Folding Fabric

There’s nothing I like better than sitting on the floor in my sewing area, patterns around me and possible fabric combinations. It both excites and calms me. With this end in mind, I’ve decided that my open shelving unit should be devoted to folded fabric. I continue to be inspired to “create my perfect space,” as described in my earlier post, Measure Your Fabric… Say Whaaat?. When finished, my fabric should be neatly displayed and I should be able to “go shopping” in my own stash.
I’ve already folded some smaller pieces neatly, and they fit into my existing clear boxes. I’m left with some scraps that I just need to let go of! (By donating them, not piling them up in another corner!)
I’m too cheap to buy the special Omnigrid 8 1/2″ x 24″ ruler that author Lois Hallock describes as the perfect folding tool, so I’m scrounging around the house for something that will work. (Maybe some new linoleum scraps from my husband’s recent kitchen project.)
The non-fabric items that are currently on the shelves will go into the drawers. My pattern stash occupies one whole drawer and someday I’ll have to tackle it too. In the meanwhile, color and fabric rule!

Measure Your Fabric… Say Whaaaat?

I’ve been inspired by a book I got at the library, Creating Your Perfect Quilting Space, by Lois Hallock. I sew more clothing than quilts, but I have a tiny sewing area and I was looking for organizing ideas. Lois is a professional engineer and, as a second career, a professional organizer who specializes in organizing sewing rooms. She says: “Measure your fabric. I am not kidding.” It makes sense: you can’t figure out how much storage you need until you measure what you have. Lois also has ideas for how to fold your stash so you can see it — wow, what a concept. Thoroughly inspired, and determined to procrastinate from measuring the volume of all my fabric, I sat down one night with one of my small pieces box (I have two — one light fabrics and one dark fabrics) and tried what she suggested. The idea is to fold so pieces up to one yard can be visible in a clear box that is about 5″-6″ high. I didn’t have the 8″ x 24″ quilting ruler she specified, but I did have a 4″ by 18″ ruler, so I folded the fabric and voila! a box full of flat folded fabric was suddenly neat. She says put smaller scraps into a scrap basket, and I’ll do that too — or I might give them away since they are not big enough for apparel. She has another size recommended for cuts from 1-3 yards, and I plan to try that too.
Lois’ book is full of rooms of various sizes and ladies with various budgets, hence her subtitle, “Sewing rooms for any space and any budget.” Ergonomics are very important, she says, since you need to be productive with the time you have.
Here are my plans from her book: 1. Get an office chair that adjusts. Can you believe I’m using a folding chair?! 2. Measure the volume of my fabric. 3. Get a rolling cart for my serger so that I can create a “work triangle,” as recommended for kitchens.
Have a look at Lois’ lovely book on Amazon.com: Creating Your Perfect Quilting Space