My stash is nothing like so many but it's plenty enough. My niece (10 yrs. old) has taken an interest in sewing and quilting. I let her go through my stash for pickin and scraps. She went with her gma to a flea market and picked up another sewing machine for $5.00 with attachments. She also got a king size flannel sheet for $2.00. She also got a secretary desk ($10.00)and turned it into a sewing space. Has what she needs for her sewing needs. This child has impressed me with her stash she has accumulated from estate/garage and flea market sales. I'm trying to downsize reorganize. working on it slowly but surely. I have some fabric in bins but I save the silica packets from shoe boxes and medicine bottles to help absorb moisture. You can also purchase them on line. I have a bright room with a mirror so I try to watch window reflection. It will cast enough indirect light to cause fading.

I have various size bins but trying to convert to smaller. All are see-through.

I keep my fabric on open shelves in a north bedroom with an overhang, so no direct sunlight in the room. I have scraps and some fat quarter bundles in plastic drawers that aren't airtight. Someday I'd like to get everything on comic boards; right now, I just have things folded and stacked in piles of like color. It's not very convenient to get something from the bottom of the pile!

I have a fairly small stash compared to some. I ruler fold the fabric and store it on a large open book case. I keep a large plastic bin under my cutting table for my scraps, but it is open most of the time. When it gets full, I know its time to use up my scraps. I usually make a few dog beds and some placemats with them.

Any kind of sunlight, direct or not will fade the fabrics given time enough. I keep mine in closed cabinets or closets. I can't tell you the amount of fabric I've been gifted or purchased from other quilters that I've opened up to find permanent fade lines:<

My stash is at the quilt shop. :)

I don't have much room for storing fabric so mostly I buy only what I need. I have one under the bed tub that holds scraps, but I'm thinking about making most of those into pre-cuts and contributing them to our next Guild Auction. I really love being able to go into a quilt shop -- or two -- at the start of a new quilt and spending a couple of hours to pick whatever I like. I do have more leftovers than I expected with this last quilt I'm finishing for my niece, so I'm making another one like it to sell so I can use up my scraps.

I have mine in closed cabinets on comic boards some of the stash is in boxes and totes that were gifted to me I opened them all up to allow air flow and I am going thru them and trying to find space for them. Ones with lines from fading I have cut them up into strips and squares around them to save as much as I can. Those are folded and put in small drawers and baskets for quick use in scrappy quilts. My sister has hers on open shelves but she hung lace curtains over them to further block light they are in a room that does not get direct sun but she takes no chances. If you google fabric storage you will get thousands of ideas then you just need to pick what works for your budget and your space.

imsewnso, Excellent comment! I totally agree with you when you suggest buying fabric for what you are going to sew today, rather than accumulate for the future. Bree123, good for you! :-)

The 'why' to store fabric could be answered many ways... if you mean why to have it to store!

What you mention happened for me-- a quilter died and her family didn't want her stash. They gave it to one of her quilting buddies. Her quilting buddy had a stash of her own. She chose some of her deceased friend's fabrics, but the there was a huge amount left that she didn't want/like. She listed the fabric for free on craigslist. I went and got some that I liked, leaving some to share for other people. But a few days later she emailed me and asked me to come take it all. It happened like you said-- the fabric was outdated and there was trouble even giving it away! So, I have a large stash of fabric from the 80's of styles that might not meet the approval of young semstresses who buy modern designer fabric. Luckily, I love scrappy, and love putting to use what is still good quality 100% cotton quilting fabric. But when I think of all she spent and never used, it's a pity. Whittle away on your stash, imsewnso. :-)

To answer the thread question, after receiving the treasure trove from the ad, my husband made me shelves, floor to ceiling with 10" x 4' boards. Like others have said, it's not so easy taking from the bottom of the pile on a shelf, but that's how we solved the storage problem.

Before I got that woman's stash, my stash was all in a dresser drawer. I have the stack laying on it's side, so I can see the fold of each piece. I think that's my preferred method, as the fabric doesn't fade from light and doesn't get dusty. I like the immediacy of touching/seeing the fabric. When I was younger, in a different house, I had a bedroom closet that had shelves, floor to ceiling. I stored my fabric, batting, sewing machine, and every craft supply I owned in it. But the fabric was the same as now-- after opening the door of the closet, I could see and touch it.

I have smaller pieces in 3 narrow long boxes with open tops, where the top fold of the fabric is visible over the edge of the box. They sit on a 4" x 4' shelf that is mounted high on the wall. I have a large basket that I set next to me when I'm sewing to put odd tiny scraps in, and there is a hook above my quilt frame where I hang it by its handle when not in use. When it's full, it's time to make a few crazy patch blocks.

When I first started quilting, I was purchasing 1/4 yd's of anything I liked. I kind of wish I hadn't done that. But, oh well.

I keep my fabric in un-used pizza boxes. I got the pizza boxes at the Li'l Caesar's....20 for $5. I have the fabric sorted by color, with a little picture of the color taped to the front of the box. The larger pieces of fabric I keep in orange boxes that I got at the grocery store...the kind with round holes punched in the sides.

All of the boxes are stored on stainless steel shelving units I purchased at Sam's Club. They are on wheels so that I can store them right next to each other, and just pull out the one I want.

When I went to put my house on the market I put all my fabrics into plastic totes for storage. As I lived in Florida we have lots of humidity and possible hurricanes. I didn't realize it would take 3 years to sell the house, move, then find a new house, remodel and finally move in. It was over 4 years before I saw my fabrics again. Had cotton and dress fabrics. The plastic totes kept them from getting wet from storms/hurricanes. My stuff was supposed to have been in an A/C unit at a big name moving company warehouse but from what I saw when I got my stuff back, paper items yellowed as well as plastic items turned yellow, I doubt if the A/C was on at all. My record albums were all warped too. Anyway, I now have 95% of my fabrics folded on comic book boards, cardboard bolts from the fabric stores or ruler folded as I ran out of comic book boards..........most sitting on open shelves, some in closed cabinets but all out of the sun. Have not had any problems with the fabrics. My threads are all on the wall with tea towels over them as there is a window in that room though as its in the basement and the window in halfway below ground level, not much light comes in. I keep a dehumidifier on all the time to keep the moisture down.