Sad as I am not to have Sara and Eva in my house all the time, there is one advantage to them moving out. I get more closet space for my fabric and sewing supplies. Sara's bedroom (which will now be a guest room) is right next door to my sewing room. That makes it super convenient for me to spill over into the closet in that room. The photo above is one side of the newly cleared out guest room closet.
I am feeling a bit overwhelmed as to how to proceed with this organizational project. My idea is to organize my fabric better, into color coordinated or designer specific bins. I bought all the bins you see above at my local Ace Hardware store, and have ordered seven more. I may end up with even more than that, depending on how this whole endeavor pans out.
My brain is a-buzz with ideas on how I can organize things more efficiently. The closet in my sewing room right now has turned into a gigantic jumble of who-knows-what anymore. My thoughts are still in the very early planning stages, but whatever I end up with, it has got to be an improvement over this:
I will end up with essentially, two closets. In the guest room, I will have to leave some room for the hanging clothes of whatever guests I may have stay, but at least one half or more of the space is mine, all mine. The closet in the sewing room proper I think will contain projects, kits and new fabric bundles and precuts. The closet in the adjacent guest room can house bins of organized color coordinated or specific designer fabric, patterns and some sewing tools and supplies.
One thing that is working very well for me is folding my larger cuts of fabric on cardboard cards. The other half of the sewing room closet is organized this way, and I am very happy with it.
This effort is not going to happen over night, so stay tuned and see how it evolves!
33 responses to “Getting Organized”
Love your fabric stackers and makes it so nice to see your stash. Bet you love having more storage room and will watch to see how you organize it…. mine need some TLC too.
Love your fabric stackers and makes it so nice to see your stash. Bet you love having more storage room and will watch to see how you organize it…. mine need some TLC too.
Love your fabric stackers and makes it so nice to see your stash. Bet you love having more storage room and will watch to see how you organize it…. mine need some TLC too.
Nicole, Thanks to you, I put my fabric on comic book boards, and I love, love, love it. I have everything that is a quarter yard or more on the boards. I have my boards in clear bins with lids – ones that Costco sells (iris brand) fit them perfectly. They are arranged by color, as yours in your closet above are.
Fat quarters and fat eighths are folded much like you find them in a fabric store, also in bins, arranged by color. I have tried many methods of organizing, and always come back to color rather than designer or length or something else.
Fabrics that are slated for a particular project are stored in a project bin with the pattern and any notes I might have for the project.
It works for me! I hope you find something that works great for you.
Nicole, Thanks to you, I put my fabric on comic book boards, and I love, love, love it. I have everything that is a quarter yard or more on the boards. I have my boards in clear bins with lids – ones that Costco sells (iris brand) fit them perfectly. They are arranged by color, as yours in your closet above are.
Fat quarters and fat eighths are folded much like you find them in a fabric store, also in bins, arranged by color. I have tried many methods of organizing, and always come back to color rather than designer or length or something else.
Fabrics that are slated for a particular project are stored in a project bin with the pattern and any notes I might have for the project.
It works for me! I hope you find something that works great for you.
Nicole, Thanks to you, I put my fabric on comic book boards, and I love, love, love it. I have everything that is a quarter yard or more on the boards. I have my boards in clear bins with lids – ones that Costco sells (iris brand) fit them perfectly. They are arranged by color, as yours in your closet above are.
Fat quarters and fat eighths are folded much like you find them in a fabric store, also in bins, arranged by color. I have tried many methods of organizing, and always come back to color rather than designer or length or something else.
Fabrics that are slated for a particular project are stored in a project bin with the pattern and any notes I might have for the project.
It works for me! I hope you find something that works great for you.
This sounds challenging but with good endings. Good luck!
Mary
This sounds challenging but with good endings. Good luck!
Mary
This sounds challenging but with good endings. Good luck!
Mary
I look forward to seeing what you do as I have the same problem. My supplies have overflowed the closet in my sewing room, spilled over into piles around the room and bins stored in the attic (unfinished 3rd floor). My dream is to get it all into the closet in an organized manner because I lose track of what I have. Using the comic book boards appears ideal yet the thought of the time required to do it is daunting!
I look forward to seeing what you do as I have the same problem. My supplies have overflowed the closet in my sewing room, spilled over into piles around the room and bins stored in the attic (unfinished 3rd floor). My dream is to get it all into the closet in an organized manner because I lose track of what I have. Using the comic book boards appears ideal yet the thought of the time required to do it is daunting!
I look forward to seeing what you do as I have the same problem. My supplies have overflowed the closet in my sewing room, spilled over into piles around the room and bins stored in the attic (unfinished 3rd floor). My dream is to get it all into the closet in an organized manner because I lose track of what I have. Using the comic book boards appears ideal yet the thought of the time required to do it is daunting!
Okay, now I have serious closet space envy, too. Color me a bit greener!
You may yet have me putting my yardage on those board because that closet looks wonderful. I’ll have to look again at your instructions about the cheaper way to go for this process.
My stash organization is all about color and theme so my categories are: tone on tone by colors, geometrics, floral, batiks, Christmas, other holidays, theme (food, Elvis), children, flannel, backings, and solid colors. I’ve never paid attention to who designed my fabric when I pull fabric for a quilt. This may stem from the fact that there were few designer names on fabrics when I started quilting.
My small closet is wide enough to hold a 4 drawer filing cabinet with about 2″ on each side. DH put shelves in in top to bottom so that helps.
It all works for me, but I would love a larger room, more closet space, and a big design wall …! 🙂
Hugs!
Okay, now I have serious closet space envy, too. Color me a bit greener!
You may yet have me putting my yardage on those board because that closet looks wonderful. I’ll have to look again at your instructions about the cheaper way to go for this process.
My stash organization is all about color and theme so my categories are: tone on tone by colors, geometrics, floral, batiks, Christmas, other holidays, theme (food, Elvis), children, flannel, backings, and solid colors. I’ve never paid attention to who designed my fabric when I pull fabric for a quilt. This may stem from the fact that there were few designer names on fabrics when I started quilting.
My small closet is wide enough to hold a 4 drawer filing cabinet with about 2″ on each side. DH put shelves in in top to bottom so that helps.
It all works for me, but I would love a larger room, more closet space, and a big design wall …! 🙂
Hugs!
Okay, now I have serious closet space envy, too. Color me a bit greener!
You may yet have me putting my yardage on those board because that closet looks wonderful. I’ll have to look again at your instructions about the cheaper way to go for this process.
My stash organization is all about color and theme so my categories are: tone on tone by colors, geometrics, floral, batiks, Christmas, other holidays, theme (food, Elvis), children, flannel, backings, and solid colors. I’ve never paid attention to who designed my fabric when I pull fabric for a quilt. This may stem from the fact that there were few designer names on fabrics when I started quilting.
My small closet is wide enough to hold a 4 drawer filing cabinet with about 2″ on each side. DH put shelves in in top to bottom so that helps.
It all works for me, but I would love a larger room, more closet space, and a big design wall …! 🙂
Hugs!
Thanks for sharing!! It is so hard to know where to start–and you know what will happen?? You won’t be able to find things once they are all organized! LOL!!
Thanks for sharing!! It is so hard to know where to start–and you know what will happen?? You won’t be able to find things once they are all organized! LOL!!
Thanks for sharing!! It is so hard to know where to start–and you know what will happen?? You won’t be able to find things once they are all organized! LOL!!
Lucky you for having more space for your sewing stuff. But it looks like a lot of work … where are the sewing fairies when you need them;-)
Lucky you for having more space for your sewing stuff. But it looks like a lot of work … where are the sewing fairies when you need them;-)
Lucky you for having more space for your sewing stuff. But it looks like a lot of work … where are the sewing fairies when you need them;-)
i use plastic bins for works in progress. that way i keep everything all together and ready to pull out. fabric free to be used is stored on the same comic cardboard as you and then placed in glass front cabinets i bought at crate and barrel. it allows me to enjoy seeing my fabric and also makes it easy to scan when pulling for new projects.
scraps are my black hole….3 large bins of scraps that i just can’t use up no matter how hard i try. ;p
i use plastic bins for works in progress. that way i keep everything all together and ready to pull out. fabric free to be used is stored on the same comic cardboard as you and then placed in glass front cabinets i bought at crate and barrel. it allows me to enjoy seeing my fabric and also makes it easy to scan when pulling for new projects.
scraps are my black hole….3 large bins of scraps that i just can’t use up no matter how hard i try. ;p
i use plastic bins for works in progress. that way i keep everything all together and ready to pull out. fabric free to be used is stored on the same comic cardboard as you and then placed in glass front cabinets i bought at crate and barrel. it allows me to enjoy seeing my fabric and also makes it easy to scan when pulling for new projects.
scraps are my black hole….3 large bins of scraps that i just can’t use up no matter how hard i try. ;p
Looking great. I wish I had the extra space. Make sure your cardboard is acid free. You may find fade lines on your fabric if not acid free.
Looking great. I wish I had the extra space. Make sure your cardboard is acid free. You may find fade lines on your fabric if not acid free.
Looking great. I wish I had the extra space. Make sure your cardboard is acid free. You may find fade lines on your fabric if not acid free.
I like your pattern organizing bins. Did you get those at Ace Hardware also.
Your fabric on the comic book cardboard looks like a fabric store. New meaning to “shop at Home”
I like your pattern organizing bins. Did you get those at Ace Hardware also.
Your fabric on the comic book cardboard looks like a fabric store. New meaning to “shop at Home”
I like your pattern organizing bins. Did you get those at Ace Hardware also.
Your fabric on the comic book cardboard looks like a fabric store. New meaning to “shop at Home”
Hello, I don’t speak english very well, but I am full of admiration for your tidy patchwork studio. Congratulations !
Hello, I don’t speak english very well, but I am full of admiration for your tidy patchwork studio. Congratulations !
Hello, I don’t speak english very well, but I am full of admiration for your tidy patchwork studio. Congratulations !