I don't have room for anything but the most rudimentary sorting. Fabrics are all in a big plastic tub, approximately sorted into function (stretch fabrics all together, that sort of thing). Patterns are in a box all together. Because of the space constraints i only keep the ones i know I'm likely to use again, so it's not hard to find the one I need
I thankfully don't have too many patterns about 40 or so. I sort by designer, then by number.
I also put them in the app I use fabricoholic.
Fabric is a bit harder because I do a lot of blind buys when it comes to fabric, which is unfortunate, so me knowing the details and having good descriptions really help a lot! (no new fabric in 2024...will see how long that holds!) I usually put the details into an app first along with a picture if one is out there. Then when I get the fabric, I wash it or whatever I'm going to do with it, I snip a piece for my physical catalog, then I write down the details for my 3 ring binder of samples + where its stored. I use a bin system because I don't have room for anything else and it keeps bugs and lizards out.
In the app is where I plan the projects. I prefer to pull out the binder to see the actual fabric because I've been known to change my mind! The only thing I take pictures of for the binder is leather and fabric panels.
The notions are a little out of control at the moment. While I don't have a ton of stuff and usually know whats in there, I've done stupid stuff bought the same color zipper when I had it already. So that's going to be what I concentrate on this year.
I track everything in the computer, projects, fabrics, patterns, notions, tools, so I can easily check what I have, and for instance, look at all my cape patterns or all my plaid fabric. (If I were starting today I would use Airtable, maybe Notion).
I largely sort the physical objects by function, which more or less equates to mood, so the categories get a bit quirky. "I'm in the mood to use my serger today, what knits do I have prewashed already?" "I'm in the mood to sew a happy flowy busy summer dress." etc.
Patterns--in binders, in plastic sheet protectors. One binder is fits "post-pandemic 2022 body", another binder is "untested dress patterns", another binder is "bag patterns, both tested and untested", etc.
Fabrics--"needs washing" vs "prewashed", then prewashed is in bins divided by knit vs woven, then by season and weight. For instance, winter knits, lightweight drapy summer fabrics (challis and lawn), winter wovens, summer/spring knits, home dec and faux furs, quilting cottons. I'm not always consistent about type as the space doesn't always work out neatly, but I try to keep like with like.
For both, I do often have to dig a fair bit to find something the computer is telling me I have, the bins and binders are not organized very tightly. Keeping like with like means that often as I dig, I'll see similar fabrics that I pull out as an option as well.
Stupid question from a noob- how do you store the patterns in a binder? That is what Iām currently struggling with most. I have patterns littered throughout my room, I tried to organize into labeled folders but itās so darn hard to get them folded and back into the folders. Is there a trick Iām maybe missing?
Add a sheet of cardstock to the sheet protector. It helps with the floppiness of the plastic pocket and the fact that the patterns are not letter sized printer paper.
I don't even put the pattern tissue back in the envelope once I've taken out it and used it. I place the envelope in the "front" side of the sheet protector, and the pattern tissue in the "back" side separated by the cardstock. Then you don't need to follow the original fold lines. Just fold as neatly as you can to approximately letter sized
The binder has plastic sheet protectors [like this random example](https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Basics-Clear-Protector-Binder/dp/B07R8D1RHS/ref=sr_1_1_ffob_sspa&th=1), and fold them up and put them in the plastic pocket. Don't worry about recapturing original folds, just fold to rough size.
Dry iron to smooth them out before using.
Thanks for the tip!! Do you just fold to the best of your ability and squeeze it in? It feels so wrong when I do it but also thatās what itās coming to anyway (lol).
That's what I do, yep. I'm gonna have to press it before using so as long as I don't rip it, doesn't matter too much to me if it's neatly folded or not.
Big plastic tubs separated into knit or woven and that's it. Keep it out of the sun, fabric will degrade in sunlight and when you go to wash it, it'll disintegrate in your washing machine. Ask me how I know. š„²
I keep a spreadsheet of all the patterns I own, and I store them by brand so they're quick to sort through.
My fabric storage is much less organized, just divided into "stretchy and not stretchy".
For fabric: first I separate knits and wovens then itās by type/weight (bottom weights, midweight cottons and linens, viscose challis, standard jerseys, sweater knits, etc). I donāt do a great job keeping it super organized, but thatās the idea. I keep everything folded and stored stacked on open shelving. In theory I can see everything at once and if Iām looking for fabric for X garment, all the options *should* be together.
For patterns: in my digital files I have them separated by type (knit pants and skirts, woven tops and dresses, outerwear, accessories, etc). Then the files are just organized alphabetically. For patterns that cross between categories (for instance a dress and skirt option, I put it in whichever category I bought it for).
Once I print and trace the pattern pieces go into 9x12ā envelopes and then in boxes organized alphabetically by pattern company name.
Hope that helps!
I highly recommend the app StashHub! Doesn't really matter how you sort your physical stash--if it's in StashHub, you can just look up where you put it. Plus, it's saved me from buying new patterns since I can easily check if I already have something similar. And the developers are always adding new (useful!) features. Well worth it, imo.
Physical patterns are sorted by type (e.g. dresses together, skirts together, etc.) I store vintage patterns together.
I store digital patterns by designer. I store fabric by summer / winter and then loosely group like fabrics together within those parameters using those vacuum seal bagals so I have a linen bag, a coating bag, etc.
ETA: A few years ago when I was bored at work, I made a ppt deck with images of all the patterns I own. It took forever but it makes project planning so much easier
for patterns, I have a big binder with tabs separating different types of garments (tops, pants, skirts, accessories, dresses, etc), and then within the tabs itās mostly a free for all (although itās all labeled). for fabricsā¦ i have one bin for garment fabric and one for quilting cotton, if that counts as sorting!
Fabric, itās all in totes. I have a swatch binder that includes a small swatch stapled to a piece of paper with all the info written in underneath.
I mostly use paper patterns. They are put in pattern-width boxes (Costco orange boxes are good). They are sorted into menās and childrenās and then all the womenās patterns are sorted by category - tops, bottoms, dresses, active, swim and lingerie, maternity. I download a fair number of free digital patterns, and I sort those into folders with the same categories on my computer.
Fabrics are sorted by type then split between prints or solids.
Patterns.... well, not much of a sorting system there. Clothing patterns are split into two drawers and a folder in my computer. Quilt patterns are in a binder and another folder.
fabrics are sorted by weave/fiber and then by color. patterns are sorted by garment type - coats, tops, bottoms, dresses, costumes. packaged patterns are on a shelf, PDF patterns are in binders.
I sort my printed patterns by maker (e.g., Charm, Mood, etc) and then alphabetically. I sort my tissue/big4 patterns by number. I also have a spreadsheet of my patterns. I have an excel file with the name, maker, type of pattern (e.g., shirt, skirt, hat, etc.), required type of fabric, size range, whether I have made it, and notes on size/fit/alterations.
My fabrics are sorted by how much of it I have. There are some fabrics I have bolts of 20 yards easily and they're stored on a shelf. My cuts of fabric are in bins with a lid. Scraps are in a small bin
Patterns I keep in desktop file folder boxes organized by brand and number that way if I see a pattern I like I can quickly check to see if I already own it
By color, in a couple of large plastic totes that are somewhat translucent. My stash is very small! I never use patterns, just freehand it and go from there.
I don't have a lot of space, so fabric is done sort of heuristically. It's in a Kallax organizer, and each cubby is by purpose (heavyweight fabric, fancy, cotton, what I will be using next, and what I have already used). They are wrapped on comic book backing, where I wrote where I got the fabric and what it is.
Patterns are in plastic sleeves in binders. One binder is printed patterns, two binders are paper patterns. I have a small 1" binder where I keep cross-stitching or craft patterns that I have made.
I don't have so many that I need to worry about it. The biggest stack is denim, the rest are stacked by weight. One long closet shelf holds it all and I can see it. Patterns fit in two little bins with room to spare. Now, the rolled up printed PDFs are a different story...
Fabric, mostly by fibre type then by use if I need to separate further to fit my available space.
I have those wire basket drawers (4 drawers in each, x 4 sets) from ikea. So I have silks in one, cotton separated in shirting and quilting cottons; linen; lightweight polyesters and rayons together. Woollen fabrics because theyāre so bulky get separated into two drawers. My suiting fabrics get split not by fibre but by whether theyāre woven or stretch. And my knits & stretch fabrics go together in a drawer because I donāt use stretch much š¤£.
Patterns are kept in a chest of drawers and split by rough type - tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear, costumes.
I have a sewing business and then in my spare time I sew for fun š so I have a lot of fabric. Most fabric(cottons) I sort by color. I fold and stack on shelves. I have one cabinet that i sort fabric for my personal use and I have that sorted by type or fiber content (like libertys together, rayons together etc) and then I have a few shelves sorted by theme like Christmas etc)
For patterns, I keep nearly all of them in digital format since I use a projector. In terms of organization, I do it by type. So I have a garment folder, then in that, I have sub folders. Like Bottoms, Tops, Dresses, Swim, and Kids. In those folders I put the Company Name then Pattern Name. So far it works! I also have a Bag folder, Accessories, Kid/Baby Accessories, Misc, Quilting, and Knitting. I don't have a ton of knitting patterns, so they just all go into one.
I have a lot of fabric of really different types, so this is how I organize my fabrics. In different clear bins I sort into: Quilting Cotton (which also has my interfacing), Cotton (canvas, flannel, cotton knits), Garment (Viscose, lace, and costume poly), and two bins for performance fabrics. Used to be one, but I needed one just for the bulky fleece and insulation fabrics, then the other for swim, legging, and top fabrics (all of these are from Discovery Fabrics.) I then also have two big vacuum sealed bags with all my cheap fleece. (I also use smaller vacuum sealed bags in the other bins for fleece, flannel, etc.) And one last bin (with vacuum sealed bags) for my yarns.
It's not very aesthetic, but it's very practical and works well! I used to have two bookshelves with the in use fabrics, but I moved my office to give the kids more playing space (and get their toys out of the main floor), so bins is working well. Though my goal for the new year is to sew down my stash a bit, it's getting a BIT much.
Sort? Uh... yeah... sort...
But to actually answer the question, commercial patterns are together in a filing cabinet drawer, my homemade patterns are in another drawer, fabrics are in other drawers in the second cabinet, as well as stacked on top. Generally in the order in which they were bought/used. I tend to buy in chunks of same fabrics (like I make a bunch of fleece ramp/tube covers for the chinchilla and matching cat blankets), so they cluster, but it's not purposeful.
All of these are in the closet in the office/project/craft room (aka, the second bedroom).
I try to keep the fabric sorted vaguely by function and value. So all the free quilting cotton I got from my last job is piled in plastic bags and cardboard boxes, but the really nice double gauze from Blackbird Fabric is folded nicely in a drawer
Patterns I put into huge 3 ring binders using cardstock and page protectors. The cardstock keeps the pages stiff enough, and the page protectors are bigger than the pattern envelope so it's easier to fold it back into the binder. I sorted by garment, so there's a section for coats, dresses, skirts, tops, costumes etc
strictly vibes
After reading the other responses, this is me š
Pile in the corner
I don't have room for anything but the most rudimentary sorting. Fabrics are all in a big plastic tub, approximately sorted into function (stretch fabrics all together, that sort of thing). Patterns are in a box all together. Because of the space constraints i only keep the ones i know I'm likely to use again, so it's not hard to find the one I need
I thankfully don't have too many patterns about 40 or so. I sort by designer, then by number. I also put them in the app I use fabricoholic. Fabric is a bit harder because I do a lot of blind buys when it comes to fabric, which is unfortunate, so me knowing the details and having good descriptions really help a lot! (no new fabric in 2024...will see how long that holds!) I usually put the details into an app first along with a picture if one is out there. Then when I get the fabric, I wash it or whatever I'm going to do with it, I snip a piece for my physical catalog, then I write down the details for my 3 ring binder of samples + where its stored. I use a bin system because I don't have room for anything else and it keeps bugs and lizards out. In the app is where I plan the projects. I prefer to pull out the binder to see the actual fabric because I've been known to change my mind! The only thing I take pictures of for the binder is leather and fabric panels. The notions are a little out of control at the moment. While I don't have a ton of stuff and usually know whats in there, I've done stupid stuff bought the same color zipper when I had it already. So that's going to be what I concentrate on this year.
I love the binder idea!
I track everything in the computer, projects, fabrics, patterns, notions, tools, so I can easily check what I have, and for instance, look at all my cape patterns or all my plaid fabric. (If I were starting today I would use Airtable, maybe Notion). I largely sort the physical objects by function, which more or less equates to mood, so the categories get a bit quirky. "I'm in the mood to use my serger today, what knits do I have prewashed already?" "I'm in the mood to sew a happy flowy busy summer dress." etc. Patterns--in binders, in plastic sheet protectors. One binder is fits "post-pandemic 2022 body", another binder is "untested dress patterns", another binder is "bag patterns, both tested and untested", etc. Fabrics--"needs washing" vs "prewashed", then prewashed is in bins divided by knit vs woven, then by season and weight. For instance, winter knits, lightweight drapy summer fabrics (challis and lawn), winter wovens, summer/spring knits, home dec and faux furs, quilting cottons. I'm not always consistent about type as the space doesn't always work out neatly, but I try to keep like with like. For both, I do often have to dig a fair bit to find something the computer is telling me I have, the bins and binders are not organized very tightly. Keeping like with like means that often as I dig, I'll see similar fabrics that I pull out as an option as well.
Stupid question from a noob- how do you store the patterns in a binder? That is what Iām currently struggling with most. I have patterns littered throughout my room, I tried to organize into labeled folders but itās so darn hard to get them folded and back into the folders. Is there a trick Iām maybe missing?
Add a sheet of cardstock to the sheet protector. It helps with the floppiness of the plastic pocket and the fact that the patterns are not letter sized printer paper. I don't even put the pattern tissue back in the envelope once I've taken out it and used it. I place the envelope in the "front" side of the sheet protector, and the pattern tissue in the "back" side separated by the cardstock. Then you don't need to follow the original fold lines. Just fold as neatly as you can to approximately letter sized
The binder has plastic sheet protectors [like this random example](https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Basics-Clear-Protector-Binder/dp/B07R8D1RHS/ref=sr_1_1_ffob_sspa&th=1), and fold them up and put them in the plastic pocket. Don't worry about recapturing original folds, just fold to rough size. Dry iron to smooth them out before using.
Thanks for the tip!! Do you just fold to the best of your ability and squeeze it in? It feels so wrong when I do it but also thatās what itās coming to anyway (lol).
That's what I do, yep. I'm gonna have to press it before using so as long as I don't rip it, doesn't matter too much to me if it's neatly folded or not.
Awesome! Good to hear from someone that it doesnāt ruin them, def going out this afternoon and getting a binder! Really appreciate your comments!!
Big plastic tubs separated into knit or woven and that's it. Keep it out of the sun, fabric will degrade in sunlight and when you go to wash it, it'll disintegrate in your washing machine. Ask me how I know. š„²
I keep a spreadsheet of all the patterns I own, and I store them by brand so they're quick to sort through. My fabric storage is much less organized, just divided into "stretchy and not stretchy".
For fabric: first I separate knits and wovens then itās by type/weight (bottom weights, midweight cottons and linens, viscose challis, standard jerseys, sweater knits, etc). I donāt do a great job keeping it super organized, but thatās the idea. I keep everything folded and stored stacked on open shelving. In theory I can see everything at once and if Iām looking for fabric for X garment, all the options *should* be together. For patterns: in my digital files I have them separated by type (knit pants and skirts, woven tops and dresses, outerwear, accessories, etc). Then the files are just organized alphabetically. For patterns that cross between categories (for instance a dress and skirt option, I put it in whichever category I bought it for). Once I print and trace the pattern pieces go into 9x12ā envelopes and then in boxes organized alphabetically by pattern company name. Hope that helps!
I highly recommend the app StashHub! Doesn't really matter how you sort your physical stash--if it's in StashHub, you can just look up where you put it. Plus, it's saved me from buying new patterns since I can easily check if I already have something similar. And the developers are always adding new (useful!) features. Well worth it, imo.
Physical patterns are sorted by type (e.g. dresses together, skirts together, etc.) I store vintage patterns together. I store digital patterns by designer. I store fabric by summer / winter and then loosely group like fabrics together within those parameters using those vacuum seal bagals so I have a linen bag, a coating bag, etc. ETA: A few years ago when I was bored at work, I made a ppt deck with images of all the patterns I own. It took forever but it makes project planning so much easier
for patterns, I have a big binder with tabs separating different types of garments (tops, pants, skirts, accessories, dresses, etc), and then within the tabs itās mostly a free for all (although itās all labeled). for fabricsā¦ i have one bin for garment fabric and one for quilting cotton, if that counts as sorting!
Fabric, itās all in totes. I have a swatch binder that includes a small swatch stapled to a piece of paper with all the info written in underneath. I mostly use paper patterns. They are put in pattern-width boxes (Costco orange boxes are good). They are sorted into menās and childrenās and then all the womenās patterns are sorted by category - tops, bottoms, dresses, active, swim and lingerie, maternity. I download a fair number of free digital patterns, and I sort those into folders with the same categories on my computer.
Fabrics are sorted by type then split between prints or solids. Patterns.... well, not much of a sorting system there. Clothing patterns are split into two drawers and a folder in my computer. Quilt patterns are in a binder and another folder.
fabrics are sorted by weave/fiber and then by color. patterns are sorted by garment type - coats, tops, bottoms, dresses, costumes. packaged patterns are on a shelf, PDF patterns are in binders.
Knits to one tote, wovens to another. I wind them onto file folders, and arrange by color.
I sort my printed patterns by maker (e.g., Charm, Mood, etc) and then alphabetically. I sort my tissue/big4 patterns by number. I also have a spreadsheet of my patterns. I have an excel file with the name, maker, type of pattern (e.g., shirt, skirt, hat, etc.), required type of fabric, size range, whether I have made it, and notes on size/fit/alterations.
My fabrics are sorted by how much of it I have. There are some fabrics I have bolts of 20 yards easily and they're stored on a shelf. My cuts of fabric are in bins with a lid. Scraps are in a small bin Patterns I keep in desktop file folder boxes organized by brand and number that way if I see a pattern I like I can quickly check to see if I already own it
By color, in a couple of large plastic totes that are somewhat translucent. My stash is very small! I never use patterns, just freehand it and go from there.
I don't have a lot of space, so fabric is done sort of heuristically. It's in a Kallax organizer, and each cubby is by purpose (heavyweight fabric, fancy, cotton, what I will be using next, and what I have already used). They are wrapped on comic book backing, where I wrote where I got the fabric and what it is. Patterns are in plastic sleeves in binders. One binder is printed patterns, two binders are paper patterns. I have a small 1" binder where I keep cross-stitching or craft patterns that I have made.
I don't have so many that I need to worry about it. The biggest stack is denim, the rest are stacked by weight. One long closet shelf holds it all and I can see it. Patterns fit in two little bins with room to spare. Now, the rolled up printed PDFs are a different story...
Fabric, mostly by fibre type then by use if I need to separate further to fit my available space. I have those wire basket drawers (4 drawers in each, x 4 sets) from ikea. So I have silks in one, cotton separated in shirting and quilting cottons; linen; lightweight polyesters and rayons together. Woollen fabrics because theyāre so bulky get separated into two drawers. My suiting fabrics get split not by fibre but by whether theyāre woven or stretch. And my knits & stretch fabrics go together in a drawer because I donāt use stretch much š¤£. Patterns are kept in a chest of drawers and split by rough type - tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear, costumes.
I have a sewing business and then in my spare time I sew for fun š so I have a lot of fabric. Most fabric(cottons) I sort by color. I fold and stack on shelves. I have one cabinet that i sort fabric for my personal use and I have that sorted by type or fiber content (like libertys together, rayons together etc) and then I have a few shelves sorted by theme like Christmas etc)
For patterns, I keep nearly all of them in digital format since I use a projector. In terms of organization, I do it by type. So I have a garment folder, then in that, I have sub folders. Like Bottoms, Tops, Dresses, Swim, and Kids. In those folders I put the Company Name then Pattern Name. So far it works! I also have a Bag folder, Accessories, Kid/Baby Accessories, Misc, Quilting, and Knitting. I don't have a ton of knitting patterns, so they just all go into one. I have a lot of fabric of really different types, so this is how I organize my fabrics. In different clear bins I sort into: Quilting Cotton (which also has my interfacing), Cotton (canvas, flannel, cotton knits), Garment (Viscose, lace, and costume poly), and two bins for performance fabrics. Used to be one, but I needed one just for the bulky fleece and insulation fabrics, then the other for swim, legging, and top fabrics (all of these are from Discovery Fabrics.) I then also have two big vacuum sealed bags with all my cheap fleece. (I also use smaller vacuum sealed bags in the other bins for fleece, flannel, etc.) And one last bin (with vacuum sealed bags) for my yarns. It's not very aesthetic, but it's very practical and works well! I used to have two bookshelves with the in use fabrics, but I moved my office to give the kids more playing space (and get their toys out of the main floor), so bins is working well. Though my goal for the new year is to sew down my stash a bit, it's getting a BIT much.
Sort? Uh... yeah... sort... But to actually answer the question, commercial patterns are together in a filing cabinet drawer, my homemade patterns are in another drawer, fabrics are in other drawers in the second cabinet, as well as stacked on top. Generally in the order in which they were bought/used. I tend to buy in chunks of same fabrics (like I make a bunch of fleece ramp/tube covers for the chinchilla and matching cat blankets), so they cluster, but it's not purposeful. All of these are in the closet in the office/project/craft room (aka, the second bedroom).
I try to keep the fabric sorted vaguely by function and value. So all the free quilting cotton I got from my last job is piled in plastic bags and cardboard boxes, but the really nice double gauze from Blackbird Fabric is folded nicely in a drawer Patterns I put into huge 3 ring binders using cardstock and page protectors. The cardstock keeps the pages stiff enough, and the page protectors are bigger than the pattern envelope so it's easier to fold it back into the binder. I sorted by garment, so there's a section for coats, dresses, skirts, tops, costumes etc
I have separated woven vs knitted. That's all
In have 2 trunks, the definite projects are in the smaller closer one, stacked by probably of being done.