Sunday, June 23, 2013

Scrap Busting - There's No Such Thing as Ugly Fabric...

Just fabric you haven't  cut small enough yet!

I found Bonnie Hunter's method of organizing scraps, 
then I started this project two weeks ago.  
I had a Huge basket of scraps.  
It took me about 20 hours to organize it into this:

She recommends cutting strips in 1.5", 2", 2.5", 3" and 3.5" widths.
I cut the largest width whenever possible,
unless it made a leftover just shy of 1.5",
in which case I cut a 3" and a 1.5" strip instead.
I did not cut up yardage, just scraps.  
Some largish scraps, but mostly not too big.  
What I had most of was leftover backing fabric - 
many very long strips.  I cut lots of 3.5" strips. 
I didn't have any set length for the strip, but
very few are selvage to selvage.
Bonnie also recommends making 1.5", 2", 2.5", 3" and 3.5" blocks when there isn't enough length for a strip.
I always cut the largest block possible;
for some reason, 1.5", 2" and 3" blocks were very common, and
2.5" and 3.5" were not.
And yes, I do have plans for making quilts from all this!
For me, there is nothing like doing a boring, repetitive task to get the creative juices really flowing;
plus, now I can easily see what I have.

My Heart goes out to Canmore - updated since I clearly didn't get it right the first time.

I am sad that the most beautiful place on earth has been beaten up so badly by what is now being called
"The Great Canmore Flood of 2013".
I am so sorry for the people who lost their homes and belongings.  
I never met an unfriendly person in Canmore, and I believe that the stereotype we have in the US of all Canadians being super nice is very close to the truth.  
(This is what I was trying to say the first time and it didn't come out right at all.)
It doesn't surprise me at all that they are pulling together to get through this soggy nightmare.
All the folks in Alberta are in my thoughts and prayers, especially Calgary.
Previously only regarded as that irritating impediment to get through to get to the mountains.  Sorry

If anyone has any information on the current state of the Smith-Dorrien Trail please let me know.
I keep hearing that Canmore was completely cut off from the rest of the world,
but they have the most beautiful back door in the world!  
Parts of the Smith-Dorrien above Canmore were barely there to begin with.  
Has it been washed out too?  Say it isn't so.