Keeping my sewing space from becoming disorganized and chaotic, especially during the holidays, is a job in itself.  When my workspace is chaotic I lose motivation.  A flash of brilliance came to me as I was dropping off to sleep recently.  I needed to control some of the chaos and my collection of fat quarters and small yardage for my quilting projects was the best place to start, it was the biggest offender. I couldn’t find things and was buying duplicates.  My idea was simple, I was going to file my fabrics, anything that was ¼ to 1-½ yards.   I already had a small filling cabinet that could be put to better use.   I searched Craig’s List to find a local source for hanging folders and was lucky to find some at a used office furniture and supply outlet for a nickel each – I was going to need a lot.  Each hanging folder has two metal hangers with small hooks that rest on the drawer edges and move easily back and forth to locate what’s inside.  However, I wasn’t going to use them as folders, I just wanted the hangers.  Using a rotary cutting mat and a utility knife I cut the hangers free from the folder, just below the folded over edge.  Each hanger now has about an inch of folder left on it and seems to help stabilize the hanger.  My fabric pieces are now neatly folded over the hangers and I’ve sorted them by color.  It’s easy to locate color families and find just what you’re looking.  Note of caution, put one whole folder at the back of each drawer.  This will keep the fabrics at the back of the drawer from falling through the space into the drawer below. 

I’m very pleased with the way this worked out.  I’ve passed this idea on to friends and some have kept the folders intact to hold small scraps.  It’s easily tailored to your needs and space. 

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