What a wonderful problem to have: So much fabric that I have to figure out ways to store and organize it all. I need a lot of fabric for my style of quilting. Not a large quantity, mind you, not like bolts and bolts. Variety is what I need—lots of different fabrics of colors and prints and visual textures. But putting my hands on them when needed, that’s another issue. I could put it all in my vintage suitcase collection–some of which ends up there–but being able to find and access it all, that takes a little more organization. Read the blog below for some of my solutions.
And be on the lookout this Saturday for an update of another related post: “It’s in the Details: My Studio.” I recently removed “Crocodylus Smylus” from my pinning wall where she had been hanging out for more than a year. Stevie was headed off to the New England Quilt Museum as part of my retrospective show, appearing there for three months starting September 26. Since she’ll be gone for an extended period, I thought I’d take advantage of her absence and remove the extra panels I had added to my pinning wall. Lo and behold! I found two windows and an entire doorway under there! Check out the video this Saturday of Tom and I removing Stevie and the panels, and uncovering the hidden doorway!
Serendipity Quilts for Sale
My book on fabric collage, Serendipity Quilts, is back in stock! The price is $29.95 plus shipping. For a signed copy click the button below. Note: If you want a inscribed copy (as in “To Jane”) I have to be home to do it, so you may want to check my teaching schedule. Otherwise your order may be delayed.
I’ve made banners for my church for each liturgical season, so I need a lot of the same color with no other colors included. My red/yellow/orange banners fabric came from 7 different states. And I had a difficult time finding a real red. Took me a year to find the 32 different fabrics just for those two banners of a bargello design. Keepsake was a great place to go for blues and purples. They let me use one table to stack bolts on edge for selecting maybe 30 different shades/patterns.
Just getting into collage after watching you for years! I feel addicted now! How you organize Your fabrics is importent to me…!!! Thank you for your ideas!!
Just a note on storage: My fabric is on a bookshelf from Ikea in my living room/studio. My son installed a window shade at the top of the shelf which I can pull down to the floor to keep sunlight off the fabric when its not in use. But since I’ve also sorted it by color I hate to pull it down – its so pretty…….