Digging out from the fabric storm

This morning I finally attacked the scrambled mess that my stash closet had become, partly because I was shamed by the organizing effort Elaine has put in recently. I would love to have a large chest of drawers to store my fabric like she has. It would be so simple, just pull out a drawer and look at all the choices, not wrestle plastic boxes off shelves like I have to do.

Anyway, over the past several months (Ha, since January! Be honest!) I have been a total slob about keeping my stash in order. I would pull out selections, cut out patches and drop the folded remains in a pile in front of the shelves. A pile that finally reached such Biblical proportions that I had to break down and fold, stack, and file. Which I did, during a two hour marathon this morning.

Oh, the things you'll find.I was reminded of quilts that I had started planning last year by several three yard cuts of large florals, which would be focus fabric and borders of the designs. Some of which designs, I have to admit, I can't remember. And there, on the top shelf in the green fabric bins, are self-assembed kits for projects, all not started yet. On the bottom left is a large bin of juvenile fabric for Project Linus work. And on the bottom right are dressmaking supplies and patterns, which could be better stored somewhere else, along with the brown bag of dressmaking fabrics. Those skirts I made in the spring reminded me I don't really enjoy sewing clothes any more.

My system is fairly orderly but not particularly handy to see what is stored. The boxes contain smaller pieces, some just scraps, of fabrics sorted by color. I always wrestle with the concept of "how small is too small to keep?" So, one of those red topped boxes is a scrap box for small fragments, which may or may not be silly because I'm not a "crumbs" type of piecer. That box is probably just a holding pattern until I dispose of them. If anyone is interested, I will gladly dump them in a box and mail them to you.

Yardage is folded and stored in the bottom bins and lying on top of the bottom shelf boxes. It's hard to remember exactly what I have, so these straightening sessions are good for refreshing the memory. And, I was reminded of how much fabric I have. "Guilted" about it, more like it.

One of the best things about this cleaning business is that it cleared a place in the center front for my other sewing machine. It's not in use as much as my Juki and I like to keep it safely tucked away in the closet. When there isn't a big ol' pile of fabtic there.