I am not much of an organizer but when it comes to sewing I like to organize as much as I can. Here's how I organize my stash fabric:
I created my own fabric organization form in which I can tape 4 swatches of fabric on one sheet. Next to the swatch I enter the fabric name, source, yardage, width, price, fiber content and price. Once the swatches are in there, I punch 3 holes and put them in my 3 ring binder. If you stack up the sheets and all the swatches are on right the binder will not be balanced so I created a mirror image of the form so that the swatches are on different sides on alternate pages.
If anyone is interested, you can download my form from here Fabric Organizer - PDF
I've converted it to Adboe Acrobat Reader so you'll need that to view it. If you don't have it, you can download it free from www.adobe.com
With the stash fabrics all logged into this binder its so much fun to just sit down and plan my next sewing project. This book is also handy enough to keep in the car trunk for unexpected fabric shopping!
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Thanks Deepika, I can really use this!
11/27/02 0:49 AM
Deepika, I can't believe how I lived without my fabrics being organized in binders! As you can imagine, it took a long time for me to measure and swatch everything but now I can do all my planning on the couch now that I have all my patterns in binders too. No more pulling things out of the closet only to find that I don't have enough! I'm not as organized with the left and right thing so I might have to copy that from you for new additions. :-)
11/27/02 4:53 PM
Deepika, what a great idea! Thanks. I copied your pages and I'm going to get my stash organized this weedend.
11/28/02 1:30 PM
Deepika - this is GREAT!!!!! I hope you are enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!
11/28/02 10:53 PM
Thank you, Deepika! I've downloaded your pages and hope to start using them soon. Kim
12/2/02 1:27 AM
Thanks Deepika! What a great idea! Now if a little fairy would come and wave her wand so that all the measuring and swatching was done. I'm going to add "location" to the notes area, because I tend to store my stash by aquisition date, or fabric content, or even sometimes color.
12/4/02 1:48 PM
Thats a real good idea Deepika. I´ve loaded it down and will start with my Fabric Organizer over the weekend. Thankyou. Loreli
12/5/02 6:54 PM
Deepika, It won't let me download the pages for some reason, any chance you could e-mail me them? Great Idea btw..
12/6/02 11:13 AM
Lou, I just e-mailed you both.
12/6/02 2:07 PM
Deepika, I just downloaded the docs. My stash space is limited, so I sure can use this. Thanks :-)
12/8/02 2:33 PM
What a wonderful idea! I just finished measureing and labeling my stash. This takes it a step further. I especially like the portability.
12/15/02 8:17 PM
thanks Deepika its already in my files,now ïts only to find time to organize
6/10/03 9:43 PM
I can't open the websites... are they closed???
6/11/03 1:48 PM
Tini, I moved the location of the files. Sorry about that. You can click on them here: Fabric Organizer Left and Fabric Organizer Right
6/12/03 9:38 AM
THANK YOU!!! This is the best idea i've read yet! I might even know what I have even when its stashed in a tub! Great to take page to shop for notions etc.
1/12/04 4:24 PM
Deepika, I just love this idea! Thanks for going to the trouble to provide the pages for us. I don't know why, but when I click on the link the page is kind of scrambled. Is it just my computer or does it come up that way for anyone else?
1/29/04 8:53 AM
I've converted the form to a PDF now, so everyone can download it now.
1/29/04 10:23 AM
Thanks Deepika, this is so helpful! I'm going to put this in play immediately, right now my fabrics are in tubs or wire racks according to garment/season and home decs, this will be so much easier and portable!
2/18/04 3:07 PM
Love this idea! I have a great stash and hopefully with your idea I will be able to keep/label or give away...Thanks again!
4/11/04 5:15 PM
this is great! My fabrics were about to overrun my life...
4/12/04 12:51 PM
Love it! I just printed it and am going to spend the rest of the week getting it organized. Also I'm going to share it with my asg members at the next meetings I attend. Thank you again.
4/28/04 0:25 AM
This is the greatest thing since sliced bread! I am cleaning and organizing right now and am so glad I saw this tip. Thanks!
6/15/04 8:04 PM
Great idea!
7/7/04 6:05 PM
I really liked to be organized but I hadn't figured out a way to organize my stash. Thanks, your fabric organizer was a great idea.
9/19/04 4:30 PM
This was such a great idea! I am compeled to be organized and this really works well. I immediately did my whole stash and now I won't forget what I have. This system also makes me very aware of what fabrics I am missing to put together wardrobes.
10/3/04 8:23 AM
I would love to see your Fabric Organizer. But, alas, each time I click on the highlighted part of your information, my computer takes me to a blank, yet the bottom bar says Done! I do have adobe acrobat reader, so who knows?? but something is wrong. JanRon
10/20/04 9:17 PM
Jan, do you have the latest version of Adobe acrobat reader?
10/21/04 7:23 AM
This is really a good idea, let's you see what you have on hand. Thanks Judy Luther
1/6/05 2:23 PM
this was great
3/14/05 8:54 PM
Thanks. This chart is a reaaly good idea. All I need now is to actually do the organizing
4/1/05 7:59 AM
I USED IT TO ORGANIZE MY STASH AND ADDED WHERE FABRIC WAS LOCATED IN MY SEWING STUDIO
10/9/05 9:19 PM
Great idea!
11/15/05 8:10 PM
Great advice! I take photos of the front and back of patterns and keep them in a 3-ring binder in my car in case I stumble on some fabric I must have. But this idea will be great for use when I'm pattern shopping. I'll know what fabrics I have that I could use with the pattern I must have.
5/26/06 10:07 PM
Thanks Deepika
9/1/06 9:53 PM
Greetings from India and thanks for the Fabric Organizer
11/19/06 3:51 AM
Super way to list and organize fabrics! Thank You Deepika
11/21/06 11:57 PM
Thanks Deepika, sounds like a wonderful idea which I am going to use.
12/30/06 2:57 PM
I organized my fabrics in a very similar manner. I first categorize my fabrics, for example florals, plaids, ethnic etc. I used acid free tape and paper to store my swatches and then i put the paper into an acid free plastic covering. I also store my fabrics in boxes and i categorize them in the same manner as the binder
7/17/07 1:12 PM
This is such a great idea! I will immediately start tonight. Thank you!
7/26/07 9:38 AM
Thank you so much for this great idea. I am going to use your form. I am going to reorganize my stash. Diane Dubé
8/23/07 8:37 AM
Deepika, thanks for the great idea! I had ordered the Stitch n' Stash from Wildginger a while back and still have problems..this will be sooo much eaiser, especially with the fabric right in your hands!! I love it...thanks again.
10/21/07 0:38 AM
You are very welcome Mika.
10/21/07 10:48 AM
Bravo, Deepika! I can't wait to organize and have color samples readily available. Little swatches in my wallet, bye-bye!
10/29/07 0:20 AM
I though this is a great idea. Thanks!
11/17/08 11:24 AM
I have been organizing my fabrics with these templates and I'm almost finished! I can't believe how easy this is and how much time this will save in the long run.
1/8/09 1:21 PM
I love this idea. Easy to take specific binders on shopping trips, for instance, if I'm setting up to sew for my grand-daughter. This is a wonderful idea. Many thanks!
1/8/09 4:36 PM
Great Idea! I've already printed your form. I can't wait to get started organizing! Thank you, Deepika.
7/4/09 2:48 PM
Great idea, the pdf made things clearer.
10/16/09 2:56 PM
Needed some incentive to organize my embroidery stabilizer and this looks like an excellent tool...next will come the fabric. Thanks so much for including a copy of both pages...what a great idea!
2/7/10 4:47 PM
I had a system for organizing my fabrics but I like this much more. Thanks
4/15/10 12:16 PM
Couldn't download organizer form...
7/15/10 3:17 PM
I really like this download. By being able to put fabric swatches in a binder to readily view is wonderful!!
8/8/10 8:46 PM
This will be a lifesaver- I am COMPLETELY unorganized and am constantly wasting time looking for things I am sure I have, only to figure out I used it already..Thanks so very much!
10/11/10 1:56 PM
I love this idea! I did something similar for things I've knitted. Card stock is really good for printing on and sticking swatches on, and it's great for printing double-sided. If you printed just page 1 of the organization chart on both sides you would get a balanced set of pages, with the swatches alternating between the inside and outside of the page.
12/29/10 7:30 PM
This sounds like such a helpful idea. Thanks for sharing.
8/31/11 5:29 PM
Wonderful idea, Deepika! Unfortunately, I have many fabrics I've held onto for so long, I know longer have much info on them, but at least with this system, I'll know what I have in my inventory. I won't have to dig thru drawers anymore. I also like the idea of printing this form on tag board.
1/19/12 8:46 PM
Thank you for the tips and help. I have been doing something very similar so was definitely interested in what you did. Your info sheet is more complete, thanks to you, mine now, too. Bar
6/12/12 5:01 PM