Collecting fabric is one of the most fun parts of being a quilter! But how do we organize and store our growing stash in a way that makes it tidy, easy to access, and visually appealing?
I'm taking you inside my studio and sharing the 2 ways I organize my fabric, including yardage, smaller cuts, scraps, and bolts.
I love for my fabric to be displayed (so I can enjoy all the color!), which is why I store it in furniture, but there are lots of different ways you can organize your stash.
The key things to keep in mind are:
- The space you have available
- easy access
- easy put away (so you'll keep it organized!)
Now, I'd love to hear from you! How do you organize your fabric? Leave a comment below, and let us know!
Would you like to learn more about how I sort my fabric by color? Take my free Master Color class to get started!
17 comments
A friend of mine found over 100 wooden pallets, what factories get their stock sent to them on. He took them apart and made me a shelving unit from them. It is about 76 inches tall and 74 inches long. Each opening is approximately 18 1/2" wide X 20" tall. I used a few for non-quilting fabrics, interfacing and WIP’s. The rest are separated by color. I also use cloth bins to hold fabric selections and patterns for future use. I will have to live to 130 years old so far just to catch up with all my future plans.
Oh, the cabinet didn’t cost me anything, a price I can appreciate.
Looks nice, but my girlfriend’s fabric is all faded on the folded edge. Also not practical to prevent bug infestations. I bought rolling industrial nfs cooking racks, and adjusted them to hold plastic tubs. Each rack has a different type of fabric. One is just wool and silk, another is linen, and finally quilting. The racks store nested next to each other and each has a cover. When I am going to start a project, I pull out the tubs I need and sort them into an empty tub. And then haul them to my ultra bright sewing room. I return everything I’m not going to use to the Sorting tub.
And every couple of months I resort the stuff in a sorting tub. My quilting tubs are sorted by color, for what I don’t have a plan for. There is one tub labeled “Next”. Which has a pattern and all the fabric with it. Or at least my notes about a plan. Sometimes in the same tub there will be a pattern for clothing along with the fabric I intend to use. When I finish a project, I return any scraps to the scrap tub. (Which is one tub filled with usable scraps sorted by color and fibre).
All my sewing thread is in drawers, other drawers have tools and they are all upstairs. But, I like to keep my fabric in the dark, kind of like potatoes. This system lets me spend less time organizing, and more time sewing.
Thank you for sharing your organizational tips. I also love seeing my fabric when I am in my studio. Organizing by color makes finding the “right” color so much easier. I keep my thread by color also. Then I make a sample of my choices, change my mind at least twice, and then sew and embroider!
I have two large glass front cabinets from IKEA that I bought from a neighbor who was moving. I have carded everything larger than a yard and have them by color! Love being able to see them!
I have mine in file cabinets over hanging file folders. Easy to access and see. I also have a barrister’s cabinet for fat quarters.