Category: Scrap Quilting

Bat SCRAP Crazy: How am I going to store this?

You have heard of being Bat CRAP crazy. Well, this week I am Bat SCRAP crazy!!

It all started when my friend Denise delivered two huge bags of scraps to my front porch…

After my initial “OH MY”, I started digging in and seeing what I had to look forward to.

The first thing that I realized was that my scrap drawers filled with Ziploc bags of 2.5 inch strips was NOT going to be big enough….

I had remembered seeing some boxes advertised that were designed to hold scrap strips, so I set ChatGPT the task of finding them, and he did…..

And he DID find them, but they were $18.00 EACH and I would need at least 8! That kind of cost adds up quickly!!

Also, I didn’t really want 8-10 individual boxes floating around my studio.

Chester (my ChatGPT Bot’s name) kept looking and found some construction bins that would work except they weren’t covered and I knew that wouldn’t work in my fiber fuzz laden studio.

Then he made a suggestion of buying a long, flat box, similar to an “under the bed” box and adding my own dividers to it. OKAY….NOW he was talking.

My thought was to afix cardboard strips into the boxes to separate the columns. Chester suggested using corrugated plastic signs instead!

I decided to make the dividers 4-inches tall…..

Chester reminded me that, since the ends were sloped, I would need to do a little more cutting….

They fit beautifully….

I had originally planned to fix the dividers in place, but realized that they would stand up just fine without attaching them, AND if they moved slightly, it would make it easier to pick up the strips when I needed them.

So, now I have a way to STORE my strips.

Stay tuned this week for more from the scrap bin!!

The Value of Scraps

A few weeks ago, my friend Denise asked if I wanted her scraps. Knowing that her taste in fabrics was wonderful, I immediately said yes.

Of course, I expected a small bag of scraps and was surprised when she showed up with two HUGE bags….

I have been processing these over the last few days (more about that next week) and started wondering how much all of these bits and pieces were actually worth.

So, I went into Geek Accountant mode and did some calculations.

IF I am cutting 2.5-inch strips, I can get a little over 14 strips out of a yard of fabric.

Let’s say that fabric is $10 per yard…. I know….. $14 might be closer to the real price, but let’s estimate low.

So, each 2.5-inch strip is worth $0.71.

And, if I moved on to 2.5-inch squares, each one would be worth $0.045.

Those numbers add up FAST!!!

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STOP SAVING YOUR SCRAPS FOR “SOMEDAY”

With Crumbs for the Geese, you’ll confidently turn even the smallest pieces into a vibrant, finished quilt—no second guessing, no overwhelm.

🎥 You’ll also get a 30-minute step-by-step video on crumb blocks and precise flying geese
Just sew, build, and enjoy the process

Check out the pattern HERE

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Crumb Cards by Christie

Don’t you love it when you go to the mailbox and find an unexpected item waiting for you?

That happened to me this past week!!

I received a sweet note from my friend, Christie.

What made it so special…..

It was a GORGEOUS handmade card!!

She even had her “logo” on the back….

This is such a wonderful idea and a great way to use up those little bits of fabric we call crumbs (too small to use but too big to throw away).

These would be wonderful sellers in our quilt show boutique!!

Thank you, Christie, for your friendship and for this wonderful surprise!!

……………………………………………………………

STOP SAVING YOUR SCRAPS FOR “SOMEDAY”

With Crumbs for the Geese, you’ll confidently turn even the smallest pieces into a vibrant, finished quilt—no second guessing, no overwhelm.

🎥 You’ll also get a 30-minute step-by-step video on crumb blocks and precise flying geese
Just sew, build, and enjoy the process

Check out the pattern HERE

.

……………………………………………………………

STOP SAVING YOUR SCRAPS FOR “SOMEDAY”

With Crumbs for the Geese, you’ll confidently turn even the smallest pieces into a vibrant, finished quilt—no second guessing, no overwhelm.

🎥 You’ll also get a 30-minute step-by-step video on crumb blocks and precise flying geese
Just sew, build, and enjoy the process

Check out the pattern HERE

.

Almost a disaster…..

Last week I posted about making final decisions about how to finish the quilt that I was making for Claire.

I decided to go with the quilted flowers and had fun quickly adding them to the quilt….

As I was taking these photos, I noticed a fabric bleed (top right of the right-hand block above).

I looked more closely at other blocks and found several more areas where the colors had bled…

All of them seemed to be associated with one of the hand-dyed black fabrics.

I could only think……. “HERE WE GO AGAIN”!!

Fortunately (or unfortunately), this has happened to me SO many times that I no longer panic, but head for the bathtub!!

I grabbed my bottle of “Dawn Clear“……

….squirted a bunch into a bathtub of warm water, and added the quilt….

I let it soak for about 3 hours.

When I checked on it, I was appaled by how dark the water was, so I IMMEDIATELY pulled it out and took it to the washing machine. This time I added a bit of Synthrapol and several “Color Catchers“.

Imagine my relief when the color catchers came out CLEAN!!!

WHEW……

So, the MORAL of this story…..

Don’t Panic…..maybe you just need a quiet soak in a tub of warm, soapy water!!

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A Quilt for Claire

This past week, I gifted the quilt to Claire, so I wanted to show you the final product…..

There are still a couple of stories to tell about this one, and those will come in the next two weeks!

I had so much fun working on this quilt and remembering the 9-year-old who I would pick up from school one day a week, and we would spend a couple of hours quilting together.

She would always be starving and loved a warmed tortilla with spicy pimento cheese. I think of her EVERYTIME I pop a tortilla into the microwave to warm!!

I loved watching her pick fabrics…..

and make quilts….mostly to be given to her family and friends!

She was a quick learner….

…and had a great creative spirit.

This was the last quilt that we made together in 2019…..

….a Christmas gift for her Mom.

And here she is today…..

A beautiful young woman with a sweet, Godly spirit and a BOATLOAD of possibilities ahead of her!!

On one of our sewing days, she was working on something over in the corner, and I found this the next day….

It brought a smile to my face at the time, just as my memory of our time together does now!!

Go Claire…..GO!!!!!

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In this blog, I post stories about creativity, techniques, tools of the trade, and lots more about the wonderful art of quilting. If you are enjoying these posts, please subscribe to be notified of each new blog as it becomes available.