Hi-diddly-O Friends! The beautiful piles of scrap fabrics are continuing to grow. I must say I love walking into my studio and seeing the burst of color. Eye Candy for the quilters soul. It gives me a little giggle to think "My very own Cotton Candy Shop".
As they are being sorted into piles of fabric by size my mind is working up plans for new quilts. During break time I'm on Pinterest looking for ideas. Years ago when bright happy fabrics were very popular, I started a Pinterest board called Scrap Happy Quilts. I have found when I click on the images it brings up even more bright happy quilt ideas. So I started pinning more new to me scrap happy quilt ideas. Over 1000 pins of scrappy quilts on this board and I can't decide which one to make first.
Of course the powers that be keep reminding me about the many UFO's I planned to finish this year. How does the power that be work? Here's how... HST's are popping up in some really strange places. Why would orange HST's be in with pink fabric? Yes, something very strange is happening in here! A little gremlin is planting these HST's as a reminder of the thousands of HST's I have yet to make into anything. I would never put orange HST's in with pink fabric. It's a gremlin at work, I'm sure of it!😉😁
Miscuts and test pieces are another issue, I need to think about how to use them. Do I simply sew them together as orphan pieces? Or try to use them as fabric scraps? Only time will tell. These will be added to the many other miscuts and orphan blocks collected over the years.
Today, is all about deciding what to do with the 3 drawers of random fat quarters. I need a new way of storing them. Thrifty Lea Anne says "make fabric storage bins". The not so practical Lea Anne says "a shopping trip to Target for small clear stackable storage bins and sort by color".
While the two Lea Anne's battle things out over fat quarter storage I'll be sorting the low volume fabric stash.
And then the last of the fabric to sort will be the scrappy work baskets. These are the baskets I keep on the cutting table at all times. Most of my quilts are all the same colorway, bright and scrappy. I work from the baskets and add to them as needed. With all the changes going on in here it might be time to change this system as well and start with a clean slate. Perhaps anything in these baskets that is less than a fat quarter should be added to the scrappy fabric bins stash.
The only problem I see is, storage. The small scrap storage is pretty full. More drawers might be needed.
Of course letting go of some of the tiny scraps would also work. I'm saving them for a masterpiece applique quilt that MIGHT someday be made. "Waste not, want not" is a polite way of saying "hoard everything". Does this put me in the same category as the crazy cat lady?
On a more positive, not so crazy side of things, the box of charity fabrics has now also become the box of quilt tops and fabric I can let go of for making charity quilts. It's growing rapidly with both fabric and quilt tops. So maybe this balances out the fabric hoarding craziness. I'm looking forward to digging into the the box of not so loved fabric and making charity quilts.
Well, now that I think about it, me longing to work with unloved fabric sounds kind of crazy too.
Maybe I should change my blog name to "As The Crazy Quilter Quacks".
Until next time...
I hope you find time to stitch up something sweet!
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My suggestion, go to Target and buy clear plastic boxes so you can see the fabrics stored inside at a glance. Instead of making fabric boxes, you can use your time making quilts, either beautiful quilts you love or charity quilts with unloved fabrics, a much better use of your time. Happy stitching!
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