Congrats to yesterday’s winner, Donni, on winning Day 16’s daily giveaway! Congrats too to the winner of the previous day’s giveaway, Donna Hinton, on winning the prize from Sizzix! We will be in contact so that you can claim your prize.
It’s Day Sixteen of National Sewing Month! Don’t forget to visit Seams and Scissors every day to find daily giveaway opportunities and sewing ideas! To enter today’s daily giveaway, find the contest rules and leave a comment below. Also look out below for details on how to enter our National Sewing Month grand prize that includes a BERNINA 215 Sewing Machine! Too see the daily blog posts, projects of the day, and more National Sewing Month details, click here.
Image Credit: The Cottage Mama
We’ve all been there: you walk into the fabric store and your eyes are instantly drawn to a beautiful color or print. You’re about to go for it, when you remember with dread the disorganized, overwhelming heap of fabrics that you have strewn about your sewing room at home. You pause, thinking. Do I already have a fabric in this color? Do I have anywhere to put this? It’s hard to know the answers to these questions when your fabric is disorganized. If you tend to be on the messy side, it’s not your fault! In the midst of a stressful, busy life, organizing your fabric stash might be the last item on a long list of priorities.
We here at Seams and Scissors understand the struggles of keeping track of your fabrics and maintaining an orderly sewing room. Luckily, we have scoured the web and compiled the best ways that you can learn How to Organize Fabric. Organizing your fabric takes time, but it is important and will completely revolutionize your sewing process. Sewing will be so much more enjoyable when your fabrics are in order. You will save money and time by knowing exactly what you already have and what you need. Plus, you’ll be so inspired to come up with unique, exciting sewing projects when you see your gorgeous fabrics displayed in an orderly fashion. Check out these awesome tips and be amazed at what a little organization can do for you.
-
Image Credit: Retro Mama
Fabric Storage Ideas
Bookshelves
Using bookshelves to hold your fabric is one of the easiest ways to organize your fabric in style. You can use shelving of any size, depending on the space you have to work with. Simply fold up your fabrics and stack them, or use bolts to store them vertically, like they do at the fabric store. You can use a different shelf for each color or material to keep your fabrics even more organized.
Clear Drawers
If you don’t have the shelf space to keep your fabric out in the open, consider using clear drawers to organize your fabric. This will reduce the look of clutter, but still allow you to see what fabrics you have in a glance.
Hangers
A closet full of hangers is a great place to keep your fabric out of the way, yet readily available to you. Plus, it will reduce wrinkles and save you time on ironing later! Buy hangers that stack to save even more space and keep your fabric even more organized.
Useful Tips and Tricks
Image Credit: Craftsy.com
- Measure your shelves to know exactly what size to fold your fabrics so they fit neatly on the shelf.
- Keep fabric scraps in a separate bin or drawer. If the piece of fabric is less than 1/4 of a yard, it should be considered a scrap.
- Trim off unusable pieces that are not easily folded.
- Get rid of fabric that you’re never going to use. It can be really tempting to hoard every last scrap, but the best way to organize is to downsize your stash.
- Keep your fabric in a dry, room-temperature space away from direct sunlight, funky smells, and animals.
- Most important tip: Do what works for you. People think in different ways, and one method that you love might not work for someone else. Choose whatever method helps you have the best sewing experience.
Also remember to check out the Project of the Day right here!
To enter the daily giveaway, leave a comment below telling us:
Would you call your sewing materials “organized”?
Official Rules for Daily Contest
- There is a maximum of one entry per person. The entry will be based upon a comment left on this blog post. Duplicate comments will be deleted and are not tallied.
- Winner will be selected at random from the comments on this blog post below.
- You have until tonight, September 16th, 2014 at 11:59p EST to leave your comment on this post. Comments posted after that will not be counted.
- Contest open to anyone 18+ in US and/or Canada.
Enter here for the National Sewing Month 2014 Grand Prize Giveaway.
- 6 Simply Stylish No Sew Scarves - January 20, 2022
- We Sewed a Zoo: 8 Stuffed Animal Patterns - January 19, 2022
- The Biggest Selection of Free Bag Sewing Patterns! - January 6, 2022
It is semi organized. I am always finding ways to better organize my fabric and supplies.
Mine is nowhere near organized.. really need help..
Yep, it’s all neat and tidy. It has to be, because there is so little space for it. It’s all in one little dresser. Except for the stuff in that cupboard. And a few things on the mantlepiece. And the little travel kit in the desk, and the emergency button replacement kit in the coffe table drawer. And a couple bags of scraps under that table. And the junk at the end of the hallway, and on the bookshelves.
Sigh. Please don’t ask me about my yarn …
Oh yeah, there’s also some fabric in the closet, and some hanging in the office, as a backdrop for photos.
Oh Kitten, this is the very best reply and sounds just like my personal delusions of organization! Thanks for a fun read!
They’re “organized” to me, but perhaps not to others’ points of view 🙂
Organized? Um, not at all! But I can usually find what it is that I’m looking for. I would love to get myself to a point that I would proudly post a picture of my sewing room with it’s neat fabric shelves, and supplies right at hand!
Some of them are organized. I have fabrics and scraps that are all sorted by color. And I have plastic shoe boxes to hold thread, or zippers, or markers. But surrounding the organized part there is a fair amount of stuff that isn’t in its place or hasn’t found its place yet.
Getting there, with each project I organize a little bit more.
Most of my fabric stash is organized on shelves. The other half is piled in boxes.
I think it is organized – at least I can always find what I am looking for. Thanks!
Not completely, trying to get tools and notions into bins with multiple drawers.
I’m fairly organized. I have taken over my son’s room since he moved out. I use the closet and dressers for fabric. I have plastic containers for tools and other items. Then I have my most used items such as scissors, rotary cutter, etc down by my sewing machine in a sewing cabinet.
lol lol lol– NEVER! I always read advice like this on how to get organized and it works until my next project. great new though ive begun hoarding totes from yard sales lol!
Because I live in a small apartment, my fabric is in several different places. I have to keep thing as close at hand as I can, so I pull out what I will need for a certain project and place that in big close to my machine
Not really-fabric on a closet shelf-more in a clothes basket in said closet-scraps in bags. But my sewing room is nice and tidy so the mess is out of sight. lol
organized chaos ~ ..LOL..I pretty much know where everything is, but always looking for helpful hints. thank you !
When my kids move out, I will have a sewing room. Then my fabrics will graduate from the bucket method to the display method.
Somewhat organized, but wanting to do more when I get more shelving installed.
My fabrics aren’t exactly organized, but I am in the process of doing so. I purchased comic book boards and have begun folding the fabrics around them to make storage easier. Once I finish with my yardage fabrics, I will begin to tackle my scraps. One big issue in my sewing room is keeping up with my scissors! Although I have numerous pairs of scissors, I can never seem to find the exact ones I’m searching for at a given time! Any suggestions on solving this problem??
I hang mine on a peg board on the wall behind my machines.
My material is finally organized into a recycled makeup case but very minimalistic. Sure could use some accessories like good scissors and things.
I finished organizing mine yesterday, I put it all in 6 foot cabinet (was in a rolling tub bin) now I can see what I have and have room for more 🙂
I would call my stuff organized chaos!
Organized to me!
Well most of it is in one bedroom with my sewing machines set up on my dining room table. I can put my hands on what I want to locate quickly but it could do with a makeover for sure.
I would say that my sewing materials are part of my organized chaos.
Organizing takes time – do a little at a time.
Some is organized but because I have more stuff than space a lot of it is chaos.
A very small part is semi-organized by color. The rest is general chaos.
Semi-organized?
I am still trying to get organized. Every time I start I find something that needs to be stitched! So I get sidetracked!!!!!!
I wish. Let’s just say my sewing room is organized chaos at best.
my fabric is neatly folded but not really organized…something I will get to this winter..I hope! 🙂
Work in progress. Will find a forgotten project and go off to do that.
It used to be of organized, but it never stays that way.
I sew need to do this. I am not organized.
No. And it will never be organized while I live in this apartment! We outgrew this place when my daughter was born, but haven’t been able to move. I also knit, crochet, and embroider. The beast that is my craft supplies will be tamed when we get out of here. I hope.
I’m currently teaching my 3 sons to sew, (13,7,7) so I have 3 different versions of “organized.”
I live in a motorhome so they have to be somewhat organized because of the limited space. But, they could definitely use some fine tuning!
I am halfway organized. All but fabric and that is everywhere.
It is semi organized right now. It is a work in progress.
I guess you call it organized when it is still in the moving box.
Yes! I use the book shelf for cotton fabrics that are large enough to fold. Small scraps go into a basket for hexies or other small projects. Wooden boxes hold cutting tools and rules are hung near the cutting table. Pin cushions are at the cutting table and sewing desk–you can’t have too many pin cushions! Full spectrum lighting is a must! An antique thread case hold all my thread.
I am constantly reorganizing my sewing stuff but there always seems to be something that still needs organizing,,, LOL
Pretty organized but could use a revamp. My sewing room is also my guest room so I have to keep it fairly clean.
Need a new machine.
There is no one, anywhere, who could say my fabric is organized. This is something I think about doing everyday, but never seem to get around to it.
yes, I can find what I want
Some days it is, but then I start pulling out fabrics for a new project and all bets are off. I do try to tidy up between projects.
I, too, am semi-organized and always looking for better ways to set things up. Although I have a room for this, it is cut-up with doorways, so only two walls, and it is a walk-through room as well.
It was, we moved, now it’s not. I wasn’t really happy with my old organization anyway…
Semi-organized. But could be better.
I think I am mostly organized, but could use improvement. I mostly have fabrics in clear tubs organized as to type of fabrics with one being for kids.
I also have bags for different classes that I teach organized according to type of class. ex: beginning sewing, upcycle, etc.
Organized for the most part. But I am always coming across ideas to do things better. Like a former pastor used to say, “The BEST way to do something hasn’t been found yet!” So I keep working at it.
No my area is not as organized as I would like.. I cant quite figure out how to organize the smaller pieces!
Boxes all over the house….not good 🙁
My supplies are ad organized as I can get it considering I have a small section on my closet to house it. I use my31 bags and some small dorm bath totes to my go-to essentials. I also use my daughters old wipes cases for scraps, loose ribbon and such.
I can find what I’m looking for, but I wouldn’t call it organized by any means. abengel(at)zoominternet(dot)net
I try to keep it organized, I know where everything is anyway, lo !
In a way it is I bought a set of shelves and I have baskets on them to sort by color, then on the bottom shelf I have large yards of fabric on bolts with the yardage pinned to it so I know if it’s enough for a project. I make a lot of scrap quilts so small pieces are stored together in a basket.
I’m somewhat organized, bit not nearly as much as I’d like to be. I have a several large tote bags that I store most of my fabric in. I also have a hanging closet organizer that I keep the fabric I’m using for current projects in. My sewing room is also my bedroom closet, so I have a very limited space to work with.
I wish I Was more organized. Thanks for the hints.
Mine is really fairly well organized. A few things still need work, but got comic book boards and that helps a lot.
I am organized. Peg boards, drawers, tables and all. Thanks for the giveaway.
Yes, mine is organized somewhat, but I too am always looking for something better and maybe different to make it easier. Organizing things that I really like to work with is always a great way to spend a day.
Somewhat. 🙂
I’m trying to organize a closet ,tried bins but when you want a certain color its always on the bottom so now i have purchased shelve units to try just fols
ding fabric on the shelves in color order .I’ll admit i’m not a real orgaized person need every bit of help i can get.Always dreaming how it would be to have every thing organized .I have a fair size of fabric collected just not what i want at times .
If I had this beautiful fabric I would re organise it in a different way on a regular basis just so I could handle it!!! Lovely, just lovely. X
Not yet but I am working on them to get them that way.
I would say that for the most part I am organized=each color is in a different box with Christmas & Fall fabric in their own box.
I am untidy but know where all my fabrics are , they are boxed in types cottons together, fleece together scraps in a basket silks, satins lining and nets all together.As you may gather I am a bit of an addict but I do use them.thanks for the chance to get something
I use bins with the fabric measured in it got a whole closet full so was my best solution
Partly organized. My husband built me wonderful cabinet with a pull-out drawer that I love. The problem is the fabric is “in an organized pile” and need to find a way to see and grab material easier.
To me its organized but to everyone else it just looks like a mess. 🙂
They are somewhat organized. Just not completely organized. I am trying to figure out what works for me with my limited space and budget.
I just redid my sewing room adding built in cupboards and a desk. The fabric isn’t all in there yet, but it will be organized.
Sort of, they are in tubs, just wish they were see through. They are by type of fabric, flannel, fleece, cotton, nylon, and some by color, all white material together, all large together, scraps for my string quilts together, etc. I live out in the country so in the winter the mice try to move in which is why I put them in tubs I can seal shut, that way I can control the mice without them getting in my material stash.
I try hard to stay organized but doesn’t always work. My favorite thing to use is the plastic shoe boxes because I can see through them and they are easy to label. I have an old dresser/wardrobe built by my dad that now has shelves in it. Works perfect for stacking these boxes.
NO, my sewing supplies are NOT organized. Some day…
Not really, I am working on it. But it is organize or sew. I guess I prefer to sew. I will organize later.
My sewing room is always organized. That is until I start a new project and I start rummaging through stacks of fabric pulling out several to find that perfect one.
I feel fairly organized. Using clear plastic totes with gallon zip lock bags inside for notions (ribbon, lace, elastic, buttons). Fabric is organized by color in clear totes. Putting new carpet in my son’s former bedroom soon. Plus my husband made a new top for my ironing board: 6 feet by 2 feet. Also put 12 inch pvc pipe on the bottom of a white plastic banquet table to make it countertop height. Lots of nice space!
Sort of organized… I know where everything is, but to others it may seem a little chaotic.
Semi-organized, but it could definitely be better. I should utilize some of the tips here!
Pretty much and only because we’re moving. My quilting cottons are organized by color in an antique cupboard. The rest of my fabric is organized by type in clear bins – home decor, antique linens, fleece, knits, sheers and shiny, etc.
My sewing supplies are another matter entirely!
Now that I have an actual sewing room I am more organized than I have ever been–I even gone through and purged those fabrics I no longer want in my stash-some I just kept a half yard of-so that now they will all store in see through storage drawers–so much easier to find….
I use 2-gallon clear zip bags to keep projects together. And I don’t mind if I buy the same fabric twice, LOL!!
Help I’ve buried myself in rolls of fabric
I would love to have an organized studio. I start to organize, then find a piece of fabric I forgot I had then spend the next hour looking for fabric to go with it for a quilt. I end up with a worse mess than I started with!! LOL My friend Jill came and spent the week to help me get organized and we made three quilts and two purses instead.
I think I am organized with most things but I am definitely challenged in organizing the fabrics. By color? By style? By theme (kid, modern)?plus I can’t see it. That is a priority in my next organizing binge.
Oops email was wrong
I would say my sewing items are semi-organized! I know where everything is but someone else would not! thanks!
Some of it is but I ran out of storage.
Mine is organized by fabric…fleece, cottons, flannels. Not as neat as I would like but it works so I can see exactly what I have.
My fabric is very organized. I couldn’t work if it was a mess. Cotton fabrics are organized according to color. Other fabrics are arranged according to type and then color.
My sewing room is small and somewhat crowded, but mostly organized!
Nope, not very good at all. That’s the sort of prize I need, someone to help weed out my fabric and organize my space.
Yes, ever since I bought a wonderful old sewing cabinet. It has room for all the gadgets and my material is in plastic bins by color.
It is organized to me.
Yes, I am very organized. My fabrics are wrapped on comic book boards and are in bookshelves, sorted by color. 🙂
Absolutely, NOT! Chaos, piles, where is everything, and I probably have multiples of a lot of stuff.
Not organized at all.
i try it is semi done
i am working on it
Are my sewing materials organized? Well, it’s a work in progress, just like a lot of my sewing projects! My sewing room is the same size as a very small nursery, just big enough for my sewing machines and a desk that I use as a cutting/work table. I store sewing tools in a combination of plastic boxes and toolboxes, but they are spread throughout the house, wherever I can find space!
It kinda is,I have my thread in there own cases and one case with thread also has my scissors,tape measure and seam reaper needles bobbins marking pins chalk pin cushion with pins and so on,fabric are in bins,and so on.
I was making progress on organizing my sewing room and then my shower started leaking. I have a man coming today to rip out the 3rd free standing shower and put in a tile one. In the meantime, everything had to be taken apart in my bathroom and guess where it is – in my sewing room, including some of his tools. I opened the door and cannot even step inside my room. Once this shower business is finished and I can get back in my room, I will continue organizing.
I’m organized but there is always room for improvement.
I have some organization to mine. Most colors are all separated and together. Materials I want to use to make certain quilts are all together.
Little by little, I work at getting it organized, but often while organizing, I get inspired by fabric or an unfinished project and my organizational plans get sidelined.
My ‘tools of the trade’ are organized. The fabrics are not organized to be of use.
My room is a mess, but I am trying to organize so I want to be there instead of avoiding what needs to be done. Last night, I went through all my patterns and fabric and asked my self the hard question, Will I really use this?” I have bags of items to get rid of. Tonight it will be my craft and scrapbooking items. It is hard, but it feels good. Then I will try to organize things so they are easy to use and have some fun being creative.
Sort of – the big stuff has its place, but there is just so much little clutter to organize 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway!
Great tips, I do some of these!
Mostly. I have shelves of fabric, then I have large bins in cupboards. The shelved fabric is generally orderly, The bins, not so much. And I get very messy when I’m in the middle of projects. But I put things back and generally know where things are, so I count that as organized. Thanks.
I am pretty well organized and love pretty fabrics.
I can always use new ideas for organizing, there are some great ones here. Interested in scrap organizing…..
Unfortunately, I can’t call my fabric “organized”, not really anyway. Since moving into a home with much smaller rooms, the only place I can now store my fabric (and my pattern collection) in the non-insolated, non-bug-proof garage in plastic bins. I’d love to be able to have them in the house, but I only have my one tiny room for my things as the rest of the house is basically my roommates’.
I am fairly organized. It seems like when I go looking for something for a project I have to organize to find it. I have my sewing supplies on a white floor shelf, well the top shelf is getting pretty high. But at least I can see all the fabric I have.
I think it’s organized, then I see a better idea (on a blog) and have to try that. So then it’s organized right? nope, find another good idea and have to try that too. It’s just never organized quite enough!
Oh boy, do I ever have my fabric organized! LOL I just moved this week and so ALL of my fabrics are stuffed unceremoniously into tubs based on the fabric type. It is sitting in a storage unit until I can put together some way to set it up again. Bummer! Now when I want to start a new project I have to find the pattern in my boxes; go to the storage unit, dig thru to find the right tub (they ARE marked very well to cut down search time); dig thru the tub to find the right fabric I am looking for and then go back home and find a floor that I can’t damage to cut out the pattern to sew! Whew! What a hassle, right? I WAS organized somewhat a while back, but……. 🙂
It’s semi – organized though I have been buying the clear bins to put my fabric in, even have one for projects that I will be doing! Just need a bigger space.
My sewing space is a corner in my bedroom, it’s so messy. I’m trying to get more organized.
I think my sewing room is pretty organized. Of course all of us could improve somewhere. I would be more organized if I had a little more room,
My sewing “stuff” is somewhat organized. When my youngest moved out my husband and I took over her bedroom in our condo to create an office and sewing room. Needless to say the space became 3/4 office and only 1/4 sewing room; however I do have some awesome sewing machine and serger furniture, one of which has drawers to house my “sewing tools”. The fabric stash is another story. This is where the other half of the “somewhat organized” or rather the not so organized part is to be found. I have some fabric in the office/sewing room closet, more in the master bedroom closet, and some on top of the serger desk/cutting table which of course means it needs to be organized elsewhere when I get around to it so that I can reclaim my entire waist-high cutting table . I’m always on the lookout for great organization ideas for which I thank you but then I get sidetracked with a sewing project and the organization bit gets delayed. I’ve had too many of these delayed organization bits ! ! One of these days … In the meantime as long as I can find what I’m looking for when I need it, I suppose I will survive. Glad to see that I’m not alone in the “semi-organized club” ! Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to everyone!
OMG! My sewing room looks like a rainbow just exploded!! I have a very difficult time finding ways to get organized. I am still looking in earnest for that ah ha moment when a solution will work.
My thread an supplies are organized by color and the material is in a dresser and containers. However, whenever I go into the dresser and containers to find material that I know is there I’m always surprised to find other “stash” I forgot I had. It’s always a pleasant surprise!
My sewing room is creatively organized! I have things where they make sense to me.
Organization is in the eye of the beholder and mine is organized so I
Can locate while others May not have the same luck.
Given the amount of fabric, yarn and other crafting supplies in one room, I’d say the room is organized. I’d like to disagree with your classification of less than 1/4 yd. of fabric being a scrap, though. I sew doll clothes and use many pieces of fabric less than 1/4 yd.
I use the Elfa organizer system. I try to organize (1) first by project in see-thru organizer bags which includes the fabric, pattern and notes/pictures, (2) by seasonal fabrics (mostly Halloween and Christmas, (3) by style (civil war repros, batiks, theme) and then (4) by color. But, you’re right, this time of the year my organization process is a mess and needs some attention.
It’s a work in progress!
I have some loose form of organized chaos for my beads but most of my material is out in the garage here and there in bags, so that is not at all! I am slowly trying to come up with a system to bring fabric in the house and have a place to put it.
I enjoy crafting, especially sewing and always have too much of everything. I have totes galore and would love to organize it. I hope to one day have a room designated completely to sewing. When I do, I plan to implement some ideas I have found here. I hope I win the sweepstakes.
Not organized at all. Really need help!
Somewhat organized – fat quarters in clear shoeboxes, yardage wrapped evenly and stored in clear containers but I tend to get really messy when doing a batch of projects. Need to put things away much better. Other notions are organized well.
loosely organized but I’m a bit of a craft hoarder and I only have a small room to try to contain it all in so sometimes I spend a lot of time looking for something I don’t remember where I tucked it away
OH My Goodness NO!! It’s chaos in my craft room. I am promising myself that it will be organized but I have no idea where to start.
SNORT!!!!! No. If having it all in one room counts… I’d love to have the room to have space to put in lovely shelves and totes. Ah. Some year…. that’s t been my New Year’s Resolution since 1967…
All of my fat quarters are in plastic shoe boxes by colors and or style, i.e. Batiks, retro…
Organization is temporary, at best.
I Try to stay organized-I have bookcases and it works great for me-I also keep scissors and such in a pottery bowl up rite and easy to grab-I also use clear plastic boxes, and bags so I can see at a glance what I need. I keep ribbon rolls in glass jars on top of the book cases. Who ever dies with the most fabric wins.
My fabric is organized in bins by color, and I have sorted my sewing supplies, but it is a first sort. My “stuff” is easier to find, but it’s not always easy.
not really organized, I just accumulated a bunch more fabric and it’s not all fitting in the plastic tote I used to use, still trying to come up with an organized alternative.
I need HELP!!!! Thanks for the giveaway.
Yes, my fabric and crafting/sewing supplies are very organized in my craft room. I’ve spent a lot of time reviewing others’ methods of storage and organization and have worked hard to make my small space as organized, appealing and fun to work in as I can.
I am new to sewing. I usually knit or crochet. So now I am trying to organize yarn in with my sewing. Not organized at all, but trying to figure it out!!
It’s sort of organized. I know where everything is at least. Storage is always an issue in small spaces. Thanks for the tips.
Dmac5958ataoldotcom
My fabrics are somewhat organized, but I still need help. I have fabric and projects in different places. I need to purge and consolidate so that I can see what I have and be more efficient and cost-wise with my sewing and quilting projects.
For someone that worked as an organized secretary for more most of my adult life I am sad to say that my sewing room is a complete mess. I keep threatening to do a destash but I never seem to get around to it. But, one of my wishes for the new year is to get my fabric, thread, quilting and sewing supplies at least straightened up so I know what I have and don’t go buy something else just because I can’t find anything in the mess that I call a sewing room!
Organized of course! My cutting table and ironing board are in the utility room. On the table are a couple cans where pencils, seam ripper scissors, etc stand. One sewing machine is in a windowed corner of the kitchen; the other in a corner in the bedroom. Fabrics in clear plastic tubs under the bed and in 10-ream paper boxes sorted by prints and solids stacked in a corner. Rulers and tools except the ones I use several time a day in a chest drawer. The dining room table or a bed serve as my quilt wall for arranging blocks. Clear scrap booking boxes hold blocks in progress with possible fabrics for that particular quilt. When the top is finished it is folded into a jumbo ziplock bag along with the backing until I can get it on the quilting machine. Oh,yes, my 10ft quilting machine was/is disassembled and stored in the RV because company was coming for Christmas there just isn’t room for it and people in the living room. Light at the end of the tunnel— my husband is building a big garage that includes a room just for me and my sewing. We make quilts for displaced children – Bags of Love. Someday I hope to be truly organized, but is a quilter person ever completely.
I finally got sick of looking for what I needed for a project, so I went thru all of my quilting fabric, washed it and sorted by pcs less than 1 yd, and over l yd., I then folded all the smaller pieces and put them, by color, in a rolling plastic set of drawers, and then rolled the larger pcs to stand on end in a “bankers box”, by color, put the lids on and stored them on a shelf, labeled by color to keep them clean and out of the sunlight. My holiday, wools, fancy fabrics, are all stored in see thru plastic tubs. I use the plastic rolling drawers for small scraps, mostly organized by the size of the scraps.It did take me over a month of evenings going thru all the washed fabrics, sorting, folding or rolling, but it sure saves me time now. I used some fabric elastic to keep the rolls together, so it makes it easier to put back in the box if I don’t use it all.
No, my sewing materials are very disorganized. For that reason I am carefully devouring every word during this week of organization in hopes of learning some things to help.
It’s always a work in progress. I have an old cabinet that I have a lot of it in but then I go buy more for another project. I have smaller pieces like fat quarters in a clear plastic DVD bag, scraps in a tote and BIG pieces in another tote. No I guess I’m not organized. LOL
I am constantly trying to organize my stuff. The problem is when I am done and need something, I can never find it. Go figure. I am more the unorganized organizer. Most of the time I find what I need eventually. I start out well but then while working on a project, it goes into another room where I work on it or take it with me to work on the go. So, when I go to find thread, scissors, stitch ripper, etc, I finally realize it is not where I am looking. I agree with the lady who said she has trouble keeping up with her scissors. I spent a week looking for a pair of scissors I had, ended using a pair that was no longer sharp, a nightmare, then ended up with a new pair I had bought but did not intend to use yet. Oh, well, thread in its own holding wall shelf, the ones not in my sewing box and fabric is in large tubs, not see through though, along with projects that need finished or clothes that need repair. Oh, well, I guess I will get there some day. I get aggravated and resolve to organize everything and then the cycle begins again!
My wonderful husband is upgrading my sewing room & I can’t wait for it to be finished. In the meantime my fabric is somewhat organized. I can actually find what I want, most of the time. It will be a lot of fun sewing when I can locate everything.