current observations

How Do You Store Your Fabric?

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by

Libby
in
My fabric has been stuffed in a Cathcart Allied moving box since we came from Atlanta so this has been a quandary of  mine for quite a few months now.  I’m appealing to you for your help – how should I store my fabric? I am not only aiming this question at my fellow fabric obsessed, all good advice on my dilemma will be most welcome. I really like this solution from Holly’s Street but sadly I no longer have The Container Store down the road and they don’t deliver to Australia. I have exhausted every combination of canvas and storage and container in Google Australia with no luck… but if I ever need a shipping container I know where to go!

I also think this idea from Retro Mama is so cool especially the multicoloured colanders! I confess I tried this once (without the colanders) but this failed on two counts. Firstly, I cannot fold my individual pieces to look so uniform and secondly I didn’t use them all really quickly so they started to gather dust! Has anyone tried this? Is there a method to folding?


The last picture from Jenny B Allsorts is a picture of her studio.. oh those colours! I really like having my fabric visible, as inspiration strikes when you least expect it. Wouldn’t it be nice to work in a space like this? What to do? Can you help?

Comments

9 responses to “How Do You Store Your Fabric?”

  1. Ivy9 Avatar
    Ivy9

    While it looks nice and inspiring to have your fabrics open and on display, I find that for me, uniform storage containers work better. First, my supplies are yarn, and those little buggers can get away from you if you don't keep them in something. Secondly, seeing it all out in the open actually weighs on me rather than inspires me, because I feel like there is so much to do and never enough time. And thirdly, having supplies in containers makes it easier to sort them by color and transport them from room to room. I would definitely go for something like the first picture!

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  2. Luna Avatar
    Luna

    I agree with Ivy9. Having your fabrics visible all the time would stress me right out. Just knowing how much they cost, hearing them beg for their lives and the project they are intended for…. I just got some gorgeous vintage suitcases for christmas and I'm storing the fabric in the largest one! I hope to post some pictures soon. good luck and have fun with it. x luna

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  3. Brandi Avatar
    Brandi

    I'm a very visual person, but I've got to agree with Ivy, too. What would bother me the most about having my fabric out would be a) dust getting on them, b) not having quick access to the majority of the fabric, and c) constantly straightening the piles. If I have to dive in to get to a particular fabric, the stacks are going to get messed up; I don't really want to see things falling over all the time.

    What I would do is find some kind of bins with lids and stack them on a bookshelf or shelving unit. This way, I can make things look neat and clean on my shelves, while not having to constantly straighten everything. Then, I can group the fabric into bins that make sense to me (my first instinct is to go by color, but maybe by designer?). And if the bins don't have a spot for a tag on the front of it, I could always stick a photo or a color swatch on the outside for quick visualization.

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  4. Amy - Park City Girl Avatar
    Amy – Park City Girl

    I keep my fabric in a few dresser drawers and storage totes. I have 4 little people and don't want them touching! As for the uniform folding, try folding around one of your rulers 🙂

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  5. Yazmin @ A Pretty Rock Avatar
    Yazmin @ A Pretty Rock

    Everyone has a point about fabric and dust, but if you use your fabric with quick enough turnover, that shouldn't be a problem. And color is always a nice inspiration. I know I would love to see it out in the open.

    BTW, if you need a middleman…er…woman for your container store addictions, lemme know. I can redirect via Cumming. 😉

    Reply
  6. Candied Fabrics Avatar
    Candied Fabrics

    So I use a combination of fabric storage solutions, most of which you can see here
    http://www.candiedfabrics.com/2008/12/30/finished-ready-for-creating/

    The fabric that is just sitting around being inspirational is folded neatly on shelves that aren't in direct sunlight. WHen I'm looking for a new color to use, I can easily look through all my fabric. Here's a nice tute on how to fold the fabric with a quilt ruler:
    http://turningturning.com/tutorial-folding-fabric/

    But i also have cheap plastic see through bins with lids that I keep my current "palettes" in (colors that I'm working in right now). That way I don't keep folding up the fabric so prettily.

    I also have drawers with scraps in them, sorted 1st by whether or not they are fused with wonder under and then by color.

    I also have plastic boxes devoted to colors I've put together for a particular project. When I'm done with that project or if I get tired of working with a palette, I would sort the fabric back to the shelves if the pieces were big enough, or jam into a drawer somewhere!

    I definitely am going to have to get a handle on scraps… someday …perhaps moving to a bigger house 😉
    I assume that at some point

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  7. Crystalyn Kae Avatar
    Crystalyn Kae

    When I moved to my new house a few months ago, I thought that keeping the fabrics in their clear plastic tub would be a great way to keep my studio looking more organized, but I began to miss the happy colors of my 'palette'. So I pulled them back out and stacked them on a bookshelf for the time being. Jumbled, but inspiring for me:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/crystalynkae/4257818171/in/set-72157623060623914/

    I agree with some of the other posters – it would be good to keep my fabrics out of the light & dust – but I also think I need my fabrics handy to tempt me to use them. Perhaps a good in-between solution is to have them at eye level in a cupboard with a door on it. Out of the light & dust, but still very handy.

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  8. Wolf and Willow Avatar
    Wolf and Willow

    I like to display my fabric on the shelves of my workshop… as well as a few lazy baskets full of trims and ribbons. It forces me to keep it neat and tidy and makes the room look pretty and colourful… my stash is getting low though!

    Reply
  9. Stephanie Forsyth Avatar
    Stephanie Forsyth

    I use my 6 x 24" ruler to fold fabrics this way. You fold the fabric on the bolt line (like it comes off the bolt), then wrap it around the ruler, slide half way off and fold in half. Makes very pretty stacks…though if you have LOTS of yardage on a piece, it will be a bit bigger than the rest of them. (And does NOT work well for pieces under 1/2 yard)

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