Moving down and folding up

The sewing room move I mentioned in my last post is 99% complete. There was so much lifting, tossing, organizing, etc. to be done, but I kept reminding myself it was way easier than moving an entire household, and that ultimately I would be so much happier and productive.



I moved the living room furniture over to one side of the room, and it is now so cozy and inviting. Everyone is using the room these days - my husband has been snuggling up on the sofa and reading in the early a.m., and Louie is playing Legos on the rug as I write.




Above is the work side of the room. So far I really love it...much more room to move about, and I love being more in the center of activity as opposed to being cordoned off upstairs. It is so nice having the computers and sewing machines (not to mention all of my supplies) in the same place.




I still have lots of fabric in storage, so I'm trying to fold it neatly so it will all fit (and look pretty) in my bookcases. I'm usually the world's messiest folder, so I'm trying something new to keep my folds nice and consistent. When I worked at the Gap 20 years ago, we used plexiglass folding boards to keep the pocket tees and sweatshirts precisely folded so that they would stack perfectly no matter the size. Here is a great article about folding-obsessed former Gapsters.

Borrowing a bit on that concept, I am using pieces of cardstock as folding templates. The standard 8.5 x 11" size is the perfect fit with 45" wide fabric (which is mostly what I own). For smaller cuts of fabric (less than a yard), I've been using a half sheet (4.25 x 11").




I start out with the fabric folded in half with the selvage edges together (which conveniently happens to be the way it comes off the bolt). I start out with the cardstock at one corner with a short end in line with the selvage edge.



Then I just start folding towards the other cut end of the fabric.




I flip, flip, flip as many times as needed to accommodate the yardage.




Once it is fully folded, I bring the selvage edge to meet the original folded edge. This gives me a nice tight package that fits right in my bookshelf. I just leave the cardstock in place, which seems to give some nice stability and keeps my stacks from collapsing when I pull fabrics in and out. It is pretty simplistic, I know, but it will be something I can maintain as I get back into hyperfocused pattern making mode!