Not to toot my own horn, but I am “Queen Bee” of anal retentive storage. I sometimes wonder if I am bordering on obsessive compulsive, but I figure my studio wouldn’t ever be messy, if I was to that level.

O. K. here is the buzz about keeping your scraps under control …organize! No, duh! But how? Many of us have been quilting for 5 to 30 years with rooms of fabric stored here and there. Some of us are diligent and throw away scraps after we are done making a quilt. But I, the Queen Bee, says “No more.” My motto is: “If it is larger than a 1.5″ x 1.5″ piece, it is usable.” Fabric is expensive, do not waste a bit.

STEP ONE:

Become mentally committed to organizing and keeping organized.

Put a basket, box, or any container next to your machine and cutting table so that you can easily assess after cutting if a piece should be saved or not. As you cut, take any piece that is too small for any of your current quilt or any piece that you have finished with that fabric for sure, and place it in the basket.

STEP TWO:

Buy some bins or use old shoe boxes to hold finished pieces.

I personally use ArtBin brand storage containers. They stack nicely and come with dividers and handles.

STEP THREE:

Eliminate Dead Time

When you want to work on a quilt, but do not have the energy to concentrate, go to your basket and cut the pieces. Sitting in front of the TV is also a very good time to work on this type of project.

Place any pieces larger than a fat quarter back in your main stash. Put Fat quarters together in color order and in your main stash. Any other large pieces can be placed in a bin of their own by size – largest on the bottom.

Cut any other piece into convenient square sizes from 1.5″ to 12″. The only triangles I have are left from cutting other pieces. They are perfect half squares and are usable. Place in a divided bin or a large flat bin.

I hope that this information has helped you think of ways to organize. Please drop us a note to let us know what you do to keep your scraps under control. Who knows? The next time you logo on you might find your idea here too.

Happy Quality Quilting!

©2007 Grace Full Creations. All Rights reserved. Duplication of this material for friendly, educational, or consumer purposes is not allowed without written permission of the copyright holder. Please feel free to have your friend visit our site to receive the information for themselves.

Organizing Your Scraps Contemplating the Creative Spirit Ronna Ross

Organizing Your Scraps originally appeared on Contemplating the Creative Spirit on July 11, 2009.