Wednesday, December 24, 2014

New Fabric Storage System

My Christmas present to me... no more lifting heavy tubs of fabric in and out of the closet!


old frabric storage system: Fabrics stored in large tubs and various smaller containers

old frabric storage system: Fabrics stored in large tubs and various smaller containers
The way it was:
  • fabric stored in large tubs, each weighing over 30 pounds 
  • tubs stacked on the floor in a closet located in my office/computer/sewing-storage room 
  • when I needed something, I had to lift the tubs out of the closet, find the one(s) that might have the desired fabric in them (always on the bottom), and then carry the tub(s) to my studio, where I have table space and can sort through all the fabrics
  • back breaking, daunting, not fun at all
frabric storage system: Empty closet for storing fabrics

The side-to-side measurement of the closet opening is about 70 inches. There is a shelf and clothes-hanging rod, which I want to keep, in case the room needs to be reverted to bedroom status again (its original use). The shelf is 65 inches from the floor. The depth of the closet is 24 inches. This space, where all the tubs and totes were stored previously, is shown empty, ready for the new system.

After thinking about what to do for many moons, my idea was to buy some sort of shelving units, like bookcases, and place them two-deep in the closet. The rear units would be bolted to the back wall of the closet, side by side. The front units would be on castors, so they could be moved out of the closet for access to the fabrics in the rear units.

frabric storage system: 4-shelf bookcase manufactured by South Shore

An internet search followed, and turned up 4-shelf, composite-material bookcases, in white, by South Shore. Available from Target, they were exactly the right size, and the price ($56.99 each, with free shipping) was right too. I ordered them! I don't know how long this link will last, but here's where I got them.

I hired a good handy-man to help me get the shelving units ready for my fabric. The rear units are bolted to the back wall of the closet. We fortified the front units by attaching quarter-inch plywood to the back and adding wood blocks under the bottom shelf, to which we attached the castors. We also added handles to use when I am rolling the units.


frabric storage system: sorting, ironing, folding my fabrics
Now for the fun (and hard work) part. For four long days, tub-by-tub, I emptied my fabrics onto my studio tables, sorting and organizing them into stacks. I ironed each piece of fabric and folded it into a specific size, the size you get when you fold the 22 inch length of a fat quarter in half and in half again, and then fold that in half along the 18-20 inch width. The result is roughly 9.5" deep by 5.5" wide, perfect for shelves that are 11.5 inches deep.


frabric storage system: larger and smaller folded pieces on the shelves
I have a lot of half-yard and fat quarter pieces. This folding system works well for them. Fabrics of 1 yard or more, I folded into a larger bundle, stacked separately, as you can see in the above photo (right side of both shelves). Note that you can see the handles (for moving the shelving unit) at the top of the photo.

It works!!! I am delighted to be able to see my fabrics easily, without lifting, carrying or rooting through the tubs!


frabric storage system: rear shelf units bolted to back wall of closet
Here's how the rear shelves look. (I haven't finished putting things that go here on these shelves yet.)

frabric storage system: Front shelf units filled with cotton batiks and prints

Here's how the front shelves look when they are in front of the rear shelves. The fabrics I use most often, cotton batiks and prints, are here, easily available to flip through when I need something.


frabric storage system: Front storage units rolled out of closet
This is what it looks like when the front units are rolled out. They are pretty easy to roll. As you can see, I've tried to keep more weight toward the bottom. My handy-man is concerned about earthquakes, and wants to figure out a system to attach the front units to the rear units. I'm thinking a couple of simple door hooks on the sides would work.

frabric storage system: closet curtains close to protect fabrics from light damage and dust
The curtains close to prevent light damage to the fabrics and hopefully keep the dust off them (partially closed above). I've been thinking about using Velcro to attach clear plastic over the shelves of the front units, but maybe it's OK with just the curtains. Any thoughts about that?

Nearly finished now... just a few odds and ends to fit into the system, and plenty of space to do that. I thought I had a ton of fabrics, more than I'll ever use... and probably I do. But, for better or worse, there is now room for more. Yikes!

21 comments:

  1. Great! well done, it must be inspiring for your next quilts. Lies

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    1. Thanks, Lies! I'm so happy to have finally gotten a solution. I've used the tubs for about 5 or 6 years, every time complaining about the lifting & lugging, every time saying I've GOT to do something about this. So finally, it's done... and I'm a happy quilter/beader!

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    1. Thanks, Beady2! Since I do bead embroidery on fabric, this project is just as important for my beading as it is for quilting. :)

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  3. Brilliant idea, and fabulous results! love the rainbow of gorgeous fabrics and so easy to spot now! Happy Holidays!

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    1. Easy to spot is even a greater advantage and time-saver than I had anticipated. Thanks, Dianne.

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  4. What a wonderful way to organize fabrics. It also let's you see all that you've squirreled away and forgotten about. Beautiful.

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    1. Yes, Niki, that was one of the best things about it... getting to touch and smooth every piece of fabric, re-learning what I have, thinking about projects, realizing I have more of some things/colors/types than I thought and less of others. It's a pretty good basic stash, especially for bead projects and scrappy quilts.

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  5. Looks to be a most perfect solution, Robin ! The rolling casters will provide a lot of ease & availability. I'm remembering that closet ... it sure has a new life purpose now ;>]]

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    1. Thanks, Sweetpea, for lots more than your above comment. Without your support and encouragement, I wouldn't be in this house at all, wouldn't have this wonderful closet.

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  6. That is an awesome idea! Thanks for sharing.

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  7. Great system. You've been busy! Having your fabric so well organized can only enhance inspiration. What a great gift to yourself. Merry Christmas.

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  8. As soon as I stop moving I'll be storing my fabric on open shelves for an easy visual and selection choices!!! I currently keep mine in tubs... too. I would love to see how you store and organize your beads!!!

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  9. That is brilliant!

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  10. Well done. It often takes a while to figure out a storage system that works. I love the way you've doubled the space!

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  11. Love that you got to play with each piece as you reorganized them. See you soon to help fill in the gaps on those shelves! Merry Christmas :-)

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  12. What a fabulous result! It must have been such a creative boost to go through all that lovely fabric too.

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  13. I am a beader and a quilter too. I have lots of stuff to store and am always looking for new ways to organize. I love the idea of repurposing a closet, but still leaving it intact for future use. And, I have to say, the biggest idea that inspired me on this post was the way you reinforced the shelf units and added castors!!!! and the closet curtains will keep away the dust. Way to go!

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  14. this is truly great. If I ever replace my carpets, I will carefully think this one through. Have you thought of magnets instead of hooks to stabilize the front ones? Not too sure where to look for flat magnets, but they should not be so hard to find - Radio Shack, Fisher Scientific, Scientific Products come to mind. So clever, your idea.

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  15. Yikes, indeed, thinking of hoarding even more goodies! Aren't we all terrible that way? With a view to your new storage system, I give you a BIG applause. Well done, Robin! And you were clever to find a good handyman with ideas and skills in his field. The result is not just practical, but eye candy as well.

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  16. All the material and information in it is quite informative and easy to understand .

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Thanks you for joining the discussion on this post today!