Such a loaded question, but I'm going to make this easy on you!
A lot of people keep their quilt scraps and I want to talk about your 'Scrap Quilt IQ' so you can decide the best way for you to store (or maybe not store) those scraps
Read on!
*** Take the Scrap Quilt IQ test ***
Watch my video then read on!
Do you currently Make Scrap Quilts?
- Yes - be honest here, do you really make them or is it just sometimes? this will help you know how much to keep
- Sometimes - when you make them do you like them?
- No
How many Scrap Quilts?
- It’s all I make - again, be honest... do you really make only scrap quilt or is just sometimes?
- I do a few - think about how often
- I have yet to make one
*** here is your Scrap Quilt Type ***
This puts you into a category as of today (and it might change over time as your interests change)
- Scrap Queen - Makes almost exclusively scrap quilts - your whole stash needs to be sorted around your scraps
- Occasional Scrapper - how often do you make them? Do you actually use your scraps to make them or go buy lots of new fabric to ‘go with’ your scraps because it needs to be coordinated?
- Scrap wanna-be - you are planning scrap quilts, might have made a few blocks but have yet to make a whole quilt
- Scrap dreamer - you ‘think’ you need to be a scrap quilter but actually don’t like making scrap quilts but still save scraps
*** What scraps to keep ***
- Why keep in Precut sizes? There are tons of patterns already!
- 2 1/2” squares
- 2 1/2" strips
- 1 1/2" strips
- 5” squares charm packs
- 10” squares layer cake
*** Keep it Simple ***
Sometimes just keeping one type of scrap is the easiest to manage for your time and space.
Right now I Just keep 2 1/2" squares to make
- Checkerboard quilts https://blog.patsloan.com/2016/07/pat-sloan-how-to-make-a-bonus-quilt-while-you-make-other-things.html
- Traffic Jam quilts https://pat-sloan.dpdcart.com/product/193284
*** Kate shared her scrap storage ***
Thank you Kate for sharing your scrap storage!
What Kate Shared:
- Pat has a couple of videos on organizing scraps, cutting them into precut sizes and a free quilt pattern Traffic Jam that uses them. The key to using those pre cut scraps is to have projects they will go into. Pat Sloan has some great free patterns on her blog that would be great options for scrappy quilts.
- I used this concept with mix and match half square triangles. So far I have taken a pile my blue and white scraps and cut them to make into 4" finished and 2" finished half square triangles. These will go with 2.5" and 4.5" squares to make a variety of quilt blocks and blue and white quilts.
- I have a Postage Stamp Quilt project made from 2"squares that I have been using as leaders and enders that is using up a lot of my very small scraps.
- I do need to find a pattern I love that uses 2.5" strips because those leftovers are piling up.
- The top shelf has 3 bins of scrappy projects I am working on. The left is the start of a bargello tote bag, the center is my postage stamp quilt, and the right is a bin full of blue and white HSTs.
- The middle shelves have bins of scraps between 4 inches wide and 9" wide. They are not cut down yet. I got an Accuquilt Go last year so now I am leaving my scraps in chunks till I know what I will be cutting them into.
- There is a bin of 5" squares and charm packs.
- The bottom shelf has a bin of strings and crumbs on the left and the right is more parts of a English Paper Piecing project I am working on.
- On the floor is a box of hexagons ready for English Paper Piecing.
- The blue box on the floor is one of many boxes I have that have my scraps between 1/4 yard and just under a yard. They are sorted by color.
- On the left is a rolling cart with drawers that has my cut and sorted scraps smaller than 5". It is strips, squares, and hexagons. I have the drawers sorted by size for 1.5", 2", 2.5" and 3.5" squares and strips in them.
*** Get these books! ***
- Perfect Quilts for precuts https://amzn.to/318xwu0
- Big book of Nickel quilts https://amzn.to/2QpGPU5
- Perfect 10 https://shrsl.com/2v8j1
- Perfect 5 https://shrsl.com/2dtvf
