scrap storage

Today I'm going to talk about my scrap storage methods. I'll come right out and say that they are very extensive. But, scrap quilts are my thing! I use scraps ALL the time-even more than my stash-and having them neat and tidy is very important to me. If my organizational schemes make sense to no one but me, so be it! Having my scraps organized means I don't spend a lot of time searching for just the right piece.

One more disclaimer....I have been quilting for 14 1/2 years...so it took me quite awhile to fall this deep into the rabbit hole. Ha!

(My cutting table is from IKEA. It formerly served as a kitchen island in our previous home. It's one of my favorite pieces of furniture in my entire house...and not just because it holds my stash!)

Most of my scraps are sorted by color and stored in quilted storage boxes. I LOVE these things! They are made from scraps of fabric, cardboard (from cereal boxes) and scrap batting--items you probably have on hand already. I made these 4 years ago and they have held up beautifully, even though they've been carted to more quilt guilds than I can count. The more fabric you put in them, the sturdier they are! Ha! (The pattern can be found in Sunday Morning Quilts.) They aren't difficult to make, but I found it was better to make them in batches of 2, 3 or 4 at a time. I wouldn't try to make 12 in a weekend. Just a little working experience there!

I have a quilted storage box for each color of the rainbow, plus black, brown, gray and white. I also have one for multicolored fabrics, which is tucked between the two rows of boxes shown. I made the storage boxes years before I got my cutting table, and I felt like I won the lottery when I discovered that 6 boxes fit (like a glove) on each side. It was meant to be!

They look so tidy and orderly lined up in a row. I love that!

Smaller pieces of fabric are stored in this roller cart. Each drawer holds a different size of scraps: ticker tape pieces, strings, skinny strings, 2 1/2" squares, and triangles. I have this near my cutting table, so I can sort scraps and put them away as I produce them. It's very helpful to sort as you go, whenever possible!

The third place I keep scraps is another drawer cart. It was a roller cart at one point, but I think the weight of the scraps was just too much for the poor wheels. Doh!

The top drawer holds solids or nearly solids--whites/neutrals/light grays/linen scraps, and the like.

The second drawer holds solid scraps. I had them (kind of) sorted by warm and cool, but that line got blurred. Eventually I will need a drawer for each. Having the solid scraps separated out from my print fabrics is a relatively new thing for me and I really like it! Solids, when stored together, are endlessly inspiring to me--and that's the point! If your scraps inspire you, then you will actually use them. This drawer is FULL, so much so that it's difficult to shut. I expect to dive into an all solids quilt project before the week is through.

The bottom drawer is my drawer of shame. If you watch Friends, this is like Monica's closet. (Ha!) If I have a scrap combination that is inspiring to me, I bag it up and put them in this drawer. I don't know if/when I will get to them all, but really, that's ok. If the bundle becomes un-inspiring to me, I can always sort those scraps back out among the others. That has happened once, maybe twice.

I have a few other places that I store scraps. These don't have a permanent home, so they float around the craft room as needed.

My bowl of selvages/super skinny strings, which I use to knit or crochet rag rugs.

I have a basket of strings sorted by color. This category is redundant, but I think it's because out of all the scraps, I have the hardest time keeping up with these.

I have a cute basket of tiny solid scraps. This was a by-product of working on several different projects using solids in the last few months. I don't know what they will become yet, but eventually I will use them for something! I've already started sewing them into strings and ideas are brewing....

And then, I have a basket of multi-colored scraps. These are smaller chunks of fabric that would just clutter up my color boxes, but they are too big to put in my ticker tape drawer, so they get their own basket. They are used mainly for improv piecing....going into quilts like scrap vortex and the family couch time quilt.

So, there you have it! A complete look into my crazy scrap methods. I feel the need to point out that my scrap storage methods parallel my quilting habits. I add and subtract (mostly add) categories as needed. I hope that this inspires you to get organized, find a scrap storage method that works for you and within your space constraints, because it really can make all the difference.

Can I just say....I had so much fun writing this post! I'm thankful for the sunshine today. It's AMAZING how much easier it is to take photos when we have light!!! :)

If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them in the comments!

And I'll answer this cringe inducing question before I close so you don't have to ask...

How small of a scrap do you save?

The answer is...tiny. BUT!!! I have been working on a fun project to use these little bits. I plan to share it soon!