fabric organizing

Some of my quilting friends were discussing the best way to keep a fabric stash organized.
We all agreed that it's best if all the fabric is in one place and easily visible, so you can find what you want when you're planning a quilt.

Some sort their fabric by size, some by color or theme. I thought I would show how I have mine organized.

I am fortunate to have a lot of closets in my house, so I  am able to use this closet just to hold sewing related items.

On the top shelf is my packaged batting and a couple of stacks of fabric that I have set aside with something in mind to use them for (at some point).

On the next two shelves is my fabric, sorted by color.

On top of each color stack, I have a clear plastic salad container that holds scraps and trimmings and smaller pieces of that color.  Below you see my container of greens.

I like to have them folded up in the container but you see that some are just stuffed in.

Some people have lots more fabric than this and some have less. This is the right amount for me.

I have lots of variety and can usually put together a quilt without a trip to the fabric store.

I only add to the stash when I see something that I like that's a good deal.

Looking down to the lower shelves...on the left there are more salad containers holding some really small mixed scraps. I have a project going on with them too, but I only work on that between quilts.

On the right of that shelf is a stacking tray where I keep my sewing machine manuals handy and also a few of my small rulers and templates.

Below that is a shelf with some larger cuts of fabric to use for quilt backings.

On the floor are some plastic bins with patterns, trims, odds and ends...and some bins holding "works in progress" like my block of the month blocks.  My sewing machines (the ones I take on quilt meeting days) fit in front of those perfectly, and the door still closes.

The next photo... is looking inside the closet to the right wall.  My thread holder, marking pens, glue sticks, rotary blades. 

Stacked up on the floor underneath, are salad containers with Christmas theme fabric and small amounts of  fleece and flannel.

Just a few years ago, until I got my larger sewing machine for Christmas in 2012, I was sewing inside this same closet!

It worked fine at the time...very compact and cozy...but I needed more room when learning to machine quilt on that new machine.

It looks like my fabric collection was not so large back then either!