LHQ - Scrap Dilemma
My 100th POST the other day was all about my Fabric Stash Room.
Katie M. left a comment on that post "LHQ - Fabric Stash Room":
Well, if you're ever in AZ, come see me, I have a job for you :-) I tried organizing my fabric once - then I had to find something - end of organization!!! In theory, I think about taking my scraps, pressing and cutting and catgorizing. Then I think "If I cut this scrap into 2½" square, what if I find I can use it as a 4½" square???" Oh well a vicious circle - but I love your 'fabric' room!
After reading her comment – I just had to respond.
I had the EXACT SAME DILEMMA when I was working with my scraps!!
What would I do if I cut a scrap really small and realized later that I should have left it larger? How do I decide how big to cut it? Do I cut it into strips or squares?
So – this is what I did – and what I told Katie M. -
Katie M -
Glad you like my room! I knew you would! I had the same 2-1/2" vs 4-1/2" square dilemma that you did. What I did was - start with the biggest cuts - the yardage - setting everything else aside for the time being. Washed - pressed - folded them. The bigger cuts just seemed to make the piles go down faster. Then I tackled the smaller cuts - the one yard and half yard cuts. Then I got to the quarter yard cuts and the fat quarters.
When I got to the smaller cuts - I cut the largest strip I could from it - so I cut 4-1/2" strips from anything big enough. Then 3-1/2" - then 2-1/2" - then 2" - then 1-1/2" just working myself down to the smallest pieces. Strips less than 1-1/2" wide went in the "strings" bin. I didn't cut many squares after I realized that I could always cut them later from the strips. Duh! Anything odd ball shaped or just plain "left-over" went into a "crumbs" bin. Then "bits and pieces".
Anyway - I love playing with my fabric! I had a great time! I also realized that I had much more muslin than I realized - simply because I kept buying it when I couldn't find the stuff I already had!
And thanks - this email is the start of another post! We can't be the only ones with this dilemma!
^..^
Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -
2 comments:
Kitty, I don't know if you're a good or bad influence on me! Yesterday I pulled out larger 'scraps' as I was cutting 10" squares and didn't want to cut into my 'yardage'. As I looked at the pieces left over, I thought "should I cut these into strips, squares, ummm wonder what Kitty would do?" Then I tossed them in the scrap bin :-)
Katie M. who knows she's bad!
Excellent organizational plan. And, of course I think that since that is pretty much what I do. I color coordinate the large pieces and the "fat quarter" sized pieces, in two different places. The strips and strings are organized by size only and the crumbs are just in a bin that I "paw" through when needed. I love my fabric and the days I spend reorganizing.
Post a Comment