Tomorrow I'll be on a plane preparing for a 17 hour flight to AK for work. While I'm gone for the next 10 days, I thought it would be a great time to host a Giveaway! I always love Giveaway's and I hope you do as well. Although I'm away I'll post when I can and of course keep up with all of the great projects many of you are working on. For the last couple of weeks I've been doing some Client sewing and thought I'd post about that work in the next day or so. But I digress.......
.....here are the two beautiful pieces of knit fabrics I would like to Giveaway!
The beautiful blue, aubergine, gold, & white floral Lycra print fabric on the left is a fabric that drapes and molds beautifully to one's figure. The black and white abstract print on the right is a stable knit (one way stretch) and is a dream to work with. The prints on both fabrics are phenomenal. Both fabrics are 60"wide and the blue and white is 1 1/2yd while the black and white is 2 yards. So you can definitely get a dress, blouse, or skirt out of these. It's your choice.
If you'd like to win one of these pieces please answer the following question:
How do you keep track of your fabric stash???
Yep, if you can leave your answer as a comment you'll automatically be entered for the fabric drawing.
Well of course I can't ask you a question without providing you Guys my own answer. This is how I organize my stash........
(These are the small plastic bins (shoe box size) that are perfect for holding swatches)
It's a pretty simplistic method. I have 3 containers of fabric swatches. There's a container for Wovens (including wovens with stretch), Knits, and Silky fabrics (polyesters, silks, etc). Whenever I get a new fabric I just cut a 3X3" swatch and throw it in the appropriate container. Trust me, with a packed out sewing closet, bins, and upright cabinet full of fabric it's easy to lose track of the fabrics I have. I know many of you have tons of fabric as well and I'm interested in how you organize yours. This systems works well with how I organize my sewing patterns which is detailed
HERE. In this post you can also see one of my crazily packed fabric closets. Although it's packed out it actually is organized by fabric types:)
So again my question to you is,
"How do you organize your fabrics?" Leave your answer and I'll enter you into the drawing for the fabrics. I'll be gone until Sept 2nd and will randomly select 2 people (each to receive one piece of fabric). I can't wait to read all of your answers. I'm sure they'll be insightful:)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI actually store my fabric in a trunk (you know the ones that they advertise for college kids) I got from the Container store.. I store my patterns in page protectors after they have been cut.
all the smaller pieces of fabric go in clear fabric bins like the on you have in your photos
That's a really good idea I should copy it, since I'm a geek by profession, I have a database for my patterns and one for my fabric stash has been "in development" for quite awhile currently all my fabric is stored in plastic bins in the closet under the stairs which is right next to my sewing area, the bins are labeled but it's still a pain trying to locate a specific piece. You know I heart the black/white. I hope you have a good trip, even though it's work.
ReplyDeleteOh wow! Those are both beautiful fabrics! I would LOVE to win one!
ReplyDeleteMy fabric organization is a little of this a little of that. Everything I have is in one big bin, not really organized at all. For a while I had little swatches of everything with a note saying how much of each I had (yardage and width), and all of those were on a big safety pin so I could take it with me to fabric stores when buying patterns, notions, etc. But I didn't really keep up with it. Now I have an app on my iPhone called Fabric Stash. You can put a picture or two of your fabric along with all kinds of information about it, then you can browse all your fabrics by color, or other options. You can even put projects in it. The trouble with the app is that the photos aren't all that great for matching or even really seeing what the fabric is like. I'm planning on getting a big shelf to organize my fabrics on so that I can SEE them!
Actually, I'm not tracking it now. However, I have little pieces cut out from which to compile a spreadsheet with sections for knits, sportswear, lingerie, fancies, etc. I don't know when I'll get to it tho, because I moved into this place in February and still don't have my studio set up! I have a chronic pain syndrome and fibromyalgia, and it's difficult to do stuff.
ReplyDeleteGail D.
Oh, I wish I had a good system! I do organize the fabric in my closet into drawers based on fabric type - knits, lightweight wovens, bottomweight wovens, "Kids" wovens (mostly quilting cotton), but my stash has outgrown this system, so there are piles on the floor of ???. I need to sew more, or get more drawers. Maybe both!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this great giveaway! You always have the greatest knits - so nice of you to share them with us!!
I have shelves in a closet where I store my fabric...I try to keep like fabrics on the same shelves. Scraps for quiltmaking go into a large tote (also stored in the closet) Thanks for a great giveaway and have a safe trip to AK.
ReplyDeleteOK, my goal is not to have too much stash - of course I need some in order to complete patterns I've bought. But as I've mentioned, theoretically one supports the other and I try to keep a balance. I do have a small standing shelf with a door that can hold about 20-25 yards of fabric (if full to the gills).
ReplyDeleteMy system is still evolving. Until recently they were in large plastic containers in my sewing dungeon. That wasn't working for me, cause I couldn't remember what I had, and couldn't find what I knew I did have. The yardage has moved to the closet in the guest room, where each piece is on a hanger. And soon each piece will have a corresponding swatch in a binder with the stats recorded on a card inside trading card sleeves. Doing this I have already found about 6 pieces that I would swear I never bought, but I must have. I don't think there are people breaking into houses, finding sewist's stashes and hiding unwanted fabric. If I win and I have a choice, I would choose the black and white one. 8-)
ReplyDeleteAn antique china cabinet currently houses part of my stash. There are 3 shelves: one with suitings/denim/linen, one with silks/blouse weights, one with knits. I like the fact that I can open the cabinet doors and see everything at once...if only there was room for the rest of the fabric that is stashed in our bedroom armoire, the dresser in the spare bedroom and the 4 file cabinet drawers! I have a walk-in cedar closet and use those vertical hanging closet organizers to store my woolens. Stackable bins hold my quilting cottons and home dec. I would love to have some type of catalog system but am not sure I would be willing to give up the sewing time it would take to put that in place. Besides, I like re-discovering pieces I have long forgot about!
ReplyDeleteWell.....I throw all my fabric in a pile somewhere in my sewing room! :) and that's the gospel truth!
ReplyDeleteWow...I thought that was your whole stash! Turns out it was just swatches. lol. My stash is tiny compared to yours, but I have my personal stash stored in plastic bins, and then the fabrics that I reserved for projects for my shop are stored in wire bins from Ikea. If my stash ever grows to the size of yours though I definitely love that idea!
ReplyDeleteThose are beautiful fabrics! I have a simple way to store my fabrics because I usually don't indulge with fabric buying. Don't get me wrong, I see alot of fabrics I want to buy, but I don't always buy them unless I am going to sew a project with it soon.
ReplyDeleteI have shelves in my closet that I store fabrics, a pile for wovens and a pile for knits. I always pre-wash/dry my fabrics, then fold them and stack them in the designated piles. Because I don't have a lot of fabrics, I can see everything I have, and don't have to put anything away in bins.
Thank you so much for the giveway, I love your blog!
ooh yummy giveaways! This is on time for me because I was recently the recipient of a neighbor's major destash. I got too much fabric and I needed to quickly hide it from hubby. I have my stash separated in "categories" in bins/drawers and shelves. I have one each bin/drawer for:
ReplyDelete1. Linings
2. White fabric
3. Interfacing & cotton muslin
4. Home decor
5. Remnants
6. School supplies, art supplies, etc., occupy other bins/drawers under the cutting table.
I have 2 nine cube Closet Maid shelves that I use as a base for my cutting table. One shelf for bottom weights like denim and suitings and the other shelf for top weights and knits.
The bins fit under the table nicely, or as a "sitting stool" in the basement, unknown to the hubbs!
Best of luck in Alaska!
I have only been sewing for 3 months so I don't have a large stash. My fabrics are just folded and stacked in my china cabinet that has been converted to sewing cabinet I guess. I still have one more shelf to clear off but since it is not overflowing yet all is well.
ReplyDeleteHave a safe 17 hour trip to AK.
ReplyDeleteMy fabric is sort of organized by type and season.
. All of my knits are stored in the bottom drawer of one pattern cabinet and the bottom drawer of a four drawer file cabinet.
. All silky/charmusey type fabrics in a plastic see through zipper enclosed bag that is kept in the sewing room closet.
. Some fall/winter fabrics are stored in a plastic bin on a shelf of the closet in the sewing cave. While some woolen pieces are kept in a large see through zippered bag.
. All spring/summer wovens are kept in my bedroom closet - top shelf.
. Except there is a cutting table that is stacked with fabric I purchased this summer that I have yet found a place for.
. I have a basket that sits under the ironing board that contains all of the patterns that I thought I'd get around to this summer. All other patterns are kept in four drawer containers and one chest of drawer marked with the drawer marked with the name of the pattern company. Patterns are filed by garment type.
Ooh, I've been searching for knit prints! I don't have a huge stash by any means, but it's in 2 drawers in a dresser. I immediately wash and fold it then leave it on the cutting table for a week or two for inspiration, then eventually move it to a drawer if I haven't used it yet. Pitiful... And my patterns are jammed in 1 drawer, though I'm trying an iphone app for that.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Funny you mention this, as I'm just getting ready to change my system a bit. I use a dresser to store the fabrics by type (woven, knits, lingerie stuff, interfacing) and my son has his own drawer. But I'm looking for a big upright dresser instead of the long narrow one I have now that takes up a lot of space and doesn't hold very much.
ReplyDeleteOoooh yeah goodies! First, have a safe trip to
ReplyDeleteAK, and you will be my prayers....Okay, I normally if I am not being lazy treat the fabric and put it in the rubbermaid bin..If I am being lazy then it stays in the box it arrived in lol...Hitting myself on the hand...Well, that's it have a safe trip
It would be such a dream to win your gorgeous fabric. Thank you so much for your generous giveaway. I'm crossing my fingers (and saying a little prayer.)
ReplyDeleteI organize my fabric in clear tubs according to fabric type. I also take a little swatch of each and write down the yardage and keep that info. in a folder. I also have a separate tub for garments I wish to refashion. And I have the fabric I would like to use in the near future hanging on hangers in my sewing wardrobe.
Hope you have a wonderful and safe trip. Look forward to hearing all about it.
Trudy
www.sewingwithtrudy.blogspot.com
I just started pulling my stash out of the bins in the garage to the closet in my new sewing room. It has been a lot of work, but I have actually been measuring my larger pieces and listing the yardage and width with a brief description. I plan to scan them all and save to a disk, along with scans of each pattern, to make my own little catalog. My quilting stash is organized by color or theme and is in clear drawers so I can see them. I also bought one of those shoe organizers that hangs off the closet rod and have all my yarn in that. My threads are organized on spool racks and a drawer, organized according to type of thread. Wound all my embroidery skeins on cardboard tags and they are arranged in plastic containers according to color number and in the same order as the DMC floss index.
ReplyDeleteHave wonderful trip and I love the fabric choices for the give away, especiall the blue. I love anything blue. LOL
I'm a neat freak so I fold all my fabrics into neat squares, and put them away in my sewing closet. Whenever I open that closet I can see all my fabrics at once. I love your system though, I might try that as well.
ReplyDeleteNow I'll go pray I win your gorgeous knits!
Wow, I looked back on the organizing patterns post and saw you sewing room--gorgeous! My fabrics are sorted by type in plastic boxes. Cottons in one knits in another etc. Except when the new shipment comes in. Those are still in the shipping box. And then there are the vintage fabrics, some upstairs and some in the garage still in the boxes.sacks from the auction. Good intentions have derailed and I need to really clean up and organize. Did you have to remind me of that? Darn it.
ReplyDeleteMy fabric organization is a little casual.
ReplyDeleteUncut lengths I roll around those bendy plumbing pipe tubes and then I stand the roll up in a plastic wastebin or in the broom closet of a vintage metal kitchen cab. I own.
Practice muslin fabric gets the same treatment and stashed in its own wastebin.
Remnants - I have two bins, one for using the remnant for my daughter clothes, the other for me.
Scraps for quilting go in a bin until it is full then I work the scraps.
Fabric for quilting is folded and put in a chest of drawers organized by color.
I don't take photos or make a list of my fabrics as they come and go very quickly. The "look and see" approach works best for me and with the bins I can tell at a glance what I have.
What a fun giveaway! I don't have a huge stash yet, but I have a good bit. I keep all my fabric in a rubbermaid in my closet, and when I want to make something, I go look in there to see what I have. I am looking forward to getting my first home with my fiance next year after our wedding because he promised me that I could have a sewing room! I really like your method, so I might use that when I get my room.
ReplyDeleteHave a safe trip!
ReplyDeleteMy goodness. I used to have a system. The fabric stash is outrageous at the moment. This year I lost control. My fabric is stored in bins by type and season. ie., heavy knits are in one bin, while wool and coating in another. All fantasy fabric light in one bin, fantasy fabric darks in another. Top of the list things to make are in another bin with pattern and notion. This includes client projects. So I can easily grab them. That's a little bit of how I store/organize.
ReplyDeleteWell that it...,
Have a safe and productive trip. I'll be on the road Friday. Our team is starting to travel again.
C
I don't "organize" my fabric so much as I stuff it in a cardboard box and shove it in the closet. I remember what I have by periodically taking the box out and riffling through it, stroking each piece and whispering "my precious..."
ReplyDeleteWow, I don't have a system at all. My system is to hide all the fabric I buy in my linen closet, forget all about it, and then go buy more fabric. It works well for me...
ReplyDeleteThe fabric you are giving away is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI am a member of the throw-it-in-a-box-and-put-it-on-the-shelf club. I was de-cluttering a few years ago and gave a lot of mine away. My kids were very young then and I didn't have time to sew very much. Now that they are a little older I wish I hadn't given as much away!
Well, I have 4 bookcases loaded with fabric, two dressers, 3 laundry baskets and 11 large plastic totes filled with fabric. Like some of the others, I forget which fabrics I have so occasionally I must remove all the fabrics, set them out all over the place and just look lovingly at them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the inspiration to get me back into sewing. For many years I just collected pretty fabrics, now I'm sewing again. I would love to win another piece of fabric because I don't think I have enough yet. LOL.
I use index cards to keep track of my stash:
ReplyDeletehttp://seamsenjoiable.blogspot.com/2010/02/organizing.html
I flag the cards if I need thread or something and take the cards with me to the store.
I don't really have a system. It's more like a few overflowing baskets and a couple of pieces folded nicely on a shelf. But, mostly it's the overflowing baskets :)
ReplyDeleteI keep track of my fabric stash by taking photos when I buy it and adding text to the photo with the name of store, date, and price (here's the set--it's great for sewing daydreaming when not at home http://www.flickr.com/photos/7573004@N06/sets/72157603783194487/).
ReplyDeleteI store my stash on shelves divided by knits, wovens, and silk/wool. Theoretically, each category is organized by color. In real life it's a bit of a mess and could definitely do with a re-organize.
How do I stash my fabric? AWAY FROM MY HUSBAND!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAs a newbie, my stash still fits into a plastic bin. However, I bought Stitch-n-Stash from Wild Ginger to keep track of patterns and fabric.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice idea Victoria!! I'd love to win both of those fabric, they're beautiful!! Unfortunately, I never have enough fabric at one time to even consider having to organize it! Maybe that will change after reading your post and seeing how much fabric everyone has, I think I'm missing out!!! Good luck to everyone and have a safe trip Victoria!
ReplyDeleteOrganize? What is this thing called "organize"?
ReplyDeleteI have drawers and a cabinet jammed with fabric. I actually have a list of about half of it -- detailing fabric type, width and length -- but I haven't kept it up. Sadly, a lot of fabric ends up filling the chair in my sewing room...
I organize my fabrics by fabric types, secondly by color and prints. I have plastic storage bins that I purchased from Home Depot or Walmart's to store my fabrics. To keep moths from destroying my fabric, a trick that I learned from an aunt; I place a bar of Irish Spring soap in each bin. Open one end of the soap box and place inside of the storage bin. When you are ready to use your fabrics they smell nice and fresh!
ReplyDeleteMy fabric is in a huge built-in cupboard my hubby made me when we designed my sewing studio (sounds so much nicer than sewing room, huh?). I have some fabric in clear totes inside the closet - my wools, swimwear fabrics, and another tote with things I should probably part with. Then the rest is organized by type on the shelf rolled up for easy storage. I really need to go through and purge, but haven't done that yet. Hope you're having a lovely trip! :-)
ReplyDeleteMelissa