Give every fabric one record: a photo, the width, the length, the fibre content and the place it lives. Update the length each time you cut. Store the cloth by whatever you search for first, such as fabric type, weight or colour. Then check the record before you buy anything new.
What to record for each fabric
- A photo, or a small swatch.
- Name or description, and the shop you bought it from.
- Fibre content, such as 55% linen, 45% cotton.
- Width and length. Write the unit down, yards or meters.
- Where it is stored: shelf, drawer or bin.
- Purchase date and price, if you want them.
- The make you plan for it, if any.
Knowing Fabric suggests a simple spreadsheet or notebook with fabric type, yardage and purchase date, and a photo of each fabric so you can search without digging through boxes. https://knowingfabric.com/organizing-your-fabric-stash-tips-and-tricks/
Store it so the record stays true
Seamwork says to organize by colour, season, fabric type or weight, whichever you find useful, and to shop your stash first when you start a new project. Seamwork's team also names cataloging apps and tools such as Notion as options. https://www.seamwork.com/seamwork-radio-podcast/5-ways-to-manage-your-fabric-stash
SewCanShe adds two habits that keep a stash honest. Keep one staging spot for new fabric that still needs washing and measuring. Do a 15 minute reset once a month. https://sewcanshe.com/how-to-organize-fabric-stash-ideas/
Where the record lives
A spreadsheet works. You can sort and search it, and it costs nothing. The weak point is upkeep. Every cut means finding the row and editing the length by hand. Whatever you pick, make updating it fast.
How Selvage does it
Selvage is a sewing library app for fabric, patterns, notions and projects. A fabric record holds a photo, length, width, composition and storage location. You enter lengths in yards or meters, and fractions such as 2 1/4 are accepted.
Each piece of cloth is available, reserved or used. Choose "Reserve for project" to set cloth aside for a make, and "Log a cut" when you cut. Remnants and precuts such as fat quarters are kept as pieces with the main fabric. So the shelf total shows what is free, not just what you bought.
Free includes 15 fabrics, 12 patterns, 3 projects, 20 notions and 1 measurement profile. Selvage Pro removes those limits. Backup, restore and CSV import and export are free. If your stash is already in a spreadsheet, the CSV import reads fabrics.
Selvage has no account. Your records and pattern files are stored locally, and the core workflow works offline. Crash and performance diagnostics are on by default and can be turned off in Settings. Purchases and optional web-link prefill use the network.
Selvage is submitted to Google Play and the App Store (iPhone and iPad) and is waiting for review.
Get Selvage
Related questions
- Do I need to measure every fabric before I record it?
- Not at first. Record the fabrics you are most likely to sew with, and add the rest as you handle them.
- Is a spreadsheet good enough?
- Yes, if you keep it updated. An app mainly saves you the editing at each cut.
- Can I move my spreadsheet into Selvage?
- Selvage can import a CSV of fabrics. Check the columns on a few rows first.
Selvage is a Trueframe Digital app. No account, and your records stay on your device unless you back up or export them. See the Selvage page for screenshots, the full feature list, prices and privacy details.