Quilt in a Day Forums

I wanted to organize my fabric so I could see it. I had it in bags, boxes, and bins and usually ended up buying something new because I couldn't see what I had.

I bought some shelves at Home Depot. I found some moving boxes at Walmart that were the exact length/height of the fabric cardboard bolts. I cut the boxes lengthwise in strips 6" wide. I got 8 strips of cardboard from each box. Each box was only $.67 so it cost me a little over $.08 for each cardboard strip. Then, I rolled each fabric piece of a yard or more on the cardboard, folded in the corners and pinned both ends, and placed it on the shelf. You could organize the 'bolts' of fabric into themes or colors. I have all of my solid cottons together, my flannel solids together, etc.

The pieces that are less than a yard can be organized by theme or color and type, and put in stacking see-through bins for piecing.

I can't believe how much fabric I have been stashing all of these years. If I ever buy another yard of fabric I need my head examined. (Of course there will always be something new that catches my eye)

I'm not done rolling my fabric onto the makeshift bolts but what I have done makes me feel somewhat organized.

it is amazing how fabric adds up... and they think rabbits multiply..lol

sometimes Joann's will give you empty cardboard taht their fabric was on...

good luck with your organizing...

Here is a tutorial for folding fabric. I used it and it works great!

http://turningturning.com/tutorial-fold ... #more-1040

Have a Blessed Day,
farmlady

My fabric had become somewhat overwhelming too, So it has been a winter project to organize it. One idea that has helped is to use the ice cream buckets (with handles) on for small pieces. sorted by color & style..also,I have cool whip containers filled w home made jelly rolls ready for projects. When I get help cutting, I like to know I can get several projects ready and these stack. The ice cream keeps my husband happy while I sew! Also got three wrap containers (the tall ones w a storage top) bolts of muslin fit well and also batting & stabilizers. The little storage area on top is great for rolls of cut binding tied with selvges or ribbon. Thank you for your ideas. I'm also sorting my patterns and making a list of projects. I got folders to list a pattern & intended fabric so I can number them and put the intended fabric in a plastic box with that same number. I figured the sharpie number would not wear off and as a project is done a new one has a set up home.

I have two tall cabinets for my fabrics. One has glass doors and my quilting fabric is in there, all folded the same, and in color stacks - greens, reds, yellows, etc. The other cabinet houses my Christmas, batiks, Civil War, Landscape, and smaller collections tied together with long pieces of selvage - cat, evergreen, Americana, irish, travel themes. Only my very largest pieces do I put on bolts and lay them flat on the top shelf - mostly whites and creams.

I don't keep FQ's separate, but just open them up and fold them with the rest of my fabrics.

For my scraps, (and I consider scraps anything the size of toast or smaller) I have a narrow tower of plastic drawers marked "whites/creams", "lights", "mediums", "darks". and one more for extra blocks, HSTs, measured squares, etc, all in their own little baggies.

I can see everything at a glance and for the most part, it even stays organized!

Dollar stare containers is my trend. But 1st started with cereal boxes, and any product boxes, cut a small slot from top to bottom to
see the fabrics in box till humidity and spiders shared the storage space with fabric. Then, went to plastic with lid containers.

Lots out there everything you buy in grocery are good containers.

I used to place in cardboard boxes, but opted for clear plastic containers avoiding opening each time to check contents. Can see through container. Dollorama containers work well.

Another tip: One quilter shared the large cones don't work well on some conventional machines. Place them in a jar container punch hole with nail and hammer in lid, push thread through it, jar goes on floor. It also protects against dust and fluffs.

I am buying, on amazon CURRENT BRAND Comic Book boards. 6 3/4" x 10" x3'. Want to buy the larger ones. 100 in a pack and cheaper than other types of boards to wrap fabric.

Hope this helps.
Helen