Organizing Your Fabric Stash: Step 1

Step 1:  Let It Go.

Are you overwhelmed by the idea of sorting through your fabric?  Do you feel guilty for ditching a project or letting it hibernate?  Do you have a bunch of fabric you purchased just because it was on sale, not because you loved it or had a use for it?  Do you have a hard time letting things go?
If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, blast the Frozen soundtrack and practice some radical self-love.  Life is too short for fabric to be an emotional burden. Get ready to let things go.
Many of us hate getting rid of anything that we paid good money for or that could still be useful.  We feel guilty and wasteful. But let’s remember that we aren’t going to throw anything into the fire!  Fabric you decide not to keep should be given away or donated to a worthy cause. And it won’t be wasted.  It will get used. Maybe not by you, but by someone.
The only things you should actually throw away are scraps smaller than 2 ½” x 2 ½”, or fabric that has been soiled, ripped, or stained beyond repair.  Everything else can be sorted into two categories: “Keep” and “Give”. (Give is a kinder word that “Throw”!) You don’t have to sort everything at once.  As you gather items in the next steps, just always be mindful of whether you want to keep a piece of fabric.
While you are looking at your fabric, you will always be working on Step 1:  choosing what to keep and what to let go. Every time you touch a piece of fabric, you should be thinking about whether you want to keep it.