I also want to thank you for not making every video an infomercial. I know this is your business and you have to sell and market your products but there are some well known business on RU-vid I’m finding hard to watch regularly anymore bc nowadays they have just become more like an infomercial than informative concerning quilting and fabrics. ( love run-on sentences lol) Maybe that’s the natural progression 🤷♀️. But I’m really enjoying all that you are posting and I know it’s a lot of work, thank you for all that you do 🥰
I just heard one lady takes the actual throw away scraps and puts them in a pillowcase...when full she sews shut and donates it to a pet shelter. I thought that was a great idea!!!
Check with your local pet shelter 1st. Some love this idea, some dont. Where I lived before, they request that these not be donated to them bc when wet they are so heavy they unbalance their washing machines so they have no way to clean them. Pet shelters that have the larger industrial machine can usually wash them though.
YES!!! I've got a big bin of tiny fabric scraps that will eventually become a dog or cat bed. It's amazing how quickly the bin fills up with odds and ends that would normally go in the trash. 🐈 🐕
Love the video, organising scraps is so relaxing for me and I'm glad I'm not the only one! An idea for the tiny scraps you're getting rid of to minimize waste: I keep a bin of tiny/misshapen scraps and when it gets full, I use it to fill a home made fabric doorstop. I then gift the doorstop(s) as a Christmas present. 😊
I find the sorting and slicing into useful sizes so therapeutic. Sometimes when I just need to sew I will make qayg log cabin.coasters or perhaps sew 2½ squares into big enough pieces for zipper pouches.or drawstring bags. Great stress relievers !
Thelma writes: Yes, touching fabrics and looking at different colours are very very therapeutic 👌and peaceful. Often times it is moments when you can connect with God during quiet time.
Could you put the super tiny pieces into a stuffed bear project and donate the bear to a local social services agency that deals with troubled children? These kids that are removed from their homes might like something to cuddle with.. just a thought ❤️
I try to cut up leftovers after each project, once you’ve started it’s much easier to keep on top of it! I love to cut while watching tv too! Great job!
What do you do for the scraps you didn’t find use for? As someone who hates throwing anything out, I’d hate to think those pretty scraps end up in the trash. I know I would loooove to get a goodie bag of some of those tiny scraps. Maybe a giveaway idea? Or even selling them on Etsy. Lots of people find use for the smaller sizes for appliqué work, textile art, and more.
Great video, I don’t quilt but sew for dolls so I have so many scraps. Have you ever made fabric rope from scraps? I’ve attempted before but not successfully.
I love that you have open bins...mine all have lids and it's annoying to have to keep opening and closing them and I don't like that they are all clear - I feel like it just looks so messy. So, it looks like that container shopping is in my immediate future. :) Great video. Love your channel. Love from Canada
Thelma writes: I wish I had an extra bigger room that I can occupy it as a decent sewing room. My sewing room is pretty cozy, but just a little too small to house all my favorite stash of all sorts. Good to see you Erica.
I have a similar system to you, sorting 2.5 inch, 5 inch and 10 inch, anything smaller including tiny pieces and selveedges I keep colour coded in small bags and when I want to use them I arrange onto an upholstery weight piece of fabric, pin a piece of organza on top and free motion quilt. So far I’ve made bags, rotary cutter holders, junk journal covers, framed pictures etc. It feels good to be able to make something out of these little scrap pieces.
Great idea! I've been rinsing anything smaller than what I consider a crumb (less than an inch). Right now I don't have time to do those kinds of projects but love the idea!
You could make Crumb Quilts with all those tiny scraps...I've watched videos of people making them, and it looks really fun, and you won't waste any of those beautiful fabrics...
Great video. One suggestion I have. I have a plastic shoebox that I keep extra binding strips in, it has come in handy many times. Also good to make a scrappy binding.
That’s wonderful and a great tutorial on how to store your scraps. I struggle with scraps. I never know what to do with the larger scraps as well. So color seems to be the way to go. Thank you and yes I would love to see how you store the larger sizes. Thank you Erica!
This video inspires me to tackle my scrap pile. I keep saying I am going to do a crumb quilt but realistically I will never get around to it. There is always a new project, or sew along coming out. So thank you.
One thing that you mentioned really stood out to me: you put them together by designer. That was something that I was missing. That makes total sense. I always enjoy you, your great energy and your beautiful patterns. I love them all ❤️ I made one of your cute truck patterns into a memory quilt using the plaid shirts of a friend’s husband that passed for the 9 patches. It came out really attractive and she absolutely loves it. Thank you 🙏
I'm trying to get in the habit of coding up my leftover fabrics after I finish a quilt. Now I just need to find good ways to store them in a container or basket system. I actually enjoy cutting fabric😊
I just ordered the cherry berry pattern and your vintage summer pattern. You may have mentioned this at some point already and I missed it but if I have questions concerning either pattern is there an email or can I ask here on RU-vid? I don’t want to be a bother but I’m a simi new quilter person (lol) I’ve actually gotten pretty good but still have questions from time to time. 🥰 ❤️ your patterns, some of the cutest on the market that I’ve seen.
Wendy, if you have young grandchildren (or friends who do!), have them help you sort by color, and big/small pieces. Educational for them, and helpful to you! You could reward them with a specially-made project like a doll blanket, tote bag, crayon holder, etc.
Erika - thank you for doing a Scrap organization video. It was awesome. I love your stackable bins. Did this exercise take you down memory lane revisiting fabric from years and quilts gone by? Please do a larger pieces organization video when you have a chance. That one would be very helpful for me. Thank you again. That cat!!! Sooo cute!!
I also do my own scrap management system. It makes scraps so much more usable!! I love scraps and am given them a few times a year by family members who also quilt. My 7yr old daughter is learning to quilt. I dont sort by colors. Just by size. I have a bin for 10" sqrs, a bin for 6.5" s sqrs. 5" sqrs. 2.5" sqrs. 2.5" strips. Then bins for strings which are less then 2.5" but it least 1.5". And crumbs which are smaller than 2.5" sqrs but it least 1" wide. And a bin for HST's, since I hate wasting those cut offs. Anytime I need to cut off triangles, I double seam so that I have the HST. I do a lot of scrappy projects and these are the sizes I use the most. And the bins are so easy for my 7yr old to go thru and pick what she wants since we are still working on straight seams. I also have a bin for FQs and everything else gets neatly folded on the shelves. This has truly changed my quilting game!! Now if I want to do a scrappy quilt, I just grab the bin for whichever size I want to use, and I'm ready to go!
Trina - we have almost the exact same system!! I have a few other sizes added in because I had purchased a big bag of scraps from a quilt shop and they were already there so I have some 6, 7, 8, 9" that I just didn't see the need to cut down. I have done some crumbs quilt projects that I love, so anything smaller than 2" becomes either a crumb, a string (less than an inch), or a shred (less than a quarter inch. I have a 3 small baskets that I keep close to me as I am cutting up scraps - one for each. When shreds & strings get full, I'll bag them and donate them. Love this method!! Have been crumbs how to implement by color too.
@@jfergusonk12 I always used to say, "why cut it up? What if i need this fabric in a larger size?" But then I realised I wasnt using them anyway! It was to time consuming to dig thru trying to find something the right size. Once I started this system, I actually use so many more scraps than I ever did before!! I have people ask me "but arent you wasting fabric this way? What about what you cut off to make your precut sizes?" But honestly, I have very little waste! No more than if I was cutting from yardage for pattern. I also have some odd sizes that I keep in a separate bucket. Theres always something that your truly dont want or need to cut up. 🙂
same, I wasn't using them at all, and my bins were getting so full, I couldn't find anything anyway. It was too overwhelming. Now I can grab the exact size I need so I'm way more likely to use it!
Oh, definitely yes please!! Main fabrics!! Sorting by designer? No wonder I'm having such a problem matching what looks good together. I just buy fabric that jumps out at me. Yes, I'm new at all this. I am really really limited with space. Think studio apartment, no bedroom. I have a high boy (filled with fabrics) my mother's cedar chest (4-5 across) (& in some places 2 piles deep so I can't see what's in behind, which doesn't fair well), next to it and stacked high with fabrics. My other problem is folding 2-3 metres of fabrics. Do I stack yellow and orange together? Teals and greens (?), blues?
I do something similar with my scraps but I keep my 2-1/2 inch squares separate in baskets. They become my leaders and enders for other projects... I make them into 4, 9, 16 and 25 patch blocks that usually end up in a ARKANSAS CROSS ROAD block. I have made one of those practically every year.
I’m finding that I actually don’t like having a huge stash! It gets overwhelming! I’ve been doing strips and squares for my scraps, but I have them sorted by size, not color. After watching this, sorting them by color makes more sense!
I’m organized with my scraps but! I have a big flat bin for those scraps you’re going to toss for my crumb quilts. Love making those. Then and only then if they’re too narrow, too small only then will they go into an old pillowcase for pet beds. No garbage here.
I ask for the cardboard that yardage comes on, at quilt shops, for free, and use that for any yardage that I have purchased...Clear bins with lids is what I use for everything else, I sort by fabric line...then by color....1.5" scraps...take 3, and sew into Rail Fence Blocks..... once you have many, can be made into a sweet baby quilt with the pinks... or table runners, or hot pads for gifts... With the prices in Canada of Quilt Fabric more than double from when I started quilting years ago... I won't be getting rid of any of my fabrics, unless they are less than 1.5" strips or squares...or un useable... I used to pay $5.00 for a charm pack,...now they are $18 each!
Thanks for the motivation in tackling down the ongoing scraps. I too like the target baskets. I started saving the really small pieces to make a doll quilt for grand baby, we shall see. I sort my fabrics by designer too. I wish I had your Christmas stash 🤩
Love the tutorial! I have been organizing my quilt room throughout the pandemic. I have a closet filled with transparent shoe boxes which are filled with precuts fabric scraps from the past five years. It is so satisfying to organize, sort and cut these scraps. Love your RU-vid channel! Very inspiring.
This is a great idea and a little modification to the Lori Holt scrap bin organization. The trick for me would be to maintain the organization! Yes, would love to see how you organize your larger fabric pieces - thank you!
This is only good for quilters who only use specific geometric shapes. It didn't say so in the title, if it had I wouldn't have watched it. In reality, when you sew other things, odd shapes might be best left as they are, since that extra little curve might be exactly what you need for the pattern you're making.
4:24 hi new fan learning about sewing & Im being nosey do what you want but just a idea why not put the unusable scraps Into a pillow for extra stuffing .
after 12 of patchwork/quilting..I have kept EVERYTHING..but decided this year that less than 1 1/2" is not worth it. It's a very slow process (that's why I watch these videos to encourage me ;-) but I'm slowly getting there!..thanks for your video!
HI, it needs a lot of boxes. I have 9 boxes of scrap fabrics colors but it's not enough 😒 . I don't have much space in my room. I don't know how I organize the futur scraps fabrics I have.
Sometimes I think too many scraps is overwhelming and I end up not using them at all. If you're feeling like that, you might want to clear out some, maybe donate to a local quilt guild for dog bed stuffing?
It's nice that you have strips. But I make clothing. I idon'thave strips. I have random size pieces. I just throw them in a bag and use them for crazy quilts
Ah, yes, garment sewing creates its own mess of scraps doesn't it! I usually do my best to square up my left over garment fabric so I don't have all of those crazy edges. It drives me crazy LOL!
I just found you and was watching some of your old videos. I am curious if you kept up with this method? I find that if I trim fabric into usable pieces immediately after cutting out a project it is easy.
I couldn't tell from the video, but how do you keep the stacks together after you've cut them down to those sizes? You have several stacks within the bin but do they fall over when you pull the bin out? Do you just have to be careful handling it or did you bind each stack somehow? thanks
I have been making 4 patches with 2-1/2 scraps. I add a scrap piece of batting and backing and finish the edges. Now I have them in a separate bin. They are so pretty and make quick hot pads, pillows, etc. Because I make them after each project, they will be a memory quilt. I save fat quarters back with my fabric bins. I especially like using up batting scraps since I don't trust sewing them together inside quilts.
