Scrappy Mountains in Trumbull!

Yesterday was the Scrappy Mountain Majesties workshop in Trumbull! I was really glad they chose this for a workshop---When trying to get stash and scraps under control, it is sometimes daunting to a new scrapper to tell them to bring a large variety of fabrics cut into 2” strips, or 2.5” squares and 2.5” X 4.5” bricks…if you haven’t already started your own Scrap User’s System….it can be a HUGE undertaking to start cutting for a class that uses smaller pre-cut measurements and feel like you have the variety that an interesting scrap quilt requires. I understand this…so where is a good place to start?

With BIGGER pieces! Scrappy Mountain Majesties uses 8.5” squares that can be easily cut down from a collection of Fat Quarter cuts you have always wanted to use in “Something”---and after cutting some squares from the Fat Quarter, it is then easy to take the left-overs and start slicing them into the strip sizes that you want to use in your own Scrap User’s System. You can cut for a project for the workshop --- be ready fairly quickly---and have the beginnings of a good variety of strips and units in usable sizes as you continue to cut down the left-overs as you make them.

This is a question I get asked again and again and again….”Where do you suggest I start?! There is so much! There are boxes, and bins and it is too much to deal with---“

Start with a project you have always wanted to make….cut for it from your scraps…and as you clean up the left overs from that project…slice the remaining fabrics down. Make sure that NOTHING you take OUT of the “scrap box” gets puts back IN that “scrap box” again. We are going FORWARD, not BACKWARD! With the leftovers from this project being purposed into good sizes, they will be ready accessible for future quilts.

From then on, get into the habit of taking care of your leftovers just as you would take care of cleaning up dishes after a meal.

You can make your own rules as you go along….for instance, you might decide that anything bigger than 6.5”, or half the size of a Fat Quarter may remain whole, and be folded in and stored with the Fat Quarters by color, or style or what-have-you. But if that left over piece is smaller than that 6.5”…it gets sliced into sizes and filed away into the strip bins. Do what works for you! Once you have various sizes of strips, and a good variety of them, you will want to always be on the lookout for quilt designs that use the sizes of strips you have ready at hand.

It was a happy moment yesterday morning when I asked the group for a show of hands—who here this morning is sewing from at least 75% stash fabric?!? Lots of hands went up, and many also yelled that they were 100% stash users for this class. This makes me feel so happy!

		Scrappy Mountain Majesties, Trumbull CT 2011 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

And of course, I had to pose with the Millenium Fabric that found it’s way home with me after the scrap feeding frenzy the other day!

Somehow I never ended up with THIS one in my stash….let’s just say….that I’m going to have to cut this one REALLY SMALL if it is going to work in any future quilts! LOL!!!!! At this point, 3/4” strings are looking REALLY GOOD!

There has been binding activity happening in the evenings. Last night I finished binding the sampler quilt that has the Japanese fabrics on the back. I've got one side bound on the Scrappy Bargello that is also going to Japan. We keep plugging away! And they should be ready to mail off when I head back home.

I’m on my way to Poughkeepsie, NY! I’m visiting with the First Dutchess Quilters for a guild meeting on Wednesday night, and a Nine Patch Split workshop on Thursday! Come on Spring, send some warmer temps our way!