Strips and More Strips!
I'm working on my newest project that is going to be very scrappy. These are the types I love! It got me thinking about all the strips I save and how I store them. I'm wondering what you do?
Here's my project in process. I'm sewing together LOTS of strips to make strip sets. To sort my strips out and to see all the colors, I came up with a fun way to display them while working. At a local antique shop, I purchased an old drying rack and tacked it to the side of a bookshelf in my studio. This way, I have a place to sort strips so they do not clutter my cutting board as I am cutting (or digging through already cut strips!)
This is another one of "those things around the house" that can be put to use in your sewing area. Plus the colorful strips are fun to look at!
As I am cutting out projects, when I have a piece of fabric left that is less than an 1/8 yard, I cut it into strips. Usually 2 1/2" or 1 1/2" strips. That way when I decide to make a scrappy block that calls for these size strips, there they are! I store them in Zip Loc bags by size and then by whether they are full width of fabric or shorter.
After sorting through a lot of bags of strips for the right colors, I have decided I may need to refine my system a bit. I'm thinking of sorting even further by separating the strips within their size by darks, mediums and lights. That way, I can just grab the appropriate bag for the shades I am looking for. Now where will I find the time to do that?! Good intentions .......
Here is a "sneek peak" at what I am working on. It's going to be a very scrappy quilt with three kinds of star blocks. Hope it looks as good done as it does on the drawing board!
Do you save scraps, either in strips or otherwise? How small is too small to keep? Fabric is so expensive these days that I even feel guilty tossing a skinny sliver at times! I'd love to hear from you!
As always, Happy Quilting!
