I need a better organization method for my stash
04-17-2011, 06:31 AM
#1
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: DC metro area
Posts: 1,286
Right now, it's roughly sorted by color and 'type' soldier/patriotic fabrics all go together, kids-obvious little boy and girl fabrics vs bigger boy and girl patterns.
My problem-other then it's a complete mess right now-is that it drives me batty when I find the 3-4 perfect fabrics to make a quilt and find that it's only 1/2 a yard-not a fat quarter but WOF.
I need a better way to organize so that fabrics less then a yard are easily distinguished between the yardages I have.
That's why sometimes I just go ahead and cut smaller pieces into square/rectangles or strips as I feel like it...then kick myself a week later because I've found a pattern that that 1/2yd WOF would have worked perfectly if I hadn't already made it strips.
This is only my opinion-
In a way having a large stash is not as productive because I wind up having to search and make due with what I have because I just have so much.
The majority isn't fabric I've bought. It's fabric I've inherited from friends, family, freecycle and the charity quilting group I sew with.
Sometimes I'll keep a fabric for a year and if I haven't figured out what to do with it I'll return it to the group and see if anyone else can do something with it.
My problem-other then it's a complete mess right now-is that it drives me batty when I find the 3-4 perfect fabrics to make a quilt and find that it's only 1/2 a yard-not a fat quarter but WOF.
I need a better way to organize so that fabrics less then a yard are easily distinguished between the yardages I have.
That's why sometimes I just go ahead and cut smaller pieces into square/rectangles or strips as I feel like it...then kick myself a week later because I've found a pattern that that 1/2yd WOF would have worked perfectly if I hadn't already made it strips.
This is only my opinion-
In a way having a large stash is not as productive because I wind up having to search and make due with what I have because I just have so much.
The majority isn't fabric I've bought. It's fabric I've inherited from friends, family, freecycle and the charity quilting group I sew with.
Sometimes I'll keep a fabric for a year and if I haven't figured out what to do with it I'll return it to the group and see if anyone else can do something with it.
04-17-2011, 06:48 AM
#2
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 5,500
I recently refolded my fabric, and I am very pleased with the result. It gave me a chance to really see what fabric I have.
My fabric is stored in a bookcase, and the smaller pieces just look smaller. I have my fabric sort of arranged by color, but I found that if I stacked it from dark to light, some of the smaller pieces just disappeared. So now similar colors are together, but not the real close colors. Then I have one shelf that is just groups of fabrics that I think I want together.
So far this arrangement has worked well for me. The main thing I did was refold it all, so that each piece of fabric is the same width on my shelf. (I folded from selvage to selvage, then in half the same way, and then in half the same way again.)
My fabric is stored in a bookcase, and the smaller pieces just look smaller. I have my fabric sort of arranged by color, but I found that if I stacked it from dark to light, some of the smaller pieces just disappeared. So now similar colors are together, but not the real close colors. Then I have one shelf that is just groups of fabrics that I think I want together.
So far this arrangement has worked well for me. The main thing I did was refold it all, so that each piece of fabric is the same width on my shelf. (I folded from selvage to selvage, then in half the same way, and then in half the same way again.)
04-17-2011, 10:15 AM
#3
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41,501
I wish my fabric was more organized. I tend to keep 2-3 yds. pieces together, smaller pieces like fat quarters together and 3 drawers full of scraps. My scrap drawers are under 1/4 yards or less and small pieces in a platic bucket for my scrap quilt I'm working on. I cleaned my sewing room up this Spring and I can't find anything. I end up searching and making a mess again so I am not touching my fabrics!!!!
04-17-2011, 02:27 PM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: "stashed" away in a mound of fabric
Posts: 655
Well, I kind of enjoy going through my stash from time to time. It refreshes in my mind what I have, and I have always loved being able to touch the fabric and just play with ideas as I go through it.
What is really fun, is when my 10 year old granddaughter gets into my fabric stash. She pets the fabric, just like I do, and it's so much fun to hear her quilt ideas. She is a quilter in the making--and I'm thrilled about that! :-D
As far as organization of my stash--I change what I do with it every now and then, but it seems no matter what I do with it, it's not perfect. That doesn't really bother me though, because it just provides more opportunity to play with my fabric!
What is really fun, is when my 10 year old granddaughter gets into my fabric stash. She pets the fabric, just like I do, and it's so much fun to hear her quilt ideas. She is a quilter in the making--and I'm thrilled about that! :-D
As far as organization of my stash--I change what I do with it every now and then, but it seems no matter what I do with it, it's not perfect. That doesn't really bother me though, because it just provides more opportunity to play with my fabric!
04-17-2011, 06:16 PM
#7
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: East TN
Posts: 2,731
We have some Polar Notions cards and have folded several projects on them, but you don't really know how much fabric you have by looking at them.
We recently have been folding our cuts that are a yard and up around a 6.5" ruler (perpendicular to the "bolt fold," then in half longwise. Half yards are folded parallel to the selvedge edge, then again same direction, then in half longwise. It looks just like the yard folds, but smaller and distinguishable. FQ are folded parallel to the long edge twice, then ends to the middle, then last fold in the middle. Again, this is distinguishable from the other cuts. Scraps go in a tote bin.
After everything is folded it will fit on any shelf that is at least 12" deep since the yardage is 11". You can use a bookcase, china cabinet, barrister bookcase, or any type of shelving unit to stack everything neatly. Bed Bath & Beyond had a unit on sale recently for $189 that was perfect, but I can't find it online. I wanted to buy it, but haven't cleaned out the spot where it would sit. I hope they still have it.
I hope you get it all organized the way you want it.
Darren
We recently have been folding our cuts that are a yard and up around a 6.5" ruler (perpendicular to the "bolt fold," then in half longwise. Half yards are folded parallel to the selvedge edge, then again same direction, then in half longwise. It looks just like the yard folds, but smaller and distinguishable. FQ are folded parallel to the long edge twice, then ends to the middle, then last fold in the middle. Again, this is distinguishable from the other cuts. Scraps go in a tote bin.
After everything is folded it will fit on any shelf that is at least 12" deep since the yardage is 11". You can use a bookcase, china cabinet, barrister bookcase, or any type of shelving unit to stack everything neatly. Bed Bath & Beyond had a unit on sale recently for $189 that was perfect, but I can't find it online. I wanted to buy it, but haven't cleaned out the spot where it would sit. I hope they still have it.
I hope you get it all organized the way you want it.
Darren
04-17-2011, 08:42 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Central, California
Posts: 450
I use coroplast boards that I purchased from a local sign shop, then I write the amount of fabric on each board so when I go to look at it I know exactly how much is on each little bolt, the smaller bolts, hold smaller amounts, I can just move them aside like books to see what I have, I am still wrapping the fabric and as soon as I get it all organized I will post pictures, I bought the boards and cut them myself, so it saved me quite a bit of money, good luck with your organ9zing efforts
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