I Love My Scraps

Most of the quilts I make are scrappy. Often, they are made with scraps from my scrap basket, mixed with newer fabrics. My scrap pile seems to get bigger and bigger as time goes by. I try to keep up and organize it now and then and sort the scraps into small and large pieces by color. The larger scraps go into a drawer unit. Then the smallest scraps usually go into several small clear bins where I can see them. It calms me to spend an afternoon sorting then organizing them. If I can see them, I'm more likely to use them up.

These small bins contain my smallest scraps of fabric, sorted by color. The white basket holds small scraps from my cutting table that still need to be sorted. Looks like I may not have room to shove much more in there. I need to get going and make more scrap quilts! 

This color-coded drawer unit houses my larger scraps and I keep in in a corner near my sewing table but pulled it out to take a better picture. Yes, my sewing room has a playful Kindergarten touch. Why not? After all, it's my "Play Area." It's difficult for me to sort through a huge bin full of all different colored scraps as I look for a particular piece, so I try to separate them. If I'm making a scrap quilt, I can easily see what drawer to pull from if I need to make some blocks in a particular color. 

Example: these are large scraps stored in my red drawer. Mostly leftovers from larger pieces that have been cut into. But still scraps.

Larger cuts of fabric are folded in the drawers of the blue dresser behind the rainbow tower. Sorted by color, of course. Small drawers on top hold pink, then gold, green and brown. Larger drawers below hold blue, red, tan and shirtings and miscellaneous prints. Black and purple don't need a whole drawer. Blue needs two! Shirtings are going to need more space soon . . . .

I recently replaced my cutting table with an IKEA island with storage underneath. It's a little messy now so here's a generic pic. Works really well for me in my small space. 

If I had a larger room I might be more motivated and creative about organizing my space. But it is what it is. There's lots of light and I love that. I like to add colors too and would not be able to sew in a drab space or in a basement, which was an option when I first took up the hobby. We have a smallish house and I'm using what used to be the original (small) baby room for my sewing room. (That baby is now in his 30s and the room is no longer a shrine, LOL.)  The blue dresser is the old baby dresser that used to be painted white, recently brought up from the basement. I painted it last year with a teal blue chalk paint and bought some new drawer pulls. It's not perfect but it works for me right now. I'm hoping to add a little more storage soon.

Is it silly of me to hang onto scraps and have so many bins and drawers for them? I don't know -  I love my scraps and I needed to find some way to organize them so I don't go crazy when they take over. I'm surely not going to throw them out. When I make small blocks for my quilts, I dig into the drawer or bin and find the perfect scrap that fits with the others. Who cares if it's old? I love using them.

How can I possibly throw these away?? 

I admit, I do have a habit of hanging onto my favorite pieces (some of them are now pretty small) and lovingly spreading them throughout my scrap quilts. I never get tired of using some of them. Those of you who have my books and are pretty sharp may have noticed that I like to use some of the same scraps over and over in the quilts I make. You'll see that same lovely blue, pink or brown print everywhere you look. I've had some of them for years and they're almost gone so I feel lucky when I come across one again, years after it went out of print. 

Now, it's not that I don't have enough other fabric (goodness) or because I can't afford to buy NEW fabric. I've just formed attachments to some of these old ones. Somehow it feels very satisfying to use those scraps and place the ones I particularly love in several different quilts. Then, every time I look at one I have to smile because I feel a little tug at my heart. 

I'm still hanging onto scraps of some of these cadet blues too because they're hard to find now. 

This simple little prairie quilt is so old. From one of my first books. Can you believe I still have some small pieces of these old fabrics too? I'm saving them for a rainy day, LOL.

*  *  *

Well, I hope I have inspired some of you to sort through and organize your scraps. Cleaning up a bit is always a feel-good thing for me. Try it. It takes time but it's worth it even if you only spend an hour or so at a time. Clears your head (and your space!) and makes you want to create something new. It's amazing what clarity of mind you get when the space is organized and everything is put back into place where you can access it. At least it works for for me.

Last week I was inspired to start a new project just from tidying up my room and organizing my scraps. I'm going to love this quilt when it's finished. These are mostly scraps left over from a quilt I made for the new book that's coming out late next year. 

This is a fake sewing machine that's actually a sewing box. I store scissors and thread in it. (Lovely Country Lane Quilts pincushion was made by my dear friend Karen Schultz.)

Have a good weekend!