You might be surprised that my stash is quite modest. I LOVE fabric, but I don't tend to hoard it. Every bit of fabric I have fits in this cabinet, which is in my foyer right next to the room where my sewing cabinet lives (our un-formal living room). I just love this cabinet. It's made of reclaimed distressed wood, and is just perfect for this purpose.
Although I have extra bedrooms that could be used as a sewing room, I choose to have an Un-Sewing Room downstairs, so the doors on this cabinet keep my stash hidden away when it needs to me hidden. And just FYI, my cutting mat and rulers stand up right behind it too, so everything is right where I need it!
Here's my stash! All fabric bundles and sets are on the top shelf. I've really been trying to bust through it, though I still have a few bundles left, including a full FQ bundle of Bonnie and Camille's Happy Go Lucky! Once I use a bundle, the scraps get sorted by color. I don't keep scraps from the same line together unless I can make another quilt with only that fabric.
The rest is arranged by color and folded as neatly as I can. From left to right, the second shelf has pink/purple, blue/aqua, and green has its own tall pile (you can tell it's my favorite color). The third shelf has red/orange/yellow, white/gray/black, and brown/tan. On the very bottom, I have my ugly fat quarters. These are ones that came in a grab bag set that I will never use in a quilt. I use them for FMQ practice. Then there's my leftover binding (which will be pieced to go on a scrappy quilt one day), some leftover camouflage fabric (which I'm thinking of giving away), and my Christmas fabric.
I don't worry too much about folding it all to the same size. Since each color stack is relatively small, it's pretty easy to find what I need (and I pretty much know what's in there anyway). These stacks have everything that is close to a fat quarter in size and bigger.
My smaller scraps and strings get sorted into three baskets- cool, warm, and neutral. I've only recently sorted these out like this and I'm planning to start improv piecing some scrappy blocks in my spare time. Eventually they'll make a great quilt!
So, that's it! As far as stashes and scraps go, it's not a ton, but it's enough for me!
OOOOhhh...the black cabinet shows off those beautiful colors! You are a very disciplined quilter. Love the new look of your site!
ReplyDeleteYour cabinet is so charming, I love it! And that pile of Happy Go Lucky! I'm excited to see what you do with it.
ReplyDeleteI think it's hilarious that you have an "ugly" shelf. I need one of those!
Thank you so much for sharing. Totally fascinating how different we all are even though we share the same passion!
Thank you Sarah! I can't wait to get into the Happy Go Lucky. It's my next project after the final memory quilt, although I haven't decided what I'm doing with it just yet! And- you definitely need an ugly shelf! Those FQ's that game in grab bags and boxes that you just know you'll never use. Great for FMQ practice!
Delete:) Kelly
Beautiful cabinet, and very organised we just moved house and I am in the process if trying to sort my sewing room into a much smaller room. Time to get organised!
ReplyDeleteSome of your ugly quarters look pretty to me! Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder! Thank you for sharing your fabric. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind comment. I guess that's really true- beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I guess you could say that much of that fabric is just a little bit dated.
Delete:) Kelly
ps- I'm responding here because you're showing up as a no-reply blogger.
Thank you for letting me know I'm a no-reply blogger. I'll hunt down how to change that...and maybe get some help from my husband or my kids to actually make it happen!! :)
DeleteI just love your scraps baskets!
ReplyDeleteSo much fun favrics I detected!
As a fabric 'hoarder' I really do appreciate the simplicity of your small stash. I can only imagine how many boxes I'd need for my stash and all the other tools etc that I've acquired over 14 years of quilting should I ever have to move it, because as a 'hoarder' I'd probably not get rid of any of it!
ReplyDeleteI am awed my your minimalist fabric collection!! Good grief - I've been collecting fabric since I was in my teens, and I'm almost 60 now, so.... And, I have my mother's collection, too - I'm thinking of putting all my fabric into a separate bedroom so my sewing space is less crowded and so I can go shopping in my own store!! Thanks for showing your style!
ReplyDeleteHappy Sewing,
Liz
Thanks Liz! With a smaller stash, I end up with a lot of fabric turnover, so I don't run the risk of my taste or styles changing. Plus it keeps me in my husband's good graces, haha! I'm so glad you visited!
Delete:) Kelly
Awesome! Perfect cabinet! And oh how i wish i could keep things neat and tidy like this... and your baskets for scraps are so much prettier than the diaper boxes that currently hold my scraps!
ReplyDeleteYour fabric looks great - I love the way you keep it folded. I have a smallish stash too. I much prefer to use it up and then by more than have it languishing for years :)
ReplyDeleteYou are so neat and organized! Having seen the photos you shared of your classroom, of course this is what I should have expected. I have to remind myself to USE USE USE my fabric rather than let it linger and go out of style/like.
ReplyDeleteYou've used up some fabric off the top shelf since the last time I saw your stash. Good job!
ReplyDeleteLOVE that cabinet. and I love how everything is right there - i just love seeing a happy bundle of fabric. nothing better!
ReplyDelete