Quilt Room Organization
Quilt room organization. We all have to do it sometime, right? If you’re like me, when I’m working on a quilt along, making a gift for someone, or chasing a project squirrel, the last thing I want to do is take the time to put things away. I do, however, put my tools away. When I’m done for the day, my sewing area gets cleaned up so I know where they are for the next day. It’s a different story with my fabric.
I do get fabric back to the shelf, eventually. Fat quarters are returned to the chest of drawers I have in my quilt room. There are four drawers; three hold fabric, the fourth holds batting.
Drawer 1
Here is what the first drawer looked like when I began.
I didn’t get the whole drawer in this photo, but you get the idea. Underneath those fabrics are fat quarters that have been put in neatly. Tossing fat quarters I’ve used on top really defeats the purpose of that neat stuff underneath, but it’s so easy to do when I’m creating.
Divide and Conquer
Beginning with those fabrics laying on top, I first assessed whether they were large enough to be put back in the drawer or whether they should go in a scrap bin. Once that decision was made, those going back in the drawer were tidied up with a little pressing and folding. I grouped the fabrics going back into the drawer by color. I divided the fabrics not going back into the drawer into three stacks.
- Fabrics other than cotton. I have some heavier fabrics that I’ve used for other projects and they need a place of their own
- Fabrics to give away
- Scraps. Some pieces were larger than what I consider scraps, but not large enough for the fat quarter draw. They will have a place of their own, when I figure out what that is.
I try not to get too distracted as I organize, but this little fabric pull was just begging for my attention.
Fall is coming to Minnesota, and I’m thinking pumpkins, acorns, cider and warm quilts. These haven’t gone back in the drawer yet. I’m still thinking on quilt ideas.
When I finished with the first drawer, it looked like this.
Are you as shocked as I am? I did do some deep cleaning, setting aside quite a few fabrics for donation, but I really didn’t think I’d have this much room. I’m a little excited, and very satisfied.
Drawer 2
The second drawer was definitely a bit more daunting.
I keep telling myself I don’t have enough bright fabric. While that may have been true earlier this year, I think I can quit thinking that now. No more of those excuses as I shop!
Using the same process as before, I finally managed to get through this drawer. I didn’t put much in the giveaway/donate stack. What was really using up this drawer space was yardage I had tucked in there. I think it might have been some pet fabric or something. I’m not really sure what I was thinking, but it apparently made sense at the time.
I didn’t get too distracted with fabric while working on this drawer, but BigJ did distract me by bringing home flowers to celebrate our anniversary.
Aren’t they gorgeous? They kept me focused on all those bright fabrics, almost matching some of them. Okay, back to work!
Here’s the drawer, all cleaned up.
I know, right?! This drawer will eventually fill up with more of my brights and modern prints I have tucked on a shelf.
I have one more drawer to tackle, which is as messy as the second drawer. I’m hoping to free up some space in that one as well. I might even be able to combine Drawers 2 and 3. We’ll see.
This is just the beginning of my deep cleaning in my sewing room. I need to free up space to get things off the floor. My room is small, so when things start piling up, I get a bit overwhelmed and it hampers my creativity. Once the drawers are finished, I will tackle the shelves. I have comic boards for them, a new thing for me. I’ll need to pace myself so I can stick with this. If I work at it too long at one time, I get overwhelmed and discouraged, so I need to remember to take breaks and actually do some sewing in between working on this.
Do you have any quilt room organization tips that you use? I’d love to hear them.
Enjoy your weekend, my quilty friends!
Wendy
13 Comments
rl2b2017
Hi Wendy! WOWEE – you did a fabulous job on organizing those two drawers. It looks to me like you NEED to go shopping to fill those drawers with tempting new fabrics for your creative juices to really flow. It is going to be snowing, hence snowbound soon. I can’t wait to see what you do with that fabric pull – it sure reads FALL. And beautiful flowers – congrats to both of you. ~smile~ Roseanne
Vicki in MN
Well you’ve seen my room, thus I have no ideas, hahahaha. But I will gladly be the one to help you fill those drawers with a shopping trip!! But wow you really made the drawers look wonderful and it will spur your creativity on I am sure:) Gorgeous flowers BigJ.
Barbara
The sewing room is the one place in the house I keep pretty well organized. When I’m working on a project, however, it looks like a tornado blew through. I always clean up when I’m finished, but things can get pretty messy while I’m working on it. Oh yes, and then there are cats.
Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting
Oh my! What miraculous makeovers! Those drawers!!! So neat and tidy, plus room for more. Beautiful flowers from BigJ. Don’t you love looking at them! I’m looking forward to seeing what you make with your autumn fabrics!
sarahsbusy
I love your organizational photo! I don’t know why it is so satisfying but thank you for sharing that satisfying bit of fabric news <3
Louise Hornor
Wow! You really made some room in those drawers! I’m a wee bit jealous of all that space 🙂
Here’s my tip: Rather than cram things willy nilly into the bins where they belong, I have a “Fabric to be put away” staging area. That way, all the disorder is sorta kinda in one place. When those piles threaten to topple, I fold and neat put everything back in my FQ, yardage, or themed fabric areas.
Happy belated anniversary!
Tami Von Zalez
I destash periodically and I think I donated the bulk of my “uglies.” I too use a dresser, but mainly for yardage.
Preeti Harris
The flowers are the brightest and most beautiful things that I can see in your room. Keep them and Big J too. He is a keeper. Happy Anniversary to you both. I think you should get rid of all the old fabric and start a brand new stash. Don’t worry, I will take care of of the destashing :-p
Sandra Walker
Sweet Big J! 🙂 You have a similar system as I do; I have plastic drawers, the Sterilite kind, that get rolled up fat quarter/1/3 and 1/4 yard pieces in them in colour order, and then there are plastic bins of smaller scraps and shelves of yardage. It’s fun to move pieces from one to the other, but mine never seem to move too fast! I know what you mean about discovering your lack of something (brights for you, greys and yellows and oranges for me) are not so lacking! I’ll be in for a major organization and makeover when we do the big upper renovation next year…
katyquilts
Wow! What a huge difference! I need to do this as well. I should start next week since hubby will be out of town. But will I?
Kate
You did really well with your deep clean. I need to do the same, but I much rather sew!
piecefulwendy
Me too! Any day. I did sneak some sewing in today.
quiltinggail
Belated Happy Anniversary!!!
I loved reading about your organization … and the awesome results! Very cool!
Happy Quilting! 🙂