Tuesday, August 19, 2014

DIY Mini Fabric Bolts & Sewing Room Tour

Prior to having the mini fabric bolts, I'd store my fabrics in giant plastic bins and have to rummage through all of them to find something specific.  I love that I can now just see all of my fabrics at a glance.  I first saw the idea for mini fabric bolts at Iheartnaptime and thought it was genius to use comic book boards as the basis for the bolts.  Because I initially kept poking myself with pins, I modified her idea by simply folding and wrapping my fabrics around the boards instead.

Materials:

  • Comic Book Boards - I used 8.5 x 11"
  • Fabric

Steps:

Note - For thinner fabrics like chiffons, I'd recommend placing them in magazine holders to maximize shelf space and keep them standing better (see above pic, bottom right).

1.  Fold fabric into a size that is roughly 3X wider than your board (does NOT have to be perfect)

2.  Fold one side of the fabric over the long edge of the board.

3.  Fold fabric over both of the shorter ends of the board

4.  Roll board and fabric towards the loose fabric end

5.  Tuck

You're finished!  Now display your fabrics proudly!

On to the Sewing Room tour - so when I say "Sewing Room", it's really more of a sewing corner in a living room that also serves as an office.  Space is tight, but it's still nice to have dedicated space.  When I first started sewing (2 houses ago), I would haul my sewing machine and materials into the breakfast nook, sew, and then put everything away again.

My little sewing table holds my serger and sewing machine.  The OttLite in the middle is great for detail work.

Kitchen jars organize little sewing items like tape measures, zippers, etc.

My little sewing corner

Fabric Shelf (Ikea Expedit)
Most fabrics are organized on mini bolts and shelved (typically by material and then color) like books for easy visibility.  Solids are kept in the bins and organized by material - i.e. knits, twills, shirtings, laces.  Also in bins are bulky wools, remnants, and supplies.

Example of one of the fabric bins

If you have any good organizational tips (especially for small spaces), please do share!

6 comments:

  1. Your sewing room looks great :) It's great to be able to see all the fabric lined up together :)

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  2. Thank you for the tour! I love how the mini bolts make everything look organized and in full display. Saw glimpses of lots of cute prints in there : )

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  3. Very cool! It must be so nice to have that designated space now. And the fabrics look so pretty. :)

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  4. What a beautifully organized space for your sewing projects! It's nice to have everything within arms reach.

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  5. This looks amazing! I currently got a sewing machine for Christmas...yes, Christmas and it's still in it's box. :( I want to make a space for it and my random plastic grocery bags full of sewing and craft stuff...looks more like a landfill to me right now. I can't wait to put some of your tips to work. Where are some places to get cute prints and what type of fabric do you recommend using for midi dresses?

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    Replies
    1. Hi! When I lived in the midwest, I primarily shopped at Joann's Fabrics and Hancock Fabrics. Out in the Bay Area, there are some great local stores like Fabrics R Us and Fabrix for cute prints at good prices. As for fabric, if you want something flowy - I'd go for a silky - these are usually poly blends. For something with more structure, I'd go with a 100% cotton.

      Here's a post I did before on Fabric Selection - hoping this might help!
      http://sewpetitegal.blogspot.com/2013/03/sewing-101-fabric-selection.html

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