5 Clever Tips to Organize Your Fabric Stash
Are you tired of digging through your fabric stash to find the perfect piece? Follow these five tips to organize your fabric collection and make sewing projects a breeze!
Tell me I’m not the only one that has too much fabric! A few years ago, it was such a mess that I had a hard time finding what I needed. So, I came up with a new system to help me decide how to organize fabric.
It has worked so well for me that I thought I’d share it with you today. Along with some of my favorite tips for organizing fabric! If you like this post, then you may also like this tour of my sewing room.
Like many of you, I’ve got quite a large stash of fabrics. I love to “collect” them in little bits. A yard here, a half a yard there, leftover jellyroll strips here and there. I’ve been “collecting” fabric for about eight years now and realized a couple of years ago that my organization system was NOT working.
I could never find what I needed when I needed it. Also, I ended up forgetting about certain prints until they were found months later under a pile of stuff. I did not make for a productive workspace. Previously, I kept my fabric sorted by designer/line on my IKEA bookshelf. I just haphazardly folded the yardage and piled it up with out any sort of fabric organization plan.
How to Organize Fabric
As my blog grew, so did the number of projects I was completing on an annual basis. Not only was I collecting fabric, but I was also using it almost as quickly (which is good, right??).
I soon realized that I needed a better system. A friend of mine told me how she used quilt rulers to fold her fabric so that it was all the same size (you can also use pieces of cardboard). She also mentioned that she organized it by color, not the designer.
I spent an entire week refolding and organizing ALL of my fabric. I got a big folding table out and went to work. After I was done, I was so happy with the results that I don’t know why I didn’t do it earlier.
I’ve had my fabric organized that way for about five years now, and I love the system.
Five of my Favorite Tips Fabric Storage Ideas
One: Don’t store fabric by color
Don’t get me wrong, 99% of my fabric is folded neatly and stored on a bookshelf by color. However, I think a few fabrics are better stored elsewhere.
I have separate racks for large-scale novelty prints, stripes, and basics. For example, I keep all my gingham and pin dots together.
Two: How to Organize Holiday Fabric
I keep my Christmas and Halloween fabric separate from the rest of my stash, folded into labeled storage cubes or fabric bins. I love to sew for holidays and think it’s easiest to keep all of that fabric together. Also, I keep my fabric scraps in Ziploc bags with the fabrics. (They are the only scraps that I store in my stash).
Three: How I Organize Fat Quarters of Fabric
For the most part, I store my fat quarters with my yardage. I unfold them so they are the same size as the folded yardage. I keep my bundles together, though. After I use them, I sort the extras in with my stash. I have a friend who keeps her fat quarters organized on pants hangers and hung in a closet, which also seems like a great idea!
How I Store Pre-Cuts
I display unopened pre-cuts on a bookshelf in my sewing room. They are so pretty, and I love that they double as cute sewing space decor!
Until recently, I threw the leftovers from my precut fabric stacks into my scrap fabric tub. Then I realized that I frequently needed just one or two pre-cut squares for a project and have since then started storing my leftover pre-cuts in a separate storage container.
What is a Fat Quarter?
A fat quarter of fabric is a quarter yard of fabric that is cut to yield an 18″ x 22″ piece of fabric rather than a 9″ x 44″ piece of fabric from a traditional cut. It is common to see pre-cut fat quarter packs of fabric for sale. Many designers write quilt patterns designed specifically for Fat Quarters.
Four: Fold and Sort New Fabric ASAP
I am not naturally organized, but I fold my new fabric and sort it as soon as I get it. I also try to refold what I don’t use after each project.
Since I spend many hours a week sewing (for this blog and for fun), it’s important for me to try to stay on top of the mess. It gets out of control sometimes, but I try to keep those times few and far between.
How to Fold Fabric Neatly
Once I began storing my fabric on a bookshelf in my studio, I noticed that a lot of fabric looked sloppy and knew I needed a better fabric storage solution.
I decided to unfold and REFOLD all of my fabric so that it was the same size and looked uniform on my shelf.
This accomplished a few things. First, it allowed me to see all of the prints of fabric I own more clearly at a glance (i.e., they don’t get lost under a sloppy piece of unfolded fabric). Second, it makes it easy to leaf through the pile of fabric to grab the print I want. Third, it just looks so much better. Since I don’t have a closet in my sewing studio, it helps to have visible storage look neater.
One: Decide on the Width of the Fold
You need to decide whether you want your piles to be 4 1/2″, 5″, or 6″ wide. For me, the 5″ width fits perfectly inside my IKEA bookcase. I have the Expedit; I believe they have changed the name to KALLAX since I bought mine.
Two: Fold the Fabric Selvage Edges Together
Begin by making sure that your fabric is folded with the selvage edges even and is as flat as possible. If the selvage edges are off (for example, if the fabric was folded at an off-angle previously), I take the time to refold it the right way.
Three: Fold the Fabric around the Ruler
Lay your ruler on top of the fabric, with about 3″ of fabric over the top of the ruler.
Fold the fabric over the top of the ruler.
Then using the ruler as a guide, fold the fabric again, making sure to hold onto the part of the fabric that you folded over the first time. Keep folding until you get to the end.
Pull the ruler out and fold the fabric in half when you reach the end.
Four: Stack and Organize the Fabric
You now have a perfectly folded fabric that will look great stacked up on your shelf. The best part is when you want to use it, you unfold it and cut the part off that you want, then refold it, and it keeps its shape.
The stack of fabric above was folded with a 6″ wide quilt ruler, just so you can get a feel for the difference in size from 5″ to 6″.
Do you guys have a favorite way you keep your fabric organized? What about your fabric scraps? I’m terrible with scraps!
Frequently Asked Questions
I have not had a problem with this. Since I mostly sew with quilting-weight cotton, I would wash the fabric to remove the dust if dust were to accumulate. I also live in a humid environment and worry that fabric may smell if it’s kept in a closed container. I would prefer wire baskets to closed tubs.
I don’t! I know that many people are very passionate about this subject, but I have not had a problem with excess shrinkage or fabric bleeding in my finished quilts. If you sew with high-quality quilting cotton, color bleeding is not as much of a problem since their mills use higher-quality dyes.
I don’t. I have a good “instinct” for how much fabric is in a stack by the thickness of the folded fabric. I know many people keep a Post-it note pinned to the folded stack and note how much they use as they cut the fabric.
I don’t personally use that method, but a reader does and was generous enough to share how she does it.
“I use comic book boards that are 8.5″ x 11″. For half-yard and longer cuts of fabric, I use the board full size. Match salvages and bring the folded edge down to meet the selvage. Overlap an inch or two on the board and begin folding. I secure it with a straight pin in the corner.
For fat quarters, I cut the boards into fourths. I follow the same method as above. Place your selvage edge towards you and fold down until it fits the size of your board, and then fold as above.I use the board full size for half-yard and longer cuts of fabric
I keep my yardage in a shelved cabinet and fat quarters in a chest of drawers.”
Right now, I have two big baskets under my sewing table and throw them in the baskets. When they fill up, I donate them to a friend who makes scrappy quilts. Soon I plan to keep back a select amount of scraps of novelty prints and store them in a plastic tub. I wanted to make an I Spy quilt last year and realized I didn’t have any scraps to make one!
I live in a very humid climate. Even though we have dehumidifiers in our home during summer, things still get pretty damp sometimes. It would mold if my fabric were stored in a closed plastic bin. If you live in a drier climate, then that may not be a concern for you.
My sewing studio is upstairs in a room with skylights but no windows. The skylights make it so that there is no direct sunlight in my room to fade my fabric. I would not store fabric near direct sunlight or right next to a window because it could fade over time.
Yes, but only because, as a fabric designer, that is how the fabric is sent to me by the manufacturer. I keep my bots on bookshelves in my sewing room.
More Great Organizing Tips Just for Quilters:
7 of my Favorite Sewing Tips & Tricks
DIY Embroidery Hoop Sewing Room Organizers
Did you read my mind?? I am moving my sewing room to another room this weekend and I just sorted through all my fabric and tossed what I don’t need any more! My system is a bit different since I have large, 3+ yards of pieces for clothing, and then smaller pieces for quilts, purses etc. I fold my large pieces into 1/2 by 1 yard bits, then hang them on a pants hanger on a free-standing clothes rack that also holds my WIP clothing. The small pieces are all tossed, unfolded (!) into plastic bins. The bins are marked stretch (plain), stretch (print), cotton (plain), etc. I have a separate scrap bin that is always full LOL!
I know this might sound crazy to the more organized sewers out there, but it works for me, as I rummage through my stash all the time. Keeping them in plastic bins also protects them from our cat, or from odors (deep fry fat, paint, smoke…) that our flat building sadly produces. So yeah my sewing room might not look as amazing and inspiring as your IKEA closet but in the end it’s about what works!
Hi, my sewing room is pretty much organised like yours, but I fold the fabric on cardboard and stand it up on the shelves like books, also in colour order and I keep checks, spots and stripes separate. I am pretty happy with my stash and how I keep it.
I know this is a 4 year old post but if you read this THANK YOU!!!!
Newish to sewing and this helped me sooo much!!
yes, I agree. Both ways are great!!
I am going to try the ruler trick for sure. My fabric stash is organized by color but I have yet to find containers that are all the same size to put the colors in. I have Rubbermaid tubs, an old dresser that has been refinished, and other cloth baskets. Sometimes I gather fabrics for a project and put those with the pattern. Kinda random for sure except for the color sorting.
I organize my fabrics just like you except I put the light reds together, medium reds together etc. For fabric that has more than a yard, I wrap the fabric on card board (there is a you tube showing how to do it).
I sort my stash by color and print similar to the way you sort yours. Then I measure each piece of fabric, write down the dimensions and fold etch type of fabric (i.e. red dot) onto a piece of comic book cardboard. That way I know exactly how much of each fabric I have when I get ready to start a project.
It’s a bit of work to get the system started but the results are worth the trouble.
I have been wanting to reorganize with color and then the amount of fabric I have. Question- how do you mark the amount of fabric?
I don’t mark it. I can kinda tell by the thickness of the stack. So far it hasn’t been a problem.
Great tips! I’ve always organized by color, but it’s never been neat. I will definitely use the ruler trick to unify it all. Thank you!! And oh my! I am ogling your fabric! ::drool::
I use comic book boards that are 8.5″ x 11″.
For half yard and longer cuts of fabric, I use the board full size. Match salvages and bring the folded edge down to meet the selvage. Overlap an inch or two on the board and begin folding. I secure with a straight pin in the corner.
For fat quarters, I cut the boards into fourths. I follow the same method as above. Place your selvage edge towards you and fold down until it fits the size of your board and then fold as above.
I keep my yardage in a shelved cabinet and fat quarters in a chest of drawers. AMAZING !
Wish this would let me add a photo!
Thanks for the folding and organizing tips. Do you wash your cotton + fabric before storing away?
Thanks for sharing your storing tips for fabric. I feel like I am constantly sorting through fabric bits and pieces. I like the idea of using a ruler to keep the fabric folded in a uniform size. To date, the most helpful tool for me is to use the large 2.5 gallon Hefty storage bags. This helps me organize fabrics by projects and allows me to stand them up in a large fabric bin. I too, have dreams of a completely organized sewing room, that is magazine perfect ready–a girl can dream!
I am going to try the 2.5 gallon storage bags for WIP. They can stand up in my filing cabinets with the rest of my fabrics. Thanks!
I love the giraffe fabrics! How do I purchase/find them? Great post!
I sort mine by color and also use plastic bins. I am concerned about the edges of folded fabric getting faded from daylight if I don’t use it for a long time. Because I have the luxury of an extra room for my sewing, my husband converted the closet to all heavy duty shelving. I also sort my precuts by colors and prints, like baby or floral, holidays are also separated. I keep the doors shut when I’m not sewing.
I’m trying to stay organised. I use the acid-free comic cardboard to wind the fabric around. Larger and bulkier yardage is folded around a ruler and stacked sideways so they are about the same height. I have different sections for batiks, novelties, sets of fabrics that I intend to do quilts with (some have been waiting a long time!), solids get put in with tone on tones, and I seem to have a lot of florals! Christmas fabrics are in a basket and plaids and ginghams are kept in a storage box with pull-out drawers (it is small). As I’ve only just started piecing much more I have a fair amount of scrap fabric so they also go in the pull-out storage box systems. In there I’ve tried to work to Bonnie Hunter’s scrap system and each strip width is in a separate zip lock bag. Squares are also in sections. Triangles are more lumped together to cut to size later. Anything not big enough to wrap round an acid-free card goes in the storage drawers marked “large scraps”. And everything else is shoved and squeezed in nooks and crannies until they find a home!
Earlier this year I went through the same process as you. I previously had my fabrics wrapped around cardboard but that was taking up too much space and I couldn’t see what I had. I used my 6″ ruler and that fit nicely on my shelves with a little moving room on each side of the stacks. Now I can easily find my fabrics and they take up much less space. I’ve been going through my scraps and ironing and cutting them to certain sizes. Then I store them in bright colorful plastic shoe boxes that I bought at the Dollar Tree. Now when I just want to play with my fabric I can grab a box of scraps and have fun.
I fold my fabric like you but will sort the holiday fabrics out as that never occurred to me. I have drawers of strips and squares according to Bonnie Hunter’s Quiltville Blog. I love scraps!
I do the same ruler folding method and sorting as you do also keeping my holiday fabrics separate. I also will match up pairs or sets of fabric that I bought together for certain projects. I keep all of my fabrics scraps in bins… admittedly I do need to sort them at the moment! lol I am looking for a better method for the fat quarters tho as the bins method I have now isn’t as organized as I would like…. I need to sort them by color too I guess.
Your shelves are beautiful. I organize more by type and quantity of yardage since I tend to sew dresses or other larger items.
For scraps, I separate them into two “styles” and then store them in those big clear vinyl zipper bags that comforters and other linens come in. The tiny scraps, threads, and leftovers from my pinking sheers go in one bag to be recycled as needed and possible for stuffing in any plush items. (Recycling, Upcycling, and Re-using are a big part of my sewing values) The second group of larger scraps get their own see-through bag in hope for the day that I sew something smaller or quilt or something. I did make a reversible scarf the other day and dug in there for the backing fabric.
Happy Sewing!
What size of comic book cardboard do you use? I see there are different sizes.
I use a similar method. When we moved back into OUR house after living elsewhere for 5 years, I knew just where everything went. After all, I only bought fabric as I used fabric… Well couple of problems with that one. But, here’s where my system differs. My top shelf is very high (no cubbies, just shelf, about 18″ high. So on the top shelf go all the fabrics that are 1/4 yard to 2 yards in size, sorted by color. Below on the two lower shelves go yardage – bigger than 2 yards. Yardage is sorted by color and is generally below or beside the smaller pieces of same color above. Where I made my mistake is that I used the ruler to wind my fabric… The ruler was very wide and I could only get 2 stacks of fabric on each shelf instead of the prior 3 stacks from before I moved. I also found that while I pretty much replaced yard for yard, I had grown in my quilting and now had things I never had before – BIG floral designs, holiday, animals, patriotic, orientals that just didn’t fit into the color sort – so into bins those fabrics went. Scraps, I have a little plastic set of 3 drawers. Anything smaller than 1/4 yard is a scrap. There is a drawer for light, a drawer for medium and a drawer for dark. When I build up too many scraps to close the drawers – I stop what I’m doing and make a scrap quilt or two. I do like the open space in the yardage area I have now as it is easier to access those pieces of fabric. I also use the 24″ ruler like a giant spatula to slide my lengths of fabric smoothly onto the stack.
I fold my fabric also on comic book cardboards. I sort by color but keep novelties, batiks, stripes and solids separate. I have a wide section of just solids that is very helpful to have standing on its own. For fat quarters, I fold them without cardboard but all in uniform ways. Those are sorted and in clear refrigerator plastic bins but honestly, it’s not working so well. I really need a dresser with drawers for them. My real problem are the small scraps sorted. Y color that are overflowing from bins. The pieces fairly small and not easily bundles do they just spill over. . I also have bins of novelty precursors or scraps larger than fat quarter but not big enough for cardboards. I have a huge mess and try to stay organized, but admittedly things need some straightening right now. I don’t have a good set up overall in my studio and that needs to be the next step- then sorting.
Sorry for all the typos. bottom line-I appreciate your organizing tips.
I’m in desperate need of a way to sort/store scraps! I have a problem…….I can’t throw anything away……lol Any suggestions?
Me too my sewing room is a nightmare I cringe when I have to find something help please
I sorted by color several years ago (with some exceptions for Christmas and big print fabrics). I have wire drawers….but the problem is that my sewing room is in our basement (unfinished) and we have those little furry critters (i.e. mice!!! UGH!) so I’ve started putting all my fabric in the larger plastic containers that salad greens come in. Keeps the mice out, but allows the fabric to “breathe”. Was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for storing fabric in open containers (like the wire pull out baskets) and keeping the mice at bay? The plastic containers are economical, but I can’t utilize all the space because they don’t fit just right into the drawers.
Ugh, that’s the worst! We had mice several years ago, not fun!
I would love to stack my fabric the same , however, I’m worried about dust accumulation
Michelle
Oh my! I got so excited seeing that I have some of those animal patterns you just featured… Anyway, I’ve been having a hard time organizing my fabrics. I do love to collect too and I just ordered a bunch (actually a lot *grin*) of new patterns and I don’t know how to store them. I don’t want to buy new racks or shelves because I have a very small bedroom (which I also use as my sewing room). I really wish I could move to a new place with a spacious sewing room very soon but until that day comes, I think I’ll try stacking them just like you did.
Such a pretty stash. I want to do this with my fabric. I have so much fabric that I have it in tubs and no real order. I want to color coordinate them. I think I would like open shelves like you did it. How did you do it? Little at a time? Or take the plunge and just pile it up and start? Feeling overwhelmed right now. Not utilizing what I have and adding fabric when I start a project instead of searching the tubs. Any suggestions?
Yes, a little at a time. I set up a card table in my extra room and dumped the fabric onto it in batches until it was all folded. Now it drives me crazy for it not to be folded.
I have some concerns, does fabric need to be stored open. I mean not in plastic bins with covers and plastic zip lock bags? Should they be stored in fabric bin without lids?
To Peggy: When storing fabric, a lot may depend on your location and climate. If moisture can get into your bin and it is tightly closed, it can cause mold. So my sister-in-law in Houston stores stuff loose in a closet with the door ajar and moves things around frequently to aid in air circulation. I live in a much drier area, so I store in plastic bins without snapping the lid tight all the way around. This is helped by the fact that most of them are too full to be closed completely, LOL! But I do have to be concerned about fading from strong sunlight, and lots of dust and cat hair. So my bins are opaque or covered with sheeting. There is still some fading if it sits a long time, because light leaks around the blinds. It is just not practical for me to store fabric on open shelves, so you may need to experiment for what works for you. Good Luck!
Hi Peggy, We went through the Hurricane Harvey flood. I had my material in a cabinet sorted by projects. The fabric that I had sealed in ziplocks came out nice & dry even through it sat in water for a several days. I wish I had put all the lower shelves of fabric in ziplocks. I did have some that were not completely sealed because of it being a little too large. That didn’t help. Lol. I now have my older upper kitchen cabinets in the bedroom turned into a sewing room. I am working on getting my fabric sorted by color to put it in the cabinets.
Melissa, I like the idea of using a ruler to fold it. This came at a good time because I am about to start putting the fabric in the cabinets.
Thanks to all the good ideas
There’s no need to worry about fabric breathing – just that if moisture can get in you need a way for it to get out.
I keep my stash in sealed plastic tubs from IKEA (airtight) to keep them clean and dust free, and have had no issues with longevity. The scrap clothes I keep for mending can smell a little after a while but the new unwashed fabric is pristine even though it’s been quite a few years.
I live in a pretty dry area so no mould issues in the house in general which helps! Though I have lived in a slightly mouldy house and the tubs worked well then too.
Good tips and just the inspiration I need to organize my stash! Thanks!
Hello everyone. My name is Marietta. This is for Kate and others. If you roll your fabric, fold, hang it or stack it, to know how many yards of fabric you have, all you do is measure your fabric and write the measurement on a piece of paper and use a straight pin and slightly attach it to your fabric. Or you can use a band aid to write your measurement on the band aid. Hope this was helpful for you.
How do you keep dust and dirt out of your fabric? I like the way this looks but I’m a little leary to try it.
I’ve had it set up this way for about 10 years and it has not been a problem.
My sewing room is in shambles I panic when I have to look for something, I’m constantly buying fabric I already have, I over cut on fabric so I probably have squares in my scrap from every quilt I’ve ever made , I’m in desperate need of help, I’m disabled so I can only do a little organizing at a time … Any helpful ideas would be greatly appreciated..Also I have a tone of scrap pieces I hate to toss them as I also use them for appliqué so I have a hard time tossing scrap my husband calls me a hoarder lol
Hello, I liked the ruler folding method and storing fabric on the boards, but I also buy remnants and pieces from 1/3 to one or more yards. I currently keep them in plastic 2 gallon size bags and I also measure each fabric, put info on small scrap of paper and pin in corner with straight pin. Then I put fabrics in the bags by colors and the bags then go
into large plastic bins with lids. I cut scraps into squares or strips and store them in bags
but tie them with scrap strips by sizes. They are stored in bin of their own. I too worry about fading and dust as I live where there is lot of sunlight. I stack the bins in corner of my sewing room and some under the cutting/sewing table. I thought wrapping the fabrics on boards certainly looks neater but doesn’t it take up a lot more storage?
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Love your ideas about storing fabric. As a 40+ year quilter, those who walk into my quilt room (which is the second largest room in our home) say its like walking into a quilt shop. I have sorted by many different colors, Christmas, children/babies, Australian (a large section as I adore that country & used to live there many years ago), African, “All Creatures Great & Small” (all animals will go into that quilt, which is planned to be made soon), dots, brights, Oregon/covered bridges, metallics, shades of white, fabrics for clothing and finally, the backing fabrics. All are folded to fit on the Ikea shelving, but I don’t used boards. Plus, all the scraps are sorted by Bonnie Hunter sized containers – which I love as my favorite quilts are scrappy & I love being able to dive into making a quilt quickly just using scraps.
My oh my, you girls are all so organized. I only wish……………. Who will volunteer to come to my house and organize?? When my son-in-law built my sewing room complete with pull-outs behind doors, I thought my organizational problems were over. Ha! It still takes someone to keep it organized. Again I ask: Who will take pity on me? 🙂
A little late, but I’m putting my scraps in an IKEA grocery bag holder!
I will start folding around a ruler, thanks! I fold now, but not as neatly. I sort by color, but separate out all the big backing pieces together. I started piecing the backs, so quit buying such large sizes… called “afterquilting” by Karen at Get er Done Quilts. Sometimes I like the back better than the front🙃. Maybe because the fronts are lovely traditional designs, and the backs are modern or Asian and original!
I started making 10″ squares from crumbs as I go like Jenny Doan at MSQC, then store them with their color group as a print. I never store them loose.
Wow! Thank you for sharing your tips on organizing fabric. I have struggled with sorting by color or theme. I feel like I had to be committed to only one way of sorting, but you made it easy to realize I can totally sort by color, pattern set and season!
Thank you so much! Your room looks lovely!