Greenheron

If I were to post a picture of my stash room, Niecy Nash and the Clean House crew would soon be knocking at the door. The spare bedroom had a controlled stash and sewing center for several years. In the winter it was closed off to conserve heat and the machine moved down the hall to the occupied bedroom. When my brother arrived with a pick up truck load of my mother's stash and family needlework heirlooms, I piled the boxes on the bed but months passed before I could look inside them. Barely room to move around, now. I did purchase a stacked drawer unit and am sorting and moving notions bit by bit, combining both our collections. Old needlework will be sorted next and fabric last.

Greenheron

Wouldn't this idea make a great reality TV show?

QuiltnLady1

Well, I don't feel so bad. My sewing room is 8x10 with a 4x6 desk in the middle that has 1 serger, 1 embroidery machine and my quilting machine. As if that is not enough to crowd the space, my ironing board is there as well as a dvd/cd shelf from IKEA for fat quarters and corner shelf my dad built that holds a bunch of fabric. The walls are covered in peg board and I have shelves and pegs. My fabric stash out grew available space and resides in the laundry room and two linen closets. If I gain too much weight I won't be able to get in the chair to sew without punching a hole in the wall (LOL).

Right now I am trying to clean out the sewing room (trying to recover from a blitz of flannel receiving blankets, fleece blankets and pillow cases so I can get back to quilting). I have widened the path around the room and am filling a bag of scraps I will never use to give to the thrift store so they are someone else's problems. A couple of years ago I refolded all of my fabric around the rulers with the size of the fold determined by how much fabric there was in the piece. It helped -- more fabric fit in the space but when I get creative it is a major mess since I must pull half the stash to find what I want.

After dinner it will be quality clean out time again. I am trying to find a template that I know I used on one of the receiving blankets and I need it now for another project. Hope I can find it soon. Maybe I can sew tomorrow.

valve2921

I have read in some of your replies about special ways of folding your fabric. How are you doing this?

Yarn or Fabric

Ruler fabric folding is awesome.
Here is the tutorial I followed...
http://turningturning.com/tutorial-folding-fabric/

It saves a ton of space although initially it takes a long time to get it done. I just took fabric off the shelves, pile by pile, ironed and refolded it while watching tv. I got to catch up on some tv shows I like and got it done at the same time :D

DanaNVa

Position the foam board with the long edges on the sides. Cut two horizontal strips each 11 3/4 inches long, and cut each strip into 6 3/4 inches wide. I store fabric 3 yards or greater on these pieces. Sometimes I will put several fabrics that I matched for a quilt on a single board; then I fold down each fabric into a 45 degree triangle and put two pins on either side of each piece to hold it.

Cut the remaining strip into rectangles 4 inches by 6 1/2 inches; I use this for fat quarters (two per card) or fabric that is less than 3 yards. The 11 3/4 inch height of the larger cards allows you to out them into a stanard bookshelf vertically. Then I put the smaller boards in frony of the larger boards. Besides cleaning up the piles of fabrics, I am always ready to unpin and immediately cut the fabric. I end up with neat fabric arranged according to the color spectrum -- and I can avoid buying stuff I already have.

If I have larger lengths of fabric bought for a quilt, I put them on the large boards and tie a ribbon around the set of boards.

I cut the foam board with a Logan matcutter. There are several at different prices.

lots2do

What's that expression about nature abhors a vacuum. Whatever it is, I think it's the same with our rooms. We fill them up. Whatever the size. Well, some of us do.
We will be downsizing in a few years and it's giving me pause now that it's becoming more real. (We bought a condo with not much spare room). I think it'll be just fine once I get into a new habit of not storing so much.
Meanwhile, I am going to use a bunch of stuff up starting with this summer. At least that's my plan, wish me luck!

bamamama

I was waiting for a new cable for my Long Arm this week so I got mine organized again. Time to start messing it up. It's too hot to go outside so may as well sew.

sisLH

Well, let's see. Right now my sewing machine is sitting on the breakfast bar. I have a rolling garment rack against the dining area wall with the backing and 8 out of 15 strips hanging on it. I have the ironing board set up in the living room with a large tote of cleaned material waiting to be ironed. I have another stack on the swivel rocker that is already ironed and folded and waiting to be trimmed -on the 4' table that is also next to the breakfast bar. EEgads! I need to get this one done and yet here I sit at the computer looking at all your nice sewing rooms and projects.
If I would quit looking, I wouldn't have new ideas and I wouldn't have the current mess I do.
Oh yeah, I do have a sewing table in the guest room but I like to be by my hubby. And should I mention that my 4x4 cutting board is in the shed?

quilter68

Love your idea and 33 is a nice number!