Sorting fabric for "just in case"

[sapphire_chan]

How do you sort your fabric before you have a definite plan of what you want to do with it?

[Samhain Hunter]

Color. I used to do types, but I didn't like that, so I then sorted by sizes, but I didn't like that either. I find that I'm inspired by colors, and I often mix textures anyway, so I sort by color now.

[sapphire_chan]

I like that thinking.

What I really like is that my first thought was "what about all the stupid heavy fabrics I have that are really for covering chairs and I keep trying to make into clothes?" Which tells me, I need to put those into a bin by themselves.

And then all the lightweight stuff can be by color. If it's by color, also, it'll be easier to find things to piece together if I don't have enough of a given fabric.

:

[lightheart]

100% cotton, that is the only category that I truly separate into smaller groupings, by color with the larger pieces and by category like chickens, cats or cartoon character (well those are my only 3 non-color categories) and then all my little scraps go into a bin. Oh I also prewash all my cotton so I also have a to be washed stack.

I have a fleece bin

upholstery

silky stuff

don't know what the fabric is but it's not cotton

corduroy and wool goes together in the same bin

[Roxy2007]

i sort mine this way, i forgo colour coding since i cant never really keep up with it.

-boy knits
- girl knits
- woven fabrics
- linen, bottomweight, japanese woven.

all the above goes in separate drawers ( i hv a 4 drawer dresser for them), for eg this is my woven "drawer"

i also have
-a bin for home deco fabric
- a bin for corduroy & wool
- a bin for solid knits

[pixie-n-hertwoboys]

I do it by color w/ cottons/quilting/clothing in a clear bin/shelvy thing.

then with heavier weight I have them sorted by colors in a bin because I don't sew as much of those types.

scraps I do by colors too in a dresser so it doesn't look so messy - oh and along with all the half finished clothing projects that turned out not fitting or looking wonky LOL

[cristeen]

I sort by type.

All the plain cottons are together, all the flannels are together, all the knits are together, and all the "apparel fabrics" are together.

[~mama jewel~]

I sort by color mostly. I have some areas for types (mesh, fleece, etc). I also have another area that I have for designs (like sharks, horses, etc). I looovvvee looking at my fabric stash :

[KariM]

I sort first by type of fabric: upholstery, fleece, flannel, cotton broadcloth, etc.

Then I also put together totes by function: clothing fabric for my daughter, clothing fabric for me, etc.

[merrijayne]

First by size. I have a bin for small scraps the kids can dig in or myself.
Then anything substantial enough to make a prodject from. I sort by type, denim, twill, knit, some quilting and print types are sorted by color. That is inspiring. Most of the other types are menat for a certain type of project anyway. Then I have a few bolts, I keep the bolt whenever possible. Those are fabrics which I just got an excellant deal on. I keep colors in clear bins. Others sorted by type are in boxes clearly marked. I wish I had room for it all to be vissible.