SSF Post # 16 : Kati's Scrap System

Todays guest is Kati from the blue chair... Do you remember coming across that name any time on my blog??? Maybe you read it here... She was the one who thought I was a stylish blogger!!!

Her scrap system is very much similar to what mine used to be... Before I got all those boxes... :)

Go have a look...


And of course dont forget to leave a comment to win $30 worth of charm packs from our very own Fat Quarter Shop!!!

Cheers!!!

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Hi, I’m Kati from the blue chair.  Shruti asked me to write a guest post on scrap storage.  I've been quilting for just over a year, but have accumulated a lot of scraps in that time.  Previously, I threw all my scraps into a big storage box, and there they lived.  I never touched them once they went in the box.  After staring at a huge messy box of scraps for months, I finally decided it was time to organize it about six months ago. 

I still have a scrap bucket, but it’s much smaller.  When my fabric is smaller than a fat 1/8, it is ready for the scrap bucket.  I throw pieces in here until I have a chance to go through them and cut them up into useable pieces that are easy to store. 

How I cut them depends on the size and shape of the scrap.  I cut most scraps into squares.  I have stacks of 5", 4", 3" and 2” squares.  I also cut coins that are 2.5" x 5".  I leave long strips intact.  If they are at least 2.5" wide, I save them for scrappy bindings.  Anything thinner than that heads to color-sorted Ziplocs. 

I am saving those strips for another strings quilt or some spiderweb blocks someday. 

Occasionally, after finishing a project, I'll have quite a bit of leftover fabric that I want to keep together.  I cut it up into squares or coins and keep it together in bags.   

I also save binding scraps in a bag for future projects.

It took quite a while to get my scraps organized, but it was completely worth it.  It's nice to keep the mess under control.  Now I actually use my scraps.  When starting a new project, I always try to sort through my trimmed scraps first before looking through the rest of my fabric.