Taming The Scraps!

Want to know something about a quilter?  Look at her scraps!  We've had a great two days of "Taming The Scraps" sessions and getting a look inside the quilting lives of eight participants.  Great fun!

Our sessions included thoughts on just what is a scrap ( definitions can be different), options for sizes to cut, storing and using what you cut.  The goal, of course, is to turn that "pile" in a basket, bag or clothes basket into usable fabric again.  As Betty noted, " Why am I buying charm squares?  Look at the pile of 5" squares I've cut!"

We started with the basic premise that cutting 2", 3 1/2" and 5" squares gives you sizes that can easily used in a variety of ways for quick-and-easy scrap quilts.  Here's a great example of that: small squares forming blocks set on point.  This quilt is the result of a quilt bingo.  Scraps session participants Kathy, Susan, Ann and Ruth brought it along for show & tell.

Then we took the premise a step further: cut sizes that work for the projects you do most often.  Georgia cut a lot of 4 1/2" squares because one of her fellow guild members makes a quilt a week for charity and she uses those squares.  Her fellow members keep her supplied!  Georgia also cut the size squares she needs for a tumbler quilt she wants to make.  Melanie cut squares and rectangles because she's going to make the Flying Geese quilt that Joyce Nichols showed at last week's Creative Saturday.  Kathy opted to cut all strips of varying widths - she can then sub cut as needed for various projects. I noted that I have a bin of 1 1/2" strips that has already produced one scrappy Log Cabin quilt and it still holds enough for another one.  I also just made two Chubby Charmer bags - which use 5" squares - and I now have lots of squares to make more bags.  (The shop model of this bag will be on display in the next couple of weeks.)

There are lots of useful rulers on the market today that can speed your cutting of scraps.  You might want to try Creative Grids' Charming Strip Stashbuster.  It is 5" wide and has a center 2 1/2" line and some cross lines at 5" - that's it.  It's very easy to use when you're working on those 5" squares and 2 1/2" strips.

Last Thursday evening, just before our scraps session began, Joan Watkins came to dinner with a baby quilt for show & tell.  This quilt is a perfect ending to this post -- it's all scraps!  Joan used 3 1/2" squares and alternated them with 3 1/2" scrappy rail fence blocks.  The black inner border stops the design and frames it perfectly before adding the red and yellow border print.  Joan is always reaching into her stash and scraps and wowing us with fabulous baby quilts - it's become a tradition at Thursday night potlucks!  What an inspiration!

So, take a look at your scraps and see all the potential waiting there.  We'll be offering more scraps session in the coming months.  Spending a few hours with us might just find you taming your scraps!