Organizing the Fat Quarters

In the continuing saga of straightening up my sewing room, I have a pretty nice little set up for my fat quarters which I have been using for many years.

Now it's new and improved.

This little dresser (chest of drawers) is packed full of fabric. The top drawer is where I have most of my fat quarter packs - those complete sets of fabrics of a single line. Some are getting to be almost vintage, I fear. Also, some charm packs are there, and other groupings by designer or line.

The second, third and fifth drawers all contain fat quarters, sorted mostly by color. I have a small section in the second drawer with some groupings - see the front left of the second drawer, - but mostly the FQs are color-ordered. It took me forever to get this task accomplished. For the last many years, I have been super-duper lazy about orderly storage. I had haphazardly stuffed pieces into drawers, paying no attention to color; if space was available, and I had a handful of FQs, I packed 'em in there. 

In the 4th drawer, I had some larger cuts of fabric - these are mostly 1-yard cuts - and since that's where they were and it worked nicely enough, I just left them there. I am reconsidering that decision, now though, as I keep finding FQs in various tubs, and the other drawers are all full. I may end up moving those larger cuts into the tubs that contain yardage fabrics.

I am pleased with my progress. My goal to clean off the cutting table by today was met, mostly. I had an ulterior motive for the goal - Sharon was coming to sew, and I thought she might need space to cut. I knew I would be cutting out a new project, one that she, too, will be starting. I had to make space for her, just in case.

I still have some items sitting out down at that far end, but those are the scrap-busting tubs and baskets that remain on my immediate agenda. I didn't work on any of that today, but I do plan to return to scrap management steadily over the next few weeks, if not longer. (I have a lot, a l-o-t of scraps.)

Bit by bit, I am making significant in-roads in the fight against clutter in this sewing room. I will bring another episode next time I post. 

I have other exciting things to bring to the blog (exciting?? well...) and since I am not teaching this semester, I hope I will get back to a more regular posting schedule. I really have slacked off in the past year or so, and there's no time like the present to correct that situation.

Happy Quilting, Friends!