Working with scraps can be quite the challenge. You can't just grab a nicely folded piece of fabric and make a few quick cuts and start stitching. The picking and cutting of fabrics can take days sometimes. This year I've been working on keeping all my scraps sorted by color instead of throwing them all in one large tote. So far it's working out much better. My daisies are coming together quickly with my new system in place.
The biggest problem now is throwing away fabric. Every quilter has a limit to what they will keep. The dresden blades are about 1 x 2 inches unsewn. So that tells you my scraps can be very small. I've managed to get the first round of chain stitching done. So how do you decide what to toss?
Here's my rule for scraps. Below is Kay Bucklelys Perfect Circles. These are the best thing since sliced bread if you love doing applique. My set has been used to the point they need to be replaced. You can find a perfect circles tutorial here. Well anyway this is how I decide if its trash or scrap. See the little circle on the fabric? That's the smallest circle template, so this tiny piece of fabric is saved. Now I know you're thinking when would this template ever be used?
Actually I've used them several times. Here's my favorite! The center block is block 2 from Erin Russeks My Tweets BOM. Sorry it's no longer a free BOM but it can be purchased here.
So how low can you go?
Linking up today! You could too! It's always fun to find new to you bloggers and see what's stitching around the world. Click right HERE to Bee Social.
~ Lea Anne ~
Freebies from Erin Russek@Onepieceatatime
For me it depends on the fabric. If it's one I know I will want every bit of, I'll keep the tiny pieces. I get frustrated with scraps since I use many different types of fabric... batik, repro, fassett, etc. So far I haven't figured out a good way to store them. Maybe I should just store them all by color regardless of what type of fabric it is. And I love the Perfect Circles, too!
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of how the quilt is going to turn out...it's going to be so cute! And I only keep scraps that are at least 1" x 1" because I only piece and figure anything smaller is going to be too annoying for piecing. But then I do keep a few smaller pieces in Mason Jars. They're decoration, but if for some reason I needed really small pieces it's my backup plan.
ReplyDeleteThe smallest I keep are 1.5" x 1.5". Anything else gets donated to the Green Bag Lady project to make the Pet Beds that the Green Bag Lady gives away. They take all kinds of fabric donations. Most of it is used to make the GBL grocery bags that are given away for people to use instead of plastic bags.
ReplyDeletedaisies are looking so pretty. Re scraps I am keeping all at the moment as I have not been quilting for long and need to build up a stash! Hvave Victoria Findlay Wolfe`s book which is great for ideas with scraps, so far not done any but one day I will
ReplyDeleteto remove the guilt from throwing tiny bits of scrap in the trash, I make pillow forms with unwanted/unloved fabric (ugly, recycled shirts, poly cotton) and I toss thread and small scraps in them until they are full. The original intent was to donate them to an animal shelter (I read that somewhere) but now they will be covered and they will be floor pillows for the play room.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time throwing away scraps, too! Love those dresden flowers, Lea!
ReplyDeleteIs this your own pattern? It's sew cute!
ReplyDeletethose dresdens are beautiful, and so tiny! I am really random with my scraps. I do keep them, but sometimes I'll judge a piece too small to keep and throw it away, a few days later I'll keep a smaller piece, there's no rhyme or reason to it. I know some quilters cut them up into squares of usable sizes, but I do applique too which uses smaller bits so I have no system.
ReplyDeleteLove your Dresdens. Wow that is a tiny circle too!!!!
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is FABULOUS, as usual. How can you throw scraps away??? Are you CRAZY??? Love ya! XO
ReplyDeleteLove your Daisy Dresden project, the colors are so cheerful! Is this a published pattern that can be purchased somewhere??
ReplyDeleteI designed it in EQ7
DeleteWow! Those fabrics are great - and it is cool to see how small you can go. I may not go that small though ;-) Thanks for showing how you use scraps !!
ReplyDeleteYour daisies are adorable! That's going to be an awesome quilt!
ReplyDeleteWhat cute dresdens! I save scraps and use small pieces for little mini-quilts and such. It's hard to throw them away!
ReplyDeleteI hate to throw fabric away and my limit is 1" square, as long as it's still straight, and most of them aren't. Let's face it a strip 1" wide is much easier to use, even if it's only 2" long.
ReplyDeleteI love your Dresden flowers; you're giving a new twist to an traditional pattern..
I love those Dresden daisies. Keeping them one color scheme is perfect!
ReplyDeleteThose Dresden daisies are great! I have a hard time knowing what to do with all my scraps too. I recently cut them into 2 1/2 inch squares and 5 inch squares. I do like how organized they look, but am not sure what I'll do with them. :) I also have a bag of strips and a bag of small scraps for craft projects. The hardest part for me is throwing out fabric that I don't like a lot -- and may never use -- but I can't seem to get rid of it anyway!
ReplyDeleteWow those rainbow plates are so pretty! You've got some great looking scraps!
ReplyDeleteThose Dresden flowers are gorgeous! Since I don't to applique, I pretty much get rid of anything smaller and 1 square inch.
ReplyDelete