Tips to Help Organize and Store Fabric

Here are some great TIPS on why you should store fabric in a closed storage as opposed to just leaving your fabrics laying around. You’ll also find tips for organizing your fabrics before storing them in your chosen places/containers.

Time to organize and store fabric in your sewing space…

Store Fabric To Keep Protected From…

Direct UV Light Exposure

Have you ever noticed when fabric has been exposed to sunlight for quite awhile that the fabric color actually fades? The UV rays are what does the most damage to fabrics. This damage, which happens over time, can be seen on draperies hung in the house or outdoor furniture cushions. If you leave un-used fabric anywhere where direct light can land on fabric, overtime, the fabric color will fade.

Moths

Have you ever had clothing or other household fabric accessories damaged from moths or other bugs? Colorado, where I live, has moths. Moths are a pain, they like to hide in dark spaces. I have found them in the creases of my patio chair cushions and have found evidence of them in my closet. They leave behind a mess too! If you leave fabric laying around, moths will find a way into the fabric to ‘chill out’.

I remember my grandma keeping moth balls in her closet to keep the moths away! I don’t like the smell of moth balls and refuse to keep them in my closet. As a result I have had a few shirts over the years that have gotten ‘little’ moth holes- moths eat the fabric!

High Humidity Levels

Fabric should be clean and DRY before you store it. I would assume that fabric purchased from the fabric store is clean, other than whatever chemicals are used during manufacturing process. I only know that when fabric is in a high humid environment there is a possibility of mold growth. Luckily, Colorado is mostly a dry environment.

We try to protect our household fabrics and clothing from Sunlight and Moths, ‘SEW’ it only makes sense that we should protect our unused fabrics as well.

Tips for Organizing Fabrics BEFORE Storing Them

Whether you have fabric to be used for crafts, apparel, or quilting it would be helpful to think about the ways you’d like to organize your fabrics.

How you choose to organize fabrics, after separating by types, is up to you. There is no right or wrong answer.

Maybe you’d like to organize fabric by color or theme. ** I’d suggest to organize fabric by ‘amounts’. Perhaps you have many fabrics in which are measured in ‘yards’ like my batik fabrics; or perhaps you have a bunch of fabric scraps or particular fabrics for a certain project.

A few ‘storage’ articles for further reading…

These articles mostly talk about CLOTHING storage BUT it would only make sense to follow these tips for storing fabrics too especially if you plan to store fabrics LONG term.

This article talks about the Best humidity, ecology and atmosphere for storing clothing.

If by chance you are an ambitious beginner seamstress and have a stash of leather, read… How to store leather.

This article is from a storage place and talks about storing fabrics/clothing for long term. Some great tips here!

Suggestions on where/what to store your fabric in…

A HUGE thanks to my aunt for sharing the above picture of her organized fabrics!

Another great article that has tips for organizing AND storing fabrics!

I purchased these ‘Greenmade’ containers at Costco. I did find them available at Amazon too!

GREENMADE 27 gallon storage container 3 pack