Quilter2B

Since I used to sew a lot of clothing, I separate the types of fabric, flannel from cotton from knit, etc. I have two bookcases in my sewing room closet, one for cottons and one for flannels.

I've collected empty cardboard bolts from JA's. Each one cut down (8" wide by 11") will give me four good solid "mini" bolts to wrap my fabric on if it is 1 yd or more (I use a flathead pin and a small snip of paper to label quantity). I like them shelved like books because it makes it easier to pull stuff out and put it away.

My cotton is organized by color; my flannel is organized by gender, girls on one shelf, boys on another. I'm not much into FQs so that isn't an issue (yet ;-}). Larger yardage or wider (58"+) are hanging from skirt/slack hangers between the two bookcases with full size bolts on the floor below.

All my smaller pieces I have folded on top of the bookcase or in a cloth bag or basket. I make skull caps that I sell on etsy and in a bike shop in SoCal - all that is in a big basket. My scraps an in plastic bins, separate by type of fabric - no color organization there yet.

And of course, stuff for a specific project are collected together in a box or plastic zip bag (like you get when you buy sheets and stuff).

Oh yeah, I have one plastic zip bag specifically for Christmas fabrics. Plus there are 6 - 7 bins out in the garage - those sorted by type of fabric and color.

Too bad we have to live in our house, I think I could fill it up with fabric - oh my.

Aunt Doggie

I work at a bank and we get boxes of paper that have cardboard dividers of 81/2 x 11 between the paper, so I used those cardboard sheets as mini bolts... one usually works, but on occasion, I use two for a little more support. They stand up real nice in the cabinet, and I arrange by color- The best thing....These cardboard "bolts" cost nothing!!! SCORE!!!

Silver Sandy

Very nice arrangement for your stash. I would like to do this in the closet in my sewing room.

Subee

I have my fabric by color in drawers and containers.
But the best thing I do is:
I have drawers of precut strips by color. If I feel like sewing all I need to do is go grab some strips.
the sizes I keep are
1 1/2"
2"
2 1/2"
3 1/2"
4 1/2"
If I do not have enough to keep a size by color I do separate by light and dark.
I keep my strips in a system called
"A Scrap USER System" brought to me by Bonnie Hunter of www.quiltville.com
It saves so much time. After I finish a project all the scraps get cut into these usable sizes.
Warning! You may need to by stock in Rubbermaid.
Subee
http://www.subeesews.com

Hattie

Oh, to be so organized

mrs_uncle_fuzzy

Once I ran out of shelves I started stacking it on the floor then one day it tumbled over and since then I just keep stacking it any place it will fit and balance gave up on orginazation about a year ago! Maybe some day when I retire I will have the time to fix it all up again.Good luck with your project.

awf60

Still working on building a stash, I'm sort of gravitating to precuts.....

QuiltingHiker

I have a habit of buying coordinating fabric, so they are shelfed together on one side of the room. The other side the fabrics are shelfed by colors.

beksclen

Wow, what a fantastic looking organizing sytem!!!

JeanieG

I do this also! I also cut smaller scraps into what Bonnie Hunter calls squares and bricks. Check out her website and her Scrap User System. It is in a pdf file you can download. I highly recommend it! The small squares can be used as leaders and enders.