Sewing In Harmony Part 4: Fabric Organization
Monday, September 01, 2014
Hello and Happy Labor Day for those celebrating! I've got the day off and I plan to spend it sewing, woot, woot! Before I do that a (hopefully) quick post for part 4 of my series, fabric organization.
Like most of you reading I'm most serious about garment sewing. When searching fabric organization ideas on Pinterest a majority of the results seemed to be geared towards quilters with pictures of colorful quilting cottons all perfectly organized in filing cabinets or closets. For garment sewing and the type of fabric I buy that just doesn't seem realistic. Folding 3 yards of linen into a neat 12 by 12 square for hanging in a file drawer is just damn near impossible. But the pictures are so pretty! Just take a look at them all here. Do sewing rooms really look like that? Mine sure doesn't. When taking pictures of my stash for my post I realized I have a lot of fabric stashed in various spots throughout my room. I'm pretty happy with my knit organization however my wovens could use a little work...and scraps, whaddaya do about those scraps!? Today I'm gonna show you my fabric storage and ideas for improvement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prewashing Fabric
First things first, I always prewash my fabric before storing it so it's
ready to go when I'm ready! This takes care of any shrinking there may
be and sets the fabric meaning the way you wash it the first time will
be the way you should wash it all the time. If I wash my cotton voile
in cold water on the gentle cycle then that's how I will continue to
wash it for the rest of it's life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Organizing/Storage
Knits
My knit fabric is stored above in a 6 cubby storage cube. I find rolling my knits allows for more room and as you can see I need more of it. I sort by weight. Far left is my heavier weight knits..double knits..ponte knits or sweater knits. The middle is more light weight knits such as jersey knits. In the far right I have spandex knits and the overflow of what I couldn't fit in where it belongs. These cubes are great for fabric storage. I wish I had the space for more in my room. If you have a Big Lots near they are on sale right now, BOGO 50% off. The 9 cubby storage cube is the perfect width and height for building your own cutting table as seen here.
Wovens
Here's where my fabric gets a little disheveled, the wovens. I store mine on a book shelf. Easy enough to find at Wal-Mart, Target or thrift shops. As you can see some is folded, some is rolled. I was testing out the rolling option and I think I've come to the conclusion that I like my woven's folded better. I feel like I can get more room out of folding and I can better see the fabric and it's print. Do you roll or fold your wovens? My top shelf holds heavier weight wovens appropriate for winter...wool, flannel, tweed and corduroy. My middle is a mixture of cottons and rayons and the bottom shelf holds twill, linen, silk, chiffon and linings. Here are some ideas for improvement that I plan to put in place very soon.
Fabric labels...
I sometimes forget the type of fabric I bought or how many yards I have. The one thing I like about buying fabric from Fabric Mart, they always attach a label stating the type, amount and care of the fabric. Why not do that with all my fabric? Make your own labels or use these free printable labels from Family Ever After Blog.com
Folding...
Here is a good, slightly humorous video of how to fold your fabric into uniform squares to fit your shelves. Not gonna lie probably gonna go do this after I finish out this post!
Interfacing & Home Decor
 |
| Sterilite 3 drawer cart purchased at Wal-Mart |
I also have a place for my home decor fabric and interfacing located in a 3 drawer plastic cart hidden under my cutting table.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fabric Scraps
My rule of thumb when it comes to fabric scraps, anything large enough for pockets linings or facings I keep, generally about a 1/2 yard. Anything smaller than a 1/2 yard gets thrown in a donate bin.
Ideas for fabric scraps:
1. List your scraps on Craigslist. One man's scraps is another man's quilting treasure. I've given
away garbage bags full of scraps to quilters.
2. Check with churches, schools or senior centers. Many use fabric scraps for different projects.
3. Pinterest: the ideas are endless here
4. Tipnut: another source for scrappy projects
5. Display them! If your going to keep your scraps to make a quilt or other projects fit them into
the decor.
Apothecary Jar / Image source: Prudent Baby.com
 |
| Sterilite Show Offs (these are good for pattern storage as well!) |
Ideas for fabric scraps:
1. List your scraps on Craigslist. One man's scraps is another man's quilting treasure. I've given
away garbage bags full of scraps to quilters.
2. Check with churches, schools or senior centers. Many use fabric scraps for different projects.
3. Pinterest: the ideas are endless here
4. Tipnut: another source for scrappy projects
5. Display them! If your going to keep your scraps to make a quilt or other projects fit them into
the decor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Building Your Stash
I don't necessarily find that sewing my own clothing is cheaper all the time but it can budget friendly. Here are some of my tips to you on building a good fabric stash...
I don't necessarily find that sewing my own clothing is cheaper all the time but it can budget friendly. Here are some of my tips to you on building a good fabric stash...
1. Thrift stores, flea markets or yard sales...I just can't beat it into your heads enough. My stash has
grown tremendously thanks to antique stores, flea markets and thrift stores. You have to keep
your eyes peeled and be willing to dig for the goods. Even if the fabric is not that great
if it's cheap and I have the space I will still buy it because it makes good material for muslins.
2. Mailing lists...Subscribe to the mailing lists of all your favorite shops online or brick. You'll get
sale notices and coupon codes in your inbox. Some of my faves: Fabric Mart, Mood Fabrics
-I know their fabric can be pricey but it's so worth the quality. Once a week they offer
two different fabrics at half off. Fabric.com, JoAnn Fabric- download their mobile app
for coupons or sign up for their mailer.
3. More isn't always better. Keep in mind, just because it's on sale doesn't mean you need it or
should buy it. Shop with a plan, am I in need of pants, tops dresses? And yes there will be
those times when you don't have a plan for it but you just have to have it. For those times I
allow myself 2 yards of fabric. I find that is usually plenty for a simple dress, top or slacks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you have found this helpful. Please let me know if you have questions and please share your fabric tips in the comments.
Check out the other parts to the series:
Part 1: Series Introduction & Giveaway Entry
Part 2: Setting Up An Efficient Space: Furnishings & Layout
Part 3: Pattern Organization: Paper, PDFs & To Sew Lists
