3 Ways to Organize and Store Fabric {fabric storage video!}
Hey there! Is your fabric all nicely organized in a way that inspires you to sew more?
If not, I’ve got some fabric storage tips for you!
In my latest video (see above), I’m sharing my 3 favorite ways to organize and store fabric. Don’t miss the story of the lady who sewed and died, maybe you know her. it’s toward the end. If you can’t see the video in the frame above, you can see it on YouTube here.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
In the video you’ll get a peek at how I use my Big Fold-up Storage Baskets that I made last year and shared a tutorial for.
What other sewing tips would you like me to share with you in a video or blog post? Make sure you let me know. 😉
In the meantime, you might like these organizing ideas too!
xoxo,
Disclosure: some of my posts contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of those links I may receive a small commission, so thank you for supporting SewCanShe when you shop! All of the opinions are my own and I only suggest products that I actually use. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your storage ideas. I always store my fabrics in colours, as well as children’s fabrics, Christmas fabrics, etc so if I decide to make a children’s quilt I just pull those bins out and I’m good to go.
Do you find that you use the fabric that you have stacked in the cubbies before they get dusty? I have a few bins that I am working to empty and get the fabric into sight so I’ll be inspired to use it all but I’m worried that I won’t get through the fabric quickly enough if its all out in the open.
I haven’t noticed a huge problem with my quilt fabrics getting dusty, but sometimes my apparel fabrics. I guess I would rather be making quilts than clothes! xoxo
Thanks for the fabric storage video. Just what I needed!! One question…For the fabrics stacked by color and stored in the cubbies, before storing do you cut them to a rectulanger size (or at least with straight edges) before folding? I’m thinking the odd shaped leftover pieces could go in the scrap bins, right?
Hi Janice,
I don’t usually trim the larger pieces square – I just fold the odd shaped edges inside before I fold. My scrap bin is already overflowing – it can hardly take more! 🙂
I loved you video on storing fabric. I wish I had room for a "cubby" wall. Love your patterns and tips.
Joann Head
Hi. Thanks for the tips. I have mine folded and stacked as well but more by type than color.
I wanted to make some of those bins you made but I don’t see the link to your website. Thanks for the tips.
Tammi, click on the backet picture under the video.
Thanks for the storage video…I have been knowing I need to get my fabric out of plastic bins and this was an inspiring reminder
Thanks for this video on storing fabric. I will watch this again. I’m going to look into the IKEA unit you use and the scrapbook bin. I look forward to your posts every day. You’re so right about being inspired by fabric to want to make something. And your observation about fabric in bins made me realize that before I started organizing my sewing "stuff", I was t sewing. That was because I wasn’t looking at it, touching it, like you said. Yes, I’d like to make those boxes for storage. I guess you can tell I enjoy your posts! (Haha).
In my sewing room, I have a closet with plastic rolling storage cabinets for fat quarters (by color) and use a hanging canvas shoe organizer for batting, panels, etc. I have a bookcase with baskets that fit on the shelves for storing charm squares, jelly rolls and larger fabric that I can see easily.
I have bunch of those plastic units my work table. I label them (Christmas, Fall, baby, pre-cuts, etc.). It’s not a fool proof system, but it works for the space I have available. I will confess to having a shelving unit full of bins in the garage. Sometimes I find a SURPRISE! when I go through those bins.
Thanks for your video. Some good ideas for the next time I reorganize.
Try this: number each bin. Snip a small piece from each fabric and staple to a card, add a description and bin number on the card. Sort cards by bin number on binder rings and hang on a hook. Love it.
This is the second video of your videos I have watched. I love seeing your sewing studio. I was gifted a tall horizontal drawer filing cabinet for my craft room. Each drawer contains fabric sorted by color and type. One for flannel, one for minky, one for cotton woven etc. I open a drawer and can see at a glance my all of my choices and it is glorious! My fat quarters and less than 1/2 hard scraps are in baskets on a book shelf. My clear bins now hold batting scraps and fusible interfacing. Having my fabric organized like this makes creating new projects so much easier!
I also store my fabric by color. I have a large closet that the doors were taken off and custom shelving put in from floor to top of closet and it works great. Top shelf is for finished work. Second shelf is for fabric, third shelf for rulers, etc. and bottom 2 shelves hold containers with smaller pieces of fabric and work in progress. I have a suggestion for you on your bins with your scrap fabrics- label them so you know what is in them. Makes life easier.
Well, shucks … You hit one of my ADHD nails right on its pointed head 😵. I am reading the book Spark Joy by Marie Kondo and darned if she doesn’t say the same thing as you. "If you don’t love it (i.e. If it doesn’t spark joy) let it go to someone who will love it and get that joy spark. 😸 Well, I think great minds run in the same direction and since the fabric is taking over the house …
Wishing all a most blessed Easter ☝
LOVE the tips. I will be sorting my fabric within the month and will be using some of these ideas. One thing, would you please think about either not talking while turning your head or turn less often. Out of common decency I can only raise the volume on my computer so much before it interrupts others in my household. I really want to hear what you have to say because I feel you have very valuable tips.
All great ideas – thanks for sharing. My home has ceiling vents (heat/air) so dust gets everywhere. Is that an issue for you at all?
I use the scrapbooking bins and clear plastic storage bags (the ones you can suck the air out of). The only downside is that you definitely has to re-iron when you are ready to use the fabric. I haven’t had any problems with the smell as everything is washed before it goes in the bag.
I am storing in bins by fabric collection or style. I think that you make a good point about the bins. I am in the process of moving and so, reorganizing my fabric. I am going to give very serious thought to NOT using plastic bins for anything but projects. I have a new storage closet that is quite large, so this might be practical for me to do now. Thanks, I love this site!
Great ideas. I stoted my fabric in my closet on shelves. I organized it by knits, wools, cottons, and quilt fabric. II also labeled the fabricby number of yards. I loved opening my closet to see all my fabric and ‘shop’ for my latest project. Quilt fabrics were stored in project bags and overflow fabric in two clear bins on the bottom of the closet. Fat quarters were in baskets on shelves above my sewing cabinet. I am moving and look forward to building a new sewing space. Thanks for the great ideas.
Nice ideas for storage. Multiply the fabrics by about 40 and divide the space available by at least 20 and you might have an idea how crowded and undisplayed my fabrics are! And I don’t even have a cutting table to put stuff under… just a cutting mat on the washing machine. But I can still sew.
I re-purposed a hanging rack on rollers for some of my storage. I hung a sweater storage unit from The Container Store on this to store folded fabric. And I drape fabric that I’ve pressed across the top bar to keep it smooth until I’m ready for it. I wish I could post a picture to show… it looks cool and works really well.
I also have a ton of bins and cubes from Thirty One Gifts… you can get them with clear window fronts or chalkboard panel fronts to label what’s inside. These are the best for charms, fat quarters and layer cakes.
I enjoyed your video on storage ideas. I struggle with organization all of the time. I have never learned to quilt so I don’t have all of the different colors of fabrics like you do. For years I did not sew on a consistent basis. But now I am sewing more and more. I have my fabric in the large bins like you were talking about and I have several chest of drawers from IKEA that I keep my supplies in. So that presents the problem of not seeing what I have at a glance. I will be following you more closely now and look forward to your videos and all of your tutorials.
I only use my bins for fleece and batting. The bins are clear and sit on the shelves at the bottom so they are easy to pull out and use. Thanx for sharing.
I do not store my fabric in the open because of fading of the exposed edge. A fabric can fade from only 2 weeks of exposure to light. It does not have to be direct sunlight, even indirect light, overhead lights and fluorescent lights will fade fabric. Therefore I store my fabric on shelves in a closet where I can close the door and my fabric is in the dark. I can open the door and view all my shelves. I store my fabric by color, and by specialties like Christmas and western and kids prints etc.
I bought the large wire drawer bin units from the for fabric storage. Very expensive. The let too much light in also. Need to line them or cover them ?
For now I have wrapped them in fabric. As my sewing room has lots of windows & huge skylights. Great for sewing, not for fabric storage.
Loved your storage ideas! Personally I have repurposed 2 China cabinets, I can showcase my fabric inside the cabinet. The drawers are nice for notions, patterns and all the othe “collectibles “ That sewers have. Lol
Caroline,
You are soo right! I was a part of a quilting group at church and a donation of fabric came in huge tubs ! We called them Martha squares ( after the lady who donated the fabric) I was there 8 yrs and we just made a dent in The lovely fabric!🤦🏽♀️💁🏽♀️. But it was good fabric and we made beautiful comfort quilts!
Love all your ideas. It is true that when you can see your fabric, it inspires. And it took me a while to let go of fabric that didn’t inspire- and when I did, it was like a weight lifted off of my creativity!! I also use the flat bins for projects and label the ends with washi tape so I k ow what’s in each one.
Can’t wait to get Huddle quilt info 💕💕
Hi Cheryl,
You can get the pattern now! It’s here: https://www.sewcanshe.com/blog/huddle-quilt-easy-and-free-medallion-quilt-pattern?rq=Huddle
xoxo,
Caroline
My favourite storage unit is the Iris scrapbooking cart which holds 6 plastic boxes like you showed. I have two and in each box I have fabric and the quilt pattern to go with it. I need at least two more.
Great ideas. I have purged some of my fabric and if anyone else is thinking about it, a great way to donate besides a church quilt group would be at a memory unit or assisted living. I worked at a memory care building and I was able to bring in fabric for them. It was really fun to see the girls go through a basket of fabric to fold and just let them go!!
Also to make the fabric easier to stack is to have a folder or cardboard the size of the opening of the cubby (or smaller) makes it more uniform. Good job!!
I use cubbies with plastic bins in each cube to protect the fabric from dust from the nearby busy roads. The smaller plastic tubs are perfect as I can easily lift them and easily see whats inside. Perfect for notions too.
I have my fabric in plastic drawer towers that are not completely closed, so they don’t get musty smelling as you mentioned. (I got them at Costco looong ago) I arrange them by color, or holiday, or batik. There are smaller drawers on top where I house scraps and tools. I DON’T like to have them out in the open like you show, because over time, light (you don’t even need direct sun) will fade the stripe that is exposed. It’s worked for me for 20+ years.
Great ideas. I sew in our basement and all my fabric is there on shelves & plastic drawer units. I have fabric "curtains" covering the shelves to prevent fading. It is just a piece of fabric held on with velcro so it’s easy to remove and see the fabric.
Wish I could comment with a photo. For one half to 2 yard cuts I store them folded on end, Marie kondo style, in dresser drawers. I can see each piece of fabric, and getting one of them out does not disrupt the whole stack
I just have to put making your baskets on my next list. I would love to see pictures of other members and how they store their fabric, and I would love to see your whole sewing room. Caroline.
Thanks for this post. I have been looking for the post where you quilted a quilt with a walking foot and the design had a big curve on the quilt to start. Is it possible to have a link to your quilting posts someplace? I would love to see that one again. Thanks.
Hi Rita,
I’m not sure which quilt you are talking about, but you can find all my quilt patterns using the link to ‘free sewing patterns’ in the menu bar at the top of the page.
Hi, I store most of my fabrics folded like you do, I don’t have ‘bins’ but keep them neatly on my shelves. I do have a suggestion about making a selection from the stack a little easier. I cut 2 heavy pieces of cardboard approximately the size of the folded fabrics. When I need a piece, I slide one cardboard piece above and one cardboard piece below the fabric I want. Then you can slide the fabric out from between, the cardboard [ieces. Stiff plastic would also work but I seem to always have cardboard on hand. Thanks for the tips and your website.