Overwhelmed with Fabric
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 465
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We have just moved into a new house so I am getting to reinvent my quilt room..YEAH and so much work! I am buying narrow (11"w) shelving from IKEA. My fabric/notion wall will be 8'H by 10' long. Am also making a cutting/ironing table with other IKEA components. I'm hoping I love it when I'm done. I am so ready to be neat and organized...I really miss being able to quilt.
I also bought foamboard from the Dollar store, which I cut into 6 pieces. So most of my fabric is already wrapped and ready to be shelved. That really worked well for me in the previous house. I love being able to audition fabrics as I sew since I do not use collections at all.
I also bought foamboard from the Dollar store, which I cut into 6 pieces. So most of my fabric is already wrapped and ready to be shelved. That really worked well for me in the previous house. I love being able to audition fabrics as I sew since I do not use collections at all.
Last edited by psquared52; 01-26-2013 at 04:06 AM.
#42
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My fabrics are in 'kits' or 'sets' with the pattern or picture of the pattern I had in mind when I bought the fabric.
My stash is in plastic bins (most with lids off) according to colors. Batiks, florals, Holiday fabrics, and themed fabrics (bricks/rocks/wood looking, kiddy brights, Americana, etc) all have their own bins
My main problem is my other craft supplies, beads, ribbons, buttons, embroidery, stamping, etc
For giving away, please consider the Salvation Army too.
Oh, all my bins are labeled clearly (light blue, dark green, tan, blue-purples, etc)
My stash is in plastic bins (most with lids off) according to colors. Batiks, florals, Holiday fabrics, and themed fabrics (bricks/rocks/wood looking, kiddy brights, Americana, etc) all have their own bins
My main problem is my other craft supplies, beads, ribbons, buttons, embroidery, stamping, etc
For giving away, please consider the Salvation Army too.
Oh, all my bins are labeled clearly (light blue, dark green, tan, blue-purples, etc)
#43
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I don't have much stash but what I do have is in two plastic bins and some piled on the corner of my cutting table. I have been trying to decide the best way to organize better. I would love to get a flat tv to hang in the corner of my room instead of the big old monster sitting on a small dresser so I could place some nice shelves in that space. So I don't have any suggestions for you but I am glad you asked. I am soaking in the options/ideas others use.
#44
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: northern California
Posts: 1,098
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I find that my fabrics on my bookcases are the ones I notice the most. I have Rubbermaid clear tubs, but I don't really know what's in them. And I have four dressers that I repeatedly open because I forget all about that fabric. I have fabric boxes with lids and don't remember what's in them either. I would like to replace everything with bookcases but some of my dressers are antiques. But you can get a 70" tall bookcase compared to a 40" tall dresser. I need to save my pennies and just do it. Store my dressers! Buy four bookcases!!
p.s. if you decide to use
metal basket shelves that you use in the closets be sure they are protected from dust and light!!! Nothing hurts like realizing you have the perfect material for a need in a quilt and finding dull spoiler lines in the fabric.
Last edited by Sierra; 01-26-2013 at 10:49 AM.
#45
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All my fabric is stored in plastic tubs with covers. Each tub is labeled on two sides of the cover. The tubs are see thru, so I can see what's in there tho. I started out to have a tub for each color and have enlarged the size as needed. I do have a separate one for multi brights w/ dark backgrounds and one for multi w/ light backgrounds. I also make a lot of OBW's, so all the yardage for those are in one large tub. I also have a tub for fruit/vegie prints and one for florals. I keep strips that are 1" wide, so winding my fabric on boards, just won't work for me. Yes, it's a paw thru when looking for fabrics for a new project, as well as it always seems to be that the color I need in on the bottom of the stack. My batting I put on a large cardboard roll and have a plastic bag over it to keep out the dust. I always buy batting on sale and then get multiple yards at a time. My threads goes in plastic boxes originally made for scrapbook supplies. I get those on sale too. They also work slick for keeping blocks in or a small amount of fabrics for a project "in the works".
#46
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Maine-ly Florida
Posts: 3,926
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Now, this was a very generous gift and the friend is using the space to help church members do chairity sewing and it has a lovely machine setup with a view of the ocean so it's a nice place and a great gift. I just was reminded that empty space gets quickly filled.
Still it is a nice dream,isn't it?
#47
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Chula Vista CA
Posts: 7,393
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I am constantly changing things around in my sewing room, but I think it is more so to see and play with the fabric that I have than to truly re-organize. My fabric is separated by colors, then by themes, 1.) Christmas, 2.) Halloween/Thanksgiving, 3.) Florals, 4.) Sports Teams and 5.) Children's. I do have quite a bit of flannel and that is not kept with the cotton quilting fabrics. I do keep scraps and usually end up sending them to other people because they start to take too much space and I have too many UFO's.
My choice of storage is the clear plastic bins used for file folders, so I can lift them easily and see what is in each bin. We have a terrible time with dust (San Diego is technically a desert so it is dry and dusty most of the time) and I keep them is the closest so the light isn't much of a concern. I am in and out of each one enough that I am not concerned with moisture getting in or lack of air - not sure what all can go wrong with plastic storage. Whatever it is, in 10-20 years it hasn't happened yet.
Sometimes I get in my room and start rearranging and suddenly it's 4 hours later. It looks like little if anything has changed, but it feels more organized to me.
My choice of storage is the clear plastic bins used for file folders, so I can lift them easily and see what is in each bin. We have a terrible time with dust (San Diego is technically a desert so it is dry and dusty most of the time) and I keep them is the closest so the light isn't much of a concern. I am in and out of each one enough that I am not concerned with moisture getting in or lack of air - not sure what all can go wrong with plastic storage. Whatever it is, in 10-20 years it hasn't happened yet.
Sometimes I get in my room and start rearranging and suddenly it's 4 hours later. It looks like little if anything has changed, but it feels more organized to me.
Last edited by quiltingcandy; 01-26-2013 at 05:15 PM.
#48
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 865
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I've got a system where I do not have to go through a whole box to see what I need. I use banker's boxes and stand them on their ends to fill them, which means that when I pull a labeled box out, I can immediately see the fold of each and every fabric. If necessary, I put a white trash bag around the box, depending on where I store it. The boxes are uniform and stored on shelves, and I can easily lift them.
The boxes are labeled and filled according to the color wheel, orange, red-orange, red, etc. That's how I look for things when I start a new quilt, for the hue I want. Tones, tints, and shades of any hue are stored with the hue and fat quarters usually are, as well.
The boxes are labeled and filled according to the color wheel, orange, red-orange, red, etc. That's how I look for things when I start a new quilt, for the hue I want. Tones, tints, and shades of any hue are stored with the hue and fat quarters usually are, as well.
#50
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: mcalester ok
Posts: 454
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For those that donate fabric: There is a resident at the nursing home where my grandmother lives, that loves to sew. Every time that I visited my grandmother, this lady would be sewing on her machine. One day, I took her some scraps that I knew I would never use. I see her sew something, then take it apart and sew something else. It puts a smile on both of our faces. So please remember a nursing home or assisted living center as a place to donate.
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