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.

OCD, Using One's Powers for Good

We were talking about stash-tracking over on Stitchin Fingers.  Now, I know a little something about this subject, having spent about two months this fall organizing Larry's Grandma's stash.  She's 101 now, and has the stash to prove it.  Grandma moved into assisted living and I promised to organize all her craft stuff as a housewarming gift.

I had no idea how much craft stuff she had.

For heaven's sake, she had been living in a one bedroom efficiency apartment!

She had six dressers and only two drawers had clothes in them.

And project boxes.  OMG the project boxes.  Nothing sorted or put away, she had duplicates, triplicates, even octuplicates of so many things.

There was a sorting frenzy that went on for weeks. 

But it's all much better now.

I borrowed a label maker from Liz, my "work niece", bought the extra-large tape for it, then labeled everything in nice big block letters.  (You get the discount if you buy clear shoeboxes by the case from the Container Store - ask me how I know!  lol)  I put her beads & yarn below where she can get at it, and tucked the less likely stuff up high.

"That Susan, she sure knows how to get things organized."

"Yup."

"I bet you didn't know I had that much stuff!"

"Nope."

It makes finding things a snap, and best of all, she loves it!

I made a sweet little old lady very happy. 

(If you look closely, you can see I even labeled the phone for her; she likes that too.)

Always use your powers for good.