Fabric organization and storage

I have a lot of fabric, having worked in the fabric industry for a little over 3 years now and having my mom constantly feed my obsession (thanks mom!) I seem to have acquired quite a bit and a great variety as well. I keep "my favorites" organized by color and out on open shelves in my room so I can constantly see it:

(notice my awesome vintage Singer Featherweight and my out of control magazine collection - well, about half of my magazine collection I guess)

This helps inspire me for new projects and lets me easily scan my fabric when the urge to sew hits me. I am often an impulsive sewer, when the mood hits me there is no stopping me and it's best if I have everything I need within reach at a moment's notice.

After organizing my fabrics on the shelves in my room I had lots of fabrics left over and I needed to have them organized so I could easily access them. I settled on good old plastic storage bins, you can't go wrong there. I have the rest of my fabric separated into - solids, warms (red, orange, yellow, etc), cools (blue, green, turquoise, etc) and neutrals (black, white, tan).

I even made some pretty labels with Amy Butler scrap book paper too!

Just the other day I needed a few solid colors to finish a project and I was so excited to open up my closet door and see my lovely bin of solids sitting there waiting for me. It made the whole project more enjoyable because I didn't have to dig through my entire stash to find one or two pieces of fabric. A great success!

Quilt Market Packing, Minneapolis here I come!

I don't leave for 5 more days but I have already started planning my quilt market outfits and trying to pack in my head. I've pulled lots of clothes out and started making outfits that will work for the show. I am far from a fashionista so the advanced planning is very necessary so I don't show up with a pair of jeans a few shirts and then realize that I didn't bring any underwear or shoes (totally possible). I will be in Minneapolis for 8 days with lots of running around but hopefully that will also include lots of yummy food and adult beverages as quilt market usually does. I don't have to travel a lot for my job so I still enjoy going to trade shows, I am also a bit of a nerd and I love packing and traveling for any reason so I usually start early (for example, I've already started looking for hiking shoes and mentally tagging different clothes for my trip to Costa Rica this fall, only 6 months in advance - no biggie).

I can't wait to see old friends and all the new booth displays and fill myself up with new inspiration. And then fill my suitcase with any book, fat quarter and vintage button I can get my hands on!

Roman Shades (hopefully)

I had a request from a friend of mine the other day to make her some roman shades for her nursery. I'm pretty excited because I have never tried them before but I love the look of them and if they are as easy as everyone says they are then I will be on a mission to get roman shades in every window I see. I found a tutorial on HGTV.com and it sounds pretty easy - but sometimes these step by step instructions are a little deceiving. I hope to go buy supplies this week and get working on my new project. The baby's due around Memorial Day so hopefully I can get myself working soon!

Here is a little roman shade inspiration for you (and me) today:

via spacesandiego

via Remodelista

via Apartment Therapy

via decorpad

via decorpad