I start with my actual scraps. Keeping them organized is key for me.
What is a scrap of fabric? For me, anything less then a quarter of a yard and/or less then a fat quarter, goes into one of my bins shown below...by color.
What is a scrap of fabric? For me, anything less then a quarter of a yard and/or less then a fat quarter, goes into one of my bins shown below...by color.
The bins and shelving came from Target. The bins came in Black or Gray Metal finish. I spray painted the gray bins, white. There are 9 of them.
1. Red,
2. Oranges & Yellows,
3. Black & Grays,
4. White & Cream,
5. Green,
6. Blues & Purples,
7. Brown,
8. Pinks and
9. Halloween {I'm saving all Halloweenish fabric scraps to make a Halloween string quilt someday}
1. Red,
2. Oranges & Yellows,
3. Black & Grays,
4. White & Cream,
5. Green,
6. Blues & Purples,
7. Brown,
8. Pinks and
9. Halloween {I'm saving all Halloweenish fabric scraps to make a Halloween string quilt someday}
Next on my list... Organizing my Scrappy Projects...
I have several of the boxes below. They are 12x12 storage boxes I bought in the scrapbooking department of our local craft store a few years ago.
I keep most of my on-going projects in these boxes. Including my Scrappy Projects.
I have several of the boxes below. They are 12x12 storage boxes I bought in the scrapbooking department of our local craft store a few years ago.
I keep most of my on-going projects in these boxes. Including my Scrappy Projects.
Here is a 12x12 plastic box that I found at JoAnn's. Not as sturdy as the ones above, but less money and will do just fine. I paid $5 for it.
What I think is great about this size of a box;
I can fit more then one on a shelf,
They're large enough to accommodate up to a 12" quilt block,
And they're clear, allowing me to see a bit of the project inside
I put the blocks in progress, finished blocks, fabric, and pattern for the project, in the box. (sometimes thread too, especially if it's a color I don't use that often).
I can fit more then one on a shelf,
They're large enough to accommodate up to a 12" quilt block,
And they're clear, allowing me to see a bit of the project inside
I put the blocks in progress, finished blocks, fabric, and pattern for the project, in the box. (sometimes thread too, especially if it's a color I don't use that often).
Now this doesn't mean you have to run out and buy some 12x12 containers.
Heavens.... Use what you have to start off with.
Shoe Box?
Document Box?
The Box your latest Internet order came in?
If possible, it's always good to try something out when Organizing, before you spend a bunch of money. Because what works for one person, may not work for another.
I have a closet with lots of shelving, so I have plenty of space and just the right set up, for these boxes.
I see these all over and I've even seen them at Yard Sales and Thrift Stores. If you don't have shelving in your sewing space, something like this might work better for you.
I found this one on Amazon HERE. My Scrappy Projects are almost always on-going projects. And personally I think in order to finish them someday, they need to be easily accessible and ready to work on when the mood strikes me.
How do you organize your scraps? I would love it, if you shared your scrappy organization pictures with the group on flickr!
Tomorrow I'll have a little recap of our first week... Including a Book Review ! It's a simply awesome book about Scraps that I think you're going to like.
Oh ! And tomorrow there will be another chance to enter in the Grand Prize drawing !!!
Happy Scrappy Sewing !!! ooxx`jodi
44 comments:
Están fantásticas lsa ideas para tener organizadas todas las telas!!! asi són fáciles de encontrar. Un beso
that rainbow shelf is great, 10 drawers, I'd need about 10 of them to hold UFO's. haha love your organization
Wow! You do have a lot of scraps. I don't have enough to sort by colour so I just have one box for "strips" and one for "pieces" ie. squares/triangles.
I LOVE your color organization!! I wish I had space to do that. Unfortunately, my room is more scrapbooking than quilting--though I am going to start evening that out! LOL
I would love to see your entire sewing room..is there a post with it pictured? Also, I was wondering-do you worry about your fabrics getting dustyand/or fading, being in open bins? How do you store your non scraps?
I organized my scraps 2 days ago and I actually have more than I thought I would, I didn't sew a ton in 2011 like I would have thought I would have. I wish I had room for how you have your scraps, I have a pretty great room but right now my scraps are in plastic containers that are about a shoe box size, and it feels so good to have them organized!!! thanks!
OOPS! I just found your "My Studio" Button on the side of the blog! LOVE your room!!!! I also saw how you organized your items...I did see mention of your stashing philosophy...would love to hear more about that! Thanks!
I love organising (and stationary) nearly as much as fabric! Wonderful :)
Love the bins with the metal baskets! I will become organised one day....
I use new pizza boxes that our local pizza place was kind to donate to me. I also cut fabric into a variety of squares from 2 to 5 1/2 pieces and put them into plastic shoe boxes.
I also use new pizza boxes. I purchased a case of them from a restaurant supply shop online - years ago. Very inexpensive. They are big and work great for storing blocks for a particular project.
Thanks for the great tips , I must get my scraps organized by color , right now they are just a mismatch altogether.
whenever those clear plastic boxes are on sale at Joanns I load up... they are great project boxes, I agree.
Woo! Thanks for posting the bins from target. I've been looking for something like that everywhere. Closest I've come is at the Container Store and they're crazy expensive. I don't want to spend $100+ to organize scraps.
I have always shared my scraps with fellow quilters so I have not had them organized. This year I am going to make a quilt with what I have. Right now I am ironing to start cutting.
I DON'T organize my scraps, so this is great to see!
I remembered reading about your scrap storage a while back & did my own version of it. Although mine is on a much smaller scale, it really works for me. I'm in the process of re-organizing my studio closet, & then I'll do a post as a Part 3 of My Mystical Magical Tour of my studio/craft room. I've gotten lots of good ideas from you, so thank you very much!
CAS
Thanks for the fantastic ideas for organizing scraps! I am setting up a new quilting space and think I need to plan a section for my leftover scraps.
Great organizing! I pretty much do the same and organize by color and size. I use a pull out drawers from Walmart. They have wheels so it helps when I need to pull it to my sewing machine. I have square containers like yours but I got mine at Target for about he same price. Thanks for sharing!
I just love the scraps you have and how they're organized. I've not figured out yet what and how to organize mine. The reason for that is there are a few questions in my mind as to HOW to do it. Because I've been doing machine embroidery since 2003, a lot of my scraps aren't necessarily 'quilt' quality fabrics but they are still nice fabrics. I don't know if I should just organize those along with my quilt fabrics and use those along with the quilt fabrics when making things or keep them all separate, which causes me to have multiple storage spaces for similar colors but different fabrics. That sounds like duplicate storage and space needed and don't know if that's really necessary.
Right now the quilting fabric scraps are outnumbered by those others. I have one bag which I recently won of good quality scraps and the rest are in the 'other' category but still really great fabrics. ugh.
Any ideas?
I would LOVE that rolling rainbow colored drawer storage cart. They come in different sizes with some having fewer, but larger drawers. I've been wanting to buy those for about 3 yrs now for more than just fabric scrap storage. Sadly, I can't figure out where to put them in my wall to wall with furniture sewing room. :( (I am currently reassessing my room and rethinking a few items which may open an area up but still unsure yet on that thought. Anyone have a larger sewing room for me? THAT would solve all my problems. haha
I have my scraps divided in bins I made from fabric. I divided them into neutrals/lights, dark and bright strings. I also have a small 4 tier plastic drawer unit that I have divided up scrapes cut into certain sizes, ie 2.5" squares, 3.5"squares, etc. However, I think I need to reorganzie by colour soon. I recently used up all my dark strings in a string quilt, so that bin is just about empty. (reminds me I need to post about that). Bonnie K Hunter over at Quiltville.com has lots of great hints on scrap storage.
WHAT!?! Orange doesn't have its own bin? It has to share with yellow? That's so sad. At least Halloween has its own bin.
I wonder if there is a place online that would sell those clear 12x12 boxes with lids that you've pictured? I've seen them used for kits at quilt stores, etc. They must buy them in bulk? Maybe a few friends could get together and buy a BUNCH and divide the cost...saving $$?
I kind of like to keep my scraps in drawers to keep the dust off.
One of my biggest problems with knowning how to sort my scraps, is what sizes should I cut them? Or do you just put all sizes and cut later?
Thanks for all of your LOVELY photos and ideas!!
I am VERY excited about this subject matter you are pursuing on your blog!!! SEW-SEW excited, I'm clicking my heels!!
hugZ,
annie
anniesrubyslipperz.com
I just gave most of my scraps to another quilter; just kept a ziplock bag of each color. I had to many for my sewing room. So many it was impossible to access them since they were in boxes stacked on top of boxes. Now each bag is on a shelf; I can see them and get to them so it will work better. Your system is great...my dream sewing room will be bigger.
I have been looking for ideas on how to organize my scrap fabrics. I did finally get all my fat quarters put away in clear, plastic containers. It's a start. Now, onto the smaller scraps. Thanks for sharing your ideas!
I have two large boxes from Ikea. One holds small scraps and the other large ones. I have baskets for fat quarters (and thereabouts) that are arranged by color. I have a large for fat quarters, that are tied into bundles according to their color. I have way more fabric than I used to, but not as much as you have. I am wondering how to store my 30's scraps as I am just finishing The Farmer's Wife Quilt along. I have about 4 fabric collections and I store them by collection on their own shelves.
my scras are in one big bin, but I do have boxes and tubs with size specific scraps. Like you, I find 12 x 12 boxes perfect for WIPs, and as a quilting butterfly it means I have all those projects contained and easy to access with everything ready to go when the mood takes me! Great post, thank you :)
I cut all my scraps into strips, squares, and triangles. The strips vary in width from 1" to 3" and the squares are from 2" to 8". The triangles usually come from the leftover fabric from when I am making bias binding.
The strips I put in plastic bags/bins based on their width and the squares, I keep based on their size. I love scrappy quilts so there is no need for me to organize them by color.
I have the Home Center Rolling Cart and I love the cherry colors and is so handy.
JUST BE CAREFUL TO NOT LOOSE THE LITTLE TOOL THAT COMES WITH IT.
I lost mine and my husband has not been able to find the tool size to tighten the drawers up. They will loosen over time. I have to wedge mine between desk and wall so it will not move and the drawers do not slip out on the sides.
I LIKE IT SO MUCH-I have not been able to get rid of it, despite the problem.
I love your organizing tips! Just starting to quilt, so I need a way (or 3) to keep it all organized right from the start.....
You sure make your scraps look pretty!!! I think that is my next challenge. I hide mine in bins in the closet!
I even use the square plastic tubs that fresh spinach comes in. They are handy for some things and don't cost a dime.
I even use the square plastic tubs that fresh spinach comes in. They are handy for some things and don't cost a dime.
Gosh Jodie...your scraps are simply delish!!! Love your bins! makes me want to run out and buy some so that I can organize!!
Laurel/NJ
WHaeser1@aol.com
quick note for the quilters in utah. the 12x12 clear boxes are cheaper at xpedx. i think i got them for $2.50ish. but that was last year before i moved. now i'm kicking myself for not buying them out of their stock before leaving the state. i love the target cubes and ikea makes a clear box that fits in them. i'm trying to convince my husband to make me pottery barn-esque craft table with the two of the target 9-cube thingies on the side. we'll see if i can get it for my anniversary in a few weeks. :-) thanks for the great ideas. i need some motivation to downsize & use up my scraps!
I have almost the same set up as you. Only thing is Target stopped selling those wire baskets and I had to buy some fabric bins.
I really like your idea of the bins. I just have mine in small clear plastic totes, for now. Not a lot of space in my corner of the basement, so the lidded containers work well to keep dust out lol. Thanks for the new ideas!
These are great shelves only if cross-braces are put on the back--otherwise they collapse waaaaay to easily.
(whoops! Accidentally posted under the good old family account. :)
You have no idea how timely this is for me. I am determined to finally tame those scraps. For real. And I really want to do it by color.
I'm moving all my fabric into a different (smaller) space in my house, so I'm highly motivated to get things under control. Thanks for the motivation Jodi!!
Your organized fabric looks soooo pretty. I've oraganized my fabric in plastic bins... but need to do some more organizing... I really like the rolling cart. Must check that out. Happy quilting!
I don't have near that many scraps, but I do organize them in a similar way~ little baggies or totes. ;-)
Ooh I need scrap storage so bad!
Mine are in a bag on the floor...you get the picture!
Great ideas! I am redoing my sewing and craft room right now - these will definitely help me!
I too am organizing and purging my sewing room. I found a GREAT place for clear, square boxers. The Container store is on line and has retail outlets. They have a fantastic variety of sizes available. Will be checking at Target for the wire basket set up first though. Thanks for the great ideas!
Linda what a great idea, using the clear plastic bins the spinach comes in! I also like the wood bins the Cuties come in. For my sewing room I used baskets from Dollar Tree, just a buck a piece and have holes in them to see what in them.
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