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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

I May Have A Scrap Problem... But At Least I've Started!

Hi, all!

Well, it's been four weeks since I confessed (and showed) the overwhelming amount of scraps that live underneath my quilt frame.  In that time, I have discovered that this tub...


...held an ENORMOUS amount of scraps!  My goal for the month was to press and fold all the scraps in that tub - about 20 yards worth.  For bonus points, I wanted to cut it up into usable sizes if I had time.  So I started on a Sunday afternoon, pressing and folding the scraps.  As I did so, I discovered a lot of "string" pieces - 2" wide or narrower and 10" long or longer.  Those went into a special box to be made into string blocks.

Then I saw Maria's comment about making bow-tie blocks!  These seemed simple and very do-able, so I took some of the scraps that I had already pressed and started cutting the pieces to make bow-tie blocks.  Next thing I knew I had 100 sets cut, ready to be paired up with a solid I had on hand!


A few days later, this quilt was finished, and I was hooked on scrap quilting!!  



Proof that it's really finished - because I just found out I haven't taken
a full sized finished photo of this quilt!
I did learn, though, that for me it was easier to process the scraps if I had a plan - a specific project I wanted to make.  That gave me an end in sight, and not just an unending pile of scraps to deal with.

String blocks came next.  I found out that we have a commercial paper cutter at church that will cut the spine off of a phone book, so I took an old phone book and, in just a few minutes, turned it into a pile of foundation papers for string blocks.  A handful of white-on-white strips for the center of each block, and I was off to the races!  I haven't made enough for a whole quilt yet, but I do have twenty that are ready to become part of something wonderful someday soon!


Then I saw this quilt on Pinterest, and got an idea for another scrap quilt...  And I'm happy to say that this quilt top is now finished!  Green scraps from the tub, and a piece of vintage Irish linen that came out of my grandmother's stash many years ago.



In the process of making this quilt, I cut a whole mess of 2.5" squares and 2.5" x 5.5" rectangles - enough to make probably four more quilts!  Can you say overachiever?  But they are all tucked away in this box, ready to be made into something.  I'm already trying to come up with some new designs using these sizes....


And even though I've made twenty string blocks already, there's still a big pile of green strings ready to be turned into more blocks!


In the end, this is all that's left in the green tub.  Quite a difference from the way it started out four weeks ago!!!


So I have to say that this is a success, at least for me - knowing that I have to own up to my progress (or lack of it) each month helps motivate me to actually work with the scraps.  And I've had a lot of fun searching out inspiration and techniques to share each week!  

Now I'm hoping that many of you have found some inspiration and done something with some of your own scraps this month!  Maybe you've made blocks or a quilt, maybe you've started organizing your scraps, or maybe you've just made a plan - whatever it is, I hope you'll share!  And in hopes of encouraging you to link up and share, I'm offering a little incentive - - - 


I have two Olfa Splash rotary cutters to give away to two lucky linkers!  Just link up below to a blogpost or Instagram photo showing what you've been doing this month to tame your scraps, and your name will go in the hat.

And maybe you've been following along, but you haven't been sewing long enough to build up a decent scrap stash.  Feeling a little scrap stash envy?  If that's the case, I've got something for five of you - - - 


- - - a small flat rate envelope stuffed full of scraps!  This envelope will hold about two yards of scraps by weight, so it's enough to give you a nice start on something scrappy without being overwhelming.  I'll send one to the first five people who comment that they want one - but be sure to leave your email address so I can get in contact with you for your snail mail address!

OK - are you ready?  I can't wait to see what you've been up to!  The linky party will stay open until Monday, April 4th at midnight, and I'll announce the winners on next Wednesday's Scrap Problem post.  And if you're thinking this might be a fun bandwagon to get on, next Wednesday's post will have a linky for you to share your April scrap plan!  So start thinking about what you'd like to accomplish - set a reachable goal, and if you get inspired to do more, think how good it will feel!!

Hugs!

Sarah

47 comments:

  1. OHHHHHH....love love love the scrappy bow tie one. I love the layout. I wish I have time to pull out my scraps and sew away. I love scrap quilts. There's just something about them that makes it extra special.

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  2. Me! Pick me! I'd love to receive some scraps! I love scrap quilting! And love working with other people's scraps as they are so different from my own!
    I will try to link up my Instagram picture of my string blocks that I finished up with while at a retreat with my guild.
    Karen aka Lace Faerie
    Lace(dot)faerie (at) gmail (dot) com

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  3. I have been enjoying watching you play in your scraps - such potential was in that tub. Don't enter me in your give away as I have a local quilter de-stashing to me.

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  4. I would love to have some your colorful scraps. Most all my quilts are scrappy. I love watching you play with scraps. You go girl!

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  5. Wow Sarah, that is awesome! I love the layout of your bow tie quilt and will probably do something similar next time.
    It's funny, when I got on my scrap tear last summer, I ended up with a bow tie quilt, a string quilt and a Chinese coin quilt. I love seeing the sizes you cut and the progress - the progress is amazing! There's a huge part of me that wants to say I'd love a package of scraps ... Then there's the practical part of me that is screaming at me to turn away from the screen. So I'm going to be sensible and let someone else have a chance to play. :-)

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  6. I would love to have some scraps! Emailing you now with my mailing address. Thank you :)

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  7. I'd love to have some scraps. It will inspire me to do something with the basket of scraps I've been collecting.

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  8. I have so many scraps already, but would love some new ones to add to the mix. Bowtie quilts are one of my favorite patterns for scraps.

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  9. My goodness, you have been busy! Great job with your scraps!

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  10. I save scraps, and give them to a lady in my Quilts of Valor group. She turns them into quilts for veterans.

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  11. Probably too late to get some scraps, but I use scraps all the time. Maybe today I will do a blog post on finishing my made fabric spokes for a flowering snowball quilt. This used tiny scraps I could not throw away.

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  12. I'm always happy to take scraps off people's hands, and now I have a whole bunch of helpers at church! Yay! Super quilts!

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  13. Congratulations on following through with your scrap project. I regularly cut my already pressed fabric leftovers into usable sizes when I'm done with a project and store them by size. I need to take it a step further to actually make something with them. Rights now, I use the leaders/enders method to piece 2 patches at the ends of my sewing rows and those go into another bin. Kudos for motivating those of us who are stuck in scrap neutral. sjvonfumetti at yahoo dot com

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  14. Great job! It isn't enough to get scraps organized. They need to be sewn into quilts. I want to be a scrap user, not a scrap hoarder.

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  15. You certainly tamed that tote, I'm looking towards my scraps first before I cut anything and I like the idea of putting them together by color, that's going to make it so much easier to find what I want.

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  16. Love scraps. Great job going through the bin and cutting up the scraps into usable sizes. I have a few bags waiting for me. Send me your extras!! Darlene dhoctor@sbcglobal.net

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  17. What a wonderful summation of how you handled the Green Monster. What is the next color that you're going to straighten out. You are an inspiration.

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  18. WOW! Love what you've done! It reminds me that I have a green string quilt started ... I don't have many scraps, but I did plan a scrap memory quilt this month. I'll be using my scraps in a log cabin/tree of life quilt. Hopefully =)

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  19. I find it just amazing that you have been using your scraps so well - and so fast! I would like to do that but I think I will need to do like you and have a pattern in mind first.

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  20. Wonderful post..great job!! Although I must say, you exhaust me...Pls send me some of your energy..thx

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  21. OH! You are such an inspiration!! I want to run to my sewing room right now and start sorting & cutting my scraps. That 4 patch strip quilt is just amazing - I simply MUST make one too.

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  22. This is great, As I haven't made but a few quilts I don't have that many scraps, but the good thing about I have what to do as I go along and won't have the big totes to go through latter on. I now have small totes marked 6".5",4", and strips. Thank to you.

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  23. Oh, I forgot I have on for fat quarters too.

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  24. I love the way the quilt tops look with the sun coming through. They are gorgeous!

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  25. I'm so impressed that you tackled and won the scrap war (at least with the greens). I use scraps all the time, but I never get my tubs down to a tiny bit, like you have! Using scraps always makes more scraps!

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  26. Thank you for so much encouragement this month. It's been fun focusing on this one project (and a couple others!!). I have so many new plans spinning in my head. I'm loving all of your projects.
    (please delete one of my link ups....me and the internet are not always friends.)

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  27. Great job using up scraps! I'm working on three scrap projects each month for RSC16, and loving every minute of it.

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  28. wow! Talk about progress :-) You have produced quite a bit of beauty from that tub of scraps. Great job! My own effort towards scraps has been my humble little 2"squares sewn as leader/enders. They will come to the forefront in another month or so.

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  29. Your scrappy quilts are just lovely! Great inspiration for us to start our own quilt with our scraps. If I win, please email me at: (celiaambrose@hotmail.com) Thanks for sharing your photos of your projects.

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  30. I know this is a dumb question, but how do you know what size to make the white triangles to attach to the 4 patches? Do you sew a triangle on each side of the 4 patch and then sew the 4 patch assembly on the diagonal? It looks like you made thin strips along the 4 patch assembly also.

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  31. I need some scraps to jump start my scrappy quilting. I have a hard time cutting into my fabric. I feel like it will be the "one" piece of fabric I need in yardage.
    janbland@bellsouth.net

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  32. Thanks for sharing the great ideas for taming scraps. No need to enter me in the giveaway. I'm already overwhelmed by my own scraps.

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  33. I was so inspired by your green bucket of scraps, I tackled my own green pile. What started out as one big shamrock square, quickly turned into a quilt, with Irish linen (how funny!), that is bright and cheery. Maybe I will take a look at my blue stash in April.

    My quilt picture is on IG, but I can't seem to link it to your post. Do you have to have a blog? I don't.

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    1. Joan, you need to go to IG on your computer and find the picture you want to link to. Click on it to open it in a separate window, then copy the URL. Paste that into the first line of the link form. BUT when you get to the picture you want to post part, use the "from my computer" box and load a saved picture from your computer. When someone clicks on your link, it will take them to the IG page on the computer. Sorry I had to post this here, but you are a no-reply blogger!! Hope you get this!

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  34. Just started quilting...would love any fabric scraps...the nearest fabric store is 100 miles from me !!

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  35. I love playing with other people's scraps. And I love scrappy quilts. Thank you for the inspiration!

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  36. I can't believe all you've accomplished this month in the scrap department! I've mostly been an observer in all this, and if I'm not too late I would love some of your scraps.

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  37. What a wonderful progress. I just started with some pieces to add in a quilt, like buterflies, flowers and leaves...
    Thank you for the inspiration.

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  38. Would love the scraps! I make quilts for a local mental health facility. My email is marciinidaho@yahoo.com. Just in case any of your followers have too many scraps. I would pay postage.

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  39. Great job using up the scraps! Mom sorted mine last week, and I've been thinking up ideas. Haven't started yet, of course. I don't know how many yards I've got, so maybe I'll weight them. Your quilts are beautiful and you've done a fantastic job reducing that scrap bin. And no, I don't need any more scraps!

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  40. Wow! I forget, do you have bins for other colors? You really ROCKED your greens. (maybe I should say you grassed your greens or leafed them or ... stop while I'm ahead.) I decided I would sell some of my leftovers at my upcoming guild show. I've got 5 or 6 gallon ziplocks ready to pass on for ridiculously low prices. I want these things GONE! Cause I still have scrap fabrics all over the place. Your quilt tops look great.

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  41. What good ideas for greens. I have really big stash that needs to be used. I always love to add someone's scraps to mine. (Our group shares too)
    elliepaq@hotmail.com

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  42. What good ideas for greens. I have really big stash that needs to be used. I always love to add someone's scraps to mine. (Our group shares too)
    elliepaq@hotmail.com

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  43. Wow! You've had a productive month. Loving the quilt with the vintage linen.

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  44. Sarah all those quilts from your green scraps are so wonderful! You did an amazing job putting them to use. You've made me think a lot about saving scraps with intention. I have begun cutting mine in specific sizes with a snowball quilt in mind, as well as the ones I was die cutting before. A great giveaway and you will have some very happy winners!

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  45. Great to see your wonderful looking scrap quilts! You've been a busy girl.:)

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  46. I don't have as many scraps as you do but I do enjoy using them and ending up with "free" quilt tops. I generally start by sewing random pieces together and those random pieces together. I put a piece of backing on the floor (usually 1.5 yards), lay any orphan blocks on the backing, and go from there filling in the holes. It's not as fast as making say 10" blocks, but I find it more satisfying. Those 10" blocks are easier to pick up and put away than my random hot mess though! Keep up the good work!

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Comments make me smile!! If you want a PDF of a pattern, PLEASE leave your email address in your comment, or email me directly at salliesue57 (at) gmail (dot) com!