Learn how to fold fabric for storage. This is part of a 30 day series on organizing your sewing room. Keeping your fabric all in order can be not so easy.
Learning how to fold fabric for storage is one of those things that I know, do and then all of a sudden I don’t do and can’t remember.
Then the whole room looks like a bomb went off and there is nothing but trouble in the sewing room.
How to Fold Fabric for Storage~
- find something that you can wrap your fabric around. This can be a piece of cardboard from a box you have cut down. You can purchase little boards that are made just for folding, use comic book sleeve stabilizer pieces. Whatever you find will work. Just needs to be somewhat stiff so the fabric holds the shape of the stiff board and isn’t floppy and a mess
- iron your fabric before you begin. You need the fabric nice and flat with no creases. Those will cause you problems when folding to a new shape or size.
- try to keep your raw edges tucked inside. This will help control long strings that will drive you crazy. Believe me! Fold a small edge under to keep those edges away from rubbing on other things.
- try a few different ways of rolling or folding the fabric on the boards. You might run into a process that works really well for you- don’t go with what others tell you to do- try a few options and go with the one that works the best. Keep consistent after you figure it out though. Your shelves will look nicer.
Get your fabric folded! Learn how to fold a fat quarter
Print off some folded fabric bundle wraps
Supply List:
This is part of the 30 days of Sewing Room Organizing. Go here for more hints, tips and inspiration.
Becky Jorgensen is the creative quilter behind Patchwork Posse, the Patchwork Planner and her online quilt group Patchworkers Plus. You can find her patterns in books, magazines, and her quilt membership. Gather your quilting supplies, organize your sewing space, explore the process of disappearing quilt blocks, or finish a free quilt pattern. I'll help you use what you have, finish what you start and make your quilting journey fun!
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Great tips! I’ve got a Craft Gossip post scheduled for later today that features your tutorial:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/?p=86051
–Anne
I have been wrapping my fabric around cardboard for a long time and it works really well. I have two sizes: regular for a metre or more and a smaller one for fat quarters etc.
I also slip elastic (old hair bands work great) around the fabric to keep everything in place. Pinning with quilting pins will also work but there is a danger of picking yourself.
In the past I have used cardboard for larger pieces and comic book card stock for smaller pieces. Lately I’ve experimented wit large pool noodles. I cut it slightly longer than the width of my fabric, then cut a slit along the middle, insert the end of my fabric and gently, but firmly roll it. When done I just use masking tape to secure the loose end in place.
Usually I can figure out an acronym, but IAQ leave me cold. Someone please tell me its meaning!
It’s International Association of Quilters – but I recently changed the name to Patchworkers Plus – It’s my online quilt group!! https://patchworkposse.com/plus for more info.
I am not able to download the printable fabric wraps. I tried the link above and through the Quilters’ Resource Library (I also tried using the search function through the Library). I get a “page not found” each time.
Thanks for the hint about using comic book sleeves to wrap fabric (although the Amazon page says these are currently unavailable). Back when some of our fabric stores were closing, I asked if I could have the cardboard they wrapped their fabric in. They graciously gave it to me at no cost. It was sad to lose the stores but nice to get the cardboard.
I’ve been wrapping my fabrics around the comic cardboard for several years now but until this past year I wasn’t securing the edge down in any way. I recently saw an idea online about using those little plastic clips like you’ll find on men’s shirts in the store. I found them on Amazon, you get more than you’ll probably ever need (could easily share half with a quilty friend) and they were very reasonable.
In my early days, I tried the comic boards and that just doesn’t work for me. I fold my fabric and use a technique I learned from Jeni Baker to fold everything from a FQ to a yard into the same size. Then I store them on a shelf, in shoe boxes labeled accordingly. This has worked beautifully for me for many years.
Last year I totally reorganized my craft room. I ended up going to Dollar Tree ($1.25 now) and buying the 20″x30″ white foam core board. Most of my fabric is 42″-44″. After washing and ironing everything was folded in 1/2 lengthwise and the 1/2 again, which ends up around 11″ wide. I cut a 5″x20″ piece off the end of the foam core, then the rest into 4pcs 5″×25″ and each in 1/2 again. You end up with 8pcs 5″x12.5″ and the 1st longer piece, which is great for the wider fabrics. I got 20pcs of board for $25. I also invested in a clothes tagger gun that attaches price tags to clothes. Everything is marked with length X width, total yardage, if it’s was washed, and type of fabric (if not cotton). I know, a bit OCD, but it’s done and there are extra cut boards and tags so new fabrics can be put right away. Sorry, I’ll stop now…lol
I love this idea! I may have to give it a try. The clothes tagger gun is also a great idea! thanks for sharing!!