Your Instant Dog Bed hack is very clever. I am a scrappy quilter, so I have individual drawer units dividing scraps by color. I Always have a scrap quilt being sewn as I sew my other projects which keeps those pesky scraps under control. It is Sew Helpful to see how other quilters organize, as I am constantly rethinking my space. Thanks! Really enjoying your channel.
I've been quilting for 25 years. I believe scraps procreate at night. For many years now I've had a scrap user system. After a project, I cut what's left into strips and squares in usable sizes.
Limiting scraps?? Wow, who knew?! Great idea; actually it never occurred to me. Your ending remark “… so I can be more productive “, really hit home. I have so many scraps that I could never sew them all up if I lived another 40 years, which I doubt. Very glad to have stumbled onto your Channel tonight. Thank you!
Just finished a Villa Rosa pattern named Mazed. I did it scrappy. At a retreat I will do it again using a jelly roll I have. Love that you talked about dog beds. Had 124 dog/cat beds last week. Delivered 75 to shelters.
I love your storage system. It's not overwhelming and it clicks with me. I do some of the same things as you, but some areas of my room have still not felt quite convenient enough, and I gleaned some new ideas of how to handle those. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing this information about your storage space. I picked up several ideas that I hope to use in my quilting room. I appreciate your time.
Having a storage and management system for my scraps helps keep me organized. When I decide to make a scrap quilt, it is much easier to use access and use them!
I live in the high desert and dust laden wind gets in everything. All fabric is put in quart zipper bags. I have three 3-tier roller carts and keep the bags in them by projects and color. I only have one shoebox of scraps, from a teal project, mainly because I use a lot in pieced backings. Like the project on my board is a twin quilt in green blue purple, plus its pieced backing in blue purple green. I have some left, so afterwards I will make a table cloth or runner. Maybe a pillow. I tend to keep making projects until the fabric is used up. The teal fabric made a quilt with a reversible green background in a mirror image. I have a shoebox left. I am adding chili colors, black, tans, to make a New Mexico style quilt. Once I finish front and back, I will make a few grocery bags I keep an art glass bowl on the corner of my table for tiny scraps and thread, which I add to my compost. The last part is making 10" crumb quilting blocks out of odd scraps. I keep them in a square container and don't have enough to make a quilt.
I originally tried to sort this way but just recently changed to sorting my scraps into several precut sizes that I use a lot and then have them sorted by color within each size bin. I found just sorting by color alone wasn't working very good for me, I'd always end up picking a scrap to use that wasn't big enough! Anything that is less than half a yard is cut up into the sizes I selected, and then the leftover scraps are given to our elementary school kindergarten teacher. She selects what the kids can use to put in her art area, and then she makes dog beds with the rest and the smaller scraps left over from their art projects. That way I get some, the kids get some, and the dogs get some too! I use shoe boxes as well, but I love the boxes you have for the jelly roll pcs so I'll be looking at getting some of those.
I think making your own precuts out of scraps is a great plan! Lots of quilters do that! You have a great system that reduces waste! Here is an Amazon affiliate link for the jelly roll boxes if you are interested: amzn.to/45uhABw
My scrap storage is constantly changing. I like tie in a bundle fabrics that coordinate so that I can simply pull them to make a small project. I have one clear bin for all 2 1/2 squares/strips, another for baby fabrics, another for coordinating bundles, another for larger backing or neutral fabric. Any fat quarters or anything leftover that doesn't particularly go with anything, I fold and put in a dresser drawer in rainbow order and draw on them when I need a little gift bag or something special for a small project. I save the salvage edges to tie the coordinating bundles. I find that I am using up my scraps more now because I don't make a lot of scrappy stuff but usually pick colors to follow a pattern.
Just bought some milk carton to use. Before I used plastic storage units. But whatever I wanted was always in the bottom unit. So then my room would have those units all over the room. Am finishing a batik pinwheel on point for the Southwest Miracles party end of February. When binding is done will sort and store fabrics in the milk cartons sitting on side. Large amount fabric is measured and sticky note pinned on fabric. Small amounts will be put on the side of the large amount. I like your ideas.
Jill, thanks for sharing! I have not seen milk cartons used for fabric storage! Where do you purchase milk cartons without the milk? Do you cut off the tops?
@@thesimplequilter7499 I call them milk carton years ago. Times change and name change. They were metal container that they put milk real milk cartons in for traveling to the grocery store. You will see the plastic one in the school supplies or the plastic storage area in Walmart. I took a free standing pull out drawers (you called cart)for my large pieces that can be used for backing. All the large plastic storage boxes will go in my attic for down the road.
I like the idea of your strip box. I am thinking of getting one to put my binding in for my quilts done but not quilted. I have been using those swimming pool noodles(round foam long).
Great video. Great ideas. My own system gives me a headache. Its organized to a point and then it gets crazy. Batiks are a different category, so are my novelty scraps, holiday scraps and floral. Since my bins are overflowing, I probably need to make some hard decisions! I'd love to donate fabric scraps. There is a local quilt guild but their requirements of scraps orders on actual yardage! Thanks for awesome video, once again you've helped me with your inspirational ideas!
Hi Carol, I wonder if some of your quilt friends or other guild members would want some of your scraps. Our quilt rooms can get out of control with fabrics and scraps. I have to keep mine contained somewhat so I can still be productive with my quilting.
I haven't figured out a way to manage my scraps yet. Lol. They are in buckets right now with no rhyme or reason. Looking at how others do it to see what might work best for me. Thanks!
Thanks again. You've given me idea's. Could you please tell me where you purchased the long boxes that store your strips? Love the dog bed idea too. Thanks again Michelle!
Hi Michelle. It’s so nice to see someone else do pet beds also. I have a scrap bowl on my cutting area. But for the most part my system is almost just like yours. My question is where did you get your 2-1/2 strip containers? Love those. Have a great day
Hi Peg, I do like my dog bed system. It really helps to control the clutter in my quilt room and puts my scraps to good use. The containers are put out by Art Bin. I bought a couple from a quilt shop in Colorado and some from Amazon. Here is an Amazon affiliate link for them: amzn.to/3ul1Tx5 Thanks for sharing!
I think you do a great job! Thank you for giving me some good ideas. Because I have only been quilting for about three years I am just now starting to get a build up scraps. I have incorporated your dog bed idea. The containers I use don’t have lids, so I think I will change to ones with lids. I haven’t made a scrappy quilt yet.
You can find some really inexpensive ones that stack nicely at Wal-Mart and the Dollar Store! Thank you for the nice comments! I will be adding more quilts to my Scrap/Stash Buster series so stay tuned! I also made a tutorial on a coin quilt which is a fast and super easy quilt! That may be one you could make using your scraps!
I have a very space so I store my stuff in ziplock bags according to colour in my drawers. The larger pieces are kept separately and jelly rolls are in a big box. I make binding from the fabric I don't intend to use and keep in another bag.
Where did you buy the long containers in your fourth stash. Thanks for sharing, I’m in the middle of reorganizing my room as I write this and you gave me some good ideas.
Hi Michelle, I love your tutorials. I was wondering in this section for organizing managing your scrap the storage containers that you put your jelly rolls in where do you find those containers? I would really like to get some of those. I've never seen them that size thank you, Joy.
To manage my fabrics and scraps, any unused yardage of color and background goes in a bin under my bed. There is another bin next to it that has coordinating fat quarters for (currently) unplanned future projects and all of my jellyrolls. There is a third bin that has planned future (but not started) project bags. At the foot of my bed I have a dresser that is in the position of a footboard. There are 2 more bins. One has works in progress and the other is my cut bin. The cut bin has any fat quarters scraps, .and other fabric that are random and does not fit into one of the above categories. When I am working in my cut bin, I take a look and measure each piece of fabric, and see how I want to cut it down. I make traditional precuts 10×10, 5x5, 2.5x2.5. I also make precuts of 9x9, 4.5x4.5, 2x4, 1.5x5, 1.5x2.5. I don't keep anything smaller than 1.5x2.5. Once my cuts are made, I stack it all up and then organize it by color, then the fabric pieces go into baggies and the baggies into other bins.
I like Lori Holt’s method of storing scraps. She uses bins but combines all colors. The bins are (I think) 2 1/2, 3 1/2, 4 1/2, 5 1/2, and 7 inch sizes of strips and squares. She cuts up her smaller scrap pieces into these sizes. I also cut 1 1/2 inch strips and squares. They are neatly place in the bins. I love scrap quilts so it’s easy to pull out a piece of fabric as I need the size it calls for. You need to have a system that works for you.
I like Lori's method also! It works great for her but not so great for me....I tried a bit to start cutting things up and then I fizzled out. I just store mine in the boxes by color then use and cut them as needed. She does have a great system though!
I agree but using my smallest scraps in this manner also brings joy to others and their pets. I enjoy repurposing my smallest scraps to help the animals at our local animal shelter.
@@thesimplequilter7499 I was going to ask what you do with the dog beds. That's a wonderful way to support the animals. I've kept a LOT of fleece fabric selvages from over the years, not sure what to do with them. I could cut them into pieces and make dog and cat beds. 🐕🐱
Love your fabric storage ideas. I stored all my scrapbook papers by color. Now that I’ve started quilting I’m storing by Lori Holt suggested sizes for other fabrics. I’ve been trying to simplify and figure out what will work for me. So I definitely appreciate your suggestions. Thank you so much
Mary, I purchased my table at Home Depot. It is a Husky. I do not think I can post a picture in the comment section. They are also available on Amazon. Here is an affiliate link: amzn.to/3gl3KcU
Hi Pamela, I do not prewash my fabrics. I use quilt shop quality fabric on all my quilts. Wait…I have prewashed cotton canvas before. I did have problems one time with a red and white fabric bleeding. I use a color catcher when washing any of my quilts. I even put them in a card with instructions on how to wash and care for the quilt!
@@thesimplequilter7499 For me crumb blocks are an anything goes, no thought of matching colors, seams or anything else. I started an "Oh my gosh" quilt that will probably be a lifetime project, lol. It is from 1" strips.
Wow, when I saw the name of your channel, I almost thought I was on my channel! Your storage system is similar to mine, but I just seem to have a lot more scraps, lol. Do you also store yardage somewhere? Great tips!
Just remember it is an ongoing process and isn’t typically achieved in a day. For me being more organized helps reduce stress and makes being in my quilt room more enjoyable! Little steps can make a big difference!