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My Fabric Dresser

My Fabric Dresser

I’m closing in on finishes on several projects but unfortunately I can’t share any of them with you until after Christmas. So instead of my usual WIP Wednesday post, I thought I’d share photos of the fabric dresser that I’ve mentioned so many times over the past several months.

This dresser is another one of those rescue and refinish projects that Dave has lovingly taken on over the years; the most recent of which was my new cutting table.

I found it at a used furniture store in Panama City back in 2004 when we were living in Carrabelle, FL.

Scalloped Front 9 Drawer Dresser

It was the scalloped front that I loved.  The fact that not all the handles match only added to the charm.

Photo showing the curved front of my 9 drawer dresser

I wish I had a before photo so that you could see for yourself the miracle Dave worked when he refinished it.

The dresser used to belong to our middle daughter when she lived at home. When she moved into her first apartment after finishing university, I asked her if she wanted it.  She replied that it was too big for any place she’d be living in for the foreseeable future, so I was free to sell it if I wanted.  When it didn’t sell right away, I decided to re-purpose it for fabric storage.

My Fabric Dresser

The dresser measures 64″ long x 32.5″ high x 19.5″ deep.  And as you can see, it has nine lovely deep drawers perfect for storing fabric.

Drawer #1 (top left hand side)

My fabric dresser - drawer #1

This drawer holds plastic zip bags of fabrics I’m collecting for future projects as well as larger pieces of fabrics that I have specific projects in mind for.

Drawer #2 (middle left)

My fabric dresser - drawer number two

This drawer has various sized pieces of quilt quality cotton.

Drawer #3 (bottom left)

My Fabric Dresser - drawer 3

I keep thrifted sheets and scraps of sheets in this drawer.

Drawer #4 (top center)

 Fabric Dresser - drawer 4

Scrap drawer!  It looks fairly organized in this photo but that’s a rarity.

Drawer #5 (center of the center)

 Fabric Dresser - drawer 5

Fat quarters and yardage of flannel are stored here.

Drawer #6 (bottom center)

Fabric Dresser - drawer 6

This is a catch all drawer of different types of fabrics.  The two with the ladybugs are silky, filmy type fabrics that I intend to turn into swimsuit cover-ups someday.  There are some scraps of fleece in the bottom and a couple of larger pieces of cotton that I couldn’t fit in the other drawers.

Drawer #7  (top right)

Fabric Dresser - drawer 7

Christmas fabric!

Drawer #8 (middle right)

Fabric Dresser - drawer 8

More Christmas fabric!!  Can you tell I love Christmas  🙂

And finally Drawer #9 (bottom right)

 Fabric Dresser - drawer 9

I should probably switch this lot of quilt cottons with the contents of drawer #3 so that I have all my quilting fabrics close together but since this is my fabric dresser and I (mostly) know where things are, it can stay like this until the next time I reorganize things.

To me, my fabric dresser is as magic as Mr. Dressup’s Tickle Trunk.  I can search through and find just the right fabric to transform to create something new.

For my non-Canadian readers, Mr. Dressup was a Canadian children’s show that ran every weekday morning on the CBC from 1967 until it’s final taping in 1996 (rebroadcasts continued until 2006.)  Mr. Dressup had an old trunk called The Tickle Trunk.  He would tickle it to make it open and inside were costumes that he (and sometimes his guests) would dress up in to act out skits.

Where do you keep your fabric?

 

I would be so pleased if you chose to share by clicking on one of the buttons below!

15 Comments

  • Debbie
    April 22, 2019 5:11 am

    I was given a dresser much like yours…..only 6 drawers and a cubby hole with a broken door. I fixed the door and use it for holding larger items. I also have lots of totes full of fabrics I inherited from my moms collection of fabrics. My goal is to find another dresser of the same size putting them backsides together and make a cutting table/fabric storage.

  • Robin farley
    February 20, 2018 10:15 pm

    Your husband did a beautiful job on what now is a distinguished piece of furniture. It’s just beautiful! I too use several antique dressers for fabric storage as well as bins . I also save the large bags from comforters to store finished tops and unfinished quilts in. They keep it all together!

  • Susan
    November 20, 2015 10:45 pm

    My fabric is stored all over the place. That’s a nicer dresser than my clothes are in. LOL I love it. Dave is a magician. Thanks for sharing this, because now I can see how the table goes with it so well.

  • Renee
    November 20, 2015 8:19 pm

    Oh! I think all of my fabrics stuffed in plastic bins upstairs are jealous of your fabric dresser. Wonderful!

  • Angela Grasse
    November 20, 2015 3:49 pm

    Love you dresser! It looks way better than mine!

  • Christine B.
    November 19, 2015 5:50 am

    What a fabulous upcycled dresser and what a beautiful stash of fabric!! Christine x

  • Celtic Thistle Stitches
    November 19, 2015 3:28 am

    What a lovely place to store your fabric Sue, and what fun it must be to rifle through your fabric in such a beautiful piece of furniture 🙂

  • Mary Anne
    November 18, 2015 8:02 pm

    That’s a beautiful dresser! I love the shape of the front. It’s not something you would find in any stores today, that’s for sure.

  • Carmit
    November 18, 2015 5:52 pm

    Also in a dresser, but a shop display one, so it’s glass fronted and the drawers open from the back. I roll my fabric onto comic backing cards folded in half lengthwise, which keeps things mostly neat.

    Smaller cuts (FQs and the like) are folded and arranged in two of the drawers. Everything is sorted by colour.

    As for scraps, they’re kept in clear plastic bins, also by colour, on an IKEA Kallax unit where I keep other notions.

    Maybe I should just blog about this ;)?

  • Rachel
    November 18, 2015 4:36 pm

    That is a lovely piece of furniture, and a gorgeous way to store your fabric!

  • Christine M
    November 18, 2015 4:08 pm

    What a beautiful place to store your stash. Much nicer than the plastic boxes I have under my bed!

  • Raewyn
    November 18, 2015 1:10 pm

    I have plastic bins for my fabric (which fit nicely under my cutting tabl) but gosh I love your dresser and setup. It is a lovely shape and beautiful piece.

  • Gretchen
    November 18, 2015 11:41 am

    You are very fortunate your husband likes to repair/refinish furniture. The dresser make a beautiful piece of furniture for fabric storage.

  • Mary
    November 18, 2015 9:53 am

    That is a beautiful way to store your fabrics.

  • Amy, a redeemed sheep
    November 18, 2015 9:33 am

    That is a beautiful dresser!

    I keep my fabric on a wire shelf, in a tall vintage metal cabinet and totes. It’s better for me to see what I have or I forget. Truthfully, I still forget sometimes!

Comments are closed.