Tuesday, September 03, 2013

my full time job(s)

I've decided that scrap management is a full time job.
(One that I am happy to have!)
I've been cutting 3" squares from scraps. This is a stack of 400. I'm on my way to cutting at least 700 (!!!) to make a lap size quilt. You know, I've got to hurry and whip this one up because we are running low on quilts around here. Ha!
After cutting up squares, I have lots of odd sized trimmings that I store in this pretty wood bowl. I love to sit down and just sew them together. It's such good therapy.
I recently sorted all my scraps back into their color coded baskets. That took a better part of a weekend to accomplish, but it was so worth it! The pattern for the boxes can be found in Sunday Morning Quilts. I have 3 more colors to make...purple, brown and white. Then I'll have a complete set!
Meanwhile, my strings are piling up and threatening to take over. They need to be sewn up. Pronto. (This seems to be my most robust category of scraps. Always. I think I need to make another spiderweb quilt. Or 3.)

I'll spare you a photo of my tiny ticker tape pieces, thus sparing myself judgment. (hopefully.) I really ought to throw them away, but I can't bring myself to do so.
As if that weren't enough, Flaun came to visit and sew yesterday. She generously shared her scraps with me. I've got a whole basket of new-to-me scraps to sew up. Thanks Flaun! I'm so excited to dig into these!
My solution to all the scraps?
Sew faster.
I'll let you know how that goes. :)

On the home front....my other full time job...
(another one that I am extremely happy to have!)
Today is the first day of school. (sniff sniff.)
Early morning. (Yawn.) New shoes. New routine. Lots of jitters. And one very sentimental mama.

As hard as it was to send them on their way this morning, it was time. I am excited about finding a new routine and having some serious structure in my day. Hopefully with lots of sewing time!

Happy Tuesday!

43 comments:

Anonymous said...

As for scrap management , I agree LOL ! it is a full time job when you wish to use it up and be frugal ..Your kids look like they were ready to go, they look great for school !! Dont worry Mama you will have lots to do at home and before you know it they come running in hungry and there goes the sewing LOL !!!

Turid said...

I love scraps, and therefore I loved this post. Your scrap blocks are beautiful!

SoSarahSews said...

I love your scraps. Oh to have that problem. I haven't had enough time to sew lately to make more scraps, let alone sew the few I have! One day....

Anonymous said...

I could use a scrap management assistant, and perhaps a teeny tiny (but hardworking) ironing mouse. OH, and a copy of your book was plopped on my doorstep by the lovely UPS people. Can't WAIT to crack it open while the kids are napping (or pretending to nap - I don't care which!).
Karin @ http://www.leighlaurelstudios.com

PunkiePie (Jen) said...

I love your scrappy patchwork pincushion!

Esch House Quilts said...

If only I were half as organized as you are in the scrap dept!

Good luck to you and the kids with the new school year :)

Glinda ♥ said...

I'll swap jobs any day! Great scraps, delightfully organised :)

Jorgelina said...

Great idea and so many scraps!
So colorful i love it
Hugs!

Katherine said...

You know I love scraps just as much as you, so sharing pics of your lovelies now has me majorly distracted.... ;o) I want to ditch finishing binding my current quilt to go play with scraps!!! LOL

Oh. My. Goodness. Look how tall and grown up your sweethearts are getting? Seriously, where is the time going? Happy 1st Day of School!

Charo said...

And all those 3" squares, only from scraps!!!

I love the colors you always use, they are so happy...

I like the blocks in your last photo. How do you do that, do you follow a special pattern?

Janine @ Rainbow Hare said...

Two lovely jobs to have! I'm looking forward to seeing those sewn together :)

Allison said...

You are my scrappy inspiration.

Svetlana said...

oh, my!!! Your scraps look so amazingly yummy!!!Can't wait to see what you make. Good luck to your little peeps at school.

Brenda said...

hey, no scrap is too small, right? I love spiderweb quilts, and I'm tempted to make another one. If you're interested in seeing some great string quilts, head over to our group blog, http://stringthingalong.blogspot.ca

Jacque. said...

Love everything you do, of course. Color-coded fabric baskets? I cannot believe you did that. How absolutely wild! And, practical at the same time. YAY!

Quilt n Queen said...

Luv your color co-ordinated baskets. I always luv your scrappy quilts. You will have lots of fun with all those scraps. You are definitely the queen of scraps!!

Lynn said...

Aww, happy first day of school (even though it's a tiny bit sad too). My mother would always call the first day of school and ask how it felt with the kids gone. Back to a routine and schedule, but always sorry to see the summer end.
I just spent some time last night putting some slabs together. That always leaves me feeling productive!

Karee said...

Love your posts, they are so motivating and your baskets of color are marv! Happy new school year.

Jen Schultz said...

Totally unrelated question. We have the same sewing machine. My free motion foot broke. I've ordered two since and both say they are the right model. But they are too short, the foot doesn't even hit the fabric. Are these adjustable?

Feel free to email me at jen@jenschultzphotography.com And you are welcome to delete this comment if you want, it's more of a personal message but I couldn't find your email address.

Thanks!!

Lorna McMahon said...

Thanks for sharing all your pretty scraps with us this morning! Up here in Ontario, Canada, our kids had their first day back to school, too. My daughter just started high school. They just about grow as fast as the accumulation in your scrap baskets!

Jessica Christensen said...

I appreciate how organized your scraps are. It gives me hope for my own. Our first day of school today too. Why must the children keep growing up?!

quirky granola girl said...

this is such a pure-Amanda post: scraps, more scraps, sewing and your kids. i love it!

Live a Colorful Life said...

I'm saving scraps for you. You want them, right? I hear your inner Abby saying, "I wouldn't say no....."

mascanlon said...

I am just coming to grips with the fact I need to do scrap management. 2 containers of all sorts of scraps and one container with left overs from jelly rolls just doesn't translate to usable system. I am impressed!

Mama Spark said...

Looks like fun. Maybe you should do a scrap retreat where you can only sew with scraps! I bet you would have a lot of people. Your baskets are a great way to organzie. Just need enough time to sew them up!!

Thimbleanna said...

Awwww, you poor dear! So few quilts that you must work your sewing fingers to the bone! And Ack! I shudder to think about all that you accomplished this summer when your time was un-"structure"d. I'll bet you're going to miss those three cuties during the day though!

Jeneta said...

Oh that is such a great solution to all the scraps!! And isn't Flaun just lovely! I have a friend who didn't want to store her ticker tape sized scraps (she's just starting out but is totally addicted to quilting already), but didn't want to throw them out either. So she gave them to me. I jammed them into a basket with a mental note to myself to give them back to her in the form of a lap quilt or wall hanging. Some day.By the way, your stack of 3" squares are incredibly neat and I also love the neatness of your slabs (mine always end up as wonky slabs!).

Ella said...

I spent a week this summer just sewing with scraps. All day for 7 days. I made a small dent. Love your scraps!

Moje Małe Rękodzieło said...

I love that you use every scrap of scraps and made something that amazing.. great combination of colours !

Vicki said...

Scraptastic fun! Your biggest projects of all are growing so fast! At least a tad of quiet time.

Irene said...

Fantastic way to use your scraps I love all the colours. I am fairly new to quilting and I can't wait to have a large scrap collection, at the moment it is very limited.
Thanks for sharing with us :)

margaret said...

so inspiring to see how even the smallest of scraps can be used. 700 3" squares and it only makes a lap quilt wow how many do you need for a double bed one? You can tell I am new to this wonderful world of quilting.

Unknown said...

You have me beat. I'm cutting 300 5" squares for a King size quilt. I think the pattern is called Jumping Jacks from "Quilts by Sweet Jane," by Sue Pfau. Good luck.

Suzanne said...

Just yesterday as I was sewing the binding on a quilt (a task I haven't done in ages), I was thinking, "Wouldn't it be nice if I lived near Amanda Jean so I could sew more scraps?"

I can't wait to see what you whip up as therapy while you adjust to the quiet of your house.

Marie said...

therapy ....

Lynn said...

Like you, I can't bear to throw away the tiniest bits, and I keep my scraps just as organized. Lately they've all just been calling my name, and are getting louder and more insistent...
Love your scrappy slabs. Can't wait to see what you make with those.

Deborah said...

I don't have a lot of scraps only finished about 3 quilts. I have lots of fat ates that I have cut into 11/2, 2,& 21/2 strips. I can only dream of enough scraps and crumbs to make something. I applaud your organizational skills and love your quilts.

Unknown said...

I so admire the way you can manage all these scraps my scrap management consist of throwing anything left from a project into a drawer or should I say several drawers. Everytime I read this blog it is such an inspiration to see what you accomplish with just scraps. Now if I can just get motivated to do the same thing!
mburnette912@bellsouth.net

Ramona said...

I love the idea of the colored sorting baskets, but where do you keep them all!! Storing them would be a challenge for me. (My goal this year is to thin out my fabric stash and clear out (Ha!) my scrap stash....the scrap stash just keeps growing.)

Kelli said...

You could hire a scrap manager assistant and pay her in scraps! I'm sure many of your readers would be interested... :)

Diane said...

great picture of the kiddos!! They look ready to go! enjoy your new found sewing time my friend! I'm going to check out your spiderweb quilt link-I've always wanted to make one, I probably have enough scraps too.

DARIA DESIGNS said...

Love the color coordinated scrap boxes💜

Kay said...

I love scraps and am hoping to make the ticker Tape quilt from your book soon with the tiny pieces. I have just cut out 400 little shapes for the Gumdrop quilt too.