The folks here have inspired me to work with my scraps for 2008! (very good news) :thumbup: So, I decided to try some of those string squares this morning. (more good news!) Much to my dismay, as I was scrounging around in the big cardboard box, I found tiny pits to a fruit of some sort. Critters! (the very bad news!) I thought my stash was ruined! :cry: BUT, upon taking the box outside and removing each strip and square, I discovered the critter had only visited to store some dry pits, it had NOT eaten the fruit and pooped or peed in my stash! (the oh so VERY good news :!: ) :D :D :D :D :D

So--I'll be headed to Wal-Mart for plastic containers to sort my stash in. (here comes the ? :wink: ) How do you sort your scraps? I'm thinking flannel needs its own container, then lights, mediums and darks? What about earthy colors? Nature? Kid prints? It's an exciting, but overwhelming task ahead. Thank goodness my darling daughter is here to help. Anyone else want to join us?
Here are some photos....

The rest!

And the stash that will add to my scraps in 2008 and 2009 and 2010....

The closet in my sewing room---and a closer view of the top shelf. And the flannel squares and fabrics selected to work on my next project....

Such a happy place to be. :D

Sometimes when I am too busy to get to cut and sew the fabrics, I get comfort in just walking into the room--opening the closet--and feeling them. :wink:

OMG, Barnbum!! Looks like you & I will have the same chore for 2008. And I SWEAR, I'm going to sell, give to friends or donate to charity everything in this house that I am not presently using...........DON"T HOLD ME TO THAT LAST STATEMENT!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I hope you have a lot of room...............I keep my scraps down to one box, I donate batches to church, school ,and grand daughters. To many boxes , make me feel guilty like I'm not using up enough............so out of site out of mind lol :D

my scrap bag scares me. i keep opening it with the intent to organize. something inside snarls and growls, though, so i leave it alone until i need something for a block. :shock:

only quilters would agonize over how to organize scraps. we are a nutty bunch. :lol: :lol: :lol:

wow i thought i had a stash, oh u lucky girl. oh what fun you'll have rearranging all your fabric. Sure will keep you busy for awhile.

O MY .. ummm I would love to help but umm I have to go quilt and then make dinner. LOL Have fun!

Wow!!! I'm thinkin I could rummage through that stash, scraps and all for hours and hours and be in fabric heaven!!! Have tons 'o fun ladies!! I can't wait to have a stash (and a room for it) like that of my own!!

I can see I need to be better organized! I have tubs - but they are pretty much a hodge-podge! As a matter of fact - even b4 reading this post, I had bought 2 new tubs and I put all my Christmas stuff in 1. There was a little room on top (I plan to get a bit more material at the sales to top it off), but I set in the quilt top and material for its backing (this will be for a girlfriend's birthday in mar - on hold for a bit) and the material for backing I bought to use on a quilt I have in mind for myself. The latter was found at a Jo Ann's clearnce 1/2 price sale and i felt so proud to find such a deal! The other piece of "organized" I have is a storage drawer set with flannels in 2 drawers. OTHERWISE - I have no clue what is where or for certain what I have. It's a huge disaster area!

Don't want to do the NY resolution thing - but it looks from postings here that I might need to do so. You are shaming me into it - sort of. Don't want to rush. Barnbum - you have a reason to do yours - glad the critters were just using your stash to store their goodies. But you have been pushed to become organized. Besides, now is good - you have help.

Waiting to see the finished product!!!!

No one is offering any suggestions on organizing. No ideas? How would you organize it? I'm thinking about buying 4 see through plastic tubs.

I'll take a picture when it's all done. 8) It may be awhile. Don't hold your breath. :wink:

I've been quilting for about 14ish years--and have never done anything with scraps. It's time. I think it'll mostly be wall hangings so I can quilt them myself.

My sewing room is tiny--12 ft by 8 ft. It's right off the kitchen. It was where the change table was for years. It's really too small for anything else. I was happy to take it over once I started quilting. I use the kitchen table for cutting.

This forum is a great place to get inspired. :D

I sort my fabric in clear tubs. I sort by winter, spring, summer, and fall. Then I have tubs that hold my batting and large muslin pieces. I buy bolts of muslin and keep them out. I then know by the tubs,(clear plastic) when I'm working on a quilt, which tub to look in for a fabric color or print. Oh yes I have 1 tub that is all solids. I also have a clear tub of scraps that I alway look in first for a project. I don't keep tiny pieces of scraps. But I applique alot and so the smallest is usually about 10x10". I'd rather go through 1 tub at a time, to aid in organazation. Any new fabric I buy is kept out on my book shelf, I usualy have a project in mind, when I buy. Any projects I have going I keep all pieces and fabric in a milk crate. I have 8 of those. They stack nicely and also aid in organazation. Thats how I set things up. It may not be the best or work for any one else. But thats my system and it works for me. I usually have 3-4 projects at a time going, any more then that is to overwhelming for me. I force my self to complete those before starting a new. When finished with a project I make myself file the fabric that is left in it's proper place, if the pieces are big enough, no smaller then 10x10".

That is an AMAZING stash. I just thought I was bad, no way!!!!

hey girlfriend, your scrap stash looks a lot like mine. i NEVER sort scraps. i just pull the giant tub up by my sewing chair and grab and sew. if i sorted them i'd be tempted to choose my scraps carefully when i make a scrap quilt. i don't want to do that. i use all my scraps for every scrap quilt. all seasons, novelties, flowers, solids, vintage, modern, walmart, quilt shop, EVERYTHING is used in every scrap quilt. (except for my own personal aversion to double knits 8) i choose by value and ignore most everything else. i press as i use and if i need a strip off an odd size piece
for a string quilt i just slice it off right then. i usually dont even measure or use my ruler. just roll the rotary cutter and if it is crooked, so much the better. now as a disclaimer, this is just my own personal way and everyone has to use their own discretion. there is no right or wrong when it comes to scrap quilts, IMHO.

no quilt police here :!: :twisted: :!: :twisted: :!: :twisted: :!:


oh BTW when i organize my stash of yardage ( aka; future scraps :wink: ) i fold each around my 6 inch ruler and the length of each is equal to the depth of the shelf it will sit on. they stack beautifully and it is easier to sort when they are all the same width.

here is a pic. my stash isn't really big and i still need tubs for a few things. but my back wont let me lift tubs every time i want to peruse my stash.
it works for me :wink:

I'm a pre-school teacher, and use some of my too-small-to quilt-with scraps for gluing on art projects. So if you have a local school ask the art teacher if they would like your scraps, my art teacher loves them. The only problem is that I have to bring in the finished quits to show him what I used the colors in.

This is basically how I am organizing my fabric. It seems like it will work well.
Judy in Ohio

I did it. I bought 4 plastic tubs that have great tops and stack. Two hold darks, one mediums, and one lights. Of the two I already had, one holds all flannels (they are arranged in strips, squares, rectangles...) and the other has pieces that are already sewn together in some way (extra trianlgles into squares, etc).

Then there's the tin I have all all extra quilt squares I didn't need for whatever they were made for.

I'm going to take the advice from the website Yvonne posted on my other thread and cut some of my smaller stash pieces into strips. I love working with strips. :D

Here's how it looks.

That is actually a cool picture!

Good job Barnum - those bins look kind of full already though! I see some scrap quilts in your future? Are you doing the 2008 scrap quilt challenge? Here is the link to the challenge:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/2938.page

I don't sort my scraps, have a mess laundry holder that stands up and
its full, but then I don't have a lot of scraps either. I like making those
string blocks for quilts w/my scraps :lol:

barnbum, you did a lot of work since i saw you last :lol:
looks neat and tidy. don't you love to just sit back and look at it now? did you check the link i put up for string quilts? the web site has a good description of the string method. it is over at the ABOUT site.

:shock: I have an extremely small stash (2 plastic containers). I really try my best not to buy unless I'm going to use it. It also helps that we're military and we move every 2-3 years on average and while they move us for "free" if we go over our weight allowance it does cost us.
I showed my hubby these pictures - now what I do have doesn't seem so bad LOL

Good luck in your 2008 goals!

That stash is just awsome. I swear to you I can walk into a shop here in Spain and they don´t have that many fabrics and my friend Izy will back me up on that one.

If I was that lucky to have that many fabrics I would store them in plastic boxes colour co-ordinated............IF I had that much patience to sort them :lol:

Good luck with that one tell us when you come up for air ... Elle

I have been similarly inspired. So last weekend I made the requisite trip to Wallly World. I've only been quilting for a little over a year, so the damage isn't too bad yet. I have a small bin for fat quarters (I know you don't use them, but I snap them up when JoAnn's has them for 99 cents). I have another small bin for brights. Then I got a couple of big tubs for lights and for darks. Right now my quilting is situated in my dining room, so I have to keed the "stuff" factor down.

I made my hubby come look at these pictures of 'stashes'... told him, "see, I'm not the only one"! :mrgreen:

Ohhh Karla, just like Lisa when I saw all those scraps....I just want to come and play...if I lived closer I would GLADLY come and sort it all out for you....why do you have to be sooooo far away :cry:

Elle doesn't it just turn you GREEEEEEEEENNNN with envy....it is sooo unfair :cry: boo hooooooo!!!!!!!!

Oh my! I have one tub for scraps and since my current projects want squares I have a huge box split up into 6 different colors. But that's all stuff I'm working with in the here and now, maybe you should ask Patrice? I just love her sewing room photos.

I'm in awe!! I love your stash! Makes me want to feel them with my fingers. I try to organize mine by color, but I keep having to reorganize because I don't know what it's like to go to the quilt shop and not buy more. This week alone I was sooo bad. Had to wait at work for some info so I "shopped" on Ebay and then a work trip took me past a favorite shop and it called my name and $70 later, I'm in love with more fabric.

Nice to know I'm not alone in this "hoarding" of fabric. I'm surprised we haven't created a shortage. :)

Barb

Ok, here you go.
Let me warn you...it's a mess. I was looking for something and now have to put this room back together.

ok, I have tried 3 times now to attach pictures. It won't let me.
I will give it a few minutes and try again.

ok, trying again

Yes, there is fabric in ALL the dresser drawers.

Who wants to come help me straighten up this mess?
I've already done it once, but was looking for something and tore it apart again.

I bags first visit......I am great at sorting out just ask ANYBODY - organizing Izy - thats me!!

Terri, I am being nosey, show us the quilt red/pink??? folded up on the top left of picture.....please!!

I keep trying to turn that last picture, but it doesn't want to turn!
There's the other 1/2 of the closet that you can't see. That has totes of stuff in it too!

Honest,,,,it will be cleaned this weekend. I was going to work on it today, but I have things I have to do today. I'm still drinking my coffee, and need to get off this computer in 10 minutes and get moving

Don't feed bad Terri...it shows you USE the room, I thought the whole idea of a sewing room was that you could get down and let the creativity flow, then when real life calls walk out and shut the door....I have to keep my alcove :( tidy cos its in the kitchen...but I have taken over the pantry, and now the spare bedroom...you wanna see????

that's the log cabin heart quilt I made for the auction

Somewhere on this board are more pictures. You'll have to do a search under my name to find it.

and you have a really good eye to find things! lol

Anything else in there you see? lol

Terri I followed your thread with your lovely heart quilt...I better not start scrutinizing your photographs too much or I will end up staying up all night again. YOu don't no just how much I would love to be able to come and enjoy checking out all your stuff, just for the pleasure of seeing and feeling and smelling so much fabrics....the green eyed monster is coming out of her den again!! :mrgreen:

Right this is the last message for the night.

Take care, enjoy our chats so much - see you all tomorrow, buenas noches parati!! :D

Oh my you have been busy girl. I cut all my scraps into squares 2.5, 3.5, 4.5 etc and when my mom who is on a fixed income comes to visit I send them home with her she loves to make scrappy quilts and then the perk is I don't have a mess...pretty good plan huh.