Tiffany

Usually at Wal-Mart, though if you watch places like Joann's Fabric or one of the other stores (Ben Franklin's or Hancock's) for when they are on sale you can sometimes get a great deal on them.

I have bags and bags of scraps. I am known around my guild as the Scrap Lady and over the past few years I've managed to convince a wonderful group of ladies to donate their scaps to me. <drool> It's funny, I was drawn to the Robbing Peter to Pay Paul block and loved two-toned quilts, but I couldn't afford to buy so much fabric at once. When I first started quilting I would buy a fat-eighth here or a fat-quarter there and I was sort of forced into being a scrap quilter. Now...now I find two-toned quilts to be a bit boring. (No offense to anyone!) My motto seems to be 'The More Fabric the Better!' When I get a bag of scraps, I set aside any substantially large pieces. I'm often amazed at what some people conside scraps! :shock: Then I cut down the smaller pieces. I don't chop them all up but leave them in the largest pieces possible. I have a postage stamp quilt (a quilt made of 1-inch squares) planned in my future and I collect scraps that are an inch or larger, so I have no shortage of small sized scraps. I keep them separated by size, but currently I don't have enough bins to store them in. I have them in shoe boxes, labeled on the outside. Many shoe stores will be more then happy to unload their empty shoe boxes on whomever would like them - for free. They make great storage bins for smaller projects as well as various sized pieces.

I'm looking forward to seeing the quilts that you ladies (and gentlemen) make from your scraps. :thumbup:

omak

http://quiltville.com/

If you go to this website, you will find that your scrap system is manageable, is doable, and someone has done it!
This Bonnie Hunter gal is all right!
I forget how many patterns she has at her site for using scraps, but she will be a good encouragment to you in your endeavor to get organized/in control of something that should never be allowed near the air <g>

Ugly fabrics? Not a problem ... forget cutting them into strips ... cut them right down into two inch squares ... it is absolutely amazing how you can disguise the original purpose ... of course, you will always know that it was those tantalizing bathing beauties in paradise, but someone else will just see a light or dark area.
As far as 2.5" blocks, or 2" blocks, think double/triple Irish chain - - or Thelma's Dumpster Diving Quilt ...
One of the easiest ways to organize scraps is to actually complete a quilt project and take JUST the scraps and pieces of blocks or extra blocks and start your next quilt ... you will obviously be pulling things out of your scraps to make sure that each of your blocks going in to your next quilt are the same size, or whatever. I posted a picture of a scrap quilt I was working on, based on the leftovers from a Round Robin that I am participating in. While working on those pieces, I created almost thirty stack and slash quilt blocks ... and took all those scraps to add to my little scrap blocks ... and today! I ACTUALLY! drug out a box of scraps from a drawer that I have not looked at for a couple of months ... but those were a drawer I had created a couple of months ago ...
I just went on an obsessive cutting rampage and started doing what you are doing.
All of this activity is supposed to keep me out of trouble ... but ... <g> better luck TOMORROW! <wave> 8)

Tiffany

The link doesn't work. Either that or the site is down for some reason. Can anyone else reach it?

scrappy_quilter

I have been sorting my scraps baskets for awhile now ... I find that cutting them into usable squares (6,5,4.5,4,3.5,3,2.5 and 2) and strips/strings (2.5,2,1.5 and 1) while I am sorting and pressing it makes it easier to have enough fabrics for my scrappy quilts. I use the three drawer bins by Sterlite and sort each drawer by square size and string/strip size. It is a work in progress but I love scrappy quilts and use even the littlest of pieces for my crumb blocks.
Bonnie's site is amazing if you haven't been there check it out. She is full of great ideas. I am going to have to check out the other link someone posted.
thanks for the thread .. it is a great way to encourage others doing the same thing you are.

Tiffany

Speaking of bins, I just got a Joann's coupon book in and I see they are having a sale on their bins. Perfect timing! :D

omak

Did you get to the quiltville link? Or was there another link you were trying to get to?

Now, I will have to go check out the site because if it was down for some reason, there may be a NEW quilt on there! Cool!
If you get to Quiltville.com, do not be put off by the front page introducing Bonnie Hunter ... She is, after all, a business woman ... all the sorting things and quilt patterns are just her way of encouraging all of us.
Even if you think you know the pattern that she is titling ... check it out...Miss Bonnie does a pictoral tutorial with each pattern. She is a good writer and an easy read.

Tiffany

Instead of clicking on the link I just typed in the address & it took me right to her site. Now I'm going to have to go check it out. Thanks for the link! I'll have to add it to my bookmarks, which are getting horrendously long. :?

omak

I don't have many pictures, and the ones I have are scattered throughout the forum, but in a new thread, asking about scraps, it was suggested that we have a place to post pictures regarding "What are you doing with scraps?"
So, to encourage newbies and any others who are considering a new hobby of stitching scrap anything ...
I start this thread, and post a couple of pictures ...

omak

Tip!
I am finding that I much prefer to make six inch blocks for quilts than great big ones ... maybe because I think that the more fabric in a quilt, the more entertaining it will be.
When I made my first Victory quilt a year or so ago, I made the 12" squares, but many blocks actually are enhanced by having more than one displayed, so I have moved to the smaller blocks so that when I put four together so that others can enjoy the secondary patterns, I end up with a 12" block, and I am more satisfied in the process. Making one block and moving on, without being able to practice it more, doesn't work well with my obsessive personality, I guess. :D

Tiffany

We seem to have a lot in common, at least about quilting. :wink: I dislike working with large blocks, unless I need a quilt in a hurry. I prefer 4-6 inch blocks, though I do make some larger blocks, especially with some of the challenges and round robins I am in. When I'm designing a quilt I find that my units and blocks tend to be on the small side.

I keep a lot of bookmarks, even though many are not my style, because I tend to need them for my local guild. Right now I'm taking a break but usually I am holding some kind of office in my local guild & I use the internet for a lot of research and whatnot with them. It's amazing what can be found on the internet! And I'm always willing to try something once, though I've reached a point where I know there are some techniques and quilts I simply don't enjoy and thus I do not waste my time with them. This Jan. is my 18th year at quilting and the one thing I've learned is that my taste are always changing and evolving as I age, so something I may not care for now could be something that in the future I think is pretty nifty. (Geez, not to date myself by using the word nifty, lol.)

I love your scrappy quilt. It reminds me of a crazy quilt in a way. That's one quilt I haven't done yet. I plan to, but it's more because I need to explore all the wonderful little embroidery designs on my sewing machine than anything else. It looks like a great way to try out the designs, though I haven't had the time needed to indulge in anything like that lately. I'll be glad when Christmas is over and I can goof off on a few projects that are "Just for Me." :D Is that quilt something you are making for yourself or do you have a lucky recipient in mind?

I love Bonnie's website! She literally has posted things from straight out of my head. The one thing she doesn't do that I do is collect scraps of fabric from friends. Heck, I'll even go dumpster diving at classes. You won't believe the amazing amounts of fabric some people will throw away! :shock: I am making my sister a queen sized quilt for her wedding and it is completely done in scraps, most of which came from my amazing friends.

I wonder if we could create a thread in the 'Pictures' section specifically for everyone to share their scrappy quilts that are made or in the process of being made. I always learn so much from studying other people's work, and it usually inspires me to rush down to my quilt room and quit playing on the computer. :lol: