I had the same feeling about scrappy quilts, love to look at them but when it came to make one for myself.........just couldn't. Too much a control freak so I tried making a controlled scrappy quilt.............using only 1-2 colors of various fabrics. Worked for me and now I can let go when I go really scrappy. Have made 3 controlled scrappy and 3 totally wild scrappy quilts so far.

I'm the paper bag method also; otherwise I get so bogged down on fabric placement that I don't get anything done.

It took me several years before I could make a "traditional scrappy" quilt, so I can understand your reluctance. However, you could make "controlled" scrappy quilts where you pick from one color range or limit it to "X" number of fabrics. Unless you are making a charm quilt where each fabric piece is different, scrappy can mean anything from 5-10-20 or more scraps - you pick. Just let yourself go, maybe making a baby quilt first - it gets easier with time.

The only way I could do a scrappy quilt, because I have the same problem as you, I would get a pair of those glasses with red lenses (the red cancels the color, so you are just working with what appears to be shades of red, so you can just grab what you like!) they make for color selection, and wear them to work on the quilt! Here are some not too expensive ones to get you started.

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page...ense%20glasses

The way I avoid duplicate fabrics is to put different fabrics in each bag, that way there is no chance you will grab the same ones from each bag. I too, like the 2 bag way. Or even 3 bags if I'm doing dark, light and medium.

Just let go and let the material do the work instead of you.

Years ago the late Mary Ellen Hopkins taught a scrappy quilt class not only was it fun but all the quilts looked really nice and wha t she did was use 2 brown paper bags and every brought strips light and dark light went in one bag dark in another we drew one from each bag and had to sew them together when one person tried to peek she got blind folded needless to say lots of fun some neat quilt tops and took away the fear of picky picky try it for fun with a friend or 2 if possible

Google scrap vomit. Very scrappy ,still with a design . That one is on my ever growing list

I too have a hard time going scrappy. I did one of the mystery train ride quilts here on the board. I just threw the strips in a box and pulled them out. It nearly made me crazy some of the strips I sewed together but it came out gorgeous. SOme of the colors I sewed next to each other nearly burned my eyes, but I did it anyway. The only time I threw a strip back was when I pulled out 2 of the same strips in a row. I think it was good therapy for me because now I find it easier to do.

Hi LuvTooQuilt, just love your ideas.I have long wanted to go 'scrappy'Those that wrote in were so encouraging I thought ''Goodness what have you to lose, relax and go for it'' Thank you all. Love Letty