Where do you draw the line?
I save leftover strips and strings, I’ll piece big sections of batting together to get a larger enough piece for a quilt.
For these QAYG blocks I’m making, I pieced fabric for the backs of the blocks AND smaller pieces of batting together.
I also toss small scraps into this bin under my sewing table to use for the first few rounds of my string log cabin blocks.
But I draw the line here — I know there are people who would make pet beds (like VickiW who has a tutorial for them) or something else from all these trimmings but I don’t have the time or inclination to use every tiny scrap.
My sewing room is almost at the point that I’ll have to clean it up in order to get any work done. Luckily the boys are going to visit next month so I’ll have to clean it to set up the cot for one of them.
It’s not usually that blocked in near the door but I’ve created a *U*around my sewing table with my string bins and the ironing board to piece these string blocks. I’m thinking of switching the location of my cutting table by the window and my sewing table.
I LIKE this picture— no, I LOVE this picture! Maybe because I identify with it? Maybe because it looks soooo…. ‘comfortable’ to another quilter. I dunno– but it’s a good thing.
)) LOL
Yes, Yes, this photo makes me feel so good also. How else can a person find the right color unless all the tubs and baskets of fabric are within reach? Love it!
I draw the line quite a bit further than you do as I’m one of those pet bed makers
. Not only that, but some of the scraps in your “throw-away” bin would still be too big to go in the pet bed pile…they would go in my crumb stash LOL. I piece batting too and only throw the smallest pieces in the pet bed stash.
That picture looks like home to me. Nice to hear your boys are coming
for a visit. I’m sure that your looking forward to that.
I am glad to see that your work area looks a lot like mine, your house always looks so tidy and clean, I started to feel bad, because I have quilting fabric etc all over the place. Thank goodness I live alone, no husband who can get anoyed with the mess. Thank you for the link to the pet bed tutorial. Making pet beds for our local SPCA is one of my quilt group’s charity projects for the year.
looks like home to me! I see pillowcases pinned together!
Oh, this is how I work best! Absolute heaven for a scrap quilter.
Sounds like you might need to knock out a wall! haha I can sympathize with you too! My space looks exactly the same! Good Luck! Jenn
Check with your local Goodwill or other thrift stores as a place to get rid of those scraps you don’t want to work with. A quilting friend here, asked our Gospel Mission thrift center what they did with unwearable clothing that was donated, and whether they had a use for tiny fabric scraps. They are able to sell the stuff by the pound to someone in Europe; we’re told it gets shredded and turned into stuffing for toys. At least it’s not going into a landfill!
But be sure to ask before dropping off the scraps.
Yep, mine looks like that also. However, I share the Studio with my DH, and HIS side is always neat and tidy! Dang it. He makes wooden boats, I make quilts. He has threads in his boats, I have sawdust in my quilts. We got over it.
It’s so comforting to see your space. Makes me want to peek in the bins, move some stuff, and see what lovelies you have in various corners. 8-)))
It is the look of a productive person with a creative mind. Yep, my room looks like this also.
It looks like a room where a lot of work is being done, Mary. Believe me, it’s nowhere near as bad as mine is right now!
My machine is near windows and I absolutely LOVE it. Allows more light during the day AND something to look out at when I just need to focus my eyes elsewhere when sewing. My stash has literally consummed my sewing room to the point that it’s also occupying the guest room bed. My mom came for the Holidays and I had to move everything into the sewing room. You literally couldn’t put your foot on the floor for all the stuff! New Year’s resolution? No new fabrics or projects until things come back to reality. Enough!!
you are my hero!! it takes a brave brave woman to post a TRUE picture of her sewing room. I always wonder about those quilters with spic and span rooms – know what I mean!?!
but I used to save the teeny tiny bits and I made pet beds,, lots of them! people even gave me their teeny tiny bits for the beds… no more, not enough room!
now if the stash fairy would just come and straighten up my shelves, I’ll do the rest
Beth in Dallas
Your basket of throwaways looks like mine. Maybe I’d better just dump it and think about all the larger pieces I have to use up too.
Great post! I, too, need to be able to see everything to know what I have to work with. Question: is there a book or tutorial on the QAYG string blocks? I am currently using up strings to make a king-size quilt for my hubby and would love to try this technique. Thanks!
I’m with you…I can make 30 crumb/scrap blocks and have a big mess, or better yet not even notice that I make a dent in my bins. I have gotten less picky about keeping the tiny pieces.
I want to see that stash fairy that Beth talks about. My shelves need organized real bad.
Looks like you have been busy! It is much faster to have everything within easy reach while you are working on a project. I used to save tiny scraps, but now I throw them out if they are less than 1.5″ wide. Cheers! Evelyn
Yep, I’m with you. Any string smaller than 2 inches or square smaller than about two inches goes to the great basket in the sky. I hear of people doing great things with small pieces but right now i am not one of those people!