fabric organization

[bananasplit]

O.k.  How do you organize your fabric in whatever room you use for sewing?  by color? by weight? by project idea?  things that go together?

I'm finally in a place where I can set up and organize the way I like.  The only problem is...I don't know what I like.  I've never had a 'real' space for sewing.

So tell me what you do.

[juliasews]

I have plasic bins...Organized like this: cottons in one, sheets and cotton scraps in one, Not cottons in another, mostly: SHOVE, STUFF, CRAM! But, my fat quarters are sorted by color in shoebox-sized plastic bins. And...special bags and boxes of project plans.It works.

[lorky]

Big plastic bins crammed full but it a light semblance of order:  Huge piece of fabric together, then novelty stuff together, solids and basic colors in one chunk, and then a bin just for scraps for crazy quilts or whatever I need it for.  I also have a bin for my batting and batting scrap and fusibles and things of that nature.  Other than that it is spread everywhere as though my house was ransacked or hit by a tornado.

[SewHelpMe]

You're supposed to organize it???  Ha!  Ha!  I have a plastic bin of scraps (that I want to sort some day), I have six plastic tubs stuffed full plus two hanging sweater organizers in the closet crammed FULL of fabric.  Mostly I have it randomly grouped with what I bought at the same time.  I'll NEVER use all of it, but I guess I have a fabric fetish because I just love all the pretty colors. 

[LibbyK]

Yeah I mean my "system" is very disorganized in itself.  I have a section for each color of the rainbow, as well as blacks, browns, greys, and neutrals.  But then of course there also has to be multi!  Then I have batiks all together, flannels all together, plaids/stripes/checks all together.  Conversationals have their own box, which is not big enough for them  .  Then I do have some stuff that's separated because I plan to use it for a certain project or because I want to keep it with other stuff it goes with really well rather than separating it by color.  I call these special collections  .  Anyway I have no idea if this helps, my guess is not !

[SpottedFrog]

I have my fabric in hanging file folders in regular office horizontal filing cabinets. The picture hosting is down or I'd show you
You can put about a 6 yard piece of light weight fabric neatly folded in a regular file folder without too much trouble.
My little pieces are in 3 inch wide closed side folders by color. My big pieces are divided by solids & prints, in individual folders & sort of grouped by color.
I currently have 5, 3 foot wide drawers quite full of fabric with the 6th housing pellon, wonder under, and odds & ends (so a little room to grow).

Sometwhere in Miscelaneous Topic there was a thread about organizing & I put lots of pictures & descriptions there. I couldn't find it searching earlier.... : /

[ZumaGirl74]

I use hatboxes and I typically try to organize based on project.  Which means I should only buy fabric for specific projects.  But, obviously, that's not really what happens!!

So, in one box I have blue & green batiks for a specific quilt I'm planning.  I've also got some character prints in that one.  In another box I have fabric and patterns for sewing clothes.  In another box I have the big quilt top I'm (sort of) working on.  Another box has become a bit of a catch-all.  It's got the peices in progress for a quilt I've planned to make for my neice, but it also has all the left over fabric from other projects. 

I've also got a shelf full of fabric in my closet, and an over the door shoe organizer with fabric in all of the pockets.     But that's all fabric I got for free, so it doesn't count. Right? 

I really need to go through and do a better job of organizing everything.   

[jloveg]

well I  have  large  totes and  small totes and  drawerd rolly things.   I  try to  go  by type then size but  basicly its cram stuff hide fold cram, pretend I didn't really  buy that  and  cram  more.  in dire need of big closet like cabinet thingy ...maybe if I stop buying fabric and save teh  money to get  one I could  use some stash and  get  one to fill!! sounds like  a  great  plan  but well murphy is  my friend and  plans  never work right!  LOL