I know there are lots of ladies who have more fabric than I do, but I DO have my fair share…and what I’m about to show you is just my smaller print cottons. I DO have lots more, but that’s for another day.
I just couldn’t stand it any longer… you might think it wasn’t too bad, but I had already started when I decided I should have taken a picture of the “before” so you could enjoy the “after.” I’m talking about my fabric on the book shelf that I see every day. It was getting pretty messy and I had an ulterior motive… I was looking for some new inspiration for the next doll who gets to model a dress. I’m pretty sure I know who it will be but I wanted to see my fabrics up close and personal before I decided on anything definitely.
See anything in my stash that you have? I bet you do!
I decided to make them more visible by taking each piece of fabric, laying it out flat and rolling it around a 3″ wide long plastic long. Your ruler needs to be at least as wide as your fabrics. Starting at one end of the fabric, roll it around the ruler, and keep going to the end of the fabric piece, keeping your edges lined up as best you can.
When you get to the end, slide the ruler out, then fold them in half.
If you want to roll them on an 8″ wide ruler, do it the same way. The ones on my shelf that are wider are done that way.
They stack wonderfully in my book shelf and I LOVE the way they are color coordinated. I was getting pretty tired by the time I decided to call it quits… Lots of them were already rolled but some I redid and I actually got more out of my “big” cabinet that has lots of fabric in it. I had some new fabrics that I had gotten at Sandi’s Sewing Senter that had to be rolled.
Here was my book shelf before…
…and after!!
…a little further back…so you can grasp it all! *wink*
My pictures on my phone are a little washed out in my opinion, so I took a few more with my camera down below
…and of course, you had to know I’d show some close ups! *wink again*
…and even some better close up shots!
These are from my camera…
I actually thought I had more pink fabrics than anything else, but clearly the “blues” have it!
Clear or fuzzy, any way you look at it, that’s a lot of fabric… or a lot of doll dresses waiting to be made!
I hope you were inspired to maybe redo your fabrics. It’s wonderful to see them all neatly arranged on the shelves. I hope I can keep it this way. I see LOTS of possibilities for Easter…do you?
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Wow, what a difference!! Your fabrics look so beautiful, all organized by color that way! Yes, lots and lots of Easter possibilities there! Can’t wait to see what you do next!
I brought my husband home from the hospital this afternoon–yay! He waited in the car while I did some grocery shopping (they were Mobbed–everyone venturing out after the “big snow”!!–and picked up my prescription. He still is on a somewhat restricted diet, but after a week or so, can gradually ease into regular eating again! He thought the canned clam chowder I heated for his supper was really good, and also thoroughly enjoyed the vanilla pudding (instant!) I made later this evening. Sounds like he’s feeling better! Thanks again for all the prayers and concerned. You have a great bunch of followers, Jeanne!
Hi Charlotte:
So glad to hear your dear husband is back home and on the mend. I’m sure with your wonderful care he will be improving every day. There’s no place like home and a loving spouse to speed recovery. God Bless
Hi Charlotte,
I’m thrilled with my new fabrics…I mean the way they look!!!
Wonderful to hear your hubby is on the mend…keep up the good work!
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, how pretty and organized everything looks, Jeanne! I’m sure that was quite a job, but the farther along you went, the better it got, so ,you just keep plodding through, and viola! You get this fantastically organized shelving! I think having surroundings that are neat is a lot less stressful than a messy surrounding. I always kept that in mind when I was an art teacher. Too many art rooms were so sloppy and unorganized, that I wondered how a thing of beauty could ever come out of a room like that! And it worked! Even they decided to have the Board of Education meetings in my room…….imagine that! A grade school art room!
Oh my, lots of beautiful, springlike colors and patterns I see! How can you ever pick one?
I’m so happy to hear that you were able to bring your hubby home, Charlotte. Now to keep him there, well and happy!
Thanks Linda,
I like things, especially in my sewing room, to keep e neat and especially organized..like you were in your art room. What a great compliment to you for having the room they wanted to meet in!!
If there were only 2 or 3 holidays to sew for throughout the year, I might be able to keep up…but I’m having trouble with all the ones we have. I’m glad Easter is as far off as it is.
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
Congratulations, Charlotte, and congratulations to your husband. I suppose anything with taste is going to taste good which is going to make cooking/heating up very rewarding for you both. It must be wonderful to have him back where he belongs, and he must feel even better about it than you do.
And congratulations, Jeanne, your shelves look beautiful. Now we can each choose a fabric and have a drawing to see which one wins. Or we could vote on the next color. Some of my favorites are some you’ve already used. The lovely gray with the white dots and roses attracted me right away. There’s a red plaid that I’d like to see made up. There’s a gray and blue plaid that would make a great CW school dress with a neat white collar and maybe an apron. It would work as an Edwardian play dress too. There’s a black fabric with pink flowers, second from the bottom, that I’d like to see spread out. Now there’s an idea — you can unfold all our favorites and be almost back where you started. I’d love a new red Kristen dress. I’d also like to see the brown haired AG standing close to the fabric case get a new dress.
Some of my favorite purples and greens can wait for summer. I think I’m for another warm winter dress while it’s still winter. I’m going to enjoy seeing what other people pick as favorites.
Hi Marilyn,
I’m sure Charlotte and her hubby are enjoying being together again….
Picking a fabric from my stash and seeing who might win is like pulling a needle from a haystack.
Its hard to pick a fabric sometimes and I still haven’t decided…my best way to do it is to lay some fabrics over the dolls body. I might get in there this evening and see what I come up with…
I’ll have to go back and check out your favorites…
Thanks so much,
Blessings, Jeanne
Good Morning Jeanne
You have been very busy organizing your sewing room and it looks great. I remember your posting a year or so ago how you fold and store your fabric and I followed your lead and did the same. It is a lot of work but boy it is so rewarding to not only have your fabric neat and tidy but to have it color coordinated is such a plus. But, like you, somehow some of my fabric has gotten a little disorganized and my newer purchases have not found their way into my storage unit. So now I will add this chore to my “to do” list. But it will be a “happy” chore. I really enjoy seeing pictures of sewing rooms and how people organize and use different notions.
Love your lavender – lilac colored fabrics and dreaming you will use one for a lovely, springy Easter Dress.
Going through an early morning ice storm here today. I’m thinking it’s going to be a great day to create or organize :0) Hope everyone has a great day
Thanks Leigh,
Ice storms, snowy weather and rainy days are all wonderful excuses for staying inside and working in your sewing room. I hope you get yours all organized too. It does make you feel more calm when you are trying to be creative in there.
I hope I can decide on a fabric this evening…
Thanks Leigh,
Blessings, Jeanne
Your rainbow bookshelf is amazing. The colors are dazzling. I enjoyed looking at every piece of fabric this morning. So many to choose from. Believe me, I have way more fabric around here. Or way too much fabric. 🙂 I’ve only just gotten most into clear plastic Costco boxes so it is visible but also dust free. The boxes are stacked in many places right now. I really need to weed out anything iffy and pack it up to take to the local senior shop in a nearby town. They have the donated fabric all folded by color on shelves for purchase at very low prices. It is sold by the pound. It is a craft persons paradise. They have trims too. I haven’t been there in awhile because of how much is already here, but anything you need, they have. I’ll have to look for dimity next time I’m there. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your ruler folding method. Guess I need a wide ruler. Oh goody, a trip to Joann’s sounds about right.
Glad to hear Charlotte’s husband is safe and home.
Can’t wait to see your next production after the fabric preview.
Hi Joy,
Oh, Yes…my “rainbow” book shelf!
I would like to put glass doors on the front of my bookshelf… but for now… it’s just as it is…
I was looking at some pictures of sewing “stashes” on Pinterest and decided I need to go on a fabric freeze… some ladies had rooms and rooms of fabric..so much they will never be able to use it up in a lifetime. I got to thinking about what I have and need to use up at least 10 pieces before I even took consider more!!!
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Wow! Jeanne, your materials are look so nice and neat. That probably took quite a bit of time but now it’s all neatly organized again. The different colors of beautiful prints are fun to study. I’m sure your eye catches an appealing piece from time to time.
It’ll be exciting to see which you choose for the next gal!
Hi Paula,
My eye does catch fabrics often… maybe I’ll see some new ones now that they have been moved around!!
Glad you enjoyed seeing them Paula,
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, what pretty colors. I vote for yellow (my favorite color) for the next dress. I know it’s not Valentine-y or Easter-y but I just love yellow.
Hi Dorothy,
I found a few yellow prints in my fabrics that I like quite a bit too…
Linda likes green, Charlotte likes lavender and now we know you love yellow!!
Blessings, Jeanne
Charlotte, so glad your husband is back home with you. Home is always better for recuperating – and you’re assured of not being woken up to take a sleeping pill. lol
Jeanne, I love your very colorful stash. And I thought I couldn’t say no. It is a true addiction. I need another piece of fabric like I need a hole in the head and still I buy. The other day a wonderful shop in Houston that I go to for fabric and smocking supplies had a Super Bowl sale from Friday through Sunday. They sell the really good cotton fabric. The last time I went in there they had a bolt-end sale and I went crazy. So I decided this time that I would buy online. I knew that if I got in the shop I would walk out with more than I had a place to put. Right now all my shelves and boxes are full. But I couldn’t resist a beautiful piece that had a black background with red roses. It should be arriving any day now.
The best I could hope for in reorganizing my fabrics was to get all the types of fabric together. I managed to get all my fat quarters on one shelf of a four-shelf unit my hubby made me a few years ago (I rapidly outgrew it), and the other three shelves are full of fabric and things like batting, quilted fabric, etc.. I’ve got my fleece and knit fabric in boxes and my cottons, corduroys and wools (what little there is this) in the cabinets.
I’ve been a bit under the weather for the past two days. Not sure if it’s a cold or an allergy attack. It acts much like allergies but it’s draining. I’m glad I was finished my organizing but should have done some cleaning. I didn’t feel up to it, but I did manage to make an outfit for my one doll whose wardrobe is very sparse. Maybe it was a good excuse to get some sewing done.
The weather here is more like spring at the moment. Warm and humid. Yuck! Tomorrow it’s supposed to get cold again for a couple days. No wonder I feel as I do.
Hi Barbara,
I know what you mean about buying more fabric…I’m going to try and refrain from buying more…its hard because I JUST LOVE pretty fabrics!!…kinda like you, I guess.
It sounds like you made lots of headway in your sewing room…I’m doing mine a little at a time so it’s not too overwhelming…
I hope you get to feeling better soon…so you can sew up some of your fabrics!! :o)
Thanks Barbara,
Blessings, Jeanne
Well, I guess after reading all the posts, that I had better bundle up a bunch of fabric and mail it off to Jeanne. A great way to clear out my stockpiles and replenish someone else’s. Ha Ha. Of course, we might just have to have a fabric marathon and have everyone send off fabric to others. Like a rotating fabric bazaar. Who knows after awhile you might end up getting your own fabric back again. 🙂 If only the postal rates weren’t so high. 🙂
HI Joy,
I know some doll clubs have times when they send fat quarters to other members so your idea isn’t too far off from working! Or just take it to that place by you that has it on shelves for the seniors!
Are you excited to get “something” in the mail tomorrow? I hope she comes! I bet you do too!
Remember…. pictures!!! :o)
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Can I come fabric shopping at your house? Please.
I thought I had a lot of fabric but you’ve got me beat for sure. I fold mine pretty much the same way but I use a piece of very thick cardboard. Shops that sell T-shirts or folded men’s dress shirt use them. I cut mine to fit across the width of my china cabinet and came up with a number to divide by so all piles are exactly the same width.
I love looking at all the colors and prints. I keep heavier fabrics in the bottom of the cabinet behind doors as they never look nice being so bulky.
Great job. Nice to have a peak into your room
That’s exactly how I store my fabric as well. It’s much easier to find what you are looking for, and it’s pretty just to look at.
I’m sure you won in the cotton print department and many of the quilters among your followers are probably green with envy. I may have more in the “other” kinds of fabric…lots of vintage…and some silks….hummm ….just made me think about this one silk that would be perfect on some of your AG dolls.
Love the way you folded your pieces…so clever and tidy!
Charlotte..so glad your hubby is home!