Gemm

I can't really offer much advice, but I do have a bin of fussy-cut pieces I use for my I Spy quilts (because I know exactly what shapes and sizes I like to work with) and I have, on occasion, just spent time cutting up fabric to increase my collection of ready-to-go pieces because it makes getting started seem so much less overwhelming.

Otherwise I tend to keep my fabric in the shape and size I found/bought/left it as I'm never quite sure what I will feel like doing the next time I need to play with fabric.

I think you've hit on something important, though - if you prefer working with smaller pieces as I understand from your comment about scrap drawers, I think your idea might be a great one and would give you a fabric collection that will work for you. Good luck! :-)

RN-Quilter

Thank you Gemm, I appreciate your thoughts on this ....it helps to hear another opinion.👍🌷💕

Rhonda K

I've been re-organizing some work spaces in the sewing room. I set up a small ironing station next to the machine. The fabrics that were pulled off the shelf to audition for projects have been sorted back in the right stack.

Some of the scrap fabrics have been used in a wall-hanging. I'm trying to "Use UP" as my little room is full. It is a slow process but I'm hopeful for good results in 2023!

retiredteacher09

I enjoy reading everyone’s organization questions, answers, and ideas.

I, too, have been trying to organize scraps. My problem is I used to bring home leftovers from 2 different groups and many of those were less than 5” wide. I do have them sorted by color but just tossed in their color bin. 🤦🏼‍♀️

My goal is to go through my flannel scraps. I did make a crib quilt top from flannel this weekend. However, when I started looking for flannel borders, I decided to dump out the 2 bins one at a time and look for larger pieces. I was successful but ‘oh my’ do I have a sorting job in front of me! Strips, squares, small irregular shaped pieces, etc. 🤷‍♀️

Wish me luck!

Julienm1

Connie, those pics look familiar. Been there. Done that. Trying HARD not to return to that "location." Shopping ones stash can create or RECREATE creative chaos.

WMUTeach

A new thought here or perhaps another look at an old thought. I have spend years trying to organize fabric, haven't we all. At some point, I discovered that I was spending more clock time and mental time organizing than sewing. So I organized yardage by color, precuts (easy) and gathered UFOS in one place and stopped. I began sewing. Just turning the fabric into simple quilts and get the fabric, particularity medium sized scraps, out the door as a piece of warm and useful hand made art. About one per month. Starting with the pandemic year my sewing stash is more organized, by color, by purpose, kits etc primarily by simply decreasing the amount of fabric I have at my finger tips. I still have a double closet of fabric, and a couple of bins tucked under my sewing table. But I have sent many quilts to Project Linus and to family members thus reducing the clutter and that overwhelming feeling of "too much stuff".

I have found that I am happier when I do a little tidying up now and again and I give away what I won't use and turn the rest into quilts. It works for me.

Julienm1

Teach I like your idea and just may tweek it for my sewing style. I average 4 quilts per month for PL and trying to make larger quilts for bigger/taller kids, especially boys...that's the need for most PL chapters. So I think after finishing the binding on the fourth quilt, I'm going to choose a color that looks the worst for "chaos" and organize it. Refold yardage, contain fat quarters and do trimming of odd sizes into charms. Soundslike a doable plan on paper...wonder if it will work...lol.

quiltsfor

I spent some time when we lost the power for 3 days from the winter storm to organize my machine quilting rulers. How I had them was in 14 x 14 x 1" plastic boxes (scrapbook paper boxes) and I had them numbered and on an open metal shelf. I had an index of what was in each box so I could find what I was looking for. And I had a partial notebook of pictures of the rulers to see what they were, but I had become lax in keeping the picture notebook up.

I have since discovered that I needed to know what each ruler looked like and did, so I could better choose, or know what I was looking for. At times I tore the entire set up apart because I couldn't locate what I wanted, or though I had.

So, while the power was out (thank goodness for generators - we have a whole house hook up, but I don't trust it for electronic items, especially expensive ones --- we did have daily comforts, water/heat etc. So no computer use or sewing machine use) I decided to come up with a better way of organizing my machine quilting rulers. I've collected quite a few over the years.

So, I pulled out my written index and pulled out the boxes. I re-numbered them with the manufacture/company initials plus a number, starting each manufacture/company with number 1. Like for Sew Steady Westalee, I labeled it SSW1, SSW2 etc. Quilter's Rule - QR1, QR2 etc. and so on. That took the better of two days to get them all re-labeled and back on the shelves, I even found a couple tucked into boxes where they didn't belong. So, that was a nice find.

Then when the power came back on, I spent some time on the computer rewriting my written index with the new box numbers, and then pulled a picture to go in a picture index.

I'm feeling good in that now I know I can find what I want a lot easier than before.

(whispering..... kind of glad for the power outage as I wouldn't have done the reorganizing - not yet anyhow!)

rryder

Great idea for making your ruler system more user friendly, Ru!

I'm still working on excavating horizontal surfaces and trying to finish up some small projects that just need "a little something" in order to get them out of my space. I want to start a new art quilt next month, so I'd better get a move on LOL!

Rob

retiredteacher09

julienm1: Yes to: “Shopping ones stash can create or RECREATE creative chaos.” 🙂

WMUTeach: I totally agree with your statement: “At some point, I discovered that I was spending more clock time and mental time organizing than sewing.” I go through stages of working on projects and needing to organize. 🤷‍♀️. It did help to give away almost 20 yards to a friend last week.