I couldn't help but copy my sister when she told me about her new method of storing fabric on "mini-bolts."   I love 'em!  All the fabrics are so much more visible and neatly stored.  I also like it because there end up being fewer hard crease lines to iron out and I don't have to dig through a whole pile to find what I'm looking for.  They're super easy to make too.  Here's how I made mine:

Using my quilting rulers and an x-acto knife, I cut 12"x 8 1/2" rectangles out of foam core.  The size is entirely up to you, but these dimensions worked well for me because a) I happen to have two rulers to those exact measurements  b) they fit on my shelves nicely, and c) I can fit 44/45" wide fabric folded 4x height-wise, and each fold width-wise is approximately 1/4 yd, so i can easily figure out how much fabric I have.

I found it easiest to fold the fabric selvage to selvage and again fold to selvage and lay it flat on the table with the "loose" end towards me.   I placed the foam core on top of the fabric about four inches from the end,  folded the fabric over the foam core and then flipped the whole thing towards me until all the fabric was wrapped.  The loose end is held in place with a stick pin.  So simple!  Thanks Jess!  Now if I would only spend as much time sewing as I do organizing!

the soon to be happy tale of a sad forlorn garage.


once upon a time, a previous owner had built an addition onto the front a garage.  It was poorly built, with untreated lumber direct to concrete, and a flat roof.  Over the years, the wood rotted, the framing went askew, and the door refused to open.  In a fit of desperation, the current owner (yep, that's me) with crow-bar in hand, tore off the addition, leaving the poor garage open and exposed to the world.  (my neighbor's hate me).  and there she stood, for years and years, sad and neglected, storing only want nobody wanted, and no one would steal,  UNTIL NOW!   
New framing is in place, (thank you, Philip!), a door built, and the installation scheduled....5 days and counting.
And the little green garage will be sad no more!
I'm so excited.  I keep looking around my house at all the things that can move to the garage.


Miter Saw.  Garage.
Bicycles.  Garage.  (they'll be locked, so don't get any ideas.)
Cooler and Camp Stove.  Garage.
Broken Lamp.  Garage.
Gardening Tools.  Garage.
Canoe.  Garage.  (okay, so that's in the side yard, but you get the idea.)


It's going to be amazing!