Readers Respond: What's the Best Way to Organize Quilting Supplies?

Responses: 79

By Janet Wickell, About.com Guide

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I bought a suitcase with a zipper all around 3 sides from Big Lots (for $7.50) and carry all my necessary items in it. It has a pocket for the rulers and I outfit it with plastic boxes for small items and pins. It holds my project, books and patterns.
—Guest dholly

I have a card index cabinet that has 27 drawers about 9"W x 13"L x 3.5" H that I really love because all of my tools and small stuff has a place. My husband brought it home from a local college auction a few years ago and right away I put it to good use. He also made me a table that is 3 ft x 5.5 ft from 2x4's and a piece of counter top that we got at Menards for $10. I have a small bedroom that serves as my craft/quilting/computer room and it has a built-in desk that I wish wasn't here, but I work with it the best I can. My space is always under construction.
—Guest Holly

I made a portable felt wall with two -5 lb 3M hooks to hold a thin curtain rod, then hang a fleece blanket -- voila, you have a flannel wall without nails. You can place it in front of a window or on a wall. Great for apartments.
—Guest barb

Plastic newspaper sleeves work great for organizing fabrics. I have eight plastic containers full of fabric. Each length of fabric is folded, rolled and put into a plastic sleeve. The sleeve is then marked with a permanent marker with the type of fabric, length and width. I also keep a list of what's in each container, and each container is numbered (i.e., Fabric #1, etc.).
—Guest Sue

I store fabric by color in plastic tubs, and rulers in letter holders -- laying down.
—Guest Diane

I have a small bedroom for my craft and quilting room. My husband took the doors off the closet and we put book cases in the closet. They look built-in. I have all my craft/quilt and favorite authors books, yarn storage and stacks of different size clear plastic totes filled with fat quarters and other size fabric. It works very well with out taking up floor space. I hung my rulers with nails behind the door.
—Guest Dianar

I keep my quilting fabric in a clear bin with it labeled for different size and colors for quilts. I also put small pieces of material in clear bins to make strip squares, depending on whether they will be used for boys or girls.
—Guest Jean

I have most of my material in a wardrobe cupboard that has 4 shelves. I have kept the selvage ends off the material and used them to tie up the specific colours. It works well. I also have a magazine holder to keep my plastic rulers in. I have taken pictures of all the quilts I've made and put them in a small photo album (my brag book). The smaller pieces of material I keep in stacking tubs and I used a piece of cardboard to separate the colours, also the strips separate too. I cut small leftover pieces into different size squares, putting them into clear sandwich plastic bags and again small plastic tubs, making it much easier when making a scrappy quilt. I have made my cutting table higher by adding a piece of plastic pipe in the legs of it that enables me to put the stacking tubs under it. I labeled them on the ends. The templates I purchased in the scrapbooking department and ones I have made are kept in a clear plastic folder.
—dorisy123

I organize my fat quarters in plastic shoe boxes. I sort by color, print or whatever way I would use them. They have nice covers and I label the boxes so I can pull out just what I need.
—ToniFrances

I got a magnetic knife rack from Ikea and hung it in my closet. I keep my scissors on it and out of sight of everyone else in the house. I put nails in the wall beside it to hang my rotary cutters to protect them from anyone else using them.
—Guest Marilyn

I use empty prescription bottles, label them with the color thread I use most of all and fill my bobbins and place them in the labeled bottles. I also have one that is marked "Empty" and when I use up a bobbin, I place it in the empty bottle, take from the labeled bobbin bottle. I usually have eight ready to go and use them up until they are gone and then I just refill the bobbins and place them in the correct prescription bottle. It works like a charm.
—Guest Edie

Quilting supplies store nicely in silverware holders from old dish washers -- you can line them or not. I love mine -- it's long with a handle on top.
—Guest Trish Marshall

I bought fat quarter boxes, and I store them inside a cabinet with doors (bought at Home Depot). I stack them on top of each other to display them. I put Florals, Geometrics, Novelty, black/white, etc, in each box. I keep them away from all light. It works great now that I have them all in a spot that is organized.
—Guest Billie

I save the metal tins from gum and mints to hold bent needles. I use larger sizes for blades. When they are filled, I tape them securely and throw away.
—Guest Robinlev

Janet Wickell
Quilting Guide