Inspiration Storage & Organization Smart Ways to Store Fabric By American Patchwork & Quilting Editors American Patchwork & Quilting Editors American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine and AllPeopleQuilt.com have been the go-to resource for quilters to learn a new skill or simply sew something that brings pride and accomplishment. Our staff has over 70 years of quilting experience, and works with skilled editors, copy editors, quilt testers, and technical editors to ensure each pattern and article is accurate and up-to-date. We're passionate about quilting, and know that it's not just a hobby — it's a lifestyle. We strive to connect with other quilters and provide content that inspires them in their sewing space. American Patchwork & Quilting's Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 15, 2025 Close No matter how you like to organize, we have ideas you can use for sorting and storing your fabric stash. 01 of 41 See the Rainbow Sort fabrics by colors and arrange them horizontally in drawers to make it easier to find what you need. The see-through mesh of these drawers makes it easy to find what you need. Maximize space by adding dividers to separate fabrics. 02 of 41 Fancy Pants Use pants hangers to store fabric yardage. Add measurement labels to the fabric pieces so you can easily grab what you need for your next project. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 03 of 41 Color-Coded Stash Sort your stash by color. Ribbons pinned on each canvas box denotes the fabric color, so you can easily switch ribbons as certain colors in your stash grow or shrink. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 04 of 41 The Easiest Fabric Storage Plastic tubs are the fabric storage of choice for many quilters. If you want to avoid sunlight damage, keep your stash behind closed doors. Organize fabric by color, by manufacturer, or by patterns such as polka dots and stripes. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 05 of 41 Fabric Storage Closet Outfit a closet for fabric storage. A wire-drawer storage rack organizes works-in-progress and precut fabrics. Built in cubbies hold plastic bins full of sorted fabric. And hang finished quilt tops waiting for quilting from clothes hangers. 06 of 41 Panel Keeper Stop losing fabric panels in your stash! Fold each panel into a page protector and store the page protectors in binders. This helps cut down on duplicate panels, makes the panels easy to view, and keeps the panel accessible. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 07 of 41 Washi Tape Trick Washi tape is the perfect label for containers because it's easy to write on and easy to remove. Whether you're sorting your fabrics or your works-in-progress, a simple washi tape label will keep everything organized. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 08 of 41 Roll With It Store cut binding for your projects on a wooden paper towel holder until you're ready to finish the quilts. The binding easily unrolls from the towel holder and doesn't get tangled under my feet. A standard towel holder can store bindings for at least eight quilts. 09 of 41 Use Every Inch Don't forget the often unused space on the back of a closet door. A wire rack can hold quilt tops waiting to be finished. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 10 of 41 WIP Storage Store books, magazines, and/or patterns in a container with the fabric, tools, and in-process pieces for each project. That way, you always have your work-in-progress prepared when you're ready to work. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 11 of 41 Fat-Quarter Storage Store your fat quarters in dresser drawers, separate from the rest of your stash. You can look there first if you're chosing fabrics for a fat-quarter quilt. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 12 of 41 Smart Shelving Unit Back-to-back wire shelves hold collapsible fabric totes and boxes full of fabric. Buying extra shelving units allows you to add more shelves to each unit, while arranging the wire shelving perpendicular to the wall makes for a more functional solution. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 13 of 41 Storage on Display Store colorful items like yo-yos, ribbon, leftover binding, buttons, selvages, and trims in clear glass jars. Not only can you easily see the items in each jar, but they make a pretty arrangement when grouped on a shelf. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 14 of 41 Grab and Go Use trays or pullout drawers to store in-progress projects. They allow you to keep all pieces and tools for a project organized and available and are easy to move from storage to work space. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 15 of 41 Serving Tray Storage A basic serving tray (you can find inexpensive wooden ones at your local crafts store) makes transporation of works-in-progress easy. Use them to corral cut pieces and half-done blocks. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 16 of 41 Stash Your Scraps An easy way to sort a growing stash of scraps is with clear plastic paint-pail liners. Put one color in each liner and stack them so they take up little space. 17 of 41 Heavy-Duty Storage Bankers boxes (available at office supply stores) provide heavy-duty storage for your fabric. They're stackable and have space to label the contents of each box, making storage fast and functional. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 18 of 41 Creative Closet Space Hang quilt tops ready to be quilted in a closet on pants hangers. If you've chosen the backing and/or already cut the binding, loop it over the hanger. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 19 of 41 Bake Shop Storage A roll-around commercial baker's rack can easily hold many works-in-progress. Each tray can be pulled out to lay on a cutting or sewing surface. And because it's on wheels, it can be moved out of the way to make space. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 20 of 41 Wire Works Do you like open and visible fabric storage? Wire baskets hold fabric organized by color, so you can easily see (and grab) what's inside. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 21 of 41 Custom-Fit Closet Custom-built shelving in a closet allows you to maximize space for storing more fabric. Sort it by color to easily find the pieces you need. When you're done sewing, close the closet doors to keep clutter hidden. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 22 of 41 Nooks and Crannies A repurposed sawhorse acts as an adjustable cutting and ironing stand, and also offers shelves below for stacks of fabric. Corral smaller pieces in baskets that fit under the sawhorse. In-progress projects stay organized in an sheet pan on the table. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 23 of 41 From the Bottom Up Utilize space under a table for storing fabric. Add rolling carts with drawers or wire basket holders under your work space, so you have fabric close at hand while you're cutting or designing. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 24 of 41 Lots of Labels And old office cabinet can easily be converted into sewing storage. Stack fabrics by color on the shelves and use the tiny drawers to store smaller supplies, such as thread, rulers, and scissors. Add labels to drawers and shelves, so you always know where to return items. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 25 of 41 Unsort Your Stash If you're not a neat freak, this is a great way to store your scraps. A pull-out garbage can store both tiny scraps and bigger pieces of miscellaneous fabric. Install one right next to your cutting board, so you can easily toss scraps while piecing. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 26 of 41 Photo Boxes Organize precuts by color or collection using clear photo boxes. Hide them behind doors or buy boxes with a tint to them for colorful storage. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 27 of 41 Stylish Storage Storage doesn't have to by ugly. Turn a bookshelf into fabric storage and a work of art! Neatly stack fabrics on some of the shelves and use some to display spools of thread and ribbons in pretty glass containers and baskets. Display your favorite quilting books, pretty supplies, and vintage collectibles on top. Add a wall hanging for a pop of handmade style. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 28 of 41 Fabric Decor Let your favorite fabrics double as decor. Fold fabrics neatly in a cabinet that looks as tidy when the doors are open as when they're shut. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 29 of 41 Neatly Tucked Away Have bits of ribbon and trims stashed in places you can't see? Wind them around uniform-size cards and store them in a pocketed, over-the-door hanger meant to hold shoes or toiletries. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 30 of 41 Keep It Smooth After ironing large fabric pieces for a project, drape the ironed fabric on a clothes drying rack. This prevents the fabrics from creasing before you can get your pieces cut. 31 of 41 Multitasking Storage Shoe organizers are a natural option for storing fabric. They're great for keeping rolls of batting, fusible web, and freezer paper from rolling around. Plus, they're just the right size for stacking your favorite collection of precuts. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 32 of 41 Store by Sight Stash getting out of control? Shoe boxes might be the solution to manage your collection. Stash all your scraps by color, then cut a piece of fabric the same color and tape to the outside for quick reference! Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 33 of 41 Sort and Store If you only have room for underbed or big tub storage, don't forget to organize within those bigger containers! Use smaller boxes or dividers to keep fabric collections, precuts, or colors organized. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 34 of 41 Rows of Color Organize fat quarters by color on an open shelf. They're easy to access and the pretty display of fabrics will allow you to see what colors you're running out of! Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 35 of 41 Set Scraps Aside Don't toss out fabric scraps! Instead, stash them in baskets sorted by color. When you're ready to make a scrappy quilt, pull out your baskets and get busy. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 36 of 41 Sorted Storage Coordinate fabrics by designer, style, or manufacturer, and store in baskets of different shapes and sizes. The baskets allow you to keep various bundles and shapes of fabric in one location. Label the baskets to take organization to the next level! Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 37 of 41 Double Duty Don't overlook storage spaces that can do double duty. For instance, this storage bin system holds fabric and also serves as the base for a cutting and ironing surface. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 38 of 41 At a Glance Stop searching and start working! Clear, resealable bags can hold magazines, fabric, and works in progress. Just open the bag and start sewing. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 39 of 41 Sort by Size Whether you cut specific sizes from every fabric or cut yardages with a particular quilt project in mind, sorting by dimension is a storage option. Use clear-plastic storage boxes to hold fabrics of the same size and label the boxes for true efficiency. Stylish Sewing Room Organize Sewing Supplies Organize Your Sewing Room 40 of 41 Bundle Your Project Fabrics To ensure fabrics chosen for a specific project stay together until you're ready to use them, bundle them with long fabric strips. These strips usually come from trimming selvages or frayed edges. 41 of 41 Unused Space A clear over-the-door plastic shoe organizer can be used to store fat quarters and other small items. You can use both the inside and outside of the door to maximize space (if you don't mind the fabrics on display). The organizers are inexpensive, offer a view of what's in each pocket, and are a great way to take advantage of an unused door in your room. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit