EmiliasNana

I had the same problem with a bin of flannel scraps so I made patchwork tops for self binding receiving blankets for our church.
Most of my scraps had been cut into 4.5" squares but I had some strips and some 2.5 x 4.5" bricks. I tried to place pleasing colors together but it was quite the puzzle and ended up with 21 tops. When I had enough squares, I made disappearing 9 patch units to disburse the colors better. Here is one picture of a 29" square top, prior to sandwiching with it's 41" sq. backing.

EmiliasNana

This is pictured on top of our guest bed quilt, not the backing for the blanket LOL
Hope that gives you an idea.

retiredteacher09

EmiliasNana: Thank you! I am printing your comment and putting it with my flannel scraps. I am finding a lot of strips along with some squares. what did you use for the backing?

EmiliasNana

I used flannel yardage, some that I had and others that I bought, but calculated carefully so I wouldn't have any scraps LOL

WMUTeach

No organizing, only tidying up and a good vacuuming. I really would rather sew.

rryder

Emilia's Nana- great job using up those flannels- and especially managing to calculate everything so you didn't end up with scraps!

I've managed to excavate some of the horizontal surfaces in my quilting studio, so am looking forward to a day of working on my Sunshine Illusions WIP and also a UFO after I spend 15 minutes finding things to put in the donate bin.

Rob

retiredteacher09

EmiliasNana: Thank you for answering my question.

WMUTeach: I definitely need to vacuum after finishing a flannel quilt.

rryder: I donated some applique patterns that were given me through a local Buy Nothing group. I also gave some fabric I wasn’t interested in anymore. It’s a good feeling to let some things go.

Quossum

Reading here is so inspiring. It’s enlightening hearing about not only other methods of organizing, but other mindsets as well. Really helps me look at things differently!

I’m a bit of an organization zealot, one of those who finds it difficult to focus on a project if my “stuff” is in chaos. On the other hand, I can let “analysis paralysis” take over and end up spending too much time organizing and not enough time quilting! I’ve had to really work on reaching a level of organization that keeps me from that hopeless feeling, but that still lets myself have the freedom to be able to work without having to account for every scrap being in the “right” spot.

Utilizing a standard scrap organization system has been really helpful. After I’m done with a project, I cut scraps into the largest pieces I can: 10” squares, 5” squares, 4.5” strips, then progressively smaller strips until I’m left with just a string for the string-quilt pile.

My struggle is deeming a piece of fabric “small enough” to put it through this treatment. I have a number of rather odd-sized pieces that really should, but I’ll unfold them to start cutting and think, Oh, no, this could be a border for a baby quilt. This could be the binding for something. This could be enough for… And so the odd-sized piece gets re-folded and put right back on the shelf. Then no doubt, when I’m looking for a baby quilt border or a binding, I’m looking at my yardage anyway…

The push to get all the yardage folded with a uniform method—that was well worth it. All facing out where I can see them, making “shopping the stash” fun and easy.

I’m pretty good at getting newly purchased yardage folded properly and put on the shelves, and I’ve forced myself to be good about “cleaning up” after I’m done with a project rather than leap into the next one while untidy scraps of the previous project sit glaring at me balefully from where they’ve shoved aside in the corners of every working space in the house!

rryder

Quossum - what has worked for me is deciding that a specific size is small enough- so if it's smaller than a fat quarter or less than a regular quarter yard cut it goes in the pile to be cut down into the "precut" sizes that I like to use. The pieces that are fat quarter sized, regular quarter yard cut or larger get folded around comic boards and stored like my regular yardage so I know to go there first when looking for bindings or borders for smaller quilts, or if I'm looking to do a scrappy and want to add more variety that what I've got in my homemade "precuts". I clip a piece of paper to them that shows what size they are so I don't have to take them off the boards to decide if there's enough fabric on a piece to do what I want.

Rob

Quossum

Yes! This is pretty much what I do, but I think I need to be a little more brutal about cutting down those odd pieces! I like your criteria: smaller than a fat quarter or less than a regular quarter yard.