My fabric stash

This is my fabric stash. On the top shelves are some of my quilts, both ones I have made and others from my mom or grandmother. Earlier this year I had the time to devote to cleaning closets and decided I had to get a grip on my stash, once and for all.

So I started sorting. And folding, boxing, and discarding. And agonizing whether I would really use a piece of fabric or should cull it for the greater good of the storage situation. When I was finished culling, I had filled two of the extra large ziploc storage bags with the handles (not the food bags, the ones 2 ft x 3 ft). After years and years of buying fabric, I found some that may have been my taste in the 90's, but seriously wasn't now!

Now that I had a pile of fabric that I loved, wanted to use, and needed to be able to retrieve easily, I hit on the idea of the boxes on shelves. I hied myself to the Lowe's and bought shelf standards and brackets and shelf boards. The boxes came from the dollar store (cheapest source). They supplemented some I already was using. I set my sewing machine on the left (the large bag on top holds cutting boards, rulers and a large quilting hoop) and the boxes on the floor are patterns and kits. Behind them on the floor below the bottom shelf are quilt batting and home dec fabric leftovers.

So, maybe you are wondering what I did with all that discarded fabric? I found a senior center about 40 miles away which had a quilting group. I called them and made arrangement to drive up on a meeting day. Needless to say, they were agog. Those old ladies are going to be supplied with fabric for YEARS. It worked out well for everyone.