Do You?
Do you save scraps?
I’m guessing the answer is yes for most quilters. The question should probably be phrased like this:
Do you use your scraps? On a regular basis?
Now that we are approaching this from a slightly different perspective, let’s continue. 😊
Scrap quilting is big. Sometimes I think it might be more popular than picking a pattern and carefully selecting fabric for said pattern. (I’m bad about that- I like to buy fabric and try to figure out what to do with it. Oops.) I actually ran across something on Pinterest or Facebook recently that had me questioning where some of these folks get scraps if all they do are scrap quilts?
Anyway, I’ve wanted to do a true scrap quilt for awhile but to be honest I’m a little afraid to start one. For no other reason than when I start to put things together I question whether or not it will look good and scrappy? I should probably let go of that thought process and just do it.
Now the question becomes why?
Why Do You Scrap?
Scrap quilts, which I’ve also heard referred to ‘bonus’ quilts, are really a fantastic way to use things we otherwise would just pitch. Let’s face it – we have become a very disposable society. Our great grandmothers would be heartbroken – they would never have wasted the resources we typically do on any given day. Thrifty is as good a reason as any to scrap quilt, but let’s face it – some of the prettiest and most well loved quilts are scrap quilts!
How Do You Scrap?
I’ve been researching a bit on this over the past week. I’ve given it thought quite a bit before, but as I’m heading into my ‘lean’ portion of the year I need to make sure I find ways to continue quilting without adding to my fabric collection.
While strolling through the internet, I’ve come across all kinds of different ways to throw scrap quilts together. Some examples are:
- String quilts
- Mile a minute/crumb quilt blocks
- Scrappy log cabins
- Postage stamp/checkerboard quilts
- Art quilts
- Paper piecing
These are really just a few – I think this list is truly endless. Recently, our LQS scrap group used a pattern similar to Buckeye Beauty and made it scrappy. Awesome – and totally doable with just about anything you want. I tried my hand at a controlled scrappy look for my Storm at Sea quilt – using many different batiks in different shades to mimic water.
Scrap Organization
Now – since I haven’t actually made a true scrappy quilt just yet, I am going to go out on a limb and say that my thoughts on this topic might change at some point.
For now, I’m going to go with a very basic organization method. I am, as you may or may not know, spatially challenged at home. I don’t have a ton of space and when I was looking at some of the suggestions on Pinterest, I found myself unable to really relate to their methods. It’s not that they don’t make sense, or wouldn’t be super useful, but I can’t do it the way most suggest because my quilt area is a corner of the family room.
Not conducive to awesome shelves with pretty baskets full of beautifully organized fabric and scraps.
Some day.
Someday, I might be able to avoid this, too…
Then again, I really don’t want to avoid those quality inspectors! Now, back to what I wound up with yesterday. I went with a really basic cluster effect and it goes like this:
- Leftover pieced blocks (aka orphan blocks)
- Strips – 2 ½ “ (or as close to that as possible), then another set with skinnier strips and one smaller set with wider strips.
- Squares, and larger scraps
- Super small scraps
I do have a small collection of things that would be far more suitable to using in art quilts or in certain instances, paper piecing quilts. That will have to hang out. For now, anyway.
In addition, I do have a couple of Ziploc bags full of scraps from previous projects. One, Eleanor Burns’ Night and Day, I think I can actually turn into something on its own so those are together.
All of these little piles are in one sterilite tub – medium sized, and it is my goal to not exceed that space.
Scrap Goals
I want to spend most of my summer quilting, but summer is definitely a slim time of year for us. That means, if I am going to quilt I need to make use of what I already have. So I have chosen to focus on UFOs and scrap quilts, hopefully supplemented by my stash. I am going to work on finishing stuff and buying as little as possible.
I tackled organizing my UFOs on Mother’s Day – which you may have read about, maybe not. If you missed it and the free UFO Project tracker, please go check it out here.
Yesterday I went through my scraps. I feel pretty good about it – at least I was able to weed out things that really belonged in my stash bins and figured out what I have for scraps.
Today I feel like diving into a scrap project. I’m not sure yet how much I will have when it all boils down to it, but I would be pretty happy just to have some blocks. As I need to get my feet wet, I’m going to use one or two of the crumb block methods. I will take some pictures and post them this week and let you know how it worked out.
What about you? What is your favorite way to organize and to use your scraps?
Let’s go quilt!
Amanda