How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

SanDesigns — Thu, 03 May 2012 03:15:47 GMT

I've had all my fabric stored by color like a rainbow on glass shelves mounted on store display white grid shelving but I've found that when everything is stored so perfectly it inhibits my spontaneous creativity because I don't want to disturb how neat everything is! I have seven white Elfa drawer units and have moved my fabric collection into these units with the baskets which are lined up along a wall by colors like the rainbow. I think it is easier to be truly creative when you can just "root around" to find the exact piece you want without having to refold each piece after playing around to find what might work for your project.

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

caliwildviolet9 — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:14:28 GMT

You could probably create a contest for a collage, created from 'Workshop Floor Collections"....It might be hard to regulate, but it might also be interesting. Take a photo before a project begins in a day and at the end of a day...or a longer time period, photo prior to clean up. List the items that are being used in the collage and add a small list of other items that can be randomly chosen to add to the collage if needed, such as stiffener, fusible webbing..or some limited embellishments... ...who knows, what might develop from that pile of discarded creative fury...

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

caliwildviolet9 — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:10:10 GMT

I too have a plaid collection. I love this little article and it made me laugh. Sorting by color always brings up the question about: Does this pattern have more pink than red and which color does it belong with (as and example). Being an ex doll designer and working with miniatures makes it hard to toss out scraps, however I too set the size to about 4" to 6" square.

I began rolling the fabric up and keeping it in boxes that I could see the top of each roll. I keep all felts, leathers and special textures separated. I hang ribbons and trims on a dowel when I actually use my cold little work space.

When I had an actual studio, I loved the snip and fall method, as it really does save time, unless you have a cat or dog in the room with you.

Using see through plastic boxes is the best for quick picking.

I think anyone who works with fabric a lot will testify to the use and pile methods that happen because some ideas only last a moment in the mind and a slow day is for sorting.

I use ziplocks for the small scraps, also sorting by color.

I also have a recycled fabric section for any fabric from clothing that can be reused due to texture, colors, pattern or otherwise and I use to separate by what the fabric could be used for, from backing to cutting out pieces like butterflies or anything.

And finally, there are times when my workshop is organized and times when it is chaos. If the work area is chaos, creative juices are flowing and it is more important to keep that going than to clean up. I also have a good memory and know what I have on hand....even if I cannot always find it.

Cali Wild Violet Creations

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

SusanMichael — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 02:49:31 GMT

I sort my scraps by size and by color theme. I am currently using up scraps from a large project to make a crazy quilt so I am using up my tiny snips all the way up to 3 inch strips. As I trim I try to keep my remainders sorted by size so I can build from the smaller pieces. Goal is to end up with no tiny pieces.

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

SusanMichael — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 02:49:29 GMT

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

SusanMichael — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 02:49:24 GMT

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

ArtistInResidence — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:17:54 GMT

After losing a special piece of fabric and later finding it in a box marked "Lamp Shades" I knew I had to organize. I purchased a large nunber of 12"x15"by10" colorful cardboard storage boxes. Starting with box #1, I folded my fabric to fit, and snipped a small sample as the piece was placed in the box. The sample is adheared to a 2"x1" card, notated with the yardage, width and box number. The card is mounted in a loose-leaf binder according to color, or a specific use. The boxes are stored in numerical order on steel utility shelves along one wall of the basement guest bedroom (seldom used), with an attractive curtain mounted over the front. There 12 boxes on each shelf unit, and 4 units. I know, Iknow--my children tell me it is a sickness and I need to join a support group! I am no longer allowed in a fabric store unless I am on a leash. My quilts in progress are in medium size clear plastic containers stashed on shelves on one wall of my sewing/craft room. My "snippets" are presently all in one box, but must be organized soon before the task becomes overwhelming. I am thinking of photo boxes when they are on sale at the craft stores.

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

Meirah — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 04:01:29 GMT

A tip I learned long ago when sewing anything: Take a small paper bag, and tape it onto the table where you sew, right at your right hand. When you cut the threads, or trim anything, it goes right into the little brown bag, and helps keep things tidy.

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

Meirah — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 04:01:24 GMT

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

Moonwishes — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 01:21:11 GMT

I am fortunate enough to have a sewing room that should have plenty of space! My cutting table is made from an old Civil War era sqaure grand piano. Under it is my boxes of garment fabric and a rolling cart that holds my thread, machine embroidery hoops, stabilizers, etc. In the closet are boxes of my quilting fabrics. I use paper storage boxes for the big chunks of fabrics. and sho boxes for strips of 3", 2 1/2", 2" and 1 1/2" . At the end of every quilting project, I cut all my leftovers into strips, 4 1/2" squares, 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares and 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles. I have found that those sizes allow me to jump into a quilting project on a moments notice. I also have a box that I throw odd shaped strips that are at least 1- 1 1/4" wide for making string blocks and have ended up with several quilts from throwaways. I do admit to pitching anything smaller than a 2 1/2" square. My biggest problem in my sewing room is I also love to read and I love to read anything and everything about sewing, quilter and needlecraft so I have 3 bookcases in the sewing room that are completely full and 2 more bookcases have snuck on over to the bedroom and gotten filled up too. Not sure what I'm going to do now and I just keep collecting books and magazines. I have bad arthritis and many times for weeks on end I can't sew, so I like to read about sewing. I also have a dresser filled with patterns, and other sewing supplies. I think I could control the chaos if I stuck to one or two sewing things, but I makemy own clothes, quilt, make charity projects, embroidery and other craft items

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

erinkhaugh — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:09:01 GMT

Vivika,

First of all, I must admit, I have a Fabric Room! My fabric is stacked from floor to (almost) ceiling in bookcases. The majority is color-coded, but some "collections" are sorted by theme - Halloween, Christmas, butterfly, trains, etc. My grown daughters call it "The Store" when they come over to raid it!

I hardly ever buy Fat Quarters (I might run out!), but I do store most of my scraps in clear containers. But one of my favorite ideas is to store cut strips in plastic silverware organizers. It keeps them neat & you can have a tray for each different size strips.

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

JulianneMason — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:08:58 GMT

I sort my fabric s by folding the bigger pieces like fat quarter up and put them on

my shelves. The smaller pieces I sort and cut into 2 1/2 in squares, then 2 in,

then 1 1/2 and sort those in containers. I cut 2 1/2 in strips if possible. Then other

narrower strips I save to make clothesline baskets etc. The salvage I keep in my

garage to tie garbage bags with. I try to used every possible thread of my

material. I like to read how other people do their spaces also. I sew all things,

quilts, clothes, just starting mixed media, home dec. I love it all!

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

lindakyger — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:33:44 GMT

I store most of my scraps, ribbon, yarns, wool scraps etc in interesting baskets on a 1 x 9 inch shelf that is about 10 inches from the ceiling around the entire tinly room I have for all my creative fiber art work. The baskets are easy to get down to eye level and add texture to the folded fabric and books that also acompany the shelves. Some of the baskets with handles are too tall so I hang them from cup hooks attached to the bottom of the shelves. Makes for a fun "studio". The thing I have learned is when you move from larger to smaller and yet smaller spaces, you have to be extremely creative on sorting, keeping and storing all the precious items needed in your art/craft work.

Linda

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

CindyB@64 — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:32:07 GMT

I hate having bunches of "stuff" around so once I cut into a piece of fabric, I finish it off. I cut the scraps into the largest possible pieces from 5" x 5" on down to 2" x 2". I store the small pieces in clear plastic shoe boxes with a size card on the end of the bin. I slide the bins onto a shelving unit.. If I need a quick gift, the pieces are probably already cut ...

re: How to Sort Fabric Art Scraps - Or Not

Sandragram — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:46:42 GMT

** One should never own more Stash than they can hope to use in one lifetime** I hope to have 9 lives as a cat might..

I was not so recently gifted not only my sisters stash and my mothers stash, also my neighbors mom 's gifted storage unit plus very dear to me crochet hooks with tip covers..

With a plan of moving into a new home in a different province I began taming my Feral Stash a number of weeks ago.. I bagged matching fabrics for quilting, I sorted yarns then bagged them according to color and or project UFO. It's all coming together, I now remember where I last saw the particular item! In a little bit of time I will have a room all my own in a new home, the room at 9 ft x 9 ft will have a wall full of cubbies, just big enough to fit certain totes.. I hope to fit all my feral and not so Feral stash in it.. A folding banquet table will become my cutting table, my sewing table will fit under a window.. as for the clean up, it drives my hunny MR Vacuum crazy on some days; he so dislikes the idea of scraps being tracked to other rooms and especially finding a straight pin underfoot.. (in foot?) oh my plan as I put those totes in their new home will be to paste a photgraph of the contents on each tote.. Am I ever looking forward to being this organised! The room shall have a door I will just close it weile I'm deep in a project.. A photo of this new room will arrive as soon as it is built!

Happy Valentines Day.. Sandra ♥