As promised in April for my birthday, Liz came back to help me fold and organize more of my fabric. We put together the second shelving unit, which is narrower than the first but helps fill in the wall almost perfectly. The second shelf on the right holds mostly knits. These include athletic knits (Nike Dri Fit, Under Armour Cold Gear, Suziplex), wool knits, ponte / double knits and some swim knits.
I also filled in more on the left with things that came out of the bins. At the top I’ve chucked all the things already folded on to cardboard. I’m like those to hold linings and slippery fabrics. But, when it hit 1:00 am we realized we just didn’t have anymore energy to keep going. And, so many bins there were. Sigh. There’s one bin left of fabric to sort, mostly huge cuts of lining, silk organza and cotton batiste.
** Post note: We started cleaning the basement out and I have found another bin of fabric. I literally live in a fabric warehouse.
I now have a bin of larger scraps to donate to whoever picks them up from Freecycle today. I’m hopeful (and pretty sure) it will be gone by the end of the day! The drawers are still framed with silks and laces. Those will have to wait for another day. All in all, I’d say I’m 2/3 of the way done sorting my fabric and 50% done with getting the room in order. What don’t I ever need more of? Black tricot knit. I found about 20 yards of it all told. I like it for lining knits and athletic wear. So, it appears every time it’s on sale for $1 or $2 a yard I bought five yards of it.
Liz made use of my giveaway knits and made some headbands for herself on my serger while she was over. I am going to make a sewer out of her if it’s the last thing I do…
As noted in my last post, I didn’t get my pink seersucker dress done in time for the picnic wedding. I guess I’ve also forgotten how to sew, because I sewed and serged the side and shoulder seams of this lined sleeveless dress. I’m 90 percent sure I’ll course correct with bias binding at the neckline and clean finishing the arms.
Now, Â I’m off to the store. I’ve run out of cream thread to sew the lining of the above dress! Also, my invisible zipper foot from Bernina (it was on sale last month) has come in! If you’re interested, the shelves are from Sam’s Club. The narrower one was ordered online. But, as you can see, it didn’t come with five shelves. Just four. So, I need to order a fifth separately.
Miss Celie's Pants 
Organization makes me so happy. Look at those juicy stacked piles, so neat! Did you already freecycle these?! I haven’t look on freecycle in a few days… I’ll take your castoffs!
I haven’t yet. You are more than welcome to them. I couldn’t believe how much there was considering a purged last year.
Got your email… will respond via that 🙂
Congratulations on getting that much more done! This is a process and it does take some time. You still have an amazing sewing room!
It’s really shaping up! I love an organized room; it makes me feel productive and ready to work. Renee I want to make some yoga pants and something shorter to walk in for the summer. Which of the wicking fabrics do you recommend?
Hi Nancy,
Of everything I have, the Suzilex is by far the best for what you want. It’s from Suzie’s Spandex in Montreal, so the shipping may well not be worth it to you. Next, I would recommend a nice supplex I bought in NY at either Spandex House or Stretch House — I’ll have to check with Trena. I wouldn’t recommend the UA that I have nor the Dri Fit I bought nor the stuff that I got from FabricMart some time ago.
On Sun, Jun 8, 2014 at 2:24 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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Oh, lovely organization! Your stash is not bad…I live in a smallish apt and have at least as much. Still, the sales always get me — I think sometimes that I’ve lost my mind.
Question: Is the Bernina invisible zipper foot an “old style”? And if so, how did you go about ordering one? I’ve got a knock-off, but its just not the same as the real thing.
~Jen
Hi Jen!
I was looking at my stash and thinking it really wasn’t that bad myself. And, I think it’s a fairly consistent size over the years. I’m constantly weeding it out so that’s kept it to things I really am join got sew. As for the foot, I go to the Bernina authorized seller. I use the Bernina app on my phone to see what’s on special that month. Last month, it was this. And, when I asked, I was told that the old style foot was also covered in the 25 percent off sale. I think since they change the numbers across the board, it doesn’t matter to them. That said, a friend was denied the sale price for the old style foot when she asked. I have a generic invisible zipper foot that came with my machine, but, I’ve heard really good things about the Bernina branded one I thought I would try. Also, my store has pre-owned feet that are half the price. I check every time I am there. HTH.
On Sun, Jun 8, 2014 at 3:13 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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I find it ironic, while organizing fabric and pile purging, you still need to go to the fabric store. 🙂
LOL! Right?!?! I can proudly say I walked out with just the thread I needed and an additional thread rack (my two are totally full)
On Sun, Jun 8, 2014 at 3:26 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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You inspire me! However, organizing/cleaning out the garage comes first. I am determined to park my car in the garage come winter, especially if we have another one like last winter.
Is Harry guss closes they never pick up the phone what is their e mail desperate
Yep. They closed last year. On Jun 8, 2014 7:01 PM, “Miss Celie's Pants” wrote:
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Wow. Organized fabric. Now that’s a dream. I was already thirty years behind (having already inherited a stash from my great aunties when they passed on in addition to having one of my own) when I inherited my mom’s stash (which I ruthlessly culled from such ‘gotta haves’ as the amazing collection of late 1960s-mid-1970s double knit polyester). And now that I have the grandchildren (who, after all, can’t wear ‘adult’ fabrics, eh?), I have separate boxes in the guest room…just…for…them (because there are almost no such things as ‘generic’ children’s fabrics these days, so I have to have a box for ‘boy knits’ and a box for ‘boy, not knits’ and a box for ‘toddler girl knits’ and another box for ‘toddler girl, NOT knits..”) I’m doomed.
I aspire to organized shelves such as those. Sigh. 🙂 Can you send your friend over to my house?? 🙂
I bought my first set of shelves like those from Sams’s club, but my later ones I was able to buy at Home Depot AND you could buy a set of wheels for them. I use them in my basement storeroom and wheels make it so I can shove them together to make more floor space and then easily move them when I need something.
Sue C
Aren’t shelves for fabric great? I love storing mine that way, it makes it so much easier to see what I have, and it’s so easy to keep organized. But getting it all on the shelf is admittedly the hardest part. I think I spent a couple of days on mine, and I don’t have nearly as large of a stash as you do! And you have the bestest friend ever–you’d probably better do something really awesome to repay her, LOL!
I have a dream that one day my fabric stash will be neatly pressed, folded and look sumptuous on an open shelf. Yeah, in my dreams! Love your pink seersucker dress.
Sadly I rearranged my craft/sewing room and realized if I got some more bins, I’d have room for a ton more fabric! LOL Thinking I might pick up some fun knits here soon again. I love your shelves though with everything out in the open. I think I need to take a photographic inventory of my fabrics and make notes of how much of what I have and organize the data somehow for easy reference.