SCRAPS!!! KEEPING YOUR SEWING SPACE UNDER CONTROL
I have a question for you today - do you save your scraps?
I do - every last bit and this is how I do it.
As I cut my fabric I pop the scraps straight into allocated bins:
thread / ribbon / buttons / selvedge / scrap / yardage
✦ I picked the silver bins up at Target, don't you love blackboard labels?
✦ The white containers came from Ikea years ago, I've got a feeling they used to be lamps, got to love recycling things! I bought self-adhesive chalkboard labels at Target and used Crazy/Super Glue to fix them securely to the glass. Here are some similar ones along with erasable chalk markers available via my Amazon affiliate links:
✦ The plastic yardage box is from Target also.
My Tips For Keeping Your Sewing Space Under Control!
As I finish a project, it's time to clean up my studio before starting the next one. This is the time to transfer everything from the bins to their correct storage destinations.
✦ Ribbons, threads and buttons find their way into their permanent containers;
✦ notions are put away;
✦ pattern notes are filed;
✦ and the work area is dusted and hoovered.
You might want to add these to your 'to do' list too:
✦ clean cutting mat;
✦ clean and oil sewing machine;
✦ change machine needle and rotary blade.
Have you used up your supply of something that you'll need again for another project?
✦ Make a shopping list now.
How Do I Store My Scraps?
Let's start by taking a closer look at my yardage box.
Large pieces of fabric are folded to fit back on my yardage fabric shelves.
Scraps are organised by colour, pressed and popped in the appropriate colour scrap box. Solid scraps are placed in a Ziploc bag on top of the prints. The boxes are clear plastic so I can see at a glance what's inside.
Divide your colours in a way that makes sense for you - I have boxes for:
red / aqua / green / purple
pink / children's / cream / brown
yellow+orange / blue / white / black+grey
The scrap boxes are stored under my studio cupboards.
Selvedges are organised by colour too, in Ziploc bags, then stored in a basket.
The whole process takes at most half an hour and once the area is clean and tidy again it's really motivating and has you wanting to make something straight away.
WHAT USE ARE SCRAPS? WHY BOTHER?
Is there any point in saving scraps, do you ever use them?
You can bet I do and I can prove it too!
My fave ways to use scraps are:
Quilt Blocks / Foundation Paper Piecing / Gifts / Quilts / Selvedge Fabric
Click any image to go to the original post.
Quilt Blocks
I'm Vice President of the NYC Metro Modern Quilters Guild and we're always collecting blocks made from scraps. Here are some of my favourite scrap blocks and they each have techniques/tutorials attached if you want to try them yourself.
Click this button to see more of my #nycmetromod blocks, challenges and quilts
Foundation Paper Piecing
I often pattern test foundation paper pieced patterns for Juliet @The Tartankiwi and my scrap stash is an essential part of that process
Gifts
Small handmade projects are great for gifting and sharing.
Quilts
I've put scraps to use in larger quilt projects too.
Selvedge Fabrics
My favourite scrap fabric has to be my selvedges. Click the images to learn what a selvedge is, how to make selvedge fabric and there are a couple of projects for you to make too.
SOS - SAVE OUR SCRAPS!
This post is part of the Sew Much Fun Blog Hop and this month's theme is
SOS - SAVE OUR SCRAPS!
Visit all the blogs on the blog hop to find out how others save their scraps and more.
Jen Frost @Faith and Fabric
Stephanie Woodson @Swoodson Says
Vicky Myers @Vicky Myers Creations
Cynthia Brunz @Quilting is more fun than Housework
Audrey Mann @The Cloth Parcel
Ulla Pohl @Lulu & Celeste
Amanda Hilldore @Fabric Engineer
Chris Dodsley @made by ChrissieD ← that's me and you're here 😀
#sewmuchfunbloghop #sossaveourscraps
Interested in knowing more about the Sew Much Fun Blog Hop?
Maybe you'd like to take part in upcoming hops?
Here's the link to the #sewmuchfunbloghop details.
Have I convinced you to save your scraps yet and, if you already save them, have you picked up some ideas on how to use them? I hope so!
I'd love to hear more about your scrap fabric collections and also how you keep your sewing space under control in the comments.
SCRAPS!!! KEEPING YOUR SEWING SPACE UNDER CONTROL
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Disclosure:
This post contains Amazon and Craftsy affiliate links for which I am paid commission on click-through purchases (at no additional cost to you). Otherwise, no payment or commission is received for click-throughs to shared links; the post is for informational purposes only and all opinions are my own.
Copyright:
Linky Parties This post may be linked to some great Linky Parties, always a great source of inspiration too. If you click through to my 'Fave Linky Parties' page you can see where I like to share my work.
Chris, these are absolutely some of the best scrap inspired projects! I want to pin every link here :) The selvage ones are probably my favorite; I've just started collecting selvages, so it's going to be a bit before I have enough to make a full project from.
ReplyDeleteI admire your discipline.
ReplyDeleteNice blogpost Chrissie
ReplyDeleteLove the little bins for your scraps Chris. I store all my scraps by colour in large Ziploc bags. I am always amazed at how much fabric I can find there when I am working on a new project.
ReplyDeleteso interesting reading how you sort your srcrps but was surprised you only have one project on the go at a time, how good that is but I am doing some BOMs have said no more but then another pops up. I too save my scraps, have various containers some for medium sizes some small and then the tiny scraps just need time to make things with them. I temd to use the medium ones for trying out new blocks but love the tiny ones to randomly join up and have made one large scrap quilt for my GD`s 18th birthday.
ReplyDeleteI wish the little space under my sewing cupboards was a bit bigger - yours is a much more useful space! I must give some thought about how I can use it though - thanks for the idea! The main problem I find with scraps is fraying - no matter how careful I am when "rummaging" for the ideal scrap I find my ready cut strips are getting a bit tatty! Lynne.
ReplyDeleteSo organised - I love how you have your scrap boxes under your units. I admire your discipline of
ReplyDeletethorough cleaning and tidying:)
I'm glad I read your post, normally I avoid reading about organizing scraps perhaps out of guilt. I love your focus and organization and I keep telling myself I need to take the time to organize my scraps. Right now, I either zip bag them and leave them in the respective containers. I need to get them into one spot. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI am a designer so my scraps are everything to me, it is the first place I look when I have an idea for a new pattern. I have plastics box by colors like you. Each box is a mess.
ReplyDeleteYour storage set up is sooo pretty, and so smart to link your best ideas for using them up!
ReplyDeleteI need these tips. I don't think my sewing space will ever look as good as yours, but I love the idea of using zip lock bags for the smaller scraps, so at least I will try to implement that one. Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this great post. I always use my scraps sewing PP projects.
ReplyDeleteI am currently using up my scraps. I like to get rid of most of them along the way and just have three boxes 1 for fat quarter sized, smaller and scraps. I am making a sampler quilt and that is using up lots of small pieces. yay!
ReplyDeletehttp://joeveryday19.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/sampler-quilt-8-and-9-brick-wall-monday.html
Wow, this is super impressive organisation. I am rubbish and all my scraps are thrown in a couple of plastic boxes. I am going to start dividing and conquering asap.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to keep organised whilst you're working and very dedicated at putting it all away afterwards.
ReplyDelete