Scraps, Scraps, and More Scraps

Scraps 

Anyone who works with fabric, is well aware that scraps are inevitable.  No project using fabric uses all the fabric the pattern calls for simply because fabric is either sold off the bolt or in pre-cut sizes. It is rare you can buy the exact amount you need. Then there are those of us who buy extra fabric in case we make a mistake. Or better yet buy fabric without a project in mind. This means we almost always have more fabric than we need for the project. So there are scraps.

There are differing views on how to deal with scraps. Some people simply discard the leftover fabric by either giving it away or throwing it out. There are those who put it aside and thinking they will find another project for it someday. Personally, I fall in the later category. In fact, I am more than happy to take scraps from other people. 

I tend to hold onto all of the scraps. I have been stashing them into bins for years. At least I was until a couple of years ago. I was doing a declutter challenge and realized how many scraps I had. Then, I watched a Video on managing scraps by Karen Brown of Just Get It Done Quilts. (She has a website as well as a YouTube channel.) In it she talks about cutting "Mount Scrapmore" down to size. Literally! She suggested you take time once a month to process scraps into some standard sizes. For me, anything under 1/2 yd is cut down into; Fat Quarters, 5 inch squares, 2-1/2 inch squares, 2 inch squares and 2-1/2 inch strips. This works well for me since I love to make scrap quilts. 

Another trick is to pick a pattern that you want to make scrappy and cut the scraps into the sizes needed for the quilt. This means you have to keep in mind what pattern you are cutting for. I personally have a basket with the pre-cut scraps and pattern in it. I try to keep rack of how many more I need with a post it note.

Another reason I keep and process scraps is because I love cutting fabric. It is very cathartic to me. Especially turning scraps into usable pieces. It just soothes my soul in a way that is difficult to explain. Stress seems to dissipate when I am cutting fabric. I would often process scraps in the morning before work because it helped put me in the right frame of mind to deal with difficult people.

Scraps I've processed.

In the last two years I have gone from 2 huge storage totes to one 24 liter bin. This week I am traveling with my husband. To keep busy while he is working, I brought 3 yards of fabric that had been stained, 2 - gallon size zip lock bags of scraps, a rotary cutter, an 12"x18"cutting mat, and my favorite rulers for processing scraps. I didn't have to pack an iron since there is one in the hotel room. My plan is to get some of the scraps processed. That way I feel like I am making some progress on decluttering the studio even though I am on the road. 

My day starts with getting out the iron and ironing board and pressing all of the scraps. I did buy a spray bottle and some spray starch. some of these scraps have been in storage for years. I start cutting the scraps and stack them by size. at the end of the day I put them in zip lock
bags by size. It will make organizing them at home easier.  

The problem I have run into this week is that I am here for a total of 8 days. I am 3 days in and I have already gotten through most of the scraps. I should have brought the whole bin with me. I would have gotten it all done this week. Oh well, I am sure I will have more opportunities to do this in the coming months. I may just get my scraps all caught up before I get my studio into working shape.