scrap into a baggie then back into a tote by color. Now I've decided to store by size. So one tote will have all the 2.5 strips, each color in its own baggie, etc. etc. How am I doing? Well, it's been a couple of weeks, the 295 yards are on bolts and I've gotten thru 5 colors. I'm getting there but the result is bad news for my LQS. I'm on a fabric diet - gotta use up some of this stash!!! I'll sign the pledge with you.

Glad to see your getting organized. It makes it so much easier when making a quilt to have your fabric organized. You can see what you have and pull fabrics from your stash. For me organization, organization, organization is important in quilt making and any hobby where you need lots of stuff.
There ar so many organizers available these days to help us out, even resale shops have shelves, bookcases.
Leaving more room to do our craft.

[quote=Grama Chris]
http://turningturning.com/tutorial-folding-fabric/