Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

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Fabric Reorganization

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Here is my newly reorganized stash cupboard!  I have been folding fabric on 7 x 10 1/2 inch comic book boards for days.  I bought three packs of 100 cardboards for $33 on amazon.com, and went through 200 plus a few.  I have plenty left for more fabric, but seeing what I have on hand, I doubt I will be buying anything for a while.  Look at all those background fabrics!  I should be good for backgrounds for a couple of decades I should imagine.

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Folding the fabric is so easy.  You take your length of yardage, fold it in half lengthwise, and start wrapping it around the cardboard.  I didn't need to secure it at the beginning at all.  I chose to wrap the fabric so that the selvedge showed, just in case I needed to look for a piece in a certain collection.

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You may be wondering how I secured the fabric when I got to the end.  I used what I had on hand, which was plenty of bobby pins.  I considered the rust factor, but I really do not think it will be an issue, as the fabric is going to live in a dry closet and moisture just isn't anything I can see happening in our dry climate.  I just folded the fabric over to be neat and tidy, and secured it with a pin.

The cost of these cardboards was the deciding factor for me.  The Deniece's Fabric Organizer plastic boards are very nice and sturdy, but at $176 for 100 boards, I just couldn't see myself spending that kind of money.  $33 vs $528?  I achieved the exact same result at such a lower cost.  I am actually kind of surprised anyone buys the plastic boards!  Some people had told me that for longer lengths of fabric (more than 3 yards) they used two or three cardboards for support, but I didn't find that I needed to do that at all.

I am absolutely thrilled with the results of my fabric folding!   I have to tell you, I discovered things I had bought years and years ago that I had long forgotten about.  Beautiful lengths of Robin Pandolf's Folk Art Wedding and Folk Art Christmas, 3 Sisters and Kansas Troubles backgrounds, even some wonderful vintage Thimbleberries blenders that will be great in reproduction quilts.

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Look!  A gorgeous red from 3 Sisters Gingham Rose.  How long has that been hiding in a plastic tub?

The beauty of this is that I can now see at a glance just what I have on hand when I need a background or a binding or even a complete backing.

My computer is back from the repair shop, thank goodness.  Would you believe it had 95 Viruses, 106 different Spywares, and 3960 Registry Errors.  That is a big mess, if you couldn't guess.

I will be posting more next week about my continued organization efforts!  Have a terrific weekend everyone.

 

58 responses to “Fabric Reorganization”

  1. Just curious, how many tubs of fabric does this closet contain? This seems to be a much more effecient way to store fabric.

  2. Just curious, how many tubs of fabric does this closet contain? This seems to be a much more effecient way to store fabric.

  3. Oh…fun color organization and looks really great. Makes you just want to play with it all. Smart idea with the cardboard inserts and looks quite neat!

  4. Oh…fun color organization and looks really great. Makes you just want to play with it all. Smart idea with the cardboard inserts and looks quite neat!

  5. What a tidy fabric cupboard! You’re enjoy ‘shopping’ for your next project in the comfort of your own sewing room! Job well done!

  6. What a tidy fabric cupboard! You’re enjoy ‘shopping’ for your next project in the comfort of your own sewing room! Job well done!

  7. Applause, applause for your diligence in organizing and for the glorious results! Your closet looks like a fabric store display!
    In plowing thru my stash to find fabrics for the scrappy North Winds quilt, I, too, have rediscovered lovely fabrics that had been forgotten.
    Cheers that your computer is home again and is healthy once more!!
    Hugs!

  8. Applause, applause for your diligence in organizing and for the glorious results! Your closet looks like a fabric store display!
    In plowing thru my stash to find fabrics for the scrappy North Winds quilt, I, too, have rediscovered lovely fabrics that had been forgotten.
    Cheers that your computer is home again and is healthy once more!!
    Hugs!

  9. Your closet looks so tidy and accessible! Are you only doing this for larger cuts of fabric? What are you doing with smaller pieces?

  10. Your closet looks so tidy and accessible! Are you only doing this for larger cuts of fabric? What are you doing with smaller pieces?

  11. It looks beautiful! You have a lot of determination to do this. I look at my bins and groan. What a mess. Embarrassing mess indeed. I am quite green with envy Nicole. Looks great!
    Mary

  12. It looks beautiful! You have a lot of determination to do this. I look at my bins and groan. What a mess. Embarrassing mess indeed. I am quite green with envy Nicole. Looks great!
    Mary

  13. I have my fabric folded and stacked, some method I found in blogland, but the stacks get disrupted whenever I pull anything out. This “filing” method looks like it would stay neat. I think I will give it a try, once I identify the time – ha ha. But my closet is not as large as your’s; I still have stuff in tubs.

  14. I have my fabric folded and stacked, some method I found in blogland, but the stacks get disrupted whenever I pull anything out. This “filing” method looks like it would stay neat. I think I will give it a try, once I identify the time – ha ha. But my closet is not as large as your’s; I still have stuff in tubs.

  17. In the words of Lady Gaga, and also Barbara Anne, “Applause, applause, applause!” What a wonderful reorganization effort. It’s good to know about these comic book storage boards.
    Can I come shopping in your store? 🙂

  18. In the words of Lady Gaga, and also Barbara Anne, “Applause, applause, applause!” What a wonderful reorganization effort. It’s good to know about these comic book storage boards.
    Can I come shopping in your store? 🙂

  19. What a great idea ! Now you can see what you have at a glance ! I am headed to Amazon to find these boards 😀 Congrats on the return of your computer

  20. What a great idea ! Now you can see what you have at a glance ! I am headed to Amazon to find these boards 😀 Congrats on the return of your computer

  21. Looks great! Gingham Rose is one of my all time favorite lines, how cool you found that great red 🙂 can’t wait to see what you do with the little pieces.

  22. Looks great! Gingham Rose is one of my all time favorite lines, how cool you found that great red 🙂 can’t wait to see what you do with the little pieces.

  25. I am impressed with your work!!Great results. I know I am in the minority, but I keep trying my best to keep my stash way down and then I get to shop for each project.

  26. I am impressed with your work!!Great results. I know I am in the minority, but I keep trying my best to keep my stash way down and then I get to shop for each project.

  27. SHE LIVES!!! SHE LIVES!!! I’m talking about the computer. ;p She’s off life support and breathing on her own again.
    I’m so glad you talked about the comic boards because i took a leap of faith and ordered 200 of them. ;p

  28. SHE LIVES!!! SHE LIVES!!! I’m talking about the computer. ;p She’s off life support and breathing on her own again.
    I’m so glad you talked about the comic boards because i took a leap of faith and ordered 200 of them. ;p

  29. Thanks for the post – I am going to definitely shelve out my extra closet in my sewing room to do the same thing. It looks almost exactly the same size as yours and apparently would work perfectly for stash storage. Does this repsent all of your yardage stash? I would have thought you had more … hmmmm…

  30. Thanks for the post – I am going to definitely shelve out my extra closet in my sewing room to do the same thing. It looks almost exactly the same size as yours and apparently would work perfectly for stash storage. Does this repsent all of your yardage stash? I would have thought you had more … hmmmm…

  31. Your fabric closet looks lovely! I bought comic book boards about a year ago but still haven’t taken the time to fold all my fabric, it’s a little overwhelming at this point! Just wondering if you feel like it takes up more or less space on the boards? I’m worried that if I go to all the work of wrapping it on boards I’m not going to fit as much back on my shelves and will be forced to buy a bigger home!

  32. Your fabric closet looks lovely! I bought comic book boards about a year ago but still haven’t taken the time to fold all my fabric, it’s a little overwhelming at this point! Just wondering if you feel like it takes up more or less space on the boards? I’m worried that if I go to all the work of wrapping it on boards I’m not going to fit as much back on my shelves and will be forced to buy a bigger home!

  33. I’m definitely going to get some of the boards for my fabric. I’ll have to wait until I move the boxes and bookcases from in front of my fabric storage units, though. We’re still trying to put everything back from the “Flood of “13!”

  34. I’m definitely going to get some of the boards for my fabric. I’ll have to wait until I move the boxes and bookcases from in front of my fabric storage units, though. We’re still trying to put everything back from the “Flood of “13!”

  37. Looks good! I guess I’m hitting the comic book shop this week. :o)
    As for your computer problems, sounds like you need to get a good anti-virus/firewall program. Avast! is what I use, and it’s been pretty good. I did get a rootkit virus earlier this summer, but that was my fault for not keeping Java and Windows updated properly. Had to set the CPU back to factory settings to get rid of the booger. Fortunately, I keep my files backed up so it was no big deal to reload everything back.
    You can pick up malware/trojans even on “safe” sites that you use all the time, so a good anti-virus is a must nowadays.

  38. Looks good! I guess I’m hitting the comic book shop this week. :o)
    As for your computer problems, sounds like you need to get a good anti-virus/firewall program. Avast! is what I use, and it’s been pretty good. I did get a rootkit virus earlier this summer, but that was my fault for not keeping Java and Windows updated properly. Had to set the CPU back to factory settings to get rid of the booger. Fortunately, I keep my files backed up so it was no big deal to reload everything back.
    You can pick up malware/trojans even on “safe” sites that you use all the time, so a good anti-virus is a must nowadays.

  39. What a thing of beauty. I wish my cupboard looked that gorgeous, having said that most of mine are fat quarters and I do have them colour coordinated in baskets. They just need a jolly good tidy up

  40. What a thing of beauty. I wish my cupboard looked that gorgeous, having said that most of mine are fat quarters and I do have them colour coordinated in baskets. They just need a jolly good tidy up

  41. I’ve been using comic book boards for a while now and just love being able to see what I have in my stash. It makes it so much easier to control purchases when I can see what I already have first.

  42. I’ve been using comic book boards for a while now and just love being able to see what I have in my stash. It makes it so much easier to control purchases when I can see what I already have first.

  51. Nicole, I have a question for you. How many tubs of fabric did you empty to put that much fabric on shelves? Just curious as I’m trying to figure out a way to do my fabrics. Thank you in advance!

  52. Nicole, I have a question for you. How many tubs of fabric did you empty to put that much fabric on shelves? Just curious as I’m trying to figure out a way to do my fabrics. Thank you in advance!

  53. I love how you have your fabric organized. Mine is stacked which makes getting to the bottom difficult. I never thought of keeping it upright. I envy your sewing room. I have a small nook in my basement for all of my crafting.

  54. I love how you have your fabric organized. Mine is stacked which makes getting to the bottom difficult. I never thought of keeping it upright. I envy your sewing room. I have a small nook in my basement for all of my crafting.

  55. Very organised! I admire if you can resist buying something new. I know I have so much of everything and more than I need, but I still can’t resist a new fabric I love.

  56. Very organised! I admire if you can resist buying something new. I know I have so much of everything and more than I need, but I still can’t resist a new fabric I love.

  57. I am reorganizing my stash with comic book boards too. They really work wonderfully and it is nice to see all the yardage neatly organized. Although, I did come to the realization that I never need buy another piece of fabric again LOL

  58. I am reorganizing my stash with comic book boards too. They really work wonderfully and it is nice to see all the yardage neatly organized. Although, I did come to the realization that I never need buy another piece of fabric again LOL