my top 10 tips for successful scrap quilting

If you've read my blog for more than a week, you know that my love for scraps runs deep! I enjoy using my scraps and I want you to be excited about using your scraps as well. If you sew or make quilts, there will be scraps to deal with....like it or not! Might as well embrace them, right?

Everyone is going define the term "scrap" differently. I consider anything that is less than a fat quarter a scrap. It's a very big scrap for me, but for sake of ease, that is my cut off line when I sort. (The size shown above is more my speed, to be honest.) How you define a scrap is up to you!

Here are my top 10 tips for successful scrap quilting:

1. Admit that you have a problem. (Isn't that always the first step?) If you are overwhelmed by your scraps, this may be extremely easy! Do you want to create order and tame the chaos? Admitting that you have a problem (and wanting to fix it!) is a great first step.

Personally, I have a problem with saving everything. Well, almost everything! I save scraps smaller than 1" square, especially when they are this cute! It's crazy...I'll be the first to admit it. I do use them, however, so I continue to save them. I use them for bright birch tree quilts, needle books and ticker tape canvases, just to name a few things.

 

(Rather than admitting your problem, maybe you just need to get really good at justifying your actions, like I did here. Ha!)

2. Assess your scraps. This goes hand in hand with step one. What do you think you will realistically use? If you don't think you will use it, pass it along to someone who will!

Some days are much better for this than others. If you are in a cleaning or purging mood, this is a good time to assess your scraps. Clear them out, pass them along and don't look back!

3. Clean them up. If you have fabric that was previously sewn together (like strips leftover from a quilt backing), cut them apart and remove the sewn seams. If you have odd cuts, whether you've cut out one circle or a complete garment, cut the remainders into usable pieces, like squares, rectangles, strips or triangles.

Let's illustrate this...just for fun.

Here's a random scrap that I pulled out of my bin of scraps that need to be cleaned up. In this shape, this scrap is very uninspiring and maybe even a little bit intimidating.

 I gave it a good press....

...and then I chopped it into usable pieces. These pieces include: selvages (that I save to knit rag rugs), triangles, strings, a larger piece that will go into my color boxes and the tiny pieces for my ticker tape drawer. On the bottom right are the scraps that I will throw away. Now, these remaining scraps are user friendly! The chances of these scraps getting sewn up has dramatically increased.

 

4. Sort your scraps. For scraps that are less than a fat quarter but larger than a charm square, I sort primarily by color. (The quilted storage boxes pattern can be found in Sunday Morning Quilts.)

For the pieces smaller than a charm square, I place like sizes/shapes together, and mix all the colors together. Strings are one of my categories where all of the colors are stored together.

I have a blog post about my extensive sorting system here, if you care to read it.

5. Come up with a storage plan that works for you and your space. It should mimic the way YOU work and your storage limitations. This has to be extremely personal, because everyone has different scrap tolerances. :)

My storage plan is extensive, and it continues to grow, but scraps are my main focus. I have to room to store them, so it works for me. (At least half of the bins pictured here are holding scraps!) My scrap storage methods are in a constant state of flux, depending upon what quilts I'm working on at the time. That is actually a very good thing! The addition and deletion of categories as I begin and end projects helps me maintain good organization.

6. Work on a few long term projects at a time. Scrap quilts aren't quick and I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise. One can only look at a single project for so long. Mixing up a few different long-term projects is a very good thing! I'm not one to do leaders and enders projects (oh boy, I wish I was!) but I find that doing some prep cutting and getting things sorted and organized ahead of time helps. That way, if I have about 20 minutes to sew, I can sit down with a bin or basket of scraps and get a little bit done. Little bits of sewing time add up to finished quilts, eventually.

7. Edit. This may be the most important step! Just because you are making a scrappy quilt, doesn't mean that you have to put every scrap that you have into one quilt. Make good fabric choices along the way. Edit until the very last block is sewn up.

Even on my scrap vortex quilts, where it looks like I just threw everything together, a whole lot of editing (and careful arranging) was done along the way.

8. Cut a fresh edge. Strings (which are generally 2 1/2" wide or less and vary in length) are the hardest category for me to get excited about. One of the major reasons why is because they get stringy!

It drives me crazy, but there is a simple way to fix it. Press the scrap flat, then cut a fresh edge, on one side or both.

 Isn't that so much better? Cutting a fresh edge will make sewing strings together easier and the back of your quilt will be nice and tidy. Cut right before you sew, for best results. Once the string goes back into the bin and gets tumbled around, it will stringy again.

9. Keep the scrap door revolving. This is a bit of an overlap with tip # 2, but I think it deserves a closer look. I have plenty of friends that pass along their scraps to me. I love that, and my quilts are better because of it! Because lets face it...when it comes to scrap quilts, variety is key. The flip side of that is, I have an awful lot of scraps... more than I can ever use in my lifetime. I continually pass scraps along to others, too. I try to put a bag or two of scraps on the free table every month at my quilt guild meetings. This keeps me from getting bogged down with scraps.

10. Make small projects, not just quilts! Pincushions, cards, and pillows are some of my favorite small projects to make with scraps. These projects are quick to finish and give you a feeling of accomplishment that you may need to carry you through until you can complete a larger scrap quilt.

None of these steps are a "one and done" type of thing. Scrap management takes routine maintenance, much like cleaning a house. I hate to say it, but it's true! However, if you take steps toward organization, it will be easier to maintain your scraps. If you have a spot for everything, you will know where to put things away. Getting organized means you will also know where to look when you need that perfect scrap for your project.

I hope that helps! If you have a favorite scrap tip to share with me, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Happy Monday to you!

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!

sorting scraps--where do I start?

Suppose you have a good friend that passes along a bag of scraps to you. It can be exciting and wonderful, especially if you love scraps like I do. (They are my favorite!!!) But, it can also be a bit overwhelming. A lot of people ask, "where do you start?" I'm happy to tackle that question today.

This is a bag of scraps that my friend Mary recently passed along to me. It's a garbage bag  FULL of scrappy goodness!

She was happy to have it out of her house. I was happy to bring it home.

The first step is to dump it out onto the floor. If you have a quilting buddy, it's nice to invite them to the party. For my initial sort, I asked my daughter to join me. We had a blast! She claimed a sizeable pile of her favorite fabrics and I look forward to making something special for her out of those scraps.

She likes ALL of the novelty fabric! It's cute.

After you dump it all out, jump in (literally or figuratively) and just start sorting! Usually my categories go something like this:
-Trash/junk pile.
-Donate pile-if it doesn't inspire you, pass it along to someone else.
-Stacks of things that inspire you-Polka dots! Fun color combos that catch your eye.
-Solids.
-Odd fabrics-laminated fabric, linen, canvas, etc.
-Larger pieces of fabric that are a mainly one color-sort them by color.
-Strings-long skinny strips 2 1/2" wide or less.

You can make as many or as few piles as you wish when you are sorting. I usually have a LOT!

solids-sorted into neutrals/whites/colors

dots!

strings

 

This gets messy and it takes time, but be patient and have fun with it. If you get overwhelmed or if you run out of time, put away the pieces that you have sorted. Put the rest of the (unsorted) scraps back into the bag. It's ok! Sorting in stages is a good thing. It can keep that overwhelming feeling at bay.

When I got this bag of scraps, I made a few zipper pouches using some laminated fabric and quilting cotton scraps. It was a nice project to dive into right away. I used up the laminated scraps, so I wouldn't have to find a place to store them. After that, I put most of the scraps back in the bag. I knew I would deal with them eventually. The have come in handy several times already.

When I am working on a scrappy quilt, (like my pineapple quilt, for instance) I will get to a point where I feel stuck/feel limited by my fabric selection. That is the PERFECT time to go scrap diving in the big old bag of scraps. (Think of it as the equivalent of dumpster diving. Ha!) You never know what you will find, but most likely you will find something that will work. It's helpful to inject some variety into the quilt part of the way through.

This isn't an all inclusive scrap sorting post, by any means, but hopefully it will motivate and encourage you to tackle your scraps!  If you want more indepth information about scrap sorting and storing, there is an entire chapter devoted to it in Sunday Morning Quilts.

This, of course, is just one way to do it! The most important thing is to find a system that works for you. In an upcoming post, I plan to share how I store my scraps. Hopefully you won't discover just how crazy I really am! (Gulp.)

If you have any questions about scrap sorting, I'd be happy to answer them in the comments.

Happy Monday to you!

one step closer to organization

Over the weekend I worked on a prototype for some WIP (work in progress) bags. It occurred to me that I could spend the time finishing some projects instead of working on these, but lets face it...WIPs are a part of life. They might as well be pretty (and contained) while they sit around. Right?

They were made from supplies I had on hand in my craft room, including clear vinyl, thrifted zippers and of course, fabric. (Hurray for a well stocked craft room!) I'm very happy with how they turned out!

I made them in various shapes, sizes and colors (based on the zippers I had on hand).

One nice thing I discovered is that even though they don't lay completely flat when filled, they don't slip and slide around very much, because the vinyl isn't slick. That is a good thing!

I don't have a "before" photo, but here is the "after". I've been storing my WIPs in this vintage record cabinet that my aunt purchased in 1969. (The receipt was still in it!) I'm so glad it's in my possession for the moment (it's on loan from my sister) and I'm even more excited that my WIPs are contained in it and that the doors actually shut. There's even room for a few more! Ha!

 

One bit of reality...upon organizing them, I realized I have 22 (!!!) WIPs. Yikes! You can only be in denial for so long. If I were to place each of them in their own bag, I'd have to make 18 more WIP bags! I had better finish something! :)

These are the baskets/containers that were previously holding WIPs and are now empty. There is A LOT less bulk in the cupboard, and I can use these in other places. That is a good thing! I have lots more to organize.

 

How do you store your WIPs? If you have any good tips or a system that you love, I'd love to hear about it!

 

Happy Monday to you!