One of my more urgent studio goals has been
to re-fold, re-sort, and re-arrange the stash,
including the piles of fabrics left after my
full-on drawstring bag cutting-out spree.
I found that having my Kaffe fabrics separated
on their own shelves wasn't such a good plan.
I was 'collecting' them - I wasn't using them.
So they are now blended into the main stash by color.
Ditto for the resource box contents.
And I feel much better about this arrangement.
I also spread the greens and blues across
two side-by-side shelves instead of
having them the way they were before
with the greens on two shelves in one bookcase
and the blues on two shelves in the other.
The remaining solids are paired with their resource boxes
to take advantage of the extra space on those shelves
where a shoe box fits but not a full resource box.
(the shirtings and Marcia Derse fabrics
are still in their boxes on the bottom shelf
pending specific projects I'm considering)
As time permits, I'll sort the KF spot fabrics
by color and get them back into the main stash.
I like having the yellows/oranges on the higher shelves
and the browns/blacks and whites spread out
so they are easier to see/use.
You can tell by those two nearly-empty shelves
that I have used quite a lot of fabric,
especially with the gift bag and utility mat projects.
Yes!!
(and no, that does not automatically mean
it is time to go fabric shopping . . . )
I am most especially pleased with the project box shelves.
I have combined ideas and scuttled others
giving me space to set up storage boxes
for the seven different sizes of drawstring gift bags
as well as the nine surviving projects in their
various stages of gestation/preparation.
(that empty/open "breathing" space feels so good)
And as I handle yardage or leftover quilt backings,
I've been cutting strings for two or three future projects.
(gathering over an extended time period ensures
any resulting quilts will be super scrappy)
* * *
I'm sure there will be more reorganizations
in the future, but for now I am content
and ready to get back to those year-end goals.
Quiltdivajulie
“Color is, on the evidence of language alone, very bound up with the feelings.”
Marion Milner
10 comments:
It looks really nice. I am sure that most of us re-tweak our stash. I have found, like you, that visual is so helpful and creative. It just takes time to find that sweet spot. I'm still tweaking mine. I am sure your mind is whirring with new ideas!
I am in awe of the color sorting and folding and placeing on your shelves but I have a question... on some prints and most KF prints I have a hell of a time figuring out what color to put it with!
How do you decide?
My stash could certainly use a tweak. And a good using up of. And some re-homing. Yours looks so nice and organized (not teetering or crammed in stacks) and - you! By that I mean it doesn't appear that you have fabrics from long ago that are no longer your style. I did take up your use of paint chip cards for my bins of fat quarters a while back. It's so much easier to know what's in the bin with color chips than with written labels!?
I would end up with a whole shelf of multicolor prints that have no dominant color.
What an impressive set-up. My fabric is stored in mis-matched tubs some of which are stacked, making it difficult to find things. I wrestle with how to sort, too. I mostly color sort, but have Christmas, Kaffe (small #), florals, and kids/novelty bins.
When you cut strings from yardage or fat quarters, what sizes do you cut? I find my scrap strings are often not long enough, so I wind up having to cut from yardage sometimes.
Pat
It's always a pleasure to be invited into your stash room, Julie! You are a true master at organization.
Love seeing how you’ve organized your stash! So inviting !
Each time I see a post with your stunning organisation of your stash I am green with envy!!! I turn around to my shelves and boxes and drawers and think yes, I must get a handle on these fabrics of mine. I'm interesting in your comment about the Kaffe fabrics being blending into your main stash. I would likely have problems doing that because I do have mostly KF Collective fabrics, AMH and some Tula Pink whose collections are very different from the first two designers. I do get where you're coming from with the 'collecting', I too am guilty of that!
It certainly feels good to have some 'free' space! And what a good idea to incorporate your Kaffe with your staff. I keep mine separated and it doesn't get used, lol. What are your resources boxes?
We are currently living in really small circumstances and have no room to even think about my stash. BUT I have decided that when I can get to it, I will work on one bin at a time, starting with my Christmas stash, and empty the bins. I have too much fabric and have collected long enough without really doing any thing with it. I am so glad for you, that you are making progress. I hope to be doing the same soon.
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