What started with wanting to get my son's artwork condensed and organized turned into a weekend full of cleaning out and organizing my office closet where things tend to accumulate until I can't even get in there, let alone find anything. This closet is a good size and has lots of potential, but I wasn't making the most of it. I moved my two wrapping carts into the closet because they didn't go with the calmer, more grown-up vibe I was going for in the room. I still use them quite often (more on that later this week), but with all my mess stuffed onto the floor, I was having trouble accessing it. Time to get in there and get organized!
It's funny to realize I did a big office closet clean-out almost exactly one year ago and got it to the point in the picture below. I think the back-to-school time of year causes me to want to dig into those scary places in my home (or just rework areas that need tweaking), so I'll be doing some organizing projects in the next couple weeks. I got a good start on organizing my son's artwork and that's a huge weight lifted!
Today, I'm sharing how I organized the fabric that previously took up three of the four drawers in the built-in dresser off to the right of the closet. I realized that I wasn't taking advantage of the height and hanging bar in this closet and that I could free up some valuable drawer storage by taking the fabric out of the dresser and hanging it.
Of course, first I had to get to work clearing everything off of the floor so I could even get to the fabric in the drawers, and that was a big job! To hang the fabric, I used small (kid size) plastic white hangers that previously held my sweaters. Awhile back I switched out these hangers for the huggable kind, but I was storing these in my son's closet. I'm glad I kept them! I ended up using 46- the exact number I had on hand!
I simply folded the fabric over the hanger, not being too concerned about how long it hung, as long as it didn't hit the boxes/frames below. They are organized by color and the "kid" fabric is on the far left. It made me a little sad to see a couple of patterns I had planned on making something for James and now he has outgrown that fabric before I got to the project. sigh.
After hanging the fabric, I had two free drawers. :) I kept one drawer of fabric for batting, burlap, and scraps (but it's a much tidier drawer than before)! Even though it's "just" two free drawers, I can actually see what I have now. When the fabric was stored in the drawers, it was difficult to sort through to see what I had on hand.
I'm not a great sewer, but I enjoy fabric and have used it in these projects: pillows and mudroom bench seat, drapes, covered books, lined bookcase and wooden stool makeover to name a few.
Looking at all my fabric makes me realize: 1) I don't need any more and I should do some new projects with what I have, and 2) I'd like to learn how to really sew. Like my Grandma who made the pin cushion and scrap holder for me. Maybe I should look around for a class?? Do you sew? How did you learn? And, how do you store your fabric?
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