Fabric Reorganization

I now have a beautiful hutch in my craft room to store fabric and other supplies.  I think we picked this out at Unfinished Furniture Express in 1995, and I did all the staining/polyurethaning myself. I also picked out the nifty hardware.  As Gus and I dusted and polished this on Memorial Day, I did ask myself why I didn't stain the backs of the doors or the back of the lower cabinet.  Ah youth...  well, it isn't happening now either I'm too busy organizing fabric.

For the past year or so, I've stored fabric in Rubbermaid Tubs. While spacious and supportive of my cutting/pressing station, it is not an ideal solution as I cannot easily see or access fabric. Which sometimes results in re-purchasing fabric. I will miss my wall of rulers - and considered not moving the hutch in here, but decided that was me being silly.  The sideboard is much happier in the dining room, than it would be in the middle of the living room (and Mike is happier too).

The first step was to measure the doors and shelves so that I could get the appropriate tubs for better
fabric organization. I found these at Walmart.  Not my favorite color for the handles, but I do like the clear containers better than the aqua/blue alternative (better color but pretty dark so harder to pick out the right box). I got the 3.5 and 6.5 inch deep boxes so that they can be stacked.

Next step is to decide on organization - 1/2 yard to about 1 yard cuts are folded and placed in the deep boxes. Scraps and fat quarters in the shallow boxes, with a few set aside for special projects.  I'm attempting by color, with a novelty box and a Christmas box as I have LOTS of holiday fabrics.  Larger cuts are wrapped around comic book boards for stability, and even larger cuts (think bolt ends) are flat folded and stacked at one side.

Gus is also having fun learning about another side of his Mom.  For the past 20 years, Dad has tried to send my Breyer horse collection home with me... and I've generally left it boxed in Tallahassee as we don't have room to display them here. However, my parents are trying to purge stuff, so that box, along with several others made it onto the behemoth.  Gus unwrapped my collection and handed it up to me. At first I was sure that I was short a box or two, but that box turned out to be similar to Mary Poppins carpet bag as horse after horse revealed itself. At one point Gus was convinced we had to be done, to which I assured him that based upon the incomplete family groups on the shelves there were at least 6 still in there... I need more shelves now. That is a project for June.