Yes, I have a scrap system!

Once upon a time I had a drawer.  That drawer was very large.  That drawer was full to overflowing with scraps of fabric. 

My system?  I cut.  I opened said drawer.  I tossed.  And I shoved it closed as best I could.

It was quite an impressive collection of scraps to pull from.  But there was the problem.  I never "pulled from".  Ever.  It was such a tangled, fraying heap.  Awful.

Then the amazing Lori Holt, of Bee In My Bonnet fame, created a whole blog post on how she cuts and organizes all her scraps.  It was the first time I had been introduced to such awesome scrap storage.  These were scraps I could really see myself reaching for and using over and over again!  To learn from the scrap master (and see some super cute quilty pics), GO READ the original blog post!  Go.  Now.

Way back when, I took all those scraps out of the awful drawer and I began to organize!  Following Lori's lead I began to iron and sort and cut.  It took a while, but I cannot tell you how pleased I am with the results.

I used Lori's helpful information in her post and then I customized it to what I felt I would really use.  I decided on the sizes I would keep and then I also decided I wanted to sort mine by color.

When I save scraps now, I save the following:

* 3.5" squares
* 2.5" squares
* 2.5" strips
* 1.5" strips
* in a glass dish all their own, assorted 1.5" squares

 When I began working on the drawer several years ago, I first sorted every usable scrap into color bins.  Then began the task of choosing a bin, ironing, sorting and cutting.

The blue bin is the before.  The pink bin is the after.

I bought six neat bins I found at Target and I chose to sort them into the following colors based on those fabric colors I own the most of and buy/use over and over again!

My six bins are:

* reds
* pinks
* blues/aquas
* greens
* oranges/yellows/purples
* whites/multi/blacks/grays/browns

These were the finished buckets.

Recently, I had a large green bin full of all my wonderful scraps that I used while making all my Farm Girl Vintage blocks in the sew along.  It, too, was a little out of control.  A big raveling, tangled mess.  Very unusable.

Yes.  That's it.

So I spent many evenings ironing and sorting by size.

 

 Once I was finished ironing and sorting, I turned on some Gilmore Girls, and started cutting!  It really was a lot of fun because as you cut and organize you get to look at all these fun fabrics you love!!

 

When I was all done cutting, I sorted them by size and color!!

So pretty!!

 And then I added them to my awesome buckets of goodness and I was done!!!!

 

Normally I don't let scraps get so out of control.  It is way easier, and not a chore at all, to cut as I go.


When I am cutting fabrics for a project, I cut up the left overs that I don't want to add back to my stash on the shelf.  I cut them into one of my useful sizes and then I file them away.

It's that easy!

Plus, I always end up feeling like I am being a good steward of all this beautiful fabric I am blessed to own.

Have fun creating your own scrappy saving system!!

Thanks Lori!

PS - Next on the agenda.........

My very, VERY out of control Bonnie and Camille scrap bins!  Oh my!

Celeste's Personal Quilt Along

Every once in a while I have a really great idea!  Really!

Now I know this doesn't look like much, but let me explain......introducing (drum roll) Celeste's Personal Quilt Along!

I am sure we can all think of times we've learned something about ourselves and the way we operate best.  Sometimes these revelations can be life changing and sometimes they just help you get your quilts finished!

Recently I have discovered things I love about being a quilter and things I don't.  After a very exhausting season of swaps last year I felt exhausted.  I wrote and posted in my sewing room a little list of things I love to do, things I sort of like to do occaiosionally and those things I better think really hard about saying yes to.  

What I already knew is that I love making quilts most of all (surprise!) - not bags, clothes, etc.  Then I realized how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE quilt alongs/sew alongs.  They are so much fun to me and I feel like I can manage the sizable weekly or monthly chunks they come in.

So my revelation was, "What if I did this with all my WIPs (Works In Progress) that already had cut out and ready to go?"  So I decided to make the list above and have my very own personal quilt along.  Each day is dedicated to a block or two of a current quilt along online (like the Bloom Sew Along) and any quilts that I have cut and waiting to be finished!  

And so far?  After a week?  I am loving this method!  Even if a day goes by where that block doesn't get done, I can just pick up where I left off the next week.  

Really all this is a method of organized madness for making all these beautiful quilts instead of keeping them in drawers!

Maybe you too could host your own personal quilt along!  Join me!

A few progress shots.....

#daisiesthursday

#swoonfriday

#simplestarmonday

#toneitdowntuesday

#greatgrannysquaredwednesday