I just did this when I moved I to my new sewing cottage. I organize everything 1/2 yard and more on comic book boards placed on shelves (like fabric bolts) by color. Everything less than that goes into then12”x12” plastic boxes by color. I have a box for 2.5” squares, and one for 5” squares because those are what I use the most. My fat quarters are in a 3 drawer stack unit, my jelly rolls and charm packs are stored in a cabinet and fat quarter bundles are on a shelf until I break them up and make something, then they go I to their appropriate box or drawer. It works for me, I tend to make controlled scrappy quilts where I need to grab a green or a red or a particular color. Thanks for sharing! Always love organizing videos because I’m always re-organizing!
Vicki Robles mine, too! I still have some that won’t fit anywhere in my sewing room. My goal has been to eliminate all the ziploc bags. Finish projects that need completing, get quilt tops quilted and outta there. I want clean, organized and conducive to creativity!
@@vickirobles3406 I just retired this year and decided I finally had time and the space to attempt a large quilt. I am doing the Merry and Bright quilt that Pat had a year or two ago, with modifications to make it a bit bigger.
I just did this in my sewing room, purchased shoe size or a little bigger,with covers, I am unable to carry heavy containers, and sorted many pieces of fabric, that were left overs from previous projects. Wow do I have lots of batiks, did not know that till I did this, and flannels Wow..so scrappy it is gonna be for a good project. Thanks for your input,
Thank you Pat this was very helpful. I have my fabric stored in containers like your blue ones, my husband put shelves in a closet in my sewing room and it works perfect for me. They are stacked 2 high. I can’t work in a messy sewing room.🙂
So glad you did this. I'm fairly new to sewing and quilting and have a fairly small stash. However I organised my fabric by colour last year. It's so much easier to see what I have. I don't know if it'd be so easy if I lived in the states where you have better deals, coupons etc on a broader range of beautiful fabrics.
Hi Pat, I live in a small coastal town in the South East of England. In fact from your time in Europe you probably have an idea where Dover and Canterbury are, I'm kind of near them. Quilting so not that popular here, not openly anyway, although I believe it's becoming more so and there are groups around, once you start talking to people. The nearest place I know of that sells quilting fabrics is about an hour an a halfs drive away, but our local small fabric shop sells nice cotton. I visited California (beautiful) in the summer and got some Moda fabric (I managed to get Fat Quarter Shop, Quilting is my therapy and MSQC packages delivered to where I was staying) and it's just softer and smoother than what I get locally. Also visited Joanns and with coupons etc got some bargains. You're truly blessed in the USA far as crafting goes.
It is amazing to pull it all out to work with. You make the best decisions that way. But i know it takes a while and we can't all do it or leave it out for the time needed, so it will take you longer color by color as you need to hunt in ALL the places but it's doable
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I have a lot of fat quarters that I do have folded and in totes. I'll get those sorted by color. However, in the beginning when I was first starting out at quilting, I prewashed everything. Now I don't prewash. I have a tote full of that fabric. I know that I shouldn't mix the two right? Also, I should use (in my case totes, dog hair) that will fit all the different sizes within the color I'm sorting right? I just don't want to go and purchase more storage totes.
you can mix prewashed and wash.. what does it matter? If you decide to wash before making a quilt, you just wash them again. Try and use what you have, stack ON END so you an see it
Thanks Pat - your tips are great!!!! I'm trying to organize my craft room, but it gets overwhelming and then I usually start working on projects instead.
I'm late to this great idea video. I like the quilt behind you. Could you please tell me what it is called and where I can get the pattern? Thankyou. Also I have plastic drawer sets that fit on my shelves and can be easily removed from its holder so the fabric is easily accessed without having to shift other containers.
Last year I reorganized all my stash. Any fat quarters and precuts went into bins in the closet. My room was much neater and super organized but, I totally forgot about them!! I did to much to fast. Needless to say, other than solids for background I’m shopping from stash!!
I wish I could pull it all into one place lay it out and sort it. What I have been able to do is, as I pull items into my sewing areas sort them, put yardage away, then fat quarter to half yard go into a bin with a particular line, or a set project with pattern and all materials for the project. Anything smaller than a 1/4 I've been cutting by size, and then I sort it into my containers. Thank you Pat, You have been a great help
One of the things I have started is when I make a project, is looking at what I have left for usable scraps. I determine what I can make out of it whether it be 2 1/2" or 5 inch. I take any 2 1/2? pieces and determine whether it is a usable strip or to cut up for squares.
I've only been quilting for 2 years but gave a big stash already. Last month I reorganized my stash. I pulled evetything out, but only sorted by color and winter the first day. The next day I worked for 30 minutes to fold my reds, the bnext session the blues, etc. I kept plaids together, no matter the color. It took me a bit over a week, but I Only worked for 30 minutes at a tine. I'm so happy I took the time to do this!
I am trying so hard to organize what I have. It's so hard for me. I had to down size from my home to a room in my sons home. Most of my sewing things went into storage. But it's amazing what I have gathered in just a few years. I keep thinking there is a way. I need to be able to see what I have.I'm a widow so Half of my closet is used for fabric. Longer yardages are hung on clothes hangers. Because I'm beginning to make things for donation.I use everything. I have been so blessed to have fabric gifted to me. And I'm using every bit of it. I'm hoping this series will help me figure it out. I'm also making doll clothes so there are smaller bits of fabric for that as well. I will be watching for the next video. I'm taking notes.
I always keep 'lines' together, no matter the size; batiks are together, all Christmas together, new precuts all together...then bins by color including scraps....children's theme also together...anything over a metre/yard is on a bolt...my bins are all clear so I can see what is inside.
First I want to say your new hair cut is beautiful and looks great on you. So I think I’m really going to do this. May take a while but i really need to organize my sewing/craft room. I appreciate your inspiration.
Thank you for doing this video it helps one find a place and method for starting. I find the scraps multiply way too fast and organization will assist me greatly
I need this help in the biggest way! Thank you, Thank you for these challenges to help us organize and downsize our hoards of fabric. I'm going to start working on my "problem" this afternoon.
Hi Pat, Thank you for the organization series videos. Organizing is such an overwhelming process. I spent a few days months ago and went thru everything in my sewing room and tried to control the chaos. I now my fabric pieces that are bigger then a scrap and smaller than a fat quarter in in see thru shoe boxes by color stacked on shelves in my closet, I did work on one color at a time and cut them into 2.5 strips and 5 inch squares. All small scraps go into a large basket that I keep by my sewing machine and use for string and scrap quilts.. In my room I have an old dresser, and my fat quarters are stored by color in a few of the drawers, I store them upright so I can see at a glance what I have, Larger pieces less than a yard are wrapped on comic book boards stacked upright in plastic drawers,
I am ready for some organization! It will make the project time so much nicer! I have been gearing up for this in organizing my sewing things...just not the fabric yet. Great timing. =]
I put my containers upright side by side, no stacking just pull them out. I use scrapbook containers, and I have specific projects in each one, that way I can see what is where. Looking forward to this series. Thank you.
Many years ago I washed ALL of my fabric and pressed and folded it. I organized it all by color and it looks awesome. Thank you for all of your tips :)
Good information! I do keep a small bin of comprable style scraps, ie. modern vintage, for Lori Holt sew alongs and scrap quilts. I also put all my batiks together since I don't use them offten.
OMG! Does this mean I must ACTUALLY GET ORGANIZED? OH NO! Anything but that, Martha... But REALLY, thanks a million!! I want to email you. XXXOOO!! Is that better, GRAMMARLY??? Yes, Pat, I have GRAMMARLY (the free version - I will not pay $20.00+ a month to get my grammar checked!!) Pat- let me watch the video and then I'll go to Facebook and give you my personal review. I promise it'll be good.
I’ve been sewing for about 7 years. It’s probably not normal how much fabric I have. And I keep buying. My room is such a mess it’s beyond fixing. Some fabrics are so beautiful I’m afraid to use them in case I screw up. Anyway, thanks Pat.
and there is ALWAYS more beautiful fabric .. ALWAYS.. in 35 yrs I can promise you that most fabric i bought 35 yrs ago is no longer beautiful.. it's dated... use it while you love it
I already have all my fabric sorted out and neatly folded. I did a few weeks ago. Hubby was complaining about how messy my sewing room was. That Old fabric you said you had for years, you never know when you will need it. I have a few pieces that I have had for over 15 years and have now a project for them for 2 boys who I never had before. So some times it is wise to keep THOSE PIECES as you will never find anything like it again.
Hello i use a comic books boards for big pieces if any body interest . You can by package even 100 pieces .You can fold fabric nice and it's going to be pretty in the shelf .
My hubby found some draws and removed handles so could be stacked like shelves in the wardrobe. I have containers stacked in those. Plus he has made book shelves for me to. My fabrics are in different places at that moment and I`d love them in one room so working on that which hopefully will happen in January!
Love these videos. How do you handle fabric that has several colors like a plaid? Do you put it in the dominate color bin or choose the color that you like in the fabric. I look forward to your other videos on this organizing journey.
You are amazing . . how do you find the time to do all this for us and keep yourself organized as well. Thank you so much . . I do have most of mine by color, but it has kind of gotten messy . . . I also put the smaller piece with the larger ones and I have been able to use some.
OK, I'm in! I have been wanting to do this, so lets go! lets Marie Kondo our quilt room.. LOL BUT? what is the name of the gray orange sun burst quilt behind you please?
If you saw my stash you would be calling Hoarders show for me. This is an awesome tutorial on how to organize fabric. I just A. Have way too much B. Do not have enough room. I have bolts, folded, thrown, etc. :)
This is great Pat! I always wonder if I should keep the small piece (scrap) of a specific fabric with the larger piece of that fabric. Looking forward to this series.
I am currently doing this in my room - I re-organised my scraps in to colours and I have found I used them soooo much more now, my large fabric was in drawers and I could never find anything - so I bought comic boards and am starting to fold them around the boards - yep should have done this years ago, can fit so much more fabric into the drawers it is neat tidy and I can see all the fabrics I have. :)
This summer I organized "most" of my fabric after watching Quilt Addicts Anonymous video showing the Konmoori method of folding fabric. Still have a tote I need to get under control...for the most part it's all blues and yellows. I have charms and fat quarters in separate boxes. Then a tote of half yard and one yard cuts sorted by color. Layer cakes, jelly rolls, fat quarter bundles and larger yardage are on open shelves. Recently purchased Art Bin containers for current projects which has been an immense help. Also have a couple of smaller containers with leftover fabric from projects. So I am much better organized now.