4 January 2012

Evolution of a Sewing Room - Part 7

As per Vicki's request in a comment to my last sewing room post (which was approximately 1000 years ago - I'm obedient, but really slow), let's check out the fabric closet.

So, c'mon in, the door's open...




FABRIC
I have two large shelving units that hold most of my fabrics.  The metal unit contains all the wovens, while the wooden unit holds the knits, flannels, fleeces and home dec textiles.

Metal Unit
I organize the fabric on this unit a few different ways.  By season, by fabric type/fiber content and in wardrobe groupings. 

Sometimes if a group of fabrics looks right together, I will kept them near one another on the shelf in a wardrobe collection.  Then, when I am sewing a SWAP-style group of garments, I already have pre-made collections of fabric.



Wooden Unit
I organize this unit completely by fabric type.  You can see stacks of knits, ordered by fiber content (cotton, bamboo, polyester, etc).  I also keep flannels, fleeces, home dec and corduroy here.  Beside this unit, I line up some of my linings on bolts.


But, wait...there's more...

Guest Bedroom Closet
I have too much fabric to fit in the sewing room fabric closet, so the guest bedroom closet houses the overflow.  Arranged on hangers, I have the slippery silks, laces and all the fabrics that don't take well to folding (faux suede and laminated fabrics for instance).



MAGAZINES & PATTERN ENVELOPES
I have a large collection of Threads magazines (top shelf).  I have almost every copy of the magazine ever sold, but I am missing a few of the earlier ones.  I can't decide if it's worth stalking eBay for the few issues I need to complete my collection or if I should just buy the Threads Archive DVDs.  Decisions, decisions.


I have quite a few issues of Vogue pattern magazine and to a lesser extent, the now defunct Butterick pattern magazines, mainly from the last few years (bottom shelf).  I could kick my self for tossing out all the copies I had from the 1980s and 1990s.

I have a number of issues of Australian Stitches (also, bottom shelf).  I used to love the wardrobing (SWAP) articles.  Alas, the steep price and finding that I wasn't as interested in the other articles combined to force me to let my subscription lapse two years ago.

I store all envelope patterns in a similar fashion.  The guts (tissue and instructions) are placed in large manilla envelopes, which are kept in my cutting table (the patterns can be seen in their drawers in this post) .  The pattern covers are placed inside page protectors and organized in three-ring binders (middle shelf) by category (active wear, dresses, skirts, tops, jackets, wardrobe patterns, etc) and then by pattern company.  This makes it easy to browse through my patterns without having to root through the pattern drawers.  If I grab a cup of tea and a binder and I can spend many a happy hour dreaming and plotting my next big sewing adventure.


THREAD
I love this cabinet and it's serendipitous acquisition.  I was lucky enough to be in the right place, at the right time.  A few years ago, the librarian at my school was disposing of this metal film cabinet (moving forward with the times, I guess) and I happened to walk by.  I asked if I could have it and he said yes.  The poor man even single-handedly loaded it into the bed of my truck for me.  Chivalry is most certainly not dead! (I just realized something - he has been off for the last month recovering from a major hernia operation - oh man, I think my sewing obsession may have finally injured someone.  Yikes!)


The cabinet has several shallow drawers that have dividers in them.  The dividers have round holes that were meant to hold projector film canisters.  Now, however, they are perfectly designed for spools of thread.  All my Guterman thread is organized by number in the same order as can be found on the thread sample chart.  This way, it's easy to reorder any thread that I am low on, not to mention that it looks really pretty when I open the drawer!


The other drawers hold more thread (like embroidery thread and the serger thread shown below), as well as dyes.


At the bottom, is a cabinet with a swinging door.  Inside, there are vertical dividers that are just perfect for organizing my interfacings. 


So, there you have it.  The HZC Fabric Closet of Joy & Wonder.  Feel free to stand back and bask in its warm glow.

47 comments:

Unknown said...

Amazing and unbelievable! Your closet looks better stocked than some fabric stores!

patti said...

Wow!

Kitty Couture said...

This is probably what heaven looks like. :)

KayY said...

I am very jealous!

Seraphinalina said...

I have to echo Patti.
Wow.

I feel oddly better and yet worse about my stash. It's smaller (so I feel better) but not nearly so well organized and displayed (so I feel worse).

Reethi said...

Holy crap, that's amazing!

sewingkm said...

First of all I'm so glad you have returned to blogging! And, second, I love your arranged fabric displays. I'm a redhead too (love your fabric choices) so let me know if you ever want to scale down - ha! I know - fat chance.

Lilian said...

A W E S O M E !!
I love the idea of sorting and organising your fabric SWAP-style.
The more fabric you have the more fun it is. And you are doing very well in that area..
I'm actually a bit jealous of your more than gorgeous sewing-place.

Maryissewfast said...

I'm in love with your fabric closet!

Sherril said...

I love that thread cabinet. My thread could certainly use some organization.

Carol said...

I'm in awe by your collections.

Vicki said...

Thankyou for letting us into your closet! It was worth the wait. So neat and organised. Love, love the thread cabinet. What a lucky find!! Thanks also for the nice comments about Sofie. She sure has grown up (but still my little baby).

Alison said...

Oh my gosh...major envy here. I thought when I saw your fabric that I was in heaven but the thread! I just about wet my pants when I saw that. WANT!
thanks for sharing.

Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic) said...

Oh my you have just made my day! Seeing your shelves packed with fabric has reinforced my thought that shelves are really the way to go in my sewing room! Thanks for sharing your amazing fabric closet!

BeeBee said...

I now have a huge inferiority complex and a major problem with my complexion that is now pea-green.

shams said...

wowee! Pretty darned amazing! Though, tell me, does such a well stocked sewing room put any pressure on one to produce? :D

Jillybejoyful said...

Can I just move in with you? Please? I'm really very nice.... ;-D

Toby Wollin said...

mmm, can I come shop at your house? I promise to bring cash. Canadian, even. And by the way, I spied your display of Japanese sewing books. I'll just sit down and camp out there, nnn-ok? :)

Bunny said...

Oh, my, I'm jealous. You are so stinkin' organized! Very impressive!

Pam from South Australia said...

Well you are never, never, never coming to play at my house! I'm not even gonna share how I store my fabric/threads/patterns. Not even sure you could call it 'organised' mess, although it's rare if I don't know where something is. That's if I remember I HAVE something. Shannon, your space is to die for! Congratulations.

Clio said...

Woooooowwww... (wipes drool from keyboard). I would open and close the thread drawers all day just to ogle them. I should email a link to my husband so he can see how I've been sewing in squalor by comparison. ;-)

pdiddly said...

OMG so organised - I was just talking to my son about building some shelves for me - I now ask myself is that enough.

Eleonore said...

Wow, you fabric closet looks like a promotional tool for a " orginisational" expert. Fantastic!

Connie said...

I adore, covet, lust over it all! Thanks for the tour, but right now I just want to move in with you!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for showing off your new sewing room collection. Lucky you to have enough storage to have your own personal "fabric store".

Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissy said...

Absolutely incredible! I particularly love your pattern storage - I've relocated mine to some boxes on a high shelf and its way too hard to pull them down and look through them. I'm out to find some folders today!

Allison said...

*Positively dripping with jealousy*

T. Sedai said...

Yours is the sewing room of dreams! Your collections of fabric, patterns, thread... are amazing to say the least. Current living situation doesn't really allow for a fabric closet, but your methods of organization are definitely inspiration for the future. Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Wow, is all I can say!

Gina in Texas

Mardel said...

Oh how I love it. Just reminds me that I want my fabric on shelves when I get into the house. Looking at yours I've eager to start unpacking mine and putting it away and then sewing.

Sewing Geek said...

Oh, my. I am feeling faint. I am glad that mine is not so organized. I am. Really. I would spend all day petting it and get nothing else done. :)

NancyDaQ said...

I happen to have some old old Threads issues I could part with. Let me know if you're interested and I'll trawl the archives and let you know which dupes I have. I have the DVD collection, but I 'm reluctant to let the paper archive go.

BTW, love the microfilm cabinet. It's so perfect! I certainly hope the librarian wasn't injured in the service of sewing!

ChristineB said...

That cabinet is TO DIE FOR!! Sooooooo jealous!!

Sharon Sews said...

Wow! That is one seriously fantastic sewing studio!

Em said...

Can we be best friends? I could come to your house...often, very often!

Anonymous said...

I keep sending pictures of your sewing room to my husband as big hints to crack on and refit my sewing loft.

So far he's ignoring me!

Mary-Michael said...

Who! Your closet looks incredible...it made me drool. And that library cabinet! What an amazing find. Thanks for sharing.

theresa said...

Finally! Girl, where have you been and what a wonderful sewing room! Maybe that's what you've been doing and not posting, but welcome back.
Theresa in Tucson

June said...

Wow! Now I'm going to get totally nerdy and ask what software you use to keep track of it all. (Surely you don't have that entire stash by memory...?!?)

Sharon said...

Stunning and thank you for sharing, I just want to come and play.

Claire S. said...

Oh wow what a pile of eye candy ! I'm not the only one drooling, I'm sure.

mkhughes said...

Oh, my goodness!

KARIMA said...

Soooo Jealous!!!!! Beautiful.

Fran said...

Wow!!! You could open your own store! Very impressive.

JustGail said...

Welcome back! Your storage is awesome, all so neat and organised.

andrea said...

Love your room! My fabric closet looks much like yours- that is, until I try and pull out a fabric on the bottom of the stack. Do you have any tips on keeping the stacks neat?

Elaray said...

O–M–G! I am always so amazed when I see the large stashes some people have! If I only had the space .....
I love your studio! So organized! So well stocked! You have inspired me to go clean up my meager space.