Best Fabric and Thread Storage Ideas: Organize Your Stash

Cindy Grisdela

Cindy Grisdela Art Quilts
Interview with Cindy Grisdela on Create Whimsy

Do you have different ways to organize different types of fabrics? Or do you organize all of your fabrics in the same way?

I organize all of my fabrics in runner baskets. I separate them by color and by type, so blue solids are in a different basket than blue batiks or commercial cotton fabrics. 

Where are your fabrics organized? In your sewing space? Or somewhere else?

I store all of my fabrics in my sewing space, so I have easy access to them. My studio isn’t large, so I try to use the space efficiently by putting the fabric storage runner baskets underneath my cutting and ironing surfaces. Because I use solids more frequently, I store these under the cutting table. I’m a scrap quilter, so I keep scraps in colorful baskets and jars on my cutting table. They are roughly organized by color as well. 

How do you organize your threads? (Sewing, quilting, embroidery, etc.?)

My quilting and regular sewing threads have their own runner basket near my sewing machine. I don’t have a huge thread collection, but there are a few favorites that I like to use on a variety of projects. 

What about stencils, paints, stamps, etc?

I’m strictly a fabric and thread artist!

How do you organize tools and notions? (Rulers, markers, cutters, machine accessories, etc.?)

I have a wooden rack for my rulers, and my rotary cutter lives on the cutting table. Other items like extra scissors, marking pens, rotary cutter blades and things like that are in a rotating desktop holder on the ironing surface so they are ready for action. 

What is your system for keeping track of WIPs? 

I have very few WIPs – but the ones I do have live in a cube storage bookcase in the studio, so I know where they are if I want to go back to them. I also have an old cabinet without doors where I keep my teaching samples, which could also be used for WIPs, as well as another cube storage bookcase where I store my teaching supplies. 

If you work in more than one medium, do you have one system for all mediums or have a different setup for each? What does that look like?

Just one medium for me.

Heidi Proffetty

Heidi Proffetty
Interview with Heidi on Create Whimsy

Tip 1:  Fabric Organization – This is a multi-purpose tip. A great way to both store and organize lots of small pieces of fabric or scraps of fabric.

I am an art or appliqué quilter and tend to use wider variety of colored fabrics in a quilt design to achieve a painterly appearance. Because of this, I don’t store bolts of fabric or use large amounts fabric for my quilt tops. Instead I use lots of fat quarters and half yard cuts of fabric.

I sort my fabrics by color family and store them in an open wire basket shelf system along a wall in my studio. Storing my fabrics in this manner, gives me easy visual access which means I am not looking through small plastic totes or inside of drawers when I am choosing what types or colors of fabrics to use in my quilt design.

But as we all know, any type of small items can be harder to find when they are dumped into a catchall basket. This is also true when it comes to storing lots of smaller quantities of fabrics in a basket. Sometimes, you may not find that perfect shade of blue fabric because it’s folded or wrapped up inside of another piece of fabric or it’s sitting undiscovered on the bottom of the basket.

Rather than dump 50 shades of blue fabric out onto a surface in your studio, here’s great tip to help tame smaller amounts of fabric stored in baskets. First, fold your fabrics into standardized shapes such as smaller rectangle sized bundles (about the size of your hand) and then wrap a rubber band around the center of the fabric bundle. When fabrics are folded in a similar sizes and shapes, it becomes a lot easier to organize and access your fabric when they are stored in a basket.

Let’s take our smaller fabric organization tip up another notch! Each time you purchase fabric, create one of these “Quilt Swatch Labels” and tuck it under the rubber band for each bundle of fabric in your basket. I love to use these self-adhesive crystal-clear index card pockets. They don’t cost much and I use them to create a reference index card that gets stored in the plastic pocket. The index card contains all the essential details you might need about that particular fabric such as the Fabric Manufacturer, Designer, Fabric Name or Number, Color Family, Source and Type of Fabric/Fiber. You can use this information to reference important details should you want to use that fabric again for different project or if you want to reorder that particular fabric.

Here’s the added bonus when you use self-adhesive PVC index card pockets as quilt fabric swatches. You can peel away the adhesive and stick a large 3″ x 5″ swatch of the actual fabric to the backside of the pocket itself. Now the best part, you can use the swatch as a quilt designer’s tool. This large fabric swatch allows you to plan out your fabrics and colors in advance before you use the actual fabric in your quilt design.

Tip 2: Small Sewing Machine Tool Caddy – I love it when I find another practical use for one of my household items in my studio. This is the compact cutlery drawer organizer from JosephJoseph.com and here I am using it to keep the items I use at my sewing machine both organized and close at hand. The slots of this caddy are on angles instead of lying flat which gives you nice visibility and easy access to your sewing notions. The caddy itself is approximately 15” x 4” and slim enough to put right next to you on your sewing machine table.  It costs about $12 and comes in other nice colors too.

Cameron Anne Mason

Cameron Anne Mason
Interview with Cameron on Create Whimsy

Do you have different ways to organize different types of fabrics? Or are all of your fabrics organized in the same way?

I have two systems for fabric storage, one for what I’m currently working with and another for longer term storage. I dye all own my fabrics so I sort by surface design technique, rather than color or fiber content. For current projects I use an Elfa storage rack with pull-out baskets. It’s easy to use as drawers or to pull out the whole basket and plop it onto my work table.

Fabrics that are in longer term storage go into 3-drawer units, or get stashed in plastic bins.

I had a work table custom built when I got my first studio. It is 10 foot long by 4 foot wide and only 34” high (instead of standard 36”) because I am short. The top of the table is padded and covered with cotton to create an ironing surface, which I protect with a sheet of vinyl to keep clean while I’m dyeing.

Under the table I have plastic 3-drawer units for storing dyed fabric on one side, stackable bins for undyed fabric on the other (sorted by cotton, silk, etc), and rolls of fabric in the center.

I also hang tools on the sides for easy reach. The whole thing is on wheels so I can move it and it is truly a workhorse!

Where are your fabrics organized? In your sewing space? or somewhere else?

I keep all my fabrics at easy reach in my studio. I’ve recently opened an Etsy Shop WWHandDyes for hand-dyed accessories. I hang my products on a rolling clothing rack that I can stash in the guest room when I need a little more space in the studio. 

How do you organize your threads? Sewing, quilting, embroidery, etc.

My threads are sorted by type and color. I use plastic thread storage boxes for rayon and other decorative threads that I use for free-motion embroidery. I sort my polyester threads that I use for bobbins and general sewing by color into snap-close boxes. 

What about stencils, paints, stamps, etc?

I keep most everything in labelled clear plastic bins that I stack on shelves. I can pull them onto the work table and just toss everything in when I’m finished. 

How do you organize tools and notions? (Rulers, markers, cutters, machine accessories, etc.)?

Everything goes in plastic boxes that I can move around. Each work area has a box with pens, pencils, xacto knives, rotary cutters, scissors, post its, weights, etc.

Rulers that I use all the time go on the wall by my cutting table. I keep rulers and other flat tools that I use less seldomly in a rack that is made for storing file folders.

I have book shelves by the sewing machines that store notions, tools, threads, and binders and manuals. 

What is your system for keeping track of WIPs? 

I begin by photographing all my hand-dyed fabrics. I hang them on my design wall and use a tripod a specific distance from the wall to get photos that are square and all the same ratio. This not only gives me a record of what I’ve done but is also very helpful for making compositions on a small scale. I print out copies of the photos on my printer and can make “sketches” using just an xacto knife and a glue stick. This technique comes from my days as a graphic designer. These “sketches” are very useful for looking at a whole show or body of work at once. I can edit, take notes, and keep track of each piece at a glance.

I work on a whole show or body of work at once so I make a chart with a list of working titles, size, and the steps each piece needs to be finished. Along with my 2-d paper “sketches” I also make fabric samples for each piece to test out thread colors and stitching patterns.

I am a little obsessive about organization. I realize that my systems would make some people anxious just looking at them, but for me it’s the opposite. It calms me down to know where each piece is in the process and what I still need to do. Making check marks is very therapeutic when producing a body of work under deadline. 

If you work in more than one medium, do you have one system for all mediums or have a different setup for each? What does that look like?

My studio serves many purposes. The L-shaped space has a “dry” sewing area on the short side. In the corner is my “wet” area with the sink, the washer/dryer, and all the dyes and containers.

The long side has my big worktable and my design wall. I store materials and tools near where I use them as much as possible. 

Linda Blust

Wild Things By Linda B
Interview with Linda on Create Whimsy

I’m fortunate to live in a house with a large upstairs bonus room with plenty of work space, lots of natural light, and enough storage room for all my supplies. (And I have a LOT of supplies.)

When we moved into the house in October, I ordered enough bookshelves and cabinets from Ikea to completely fill one long wall. 

I also have lots of Sterilite plastic drawers, wall hooks and wooden thread racks. 

My favorite piece of furniture is a counter-height 44″x”66″ Sew-Brite cutting table on wheels, with 20 heavy-duty drawers that are sturdy enough to hold my scissors, tools and other heavy objects.

I wrap all my woven fabrics around comic book boards and then store them upright in bookshelves, organized by color. This works for fabrics that are at least 1/2-yard long. Fat quarters and scraps, as well as non-wovens like felts and interfacings, are folded and kept in drawers.

My threads and bobbins are organized on wooden racks mounted to the walls.

Other materials, such as feathers, fringes, laces, buttons, beads, etc., are stored in clear plastic tubs or stacking drawers so I can easily see what’s in them.

I keep my paints, glues and other liquids in wheeled carts under a table, so I can pull them out when I need them and tuck them away when I don’t.

I stick Command Hooks on any available wall space, where I hang rulers, brooms and anything else that won’t fit in a drawer. 

When I’m working on a project, my room becomes a chaotic, colorful mess as I test and set aside various fabrics, trims and paints. It all gets piled on tables and chairs. I’m usually so focused on my work that I can’t be bothered to put anything away until it’s finished. Between projects, I try to take a day or two to tidy up before starting on the next piece. 

Maria Shell

Maria Shell
Interview with Maria on Create Whimsy

Do you have different ways to organize different types of fabrics? Or are all of your fabrics organized in the same way?

I think my fabric storage system is the best! My husband built me shelves that fit plastic tubs that I have filled with folded fabric. They are organized in what looks a lot like a fabric rolodex system. I have these shelves all the way around my studio. The fabrics are organized by the following categories–solids, stripes, vintage fabrics, commercial prints in order of dominant color, and novelty prints.

What is your system for keeping track of WIPs? 

I store my WIPs in large clear Ziplock bags in tubs. This section of my studio is getting completely out of control. I am hoping that 2023 is the year of the UFO. Mostly, I just try to stay organized with everything in its place, but as we all know making is messy! And in all honesty, I have outgrown my current studio. This means 2023 is going to be a year of trimming down excess, finishing projects, and shedding fabric, tools and notions that no longer serve me. 

One bit of advice for all the quilt makers out there–if you don’t have a design wall, get one in 2023! It can really help you see your work in a way that enables you to fix design problems!

Scott Murkin

Scott Murkin
Interview with Scott on Create Whimsy

Do you have different ways to organize different types of fabrics? Or do you organize all of your fabrics in the same way?

I store the primary fabric collection by color and value with the solids on the far left.

The second cabinet contains multi-color fabrics, collections that I don’t want to break up, stripes, various ethnic fabrics (African, Australian, Japanese, Hawaiian, etc.) as well as anything else that doesn’t easily fit into a specific color classification.

Where do you organize your fabrics? In your sewing space or somewhere else?

I keep my fabric organization right next to the sewing machine so I can easily get to them. I store them on open faced shelving that I got from a used office supply store, repurposing it from its original life housing file folders and paperwork. See photos above.

How do you organize your threads? (Sewing, quilting, embroidery, etc.?)

I sort my threads mostly into warm and cool colors in drawers. Sewing threads are near the Bernina and quilting threads near the APQS George.

How do you organize tools and notions? (Rulers, markers, cutters, machine accessories?)

Rulers sit upright in a repurposed file folder stand (see a theme here?), largest in the back, smallest in the front.

My all-time favorite storage tool is my Craftsman tool chest. Smaller spools of thread and all other tools and notions stay in here. Larger drawers hold stencils, drawing supplies, etc. The drawers are on sliders so that they extend all the way out so it’s easy to get all the way to the back. I would never give this up under any circumstance.

What is your system for keeping track of WIPs (Works-in Progress)?

I use a white board to keep track of WIPs and make temporary notes to myself. Invariably someone will want an explanation of the shorthand that I use—I could tell you, but then I’d have to stitch you in the ditch.

Timna Tarr

Timna Tarr
Interview with Timna on Create Whimsy

Do you organize different types of fabrics in different ways? Or do you organize all of your fabrics in the same way?

I sort everything in my studio by color. My fabrics live in my “fabric closet”, one bin per color. But I do separate out my solids from my prints. So, they have their own bins – again following a color plan.

How do you organize your threads?

I store longarming threads in an old dresser. Then to keep the spools upright and tangle-free, I cut insulation board to the width of the drawers and wedge it in between rows.

A baker’s rack sits in the corner of my studio holding one project per tray. It gives me a huge amount of vertical storage and is especially great for long-term projects that I don’t need to look at daily.

Christina Fairley Erikson

Fiber Artist Journey
Interview with Christina on Create Whimsy

Do you organize different types of fabrics in different ways? Or do you organize are all of your fabrics in the same way?

I organize most of my things in clear plastic storage containers with labels on the sides as well as the tops. I’m very visual, so it helps to use the clear bins where I can see some of what is inside. 

I have numerous strong metal storage racks (like commercial kitchens use) which I organize in different ways. I have one filled with bins of colored fabric, and I organize these by color families and whether they are commercial printed fabrics, commercial batiks or hand-dyed fabric. 

Since I do a lot of fabric dyeing, painting and surface design, I have a closet with shelves that contains nothing but white fabrics! I sort these by fabric type because the project dictates which weight and other characteristics will be necessary to get the result I’m looking for. 

How do you organize your stencils, paints, stamps, etc.?

Another rack holds all my dye and painting products that I sort by type: screen print ink, Dye-na-flow, Procion dyes, gouache watercolors, etc. I have one rack with supplies for different project types in separate bins. That is particularly helpful when I’m teaching, so I can just grab up a specific bin to take to class. 

How do you organize your threads? (Sewing, quilting, embroidery, etc.?)

Yet another rack holds bins of my hand-stitch embroidery threads. Each bin holds a separate color – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, neutral browns, as well as a collection of neutral black/white/grey.

Inside the bins, I sort them by thread type (and sometimes by value, if I have a lot) by putting them in gallon Ziplock baggies.

I have a smaller rack for my goldwork embroidery threads of different types, including Japanese gold, twists, Purl and machine threads. 

I have two sets of drawers filled with Machine stitch thread next to my Bernina 790, with each drawer a different color and then loosely having the lighter values on the left and darker values on the right. 

Christen Brown

Christen’s Creations
Interview with Christen on Create Whimsy

Do you organize different types of fabrics in different ways? Or do you organize all of your fabrics in the same way?

I organize my fabrics that I don’t have an immediate plan for by color in cardboard moving boxes. I list the color name on the label. That way, when I need to search for a color, I can at least start the search on an even playing field.

Where do you store your fabrics? In your sewing space or somewhere else?

If I have a project in mind, then I group all the fabrics together in a flat open box or in a paper bag with a handle. The boxes or bags are on bookshelves in my workroom or in the closet, so they are easy to get to.

How do you organize your threads? (Sewing, quilting, embroidery, etc.?)

I organize the threads that I do not plan to use immediately in plastic see-through bins with drawers. If the threads go with a specific project, then I store them in plastic bags in the box or bag set aside for that project.

How do you organize tools and notions? (Rulers, markers, cutters, machine accessories, etc.?)

I organize my tools in baskets and boxes on a wooden shelf that I had made for my workspace. The tools that I use everyday rest in a coffee mug that sits on my worktable so I can reach them easily when I need them.

What is your system for keeping track of WIPs?

All my WIP’s, works in progress, start with a pieced base. I hang these around my workspace on plastic hangers so that I can look at them while I am stitching at my worktable. This gives me the opportunity to view the pieces and try to imagine what they will look like when they are grown up!

Kathy McNeil

Kathy McNeil Quilts
Interview with Kathy on Create Whimsy

How do you organize your rulers and other tools?

I found this decorative metal rack at Target. Then I took my pliers and bent the metal out so I could hang my rulers and other tools on it. It is on the wall in my sewing room and handy for me to see what I want to grab!

Deb Messina

Quiltblox
Interview with Deb on Create Whimsy

I am extremely organized in my sewing space. Working in a cluttered space drives me nuts, then all creativity goes right out of my being. I have devised a number of storage solutions that work for my small space. Every tool, ruler, thread or notion has a home within the workstation where I will use that item.

The one area where my process is not figured out is my (lack of an organized) approach to fabric storage. I keep it all out of sight in cabinets that line the room, so it doesn’t clutter my space. That’s the good news. But the bad news is that there is no fabric organization system at all. This is my goal for 2023. I’m looking for ideas that will work for the stash I have as well as the space it lives in.

MJ Kinman

MJ Kinman
Interview with MJ on Create Whimsy

My studio is largely a disaster. So, on the rare occasion that I walk into my quilt space to “get organized”, the activity could be more accurately described as an archeology dig. There are layers upon layers. Cleaning up is such a rare occurrence in my studio that when I do eventually find the top of the sewing table, even my husband comments on it.

Here is an image of the only thing in my studio that is truly organized. My husband built this fabulous thread rack a few years ago. I love it. All my yummy Sulky 40-weight rayon spools (which I use to both piece and quilt my work) simply glow when displayed like this. I’ve also surrounded it with snapshots and mementos that bring me joy – pictures of my beloved mom sewing my wedding veil, quilting with her the summer before she passed away, my friend and fiber artist Joseph “Sunshine Joe” Mallard who is truly a national treasure, and so much more. It brings me joy!

Sherri Lipman McCauley

Sherri Lipman McCauley
Read our interview with Sherri on Create Whimsy

I have three organization tips in my studio.

To store screens for screen printing, I drilled holes in a wooden base, then attached upright 3/8″ dowels that hold the screens upright. I adjusted the length of the dowels to match the size of the screens. Be sure that the dowels support the screen frames so that the screens themselves are protected.

Repurpose a “Match Box” toy vehicle storage case to hold your spools of thread.

If you use fusible web and have Teflon sheets, roll them up and store them in a circle cut from an empty paper towel tube – so easy!

Myrna Giesbrecht

Bags by Myrna
Interview with Myrna on Create Whimsy

Do you organize different types of fabrics in different ways? Or do you organize all of your fabrics in the same way?

I always fold my fashion and quilting yardage selvage to selvage, then from fold to selvage, then end to end so it fits onto the shelving where I keep it. All of the fabric, as well as all my other supplies, are in the studio as a way of keeping my stash under control. Occasionally, bulky things are in the crawlspace or guest room closet.

How do you organize your threads? (Sewing, quilting, embroidery, etc.?)

I am particularly fond of glass jars, wicker baskets and wooden containers and really like the way they add a warmth to the studio that plastic isn’t capable of.

My thread is in glass jars. I divide regular polyester threads by colour. I have fewer specialty threads, so they are sorted by colour if possible or a combination.

Right now, I have a huge collection of thread that has gone bad and is snapping that I’ve unrolled from the spools, so I am keeping it in glass jars ready to make thread lace.

What about stencils, paints, stamps, etc?

This is an area I’m working on right now while I’m starting to do more surface design. The brushes are in two metal containers with three compartments each.

The paints and stencils are currently in one of the cupboards. I am shopping for just the hutch portion of a china cabinet to hang on the wall so that I can store paints and surface design items.

How do you organize tools and notions? (Rulers, markers, cutters, machine accessories, etc.?)

I keep these in the set of drawers in my work island, sewing desks or dresser. I prefer closed storage.

What is your system for keeping track of WIPs? 

LOL – finish them!

Laura Wasilowski

Artfabrik.com
Interview with Laura on Create Whimsy

Do you organize different types of fabrics in different ways? Or do you organize all of your fabrics in the same way?

My fabric storage system is not very exciting. I just use Rubbermaid boxes stacked on shelves and when I need to seek inspiration, I dig through them. But I am enjoying my new method of storing my hand carved stamps. Previously they were all jumbled together in a big plastic box.

But now I stack them in little baskets that fit in a wide drawer beneath my worktable. I separate them by topic like everyday objects, houses, text, plants and insects, etc.  So, at a glance I can see the stamp I need to print fabric or cards or journal entries. I even use my stamps for imprinting clay pots and plates.

Sometimes I open it just for the thrill of seeing my hand carved stamps organized and ready to play.

Teresita Leal

Teresita Leal
Interview with Teresita on Create Whimsy

Do you organize different types of fabrics in different ways? Or do you organize all of your fabrics in the same way? 

I have mostly cotton and silk which I organize by color in plastic boxes with labels.

Where do you organize your fabrics? In your sewing space or somewhere else? 

Everything is in my sewing room. So there is hardly any space left to move around!

How do you organize your threads? (Sewing, quilting, embroidery, etc.?) 

I have them organized by color, but divided in 2 categories: plain cotton for piecing and fancy (metallic, rayon, silk) for quilting, thread painting, embroidery, etc.

What about stencils, paints, stamps, etc? 

Everything is in labeled plastic boxes: Painting, Dyeing, Surface Design.

How do you organize tools and notions? (Rulers, markers, cutters, machine accessories, etc.)? 

These are all organized in drawers. 

What is your system for keeping track of WIPs? 

I don´t have many of them because usually I work on one or two pieces at a time. I have a few projects which have been put away for years, and probably shall never be retrieved…

If you work in more than one medium, do you have one system for everything or have a different setup for each medium? What does that look like? 

Everything is in plastic boxes stacked everywhere in my studio.

Mel Beach

Mel Beach Quilts
Interview with Mel on Create Whimsy

Do you have different ways to organize different types of fabrics? Or do you organize all of your fabrics in the same way?

I store most of my fabric in these wire baskets/frames from IKEA. The photos all feature the Antonius system, which has since been replaced by a very comparable Jonaxel system. These baskets are pretty strong so they can hold lots of fabric.

I fold most of the fabric and store it vertically so I can see all the fabric when I slide the bin out like a drawer. Or I can pull the entire basket out and place it on my cutting station for a deeper dive. I sort most of my stash by color, with a few baskets reserved for special collections such as solids, ombres/gradients, multicolor batiks, floral, stripes, etc. 

For fabric scraps, I have this rainbow Really Useful Boxes® 8 Drawer Rolling Cart right next to my cutting table. It is perfect for sorting my scraps by color into the color-corresponding drawer, with neutrals (black, white, grey) going into the pink drawer and multicolor scraps landing in the teal drawer. Sorting all my scraps by color makes it easy to find the perfect scraps for any project!

Patricia Belyea

Okan Arts
Interview with Patricia on Create Whimsy

A Chaos of Colors

I like to think that I’m an organized quilter. Sure, I make big messes in the heat of creativity, but the messes keep moving—a sign that my piles of fabrics and scraps are not clutter but the product of an exciting project. (That’s what I tell my family.)

As an importer of vintage Japanese textiles, I have access to a vast resource of boldly patterned yukata cottons. The yukata cottons arrive rolled around little cardboard cores—so distinctive and delightful. 

I store the round bolts on shelves in an enviable color-coordinated display. And I only pre-wash yukata cotton yardage when I choose it for a quilt project.

Most of my quilt designs include commercial solids. These fabrics pair well with my hand-dyed yukata cottons.

Whenever I stop by a fabric shop, I buy new colors for my color library. Typically, I buy two yards of a color, sometimes three. Do I have a project in mind when I buy commercial solids? Not typically. 

Then, when I get home, the first thing I do is pre-wash my new colors.That’s where my self discipline ends. 

I want lots of color choices on hand when I’m working on a quilt design. And I don’t want to stop and pre-wash anything. 

I pre-wash and dry the fabric, then the solids get thrown into bins with color labels—yellow|orange, blue, green, red|purple, etc. You get the picture. Beyond that, there is no method to my madness. 

Or, maybe there is! I certainly don’t want to roll my fabrics onto little cardboard sheets and file them like a wee shop. Instead I want to dive into a bin and grab all the shades and tones of each color that I have on hand. 

I never really know what color I’ll want in advance. Often, I place little pieces of solids on my design wall to discern which color is best for my evolving design. The more choices the better for moving forward. 

Flexibility is key to my chaotic approach. Instead of keeping my colors nicely managed, I keep them in a jumble in their bins. The bins stack two wide in a closet in my home office. So, they’re out of sight until I need a chromatic fix for one of my quilt designs!

I co-own Okan Arts with my daughter, Victoria Stone. To catch up with me and my creative quilts, please visit okanarts.com. Or visit us on Instagram at @okanarts. 

Victoria runs our online shop for Japanese textiles while I teach quilting workshops online and in-person. Together we lead textile tours to Japan.

Sue Smith

In 2003, I made a shelf for my fabrics, books and magazines. It is 8′ long with 4 shelves. The shelves are 18-inches high and 11-1/2 inches deep.

Where are your fabrics organized? In your sewing space?

I store my fabrics in my workroom. The original shelves are now full, and I’ve had to put two (2) sets of bookcases in what was the closet. My workroom is what was the second bedroom.

Do you have different ways to organize different types of fabrics?

I try to keep fabrics stored by color, also by type. For example, all fabrics with landscapes or grasses are stored together.

Are all of your fabrics organized in the same way?

Yes, I fold all of my fabric the same way and stack fabrics on my shelves in my workroom.

The first thing I do when I get new fabrics is wash, dry and fold them. I fold all of them in half and smooth out the wrinkles. But I never press them until I use them. I use a 6-inch x 24-inch ruler and flip it until the fabric is all folded. I remove the ruler and fold the piece in half and put it on the shelf where it belongs.

Do you store your fabrics anywhere else?

Besides my workroom, I have a shed attached to my house where I store flannels, batting and old linens in sealed containers.

How do you organize your threads?

I organize my threads by type and try to keep like colors together in a larger three-drawer table by my sewing machine.

Besides the drawer table, I have two thread holders on one of my storage tables, a small three drawer cubby in my sewing cabinet and a larger three drawer rolling storage with thread.

I used to do counted cross-stitch, crewel embroidery and rug latching. The threads, yarns and patterns are in a file cabinet in my shed.

What about stencils, paints, stamps, etc.?

In the above organizer I have all of my stencils and thermofax screens. Large stencils are in one drawer, small and medium stencils in another drawer. Watercolor and colored pencils are in another drawer. The top has a wool pressing mat and a cutting mat. The shelf underneath has stenciled fabric, Gelli plate prints as well as stamped and dendritic printed fabrics that are ready to be made into something. I also keep Spoonflower fabrics with my printed photos on this shelf, waiting for inspiration.

Stamps that I have purchased I keep in a tub in another room. Stamps that I have carved I store on cafeteria-type trays in a container.

I keep fabric paints separated by type in containers. I have a carrying system for Tsukineko All Purpose Inks. Shiva Artist paint sticks are in two flat bins – iridescent in one and regular colors in the other. A storage bin has all of the screen printing inks, gel-plate, brayers and other print making finds are on the shelf.

Watercolor, acrylic and oil paints are in smaller containers. Fabric paints (Jacquard textile paints, Luminere, Dye-na-Flow, Neopaque, Setacolor, Golden fluid acrylic paint, and Golden high flow acrylic paints are in a three-drawer rolling storage unit. Paint and stencil brushes are in a container.

How do you organize tools and notions? (Rulers, markers, cutters, machine accessories, etc.)?

I keep all of my Janome machine feet, walking foot, free-motion and ruler feet in a separated container.

I purchased two Ikea storage systems 15 years ago that I love. One has three large drawers and two shelves. I use this as a cutting table and my scrap storage is on the shelves below.

One drawer is for my fusing and Teflon sheets. My go-to is always Misty use. I buy it by the yard at 35″ wide at eQuilter.

Another drawer is for embellishment tools. And the third drawer is for marking materials, tape measures and machine quilting gloves.

My rulers are together on the cutting table in a slotted wood ruler holder.

On both of the shelves I keep tubs of cut fabrics – strips, squares and scraps by color. One of the large tubs I keep on this shelf has baggies of pre-fused fabrics. Large pieces and scraps are sorted again by color.

Here is a picture of the cutting table, design wall and the rotary cutter container by the table.

The second Ikea storage cabinet has twelve drawers.

Sheers, silks and organza fabrics with Angelina fibers, trim and yarns are in one drawer.

Other drawers hold completed blocks that weren’t used in a project, glue gun and other “Maybe I’ll need someday” tools.

What is your system for keeping track of WIPs?

I take photos of pieces as I make them. I started keeping a journal with the pictures of all the things I’ve made since the late 70’s. It includes the year, the size of the project and the story of why or who I made the item for. If a quilt is entered in a show (accepted or not) I keep a record of it. This keeps track of where the quilt is, where it’s been displayed and when it’s supposed to come home.

If you work in more than one medium, do you have one system for all mediums or have a different setup for each? What does that look like?

I have a linen storage cabinet in my shed that I keep dye things together – Soda ash, urea, alum, print paste mix, mixes for marbling and utensils and found objects to use for printing with thickened dye. I also store tubes for Shibori dying, polypropylene ropes and containers for mixing dyes.

My computer helps me keep track of dye colors. I have a three-drawer storage unit with all of my fiber reactive dyes sorted by color, not by number. I have a list of the colors on the top of the dyes in each drawer.