11+ Organization Solutions for your Sewing Space

Storage Solutions to Keep You Organized and Your Creativity Flowing

Does your sewing room look more like a fabric jungle than a neat, organized space? Well the good news is, you’re not alone! I’ve been there—struggling with piles of fabric, tools scattered everywhere, and no real system in place. But after some trial and error of my own over the last several years, I’ve finally found storage solutions that have seriously helped bring order to my sewing chaos.

From a rolling cart I snagged at Costco to a simple pegboard that keeps my tools within easy reach, these solutions have made a world of difference.

Whether you're drowning in fabric scraps, trying to keep your notions organized, or just want to display your finished quilts in style, these organizational systems will help you get your space in shape in no time. Let’s dive in!

Fabric Storage

If you’re like me, you have lots of smaller cuts of fabric to store in your sewing room.  Whether it be fat quarters, half yards or 2-3 yard cuts of fabric, I’ve never quite been able to get a good handle on my fabric storage *until now.

I’ve been using clear bins for the last several years that were great visually to see and stacked on top of each other on my existing closet shelf but inevitably fabric would get stacked on top or it was too difficult to actually see everything that was in there (as evidenced by this photo of my closet from a year ago).

I bought some storage drawers last year on Amazon, thinking that I could at least organize all my solid fabrics in them; however, I quickly realized that the drawer depth (4 inches) was too shallow for the larger cuts to fit. 

I’ve been in an in-between, just dealing with having to shove the larger cuts into the drawers at times but I think I have finally found a solution.

I’ll credit my mom with this find from Costco, a set of four drawers on wheels that are semi-opaque and have drawers with a 5.5 inch depth that allow for larger cuts of solids to fit much more easily.  PLUS it’s SO incredibly easy to put together in under 10 minutes.

The only downside? It has sold out multiple times. I've searched and searched for a similar alternative so if it's out-of-stock, these may be good options:

• Metro 4-Drawer Rolling Cart by Simply Tidy: This option is by far the most similar overall with similar dimensions and mesh drawers.

• 4 Drawer Metal Storage Organizer - Brightroom: This one is also similar in terms of dimensions but may need something in the bottom since the metal cross-hatch is more "open"

• Mind Reader Black 4 Drawer Metal Rolling File Cart: This option is overall smaller per unit however the drawers are pretty deep.

To easily fold the various sizes of fabric cuts, I cut a piece of cardboard to a 5.5 inch by 7.5 inch rectangle and use that to fold the fabric cuts in a consistent manner. 

The fabric is stored on its end so each color can be viewed from above to easily select. For my solids specifically, I’ve also added a label to each fabric with the color name to easily reference when pulling fabric.

So what am I doing with all the clear totes? I am re-purposing them to use for scraps as I’ve outgrown my scrap storage solution (re-using old produce bags) for now. 

Now it will be easier to just grab a bin of scraps that I can easily see which color family the scraps belong to and bring the bin with me to my working space.

The final look after organizing! Tap to the right to see the before and after photos side-by-side...

Tool Storage

I’m a pretty minimal tool and gadget person but even so I reached a point where I was unable to locate specific tools when I needed them thanks to my various storage solutions - bags, small storage bins, random drawers, (window sills!), etc.  

I finally caved last year and purchased this peg board to house all my tools in my cutting room.

This relatively small peg board set up allows me to store all my scissors, rotary cutters, rulers, glues, specialty tools all within reach while I’m cutting, trimming and pressing.

In addition to the peg board, for longarming tools this rolling cart has been a game changer. I purchased it at Joann and since first writing this blog post, Joann is sadly no longer with us so here are a few similar carts available from other retailers:

• Hudson Rolling Cart by Simply Tidy (Michael's)

• Lexington 3-tier Rolling Cart by Simply Tidy (Michael's)

• 3-tier Metal Utility Cart - Brightroom (Target)

Small items such as needles, bobbins, my Sewtites magnets and pins are all contained on the top shelf using plastic drawer organizers (see Sewing Cabinet Storage for specifics). Thread and other slightly larger items are kept in the bottom two shelves.  

I added a Command Strip Key Rail to the side of the cart to keep scissors, my measuring tape and lint roller more easily accessible as well.

Sewing Cabinet Storage

Does your sewing cabinet look more like a junk drawer? These plastic drawer organizers have been a HUGE help in containing all of the small notions and sewing tools I keep in my sewing cabinet. 

As I mentioned earlier, I also use them on my longarming cart to organize bobbins, needles and other small notions.

They come in a pack with 25 in various sizes and have grips on the bottom to keep them from shifting in the drawers.  The clear plastic also helps to easily see what is in each organizer at a quick glance.

Thread Storage

Last year I purchased this thread rack from JoAnn at a deep discount.  It comes with a stand to place it on a table top surface, however I wanted to mount it onto my wall next to my sewing machine. The easy solution was to use Command Picture Hanging Strips!

I used these strips, one on each side to attach and secure the rack to my wall. 

Now I can easily access all my thread without having to leave my sewing table and I have much more real estate available on my sewing table for actual sewing.

Here are some similar options from other retailers:

• Dritz Wooden Thread Rack (Michael's)

• NEX 48-Spool Wall-Mounted Thread Rack (Michael's online)

Notion Storage

In addition to thread storage, notion storage was a much needed solution in my sewing room after years of storing different notions in random bags, tool boxes, etc. 

At QuiltCon 2024 I was able to score a porcelain pin cushion by Rashida Coleman Hale (one of my favorite fabric designers!) that stores all my pins and clips. They are a pretty hot item whenever Rashida drops a new collection so you have to keep an eye out when she drops a collection but the wait is worth it!

My sewing table is a little slick against the ceramic so to keep it secure on my table, I added a Command Picture Hanging Strip to the bottom.  

I also use the same set up to secure the Stash ‘n’ Store on my sewing table that houses my cleaning/oiling supplies, seam ripper, stilettos/awls, and marking tools. 

Between these two organizers, I have all my main sewing tools at my fingertips while sewing.

Fabric Swatch Storage

My local quilt shop carries almost all of the Kona Cotton Solids so often it is my go-to solid collection for my quilts. 

I needed a way to be able to see colors next to each other to “audition” them before purchasing as I’m not one who can visualize two colors next to each other while on separate pages and often the lighting is not great in the quilt shop.

My solution was to cut them up using a ruler and an old rotary blade into individual color cards.  I then added magnetic tape to the back of each color and mounted them on these flat cookie sheets!  

I display them on a small section of my wall next to my fabric closet by using simple nails. 

I also added Command Picture Hanging Strips to the bottom of the sheets to keep them flush and straight against the wall. 

The best part is, they will stick to anything magnetic so I often display them on the metal bars of my computer desk while working through patterns to have as easy references of my color palette.

Quilt Top, Backings and Finished Quilt Storage

At the beginning of my quilting era, I didn’t have much of a problem finding space to store finished quilt tops or quilts since most of my quilts were made as gifts and very rarely sat finished in my home.

I still make quite a few of my quilts as gifts however, my collection of personal quilts has grown as I’ve started designing my own patterns.

Seasonal quilts and wall hangings are stored in my closet on old pants hangers as they rotate throughout the year. Since these are old hangers I don't use in my closet anymore I don't have a link to these specifically, but here are some similar hangers I found on Amazon at under $2 each.

In addition to finished wall hangings, I store quilt backings on sturdy plastic hangers in my closet as well. These hangers are sturdy and help to keep those larger cuts of fabric (3+ yards) off the shelf and organized so I can actually see what I have available...before buying new fabric.

I also have two wall-mounted rod iron quilt ladders, one in my cutting room and one in my sewing room to display finished quilts or to stage before longarming.

These are no longer in stock at QVC but some similar options from other retailers are:

• NEX 5.5ft 5-tier Black Wall-Mounted Metal Blanket and Towel Ladder

• Kirkland's Black Metal Wall Ladder

And a moment of honesty here, I also store many of my quilts on the guest bed in my cutting room.  After all, that’s what beds are meant for, right? 😀

Design Wall(s)

One thing I can't live without in my sewing space is a design wall. I just can't visualize block placement on the floor and the floor isn't exactly the best place for me to temporarily layout my blocks until they're complete (hello dogs and kids!) so I've used some different design wall options based on my sewing space over the years.

When we lived in a smaller house and my sewing space was also the guest bedroom, I used a flannel sheet with grid lines that I added metal grommets on one end to be able to hang it with push pins in the wall near the ceiling.

This was a great solution for needing a more versatile option that could be taken down if needed and was fairly low cost.

I did have to piece together the flannel to make a larger "wall" and add the grommets but it was all fairly quick and easy to do. To add more stability, I also used binder clips and push pins to attach the sides.

In my new space, I wanted a more permanent solution but this was also fairly easy to make and would be relatively easy to take down if/when I need to.

I followed this blog post to make a design wall out of foam insulation board and flannel sheets. We made a slight adjustment in how we attached to the wall using none other than my favorite temporary solution - 3M Picture Hanging Strips - and I'm happy to say it has stayed put for over a year so far.

I would have loved to run this design wall floor to ceiling but there were some pretty important outlets in the way. Despite that, the design wall generally fits a throw size quilt.

If you don't have as much wall space, another semi-permanent option is using felt tiles.

There are many brands out there now but I added tiles from this brand to the wall near my desk space in my sewing room and they're the perfect multi-use space to hold quilt blocks, pins, documents or display fun art. Quilt blocks do stick to the tiles to use as a design wall but are more secure when using a sewing pin.

The tiles stick to the wall using adhesive strips with a hook & loop side so you can easily swap out tiles if needed. I also have tested the adhesive strips at least one year into being on the wall and when removing the strips the adhesive has not removed the paint on my wall.

This is the year you get organized

Or maybe just a little more organized 😉 If you’re struggling to be productive in your sewing space, choose one of these areas to focus on and you will thank yourself next year at this time.  

All of these items took some time to gather in my space, and I definitely needed to figure out my needs before investing in some of them. Everyone’s space is different, requiring different solutions but I hope some of these ideas sparked your interest and can help fuel your creativity this year. After all, isn't that what sewing is all about?

Happy organizing, friend!