Not too long ago, Jen over at Faith and Fabric asked me if I wanted to be part of a blog hop whose topic was Scraps. It didn't take me long to hop on board!
If this is your first visit here, I am glad you stop by. If you are looking for scrappy inspiration, I think you will find lots of great ideas throughout my blog. I have a whole Scrap-A-Palooza page with links to a number of designs for scraps. I hope you take some time to check it out!
Also, every Sunday, I host a linky party called Oh Scrap! Every week lots of bloggers share what they are making with their scraps. If you love to use scraps, I hope you join us!
I thought I would share some of the scrap management techniques that I use. I keep all of my scraps organized by color. If I keep my scraps jumbled in one bin, I find them to be too overwhelming. But I think they are pretty and inspiring when they are all grouped by color.
I think one of the best things I do to keep my scraps organized is to have a sorting system right at my cutting table. I use these fabric buckets but you could use a number of containers. Once a fabric becomes a scrap, it is immediately sorted into a bin.
When the fabric bins overflow, I also have a series of plastic drawers for scraps that are also sorted by color. Now when I want to make a scrap quilt, all I need to do is pull the appropriate colored drawers. No longer do I need to sort through big piles of scraps looking for the colors I need.
While pre-cutting scraps work for a lot of quilters, I found this technique didn't work for me. But I do like to have 2.5" squares on hand. I used to spend hours trimming up my scraps. Now I use my AccuQuilt fabric cutter. I love how quickly it turns chunks I am ready to make into squares. Plus it really saves my hands - I was finding my fingers aching after spending an evening cutting up scraps.
It is an expensive tool but I have never regretted buying it.
I store my cut squares in plastic silverware organizers I bought at a kitchen store. My single container has now exploded into four. They too are sorted by color so it is really easy to find what I need.
I hope I have given you some useful ideas to your own scrap quilting. For more tips, you can read what other bloggers on the hop are sharing. Here is a list of all those participating!
Stepahnie at Swoodson Says
Gemia at Phat Quarters
Deanna at Stitches Quilting
Vicky at Vicky Myers Creations
Audrey at The Cloth Parcel
Amista at Hilltop Custom Designs
Ula at Lulu & Celeste
Chris at made by ChrissieD
Amanda at Fabric Engineer
A big thanks to Jen over at Faith and Fabrics for organizing this event!
Scrap quilts really are the best!
Linking Up:
Love Laugh Quilt (Monday Making)
Patchwork Times (Design Wall Monday)
Cooking Up Quilts (Main Crush Mondays)
Em's ScrapBag (Moving it Forward)
***This post contains affiliate links. Clicking through and making a purchase may result in my making a commission. Thanks!
25 comments:
I love how you organize your scraps - I think I have something to learn!!!
Thank goodness we have you helping and inspiring those of us a little less organised. Good tips Cynthia.
I bought a Accuquilt cutter because Wanda told me to. I have basic shapes- the 5", 2 1/2", HST (they don't need trimming). I have to sort my scraps by color, you convinced me. I think scrap quilts are like when the ugly cocoon bursts into a butterfly. The butterfly no way resembles the housing or the caterpillar. So I think scrap quilts are really metamorphosis quilts, no way resembling the pile of scraps that came before. Love your system. Thanks for sharing.
I really like how you sort your squares. It's a clever idea putting the colour cars in between.
I need to get the 2.5 inch die - I have the accuquilt also because Wanda (Exuberant Color) recommended it I do not sort by color but I do store in boxes 1.5 inches, 2 inches and so on - when I had my box - a large shoe box size filled with 1.5 inch squares I got started making my postage stamp quilt and I just finished hand quilting it yesterday. I have always made scrap quilts although now and then I do a color coordinated quilt from a kit or from fabric on the shelves.
Once we move back to North Carolina from Montana in a year, the top of my list is an Accuquilt cutter. I can't wait! Love your organizing idea of the paint chips separating the colors.
I love scraps too! And your organization tips are great. I sort mine in bins by color like you do as well...makes life so much easier!
A couple of the links of the participants are broken.
It's always fun to see how other quilters organize their scraps. I keep mine by size, mostly, but I have a couple of specialty boxes (lime green; yellow; black and white).
All-the-same fabric quilts tend to be so boring. The exceptions are true vintage quilts, but I don't make that kind.
Your scrap baskets are so colorful - and love that you like to use even the tiniest pieces, too!
Great tray for the 2.5" squares. I love it! I tend to have some on hand as well, gotta try it when I get an area to store them up!
Great way to organize your small squares! So organized.
I have tried a variety of ways to store my scraps. Finally, after many years, I have discovered at least a couple of methods that are working really well for me. Yet, you have really inspired me to give the individual silverware trays a try for the two and a half inch squares. They are such a popular size in so many patterns, plus, individually dividing them by colors is an excellent idea that I will also be trying. Thank you for sharing and have a great day!
Ohh I love the idea of using an accuquilt to chop up scraps! So fun to see other peoples' storage ideas!
When scraps are organized to make such beautiful, colorful pictures. I am looking into a Sizzix machine. It sure cuts the preparation time. ;^)
Much like the method I use. I also cut 2.5 inch squares only mine are in a photo box ( sort of like a shoe box).
Yes, I look to your blog for scrappy inspiration! When you said you were going to share some organization tips, I was so curious to see what happens "behind the scenes"! Love your idea of silverware drawers! Thank you for sharing!
About a year ago I started sorting my scraps by color and you're right - it's so much easier to find what I need. Before I sorted them, it was overwhelming and I just let them pile up. Now that they are sorted, I need to get busy and make some scrap quilts! :)
After reading your post this morning, I decided it was time to spend some time sorting my scraps because it had been a long time! Now I have them all organized by color (again!) and it's time to figure out a new way to use them! Thanks for the inspiration!
What a brilliant idea to use the paint chip cards to organize your 2 1/2" squares in the silverware containers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (lynnstck[at]yahoo.com)
Lots of good ideas here. I've been using silverware drawers for a few years but I've never quite gotten them completely color organized. And, I love your paint chip dividers! Excellent idea. One more question -- I notice the drawer/container you showed had mostly bright greens -lime, chartreuse, etc. Do you have more than one container per major color? Or do you let your colors control the number of containers? Thanks for sharing these great ideas.
I agree scraps are the best. They definitely make the best quilts.
I keep thinking about buying a cutter and go back and forth on it. Seeing the use you get from yours I am very tempted!
I love the kitchen storage idea, and the paint chips to separate the colors. Great idea!
Love the storage for the 2.5" squares. Great way to find what you want quickly.
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