Monday, March 7, 2011

March Pay It Forward: Organizing!

I can't believe I'm about to show you this pic:
 That's the bulk of my fabric stash. Right now I store most of my things in our old tv cabinet. Our current tv doesn't fit in the cabinet, and it looks really nice when the doors are closed up. ;)
I've been reading about fabric mini bolts for awhile now, and I finally decided to take the plunge. The idea of "shopping" in my own stash was my motivation, b/c I find it easier to sew from my stash when I know what is in my stash. I was pleasantly surprised to find that we have a local comic book store, and I gave the guys quite a laugh when I admitted to knowing nothing about comic book sizes and just wanting the boards for fabric!
 I put all 1/2 yard and larger cuts on bolts. For my fat quarters, I wrapped them on bolts if I had several coordinates from a collection and wanted to store them together. Other fat quarters are stacked in a CD rack.
 Ahhh, so organized.
After we move I'm hoping to buy a bookcase with glass doors to store my fabric better. For now, I'll settle for a well-organized tv cabinet, though!
 Here are the 7" x 10.5" comic book boards that I used. I bought 200, and was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn't need to use all of them! (They are acid-free and archival safe!)
For the March giveaway, I will send 1 lucky winner 10 comic book boards to try out, and 10 for the winner to pass on to a friend. Organization is sort of like potato chips: once you start, you can't stop!

Details:
To enter the giveaway, just leave me a comment. Give me an organizing tip. If you can't think of one to share, tell me what kinds of tips you're looking for!
Giveaway is open to everyone. :)
I'll randomly select a winner on Friday, March 11.
Good luck!

18 comments:

Becky (My Fabric Obsession) said...

I'm currently doing this same thing! Your stash looks great all organized! And lol - i'm about to inherit our old TV cabinet for my fabric storage too. ha! I'm hoping to get hubby to build some shelves for inside of it at this mini bolt height. It's a really nice Ethan Allen piece and I don't want to trash it.
hmm.. an org tip? I'm the worst, my stuff is a total mess.

Ann Marie @ 16 Muddy Feet said...

I find it best to organize my fabric also by color. So when I am quilting, I can just go straight to the color I need and find what I am looking for. I have a lot more fabric than you do though. I also keep yardage and FQ together on the same shelf, just different piles. Makes it sooo much easier. I also sort my scraps by color too.

Emily said...

I would love to try the comic book boards...

Let's see, an organizing tip...I try not to keep weird shaped small scraps. I usually cut my scraps into 6 inch, 5 inch and 2.5 inch squares. If there is anything left after that I also cut "strings". By this point there isn't much left of the scrap. By doing this I get lots of pre-cut goodies which makes it easier for me to "whip up" a project later on.

Shanna of Fiber of All Sorts said...

Oh how organized you are. I love things folded the same width and depth. Makes finding things easier. I currently have thigns by color but I'm at a loss of how to store the quanity of fabric lines that I buy.

Karen said...

Oh how my fabric would love to be that organized! I would love to be able to see my stash at a glance. My latest organizing project has involved one of those over the door fabric hangers with the clear pockets. I think they are to be used for shoes. We have so many electronics in our home.....shameful, I know. I label each cord or charger and then I store them in each of the clear pockets. If there is a disc that comes with it, I also include it in that pocket. My hubby was impressed! It is so much better than rummaging through drawers of tangled cords. I am going to use another one in my little girl's room for all those little toy accessories ~ at the moment it is My Little Pony. Thanks for the chance :)

TDT Designs said...

Great idea! I love the organized cabinet! I just bought small flip top plastic boxes for my thread spools and bobbins, I was just throwing them in with all the other notions and decided they needed a home of their own for obvious reasons like not unraveling and tangling up :)
Teresa

Jacqueline said...

I need to know how to KEEP my stash organized... *sigh* and how small is too small a scrap to keep hold of? I have a hard time parting with pieces.... Thanks for the giveaway and the idea!

xoxo Jacqueline

Ginger said...

Love those little bolts! My organizing idea also involves one of those over the door shoe holders also. Hang it on the back of the bathroom door to store powder, lotions, mouthwash, etc. This idea is for people who have a small amount of storage space in their bathroom like I do. ;)

CREATIVE DISORGANIZATION said...

Wow...how cool! I'd luv them cause I proberly can't get them in Aussi....For a storage tip, I sudjest that when you purchas Sheets, pillow protectors, doona covers, blanks.....Keep the zip up bags they come in...They are great for fat 1/4 buddles...I have my projects in their own bags, and the big ones are great for linen press storage..eg seasonal quilts...keep us posted on your 'Creative ORGanization'...cheers Nic

Dawn S. said...

The comic book cardboards are a great idea!! I have quite a few larger pieces and that would work out great!
I like to keep my WIPs in the zippered plastic bags that sheets sets come in. Keeps all the squares, fabric pieces and patterns in one place!

felicity said...

Oh how awesome does that look now! I'm rethinking my stash storage strategy (folded stacks) because those bolts look so much easier to access. Hmmmm.

My tip is: don't be afraid to tackle big jobs in small chunks. You can accomplish a lot in 15 minutes, and it's a start.

9patchnurse said...

This is a fantastic idea for a giveaway. I have watched you organize with these boards with facination. Thanks for all the great tips.

Rachel said...

Ooooh I'd love to try this organizational method too. My fabric is in disarray!

Recently, I sorted all of my scraps by colour and have them now stored in clear plastic bins which stack so neatly one on top of another. I can't wait until I move into my *new* sewing room (the spare room) and can display them on a bookshelf instead of on the floor.

Alison said...

I'm trying to work out the best way to keep my fabric stash as well - so it can be seen - and these boards to make mini bolts really seem the way to go.
At the moment I have them folded and in a drawer, which looks lovely when I open it, but I would like them to be on a shelf where everyone can enjoy the colours of my fabrics - although then my husband will see how much I really have!!!

LaniRose said...

Wow I love the look of your stash, so nice and tidy. I have most of my stash in storage buckets and it drives me crazy. I have to dig in it and it makes a mess. I have a large two draw filing cabinet in the garage that my dad gave me for fabric but I still need to get it in the house and make room for it. You are inspiring me, I think I will work on it this afternoon. Tip? lanirose76(at)ymail(dot)com

Tasha said...

That looks great!! I've recently done something similar with my fabric using Foam board from the Dollar Tree. Each Foam board is just $1 and you can get 4 largish pieces for the 3/4 yard and up and 2 small pieces for smaller fabric.

An organizing idea.. If you need a place for all of the thread you purchase, ribbons or other things that could hang like scissors etc, make a peg board cut out just a little smaller than your door (taking any shelves into account) and then attach thread racks and dowels to use to hang your items from.

JuliePickles said...

These are a great idea! I can't think of any organizing tips, because I too need help in that department. When I use a fat quarter out of a bundle, I will rewrap it with the ribbon it came with to help hold it together because I don't know what else to do! And my scrap bin? You don't even want to know.

Ali said...

I know I'm too late for the giveaway, but I use these board too! I like the 8.5" x 11" size because they fit on my bookshelf better. I'm embarrassed to admit that I had to buy 4 packs of the boards....