Fabric Room Organizing Tips & Tricks!

It's a brand new year and for some that means making new year resolutions. A popular resolution is to get things organized, so today Donna and Fran share some great methods on how to organize your fabric room to maximize your storage as well as keeping your crafting room nice and tidy! Fran has some great tips and tricks on the best way to store your fabrics, whether they be 1-yard cuts, fat quarters or partial cuts. Donna shows off several great ways to keep your quilt patterns organized, and finally we look at storing all of your quilting tools and notions in a way that is not only efficient but pleasing to the eye!
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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:19 - New Year Resolutions
01:54 - How To Organize Fabrics
11:34 - How To Organize Patterns and Books
18:15 - How To Organize Notions and Tools
30:30 - Share Your Organization Tips!
#organization #quilting #fabric

[lynnelawrence]

After my children grew up and moved out, and them my husband died, I had the freedom to create a dedicated sewing room. Then the "extra" bedrooms became storage areas for fabric. If I ever build a custom house, I'll start by planning the very large sewing area so everything can be in one space :).

[jankalonick]

I have two ways that I store my rulers. One - I have a peg board that my husband hung for me and then I purchased the hooks and hung all my special rulers and templates I hang they there. Then My door to my sewing room opens into the room. Behind the door I have hung all of my Quilters Select rulers with the front side against the wall. I have jars that I place my thread into and all of my needles and pins are in a Tennessee shaped basket, where I grew up, all of them are placed in there top up so that they are easily found. I have two shelves that some of my fabric placed on there and then any other fabric is placed in baskets! I am color blind and when my daughter comes home, they live about 3 hours away, she will place all of my fabrics according to colors/hues and labels my shelves. Makes life so very easy!!

[roseparr]

You can use an empty medicine bottle to store used or broken needles and pins. I drill a hole in the cap to put them in. When it is full I either put tape on the hole or put some hot glue to close it up.

[cynthiafedak]

You girls are a breath of fresh air, I love the Fabric Cafe videos. Thanks for all of the great hints! I use my empty pill containers with lids to store my old sewing needles, and bent straight pins. I too store my patterns in three ring binders. I used to store them folded in a box, but it ended up that the patterns would get torn eventually and digging through them was no picnic. I do love the idea of rolling the 3 yard quilt fabrics together. Not only do they look great like that, but they would make great gifts for sewing friends. Maybe add a ribbon or so.

[glendarodriguez]

One thing I do with all of my quilt books, if I take them to my local office supply and have them put the spiral binding on them. Then they will lay flat, you’re not fighting with a book to stay open. And a bonus they put clear protective covers on both the front and the back. Very inexpensive way to save your Quilt books

[phyllissage]

I put a sticky note on my folded fabric with the width and length of the fabric piece. It saves a lot of time to not have to measure the piece of fabric each time you look at it.

[tiraorr]

I found that the foam boards you get at the dollar store work great too. I cut my foam boards 6" x 10" and can usually get about 6 out of 1 foam board. The extra pieces are great for separating small notions like buttons and zippers in shoe boxes.

[DH-qzso]

I have a clear pocketed fabric Shoe Rack Organizer hanging on the back of my sewing room door... is great for hard to store items (ie. spray starch, glues, lint roller, mini iron, small templates...)

[amyalton-stonebrook]

My cutting table is a basic 6 foot folding table. We cut pieces of PVC pipe and slipped over the legs to elevate the table to a comfortable height for working at while standing up. If the table is needed at regular height, the PVC can easily be removed and replaced to return to the work height.

[eleanorwittering]

I am so impressed with your quilting *methods, practices and philosophy, * and, now, even methods of storage and organizing one's quilting world…: because quilting can become one’s world (outside of family and my law practice, part time now)!
I’m going to revamp my whole quilting world according to your Quilting Methods, Practices and *Tenets!*
It's obvious a lot of thought and hard work have gone into the quilting processes you have created and engineered. It works and it makes so much sense!
(I’m already visualizing the transformation of my quilting world in my brain/head. I can’t do it all at once, I will do one shelf at a time… And eventually, it will be organized and beautiful like your quilting studio!
My quilting studio is every part of my home save the master bedroom, bathrooms and kitchen! And, that's *how it is!, * friends and family just have to *accept it!*
I came by it rather late in life--and, I won't apologize that it so comsumes me. Now, with your suggestions, I can *tame it, * but still have it!)
Thank you!

[floyslavik]

Sewing machine needles are great for a substitute for nails for hanging pictures. The point goes in the wall easily and doesn’t leave a big hole in the wall.

[GlendaNorris-qxin]

Medicine bottles are also great for discarding used needles, they are ample at out home. 😊😊. Donna, your sew box is so pretty. The little imperfections are battle scars from many years of lovingly sewing.

[karenostrander]

I am so fortunate to have acquire several beautiful antique spool cabinets that were once used in general stores. From the two drawer countertop size to the full on floor pieces with many drawers and glass fronts, they are wonderful for storing almost every kind of sewing notion. There are even shelves in the center where I can put cones of thread. Bless my mother in law for having a love of these during the days when she ran an antique business.

[kimwilliamscarmer]

I love that you stated you don’t want to have to think, you just want to go sew! I am exactly that way❣️ Love all your organizing ideas❣️

[earlinemcgahen]

Dry erase markers for notes on the sheet protectors

[karen]

I use an empty prescription bottle for my dull and bent pins and needles.
I repurposed a plastic gum container to put my basting pins in. I use an empty rotary blade container marked with an X to put dull rotary blades in. I use a craft container with empty bins inside to lay my threads in. 1 container for 100% cotton, and 1 container for polyester blend. I can easily see the colors versus them standing up and me pulling each one out to see the color. I use an empty decorative tissue box for my strings and dog ears and such then just toss in the trash and get another one. I keep my selvage strips and any other long strips for ribbons and ties. I also use a binder with protective sleeves for patterns. And a cute little pink makeup box for my sewing box.

[mrsmiggins]

Thank you for telling me how to use the thread conditioner. I didn't realise we were meant to put the lid on before we pull the thread through😃

[dianagrant]

I'm lucky to have a dedicated sewing room. My son came home from recent travels and offered to redo my sewing room.
After the last child left I never bothered to change the paint on the walls or remove the graffiti. Now I have a fresh coat of paint on ceiling and walls.
He's going to give my cutting table a make over and add shelves.
My fabric had been organized by yardage style... fat 1/4ths, 1/8ths, 1/2 yards etc. Now all I need to do is get my UFOs off the design wall and completed.
I may even be getting a custom sewing table and golden triangle. I can't wait. Will send pics when done.

[deborahwerner]

Very helpful today, ladies! I'm very fortunate to have an extra bedroom and instead of a big bed, dresser, night tables, my handy hubby installed a Murphy bed that has shelves and drawers on both sides of the bed. I have plenty of room for my cutting table (like a gate-leg table), full size ironing board, sewing table when the bed is closed and when guests come, I fold down the bed, fold up the tables and ironing board and stash them in the closet.

[janbrassard]

I like your pattern keeping idea. And you can always use a wipe off marker to make notes as you are making that pattern