Wow, it's Scraptastic Tuesday again. Before I award the prizes, I wanted to talk about scrap management and scrappy project plans, yet again. My scraps are out of control and I have not been motivated to use them. Here are my thoughts:
- Organization: I have organized my scraps by colour, and I took all the strips of any width and put them into their own box. That resulted in me finishing Villa and I just need to continue using those strips. The problem is that I keep thinking I should try some different strip pattern and then I get stuck on which pattern to start. And I never open those boxes of other size scraps. My plan:
- Make a pinboard of blocks and quilts that use scrappy strips - both uneven width strips and strips that are the same width, and then maybe I can focus when I have time to sew and make one or more of those quilts or blocks.
- Cut 5" and 2.5" squares: My bins have smaller pieces left, so I think if I cut those pieces into 5" squares these can be combined with left over charm packs, and if nothing else I can make giant plus quilts. And I want to make some pixellated style rainbow sort of quilts and 2.5" squares should work. I do hate cutting fabric but then again, when I can't decide on what to sew, cutting squares might work and lead to the start of some sewing.
- Scraps multiply: Every single time I make anything, there are more scraps. And I have started looking at my bits of fat quarters and I know that many people consider anything less than a fat quarter to be a scrap - which means that much of my "stash" is actually scraps as I put those partial fat quarters back on the shelf. My plan:
- Look at partial fat quarters as I have them on the cutting table to use them for projects and if I cannot imagine a use for them if I fold them and put them my shelf anytime soon, then cut them into strips, including one that is 5" wide if possible, and add the strips to the box of scrappy strips. The 5" wide strips can also be cut into squares, but to start I will probably keep them as 5" wide strips as that leaves more options (skinnier strips, squares, rectangles, etc.)
- Work through my "stash" shelves by colour and decide which fabrics I will likely never use and add those to the donate box, cut other smaller pieces into the strips and squares as mentioned above, and press and refold the pieces that I want to keep in the stash and put them neatly back on the shelves. This will also count as a spring cleaning which is a bonus.
- Start throwing out small little scrappy bits, no matter how guilty it makes me feel. This would include the left over bits in the scrap bins. I might offer them to my MQG first, but truly, I don't use these little bits but having them around makes me feel guilty. This will be the hardest part.-=0-=
- Accountability; Planning is not enough. My plan:
- Report back here at least once a month.
- Evaluate my scrap use at the end of June, to correspond to the end of Q2 of the FAL.
- Try not to start 15 new scrap projects, but instead to limit the new projects to a small number so that they will also be finishes.
Enough, it's time to thank our lovely sponsors, and award the prizes for the April Scraptastic Tuesday Link.
A huge thank you to our generous sponsors for providing the following prizes which will be awarded randomly among those of you who link up.
- Fat Quarter Shop - $25 gift certificate - #12- Teresa at @stitchingal
- Sew Sisters Quilt Shop - $25 gift certificate - #61 - Katherine at @katgraycraft
- Sew Me a Song - $20 gift certificate - #39 - Sally at Crafts, Cavies and Cooking
- Fluffy Sheep Quilting - a €20 (20 Euro) gift certificate - #52 - Lisa at Quilts by Lisa
- Green Fairy Quilts - $25 gift certificate - #23 - Linda at Koka Quilts
- Karen Lewis Textiles - scrap pack - #64 - Emily at Darling Dogwood
- Mad About Patchwork - a $40 gift certificate - #67 - Ioleen at Back Home Quilter
We will be emailing all of the winners shortly. Thank you for sharing your April scrappy inspiration and please plan to join Nicky from Mrs. Sew and Sow and I again on the second Tuesday in May 10 - for the next Scraptastic Tuesday link.
By the way, if you are looking for some scrappy inspiration, a visit to the links is worth your time.
Best,
Leanne
By the way, if you are looking for some scrappy inspiration, a visit to the links is worth your time.
Best,
Leanne
