Using storage totes to organize fabric by project

Like most sewers I have trouble keeping my fabric organized. I have a closet packed with fabric, but it is mostly just yardage stacked on top of each other. I needed a solution for projects with little pieces or notions that don’t stack well.

I found it during one of those trips to Target when you go in for one little thing and walk out with a $100 bill, so easy to do. My soltion was bringing home several Sterilite® ID Storage Totes from the storage section.

They come in three sizes and are solid white, which means light won’t get in and damage your fabrics. But it also means if you’ve got a mess in there, no one will know but you and your sewing room can still look neat. The part that makes it nice for project storage, is there is a dry erase label on the front of the box, so you can write what is in there. So there’s no opening a million boxes to find the one project you were looking for.

I’ve used mine to store the fabric, pattern and notions for garment projects I’ve picked up for Angela. It’s a great way to keep everything together so I’m not searching for zippers and thread to match mid-sewing. I have several projects in each bin stacked on on top of the other, so I just labeled them by the size she will be when she wears it. I’m using the medium size here, and you could easily fit all the fabric for a quilting project, the pattern and any special rulers or thread you need to go with it in one bin.

I think I’m going to have to get some more for my quilting projects that are in progress once I finish my new sewing room. I am determined not to have that room look like a disaster zone all the time and nice, stackable containers to hold my works in progress would really help me keep the area clean.

What are your best fabric and project organization tips? Share them in the comments section and you could be featured in an upcoming article.