Where I Create: Organized...for now.

Guess what?  I've finished cutting, sorting, and organizing my fabric scraps!  Look how clean my work desk is!  The only little pile on my desk is the beginnings of a new project.  More on that later.  First, here are my scrap bins, mostly organized by color.

I've placed my quilt fabric scrap squares in the white bins on the top two shelves.  I've also placed yardage on the second shelf.  On the bottom shelves, I have fabric for bags, purses, and clothes.  Here's a look around my studio.  It's usually not this tidy!

I love it when it is clean and organized!  By the way, all of the furniture in my studio, except the red chair, is from thrift  shops.  The white cabinet with the laminated top is a vintage kitchen cabinet.  It even has a bread drawer!

Now, what project have I started?  Here's a clue; I'm using these:

These are mini charms I won from the The Jolly Jabber, the The Fat Quarter Shop's blog.  The charms are 2.5" and are from the Vintage Modern Collection.  They are adorable!  I can't wait to show you what I'm making with these!

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

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Sew BUSTED!

How do you bust your fabric stash?  This was part of my sewing desk a few weeks ago.  This was only part of the fabric I have been hoarding!  I pulled out all my fabric from the overflowing metal cabinet, from the large Ziplock bags I had stuffed in the closet, and from right there piled on the desk.  I decided I needed to organize my fabric.  I had so much, but I lost track of what exactly I had.  So, I checked out the book, Cut the Scraps!, by Joan Ford and got busy.  Ford calls it "Scraptherapy."  She suggests cutting your scraps into the most commonly used square sizes:  5", 3", and 2 1/2".  I started out following her directions, but then decided I don't like the 2 1/2" squares!  I don't really see myself using such small squares, so I cut mine 5", 4", and 3".  I think these sizes will work for me...for now anyway!

So, after cutting a lot my squares, I now wonder how to organize them.  I thought sorting by color would be the easiest.  But, I have run into a few problem scraps.  Here I have a pile (mostly) of reds.  Would you put the black and red squares with the mostly reds or with the black scraps?

  

And then there's the white with red Chinese writing squares.  Should those go into the white/neutrals bin?  Or should there be a separate bin just for Asian themed fabrics?  I did sort all my batiks into one bin.  Themes are much harder, I think, to sort by.  Color has to be easiest right?  So what color is this?

Blue?  Red?  Orange?  I don't have a bin dedicated to tie dye...this is it for my collection.  I guess I'll put these squares with my "Artist" scraps:

Unfortunately, this is my smallest pile!  I suppose I will have to have a "random" bin for the scraps that don't fit anywhere else.  I've made a dent in my stash, but I have more cutting to do.  I haven't tackled my mostly blacks yet.

So far I have squares making up mostly blues, mostly pinks, mostly browns (my biggest), mostly reds, batiks, purples, and neutrals/whites.  

Some people sort their scraps by tone.  Whether the fabric is dark or light.  I thought about organizing mine this way, but I don't think this would work for me.  I also thought about sorting by style, pattern, solid or patterned, or whether the fabric is "traditional" or modern.  In the end, I think sorting by the dominate color is best for me.  How do you organize your fabric collection?  I'd love to know!

In other news, I've finished my Ocean Waves Quilt!  I can't wait to show you!  So, stay tuned!  I need to upload the pictures I took before I post about it!

Tootles!

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