It Looks Like We Need Hazmat

No, not really.  No hazardous materials here.  Just quilts, fabric and more fabric.

Look, I have really reduced the number of boxes!  Lots of unpacking going on here.  And lots of evaluating.  Do I really need to keep this if it doesn't make my heart sing?  I think there will be some purging going on in the next few weeks.  Stand by.

I have taken a different approach to my fabric/stash organizing.  This is clearly a work in progress, but some things are becoming apparent.  I tend to be loyal to certain designers, and have found that many of their collections work really well with their past and future groups.  Hence, I have decided to group a lot of my fabrics by designer in plastic bins that will pull off the shelves in an easy manner, similar to a drawer.  My biggest bins were for Fig Tree and French General.  Interesting.  French General fabrics go so well with my established decor, and I find I can incorporate quilts made from those fabrics so easily into my decorating.  Fig Tree fabrics appeal to me greatly, but they don't really work with my decorating style, which is less whimsical and more formal.  Interesting that I keep buying them and have such a vast selection.  Obviously this is something my therapist and I need to work on.

Other designers were pretty well represented as well.

Obviously I have a bit of a Civil War Reproduction  habit.

These shelves are so great.  It is terrific to have room for my stash and my current projects all in one place!  Here is Farmer's Wife, just waiting for me to get back to her.

Now here's a tip for you all.  This little PTouch label machine, made by Brother, is THE most useful tool I have at my disposal (except for maybe my box cutter).  It is truly indispensible for quickly and attractively making labels for all these bins of fabric.  Love my label machine.  If you don't have one, it may be something you want to consider.

I am a work in progress, but things are moving along!

Comments

[Audrey]

Looks good! I like seeing how this is unfolding (pun intended!). I'll bet you are finding things you didn't know you had...

[Barbara Anne]

Well done on making a good dent in unpacking and you'll really love those bins that almost turn your shelves into drawers. Just recently I used similar bins to house leftover containers in a lower deep kitchen cabinet. The bin comes to me and I don't have to crawl into the cabinet to find what I want.

I have my tone on tone fabrics grouped by color,then these categories: florals, geometrics, stars, kid/baby fabrics, solids, batik, Christmas, holiday, and panels. One last category is my sweetly beribboned bundles that are fabrics I love together and that are destined to be in a quilt. Most bundles have the pattern I plan to use tucked under the ribbon.

Enjoy the gradual revelation of your glorious quilting studio!! Your hard work will be well rewarded.

Hugs!

[Thelma]

Oh My Gosh, you are making such wonderful progress! You must be exhausted at the end of the day and sleeping like a baby at night. I love how you are organizing your stash, I agree, sorting by designer is a good approach, I also have a French General stack.

You are going to find this hard to believe, me the queen of organization and neatness, but I don't own a label maker, never even heard of them, but I sure want one! Do you like yours, are there different models?

Watching you get organized makes me want to do some spring cleaning too!

[Megan]

I have a pretty big weakness for Fig Tree and French General, too. I'd love to use a room of the house to showcase my Fig Tree quilts, like Heather Mulder Peterson does. The husband's not too wild about all the florals, but her warm, vintage style fabrics are too beautiful to hide!

[CarlaHR]

You are indeed making progress and organizing your stash by designer is a great idea. I notice that you've put your design wall up - a bit of calm in the midst's of chaos.

[Kath Kershaw]

Hi Nicole.

The question is not how much fabric you have,but how many plastic boxes do you own.Amazing work going on there I bet it feels great.Looks like it will be a while before its done but fun all the same,and a good chance to discover what you actually have.Will there ever be a need to buy more? Ah silly me!!

[Diane]

You have quite the stash! It will be fun to be able to see it all and drool over your possibilities.

I have a PTouch too. I adore it. It's about 15 years old, and still going strong.

[LauraTawney]

How fun revisiting your fabric! It will be fun to go "shopping" in your quilting studio. I've been trying to work on using my stash a bit better than I have in the past:) Love how the quilting studio is turning out.
LauraT

[Archie the wonder dog]

The boxes look great and the label maker looks like a lot of fun!!

[Nancy Watkins]

Actually, from the outside looking in, it looks like you are having "too" much fun! LOL But on the other hand, I need to get at organizing too, but when I look at it all, it just overwhelms me too much and I just end up closing the closet doors and once again, avoiding it. That is a clever idea sorting by designer, might have to try that myself. Oh, and, there is NEVER ENOUGH Civil War! :)

[Helen]

Mmmmm and I thought I had a Civil War habit!

[Jan]

Ooooohhhhhh!!!! You found that doctor's Rx for treating asthma! "Use one PTouch all day and call me in the morning!" Hope you're feeling much, much better! The progress looks wonderful!

[Mary Kastner]

You are making a lot of progress and it appears to be very organized. I love the new cabinets. You must be euphoric about getting this together. Congratulations Nicole!
Mary

[Linda]

Ha! Love the comment about the therapist. Can't wait til this is done...are you gonna have a sale of "not so much" fabrics?

[Karen]

Can I come steal that French General tub? I'll give it a good home, I promise!

I'm enjoying your process pictures. It looks like you are going to have a fantastic place soon.

[Julie in WA]

Incredible! You are quickly becoming the envy of all quilters in blogland! How wonderful to have clear readable labels...remember the old label makers from the 70's? The labels were created by choosing each individual letter, squeezing the handle, and the mechanism would use the pressure to indent the letter on a piece of plastic. The labels were not very sticky and tended to fall off after a while. But I do still have one with my name affixed to my clarinet case...still sticking after more than 35 years!

[Deb A]

I love your idea of sorting by designer, might have to give that a try. Right now I have mine sort by colorway...but do keep my batiks, reproductions, flannels separate from the others. However in the last couple of years I've boughten more by designer, so I might give it a try. Need to purge my stuff too, have way too much material and too many kits.

[Amy]

No need to see a therapist about those Fig Tree fabrics. I'd be more than happy to take them off your hands. Just name your price. I've only collected them for 2 years, so I don't have any of the older lines.

[threeundertwo]

I'm like Karen - my first thought was "ooh! I know which bins I'd want to steal first!" I'd grab that 3 Sisters bin and your Civil War fabrics, along with those delicious pink blocks on your design wall.

You're inspiring me to separate my fabrics the same way. I tried sorting by color, but some fabric lines just need to stay together. Also some reproduction periods.

[Bari Jo]

It all looks great! I like the idea of putting designers together! I do the same thing you do when it comes to purchases! :o) I have a few faves that are in bigger piles too! I love how this is all looking in your new sewing room. You will make wonderful memories with your daughter and grandbaby(s) as you teach the next generations to quilt! Such fun! This is going to be a very special place!

[ina]

Wait a minute! Don't purge so quickly! Give yourself time to organize, settle in, and start sewing again. Remember, you do make quilts as gifts and that Fig Tree fabric might be the perfect fabric to make a gift.

Purge is such a dirty little word...I hide from it whenever I hear it associated with my quilting. Any other purging needed around the house is a piece of cake for me! ;p

[Gloria]

Dear Nicole,
Just wanted you to know that you have more than enough civil war fabrics to complete a Dear Jane quilt.

[Pam]

My Fig Tree Collection grows and grows...I also have a big Martha Negley, Kaffe Fassett, one huge box called Pinks another called Greens, Lights, Handwriting, Civil War, Feedsack, Amy Butler, Michael Miller, Solids, Silks, Christmas, Dogs and Kitties, Anna Maria Horner, Denyse Schmidt, Sandy Klop, Three Sisters, Valori Wells, omg...it goes on and on. I even have them by collection. It's a library gal sickness! Looks like you are having some real fun and getting truly settled! Yay!

[Pam]

p.s. Love your Pam Kitty Morning Granny Squares I spy in the photo!

[Audrey]

Another question? Do you save the lids for your plastic boxes??