String-aling
 

This Labor Day weekend I am planning on diving into my messy craft room and kill the beast! I have so much in the way of scraps....but I hate throwing them away. Someone suggested I make a string quilt with them....just keep the scraps I will need for a string quilt. That sounds good, but I never made one before.

What is a good measurements to keep scraps for a string quilt? One inch wide, two inches wide? 2 to 12 inches long? I do want to be reasonable, but I don't want any regrets in throwing too much away.

Don't string quilt blocks need backing, too. is that paper or muslin?

I've seen some of the videos and how-tos....I'm just looking for some scrap/string organization tips.

Thanks!

~Crispy~

The nice thing about strings is that you can use any size (length and width). I don't use a stabilizer.

I also make my own "fabric" by simply sewing together the odd pieces of fabric. Then I straighten one edge and add to it. The piece just keeps growing. When "done" I use it to sub-cut into pattern pieces.

As for throwing away scraps - shudder my heart. I only toss true scraps - something smaller than 1"
Recently I saw someone post that they sub-cut all their left-overs into strips and sorted the strips by width. They cut @ 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2 and so on depending on the widest cut they could get out of a piece. Then when they were looking for something that width, they would consult the bin first.

Check out Bonnie Hunter's scrap taming method. She works primarily with scraps.

I have made a few string quilts. I have done some with muslin, as the foundation - those I did not put in any batting, just quilted top to back. Also have done some with old phone books, as the foundation - took some time to tear out, but the phone book was free. But the foundation that I like the BEST - the super light, see through fabric that one can read the newspaper through (a 'friend' gave it to me).

String blocks can be ANY size you want them to be. I usually like 8 - 11 inch block. As far as the size of strings, Larger then 1" - smaller than 2.5", IMHO, it is more interesting when they are of various sizes. I have seen them with about 3" strings, not my cut of tea. They DO NOT have to be perfect rectangle strips, wonky is okay.

As far as organizing your scraps I agree with MadQuilter, check out Bonnie Hunter's "Scrap Users system", her blog:
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/ then go to Tips and Techniques, where you will scroll down to "Scrap Users System.

I'm going to a big quilt retreat next week for five days. I am stuffing all my scraps into big trash bags. I'm taking the bags and dumping on the scrap heap free for all at the retreat. That is so much fun to rummage through. Retreaters come and look during the retreat for one color or another or some will fill bags with scraps. Doesn't matter, take as little or as much as you want. What is left is really scrap and goes in the trash. It feels good to get the scraps out of my way, I know I'll have more with the next quilt.

I organized my strings in two bins:

1) 2.5 inch
2) 1" - less than 2.5, and 3"+

I don't cut the length down till I need to (never know if you'll end up making a 5" or 10" string block or whatever).

I press each one before putting it in the Strings bin so that they're ready when I am. Nothing kills my motivation quite like
wanting to sew NOW but finding a wad of wrinkled scraps. Believe me, you'll thank yourself for ironing them (I do that while listening to a podcast if I'm not in a sewing mood).

I use the 12" square Art Bin brand stackable cases w/ carrying handle. They work really well for all kinds of organizing and are easy to label.

If they haven't been ironed, they go in a catch-all bin I label "scraps to process".

My reason for having a separate 2.5" is that I find myself wanting all 2.5" width for quite frequently, or 2.5" squares cut from length. If a strip is 3" or more wide, I can always cut it down later, but I like to keep them as wide as possible till I need them.

Hope that helps you think through your goals.

I don't use widths less than 1" because, after seam allowances, it's too narrow for me to enjoy working with.

Crispy, if you have no plans for using 2 inch strips for another project, I would keep anything under 2.5 to 1 inch. wide for strippy quilt. I agree that you want to store it in such a way to reduce wrinkles. I cut strips to fit a long box - less waste.

Good luck taming the monster and playing around with your string blocks. (Which reminds me, I started one a while ago with adding machine tape. Now I wonder where that is...). There is taming in my future, too.

the question when do we stop quilting the "planned" quilts and move on to the string/scrap quilts?

You're surely not really going to throw whatever you decide to toss in the trash, are you? You could post them on here and people would jump for joy in getting them. Strings can be whatever width you want. You can also use muslin or paper, or do without.