Stash Dash 2015 - Organize Your Fabric Like a Mini Fabric Store

Do you ever have fabric envy? A few years ago we had dinner at a friend's house, and she was amazing at making hats. They lived on some land and resided in a house that was built onto the original log cabin on the land. It was still a tiny house - but inside she had created a jewel box of beautiful decorating and handmade art. Even though it was a teeny tiny house, she had managed to create one tiny room with nothing but shelves for fabric. She had so much fabric, and much of it was on the big bolts, just like in the fabric store. So that meant it was very organized, efficient, and she could always see what she had on hand.

My fabric, what little I have, has been a mess for too long. I don't have fabric store size bolts to wrap it around, but I did decide I could wrap it around something and organize it like she did. 

So, I destroyed a couple of cardboard boxes and went to work! I cut rectangular pieces of cardboard (my mini version of the bolts), and I found that when I folded even the most unruly cut-up pieces of fabric into some kind of long folded rectangle, it would wrap very nicely around the cardboard pieces, and then file right into a square box, basket or tub.

I tried to keep like colors together, and I am happy not only with being able to actually see everything I have, but the fact that the fabric will stay more wrinkle free now. What a simple solution!

Best of all, I can go shop for fabric, knowing that I'm not duplicating what I already had. And if there's something in my stash that will serve the project, even better. No shopping trip needed!

Click here to see five simple rules in dashing your stash.

We had dinner a few times out at my friend's tiny log cabin jewel box house before she moved into a bigger home. And the way she did things and made things and transformed that tiny space influenced me forever. I will always love the handmade, the created-from-scraps, the hand-of-the-artist look to everything. It holds much more beauty, personality, richness and character than anything mass produced.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch