Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Fabric Storage

After getting this link from Rhonda and then this one from Leslie, I felt compelled to consider what to do with the scraps I have been saving. I already had these nicely fitting bins from my yarn storage, which I switched out with larger yarn bins and now have them back for my fabric scraps, fat quarters collection (!) and 5" charm squares.  I doubt I will go wild like the lady in the link above. I have been there and done that and am in recovery. Before I became a full time fuser I had lots of commercial prints and sold or gave them away when I turned into a dyer/fuser/art quilter.

I used a Dry erase pen to remind me what is where as tho I couldn't just see it. I worry about being overwhelmed with scraps. With fusing everything is usable, even the tiniest little bits, as long as they have fusible on the back. But with piecing I actually find  myself having to decide what to keep and what to toss.



Yesterday I did get these cute new containers tho. They are perfect for my very few fat 1/4's and all my charm squares. I feel content to have a go-to spot for the partially cut stuff.
And it makes working less of disaster site to have a scrap bin at the ready. I took a commentors advice and bought a big bottle of starch and made my own spray starch concotion to refill my bottle. Yay!

Thanks for all your advice about getting a second pug. Chumley is going to stay an only pug for a long while. He is in desperate need of a larger pillow for his growing pugginess, doncha think?

PS.Join our QAWM at the Flickr site http://www.flickr.com/groups/qawm2011/pool/
PPS. It looks like we are going to get a local chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild started again. We are meeting at the Sew Be It shop in Ringgold GA on this Saturday at 10am Eastern. If you would like to join us, you're invited!

16 comments:

  1. Great storage tips. I too use small remnants and love to use them in my pieces.

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  2. Hi! I'm "the lady in the link above" - you're busted! I do have a lot of scraps but I use them constantly for my applique and scrap/liberated quilt projects and love having everything labeled so I can grab it and go. I admit I am a neat freak, but it sure beats spending quality sewing time looking for crap. Cute pug!

    In stitches,
    Teresa :o)

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  3. Scraps are so much fun, get your creative juices flowing. Don't worry about not using some. Find someone who makes paper. They can grind up scraps and make paper from them. Or learn the technique like Nellie (see blog Nellie's Needles). She puts loads of scraps onto a background, then puts tulle netting over it and quilts it. No iron on stuff neccessary. The netting holds it in place. We give her our scraps, called orts in crossword puzzles. So she does ort works.

    Pug is so cute. Does need a pillow extension.

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  4. Melody - re: labelling your clear containers. I use the wide clear packing tape and use permanent marker to write on it. you can write on the tape while it's on the roll and cut it to size. It's see thru and won't rub off. I figured it out when I didn't want to use permanent markers on my containers.
    Dry erase marker rubs off too easily for me when handled (even off my white board).

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  5. Yes, Chum certainly deserves something a big bigger... for his "bum" !! and I can... identify!! HA. Have a great one Melody!

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  6. Zieknits2:07 PM

    I don't think you have an unmanagable stash of either fabric or yarn, Melody.

    When I see mega-stash pics (fabric or yarn or...well, anything), I confess I feel a pang of nostalgia for the days when we chose a project then bought the yarn or fabric for it...and then made the project. Lather, rinse, repeat.

    I have stash, don't get me wrong, but if I had it to do all over again, I wouldn't. I feel NO creativity when looking at the same old ('vintage'?) fabrics/yarns. At the same time, I feel a bit sick -- not guilty, sick -- about adding more.

    The linked pics make me want to cull, not stash. My Plan: Cull, pick a project, buy any extra needed fabric for it. Make it. Lather, rinse, repeat.

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  7. Oh Chumley you know your Mom has a camera and you are a good character actor. You are a delight.

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  8. I wouldn't go for tape of any sort - over time (some brands quickly) it goes gooey, or falls off. I'm a tidiness freak too and have found that for temporary labeling, just writing on white paper strips and putting them inside the box is better than anything else I've tried. And for permanent, I use one of those tape label machines, which I've found peel off cleanly if you ever need to remove them. Experiment some more Mel.

    And IMHO, his Chumliness needs a proper Throne!!

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  9. I would say Prince Chum needs a larger Pillow (throne)on which to rest his royal bum.

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  10. Anonymous9:40 PM

    Rip the labels off the bins, now. I cannot abide labels left on - it hides all the good stuff inside.

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  11. When ever I think about buying a bin for fabric storage I step back and tell myself no. I have my fabric on open shelves so it is easily accessable and tell myself to use it! Right now I am going thru my piles (sorted by color, straightening them up, and pulling out scraps to make patches (last weekend - 534 of them - posted on my blog) that will become zig zag step quilts. I have a box for some narrower strips that I have plans for and I actually have tossed some junk. But I say do what works for you and enjoy!

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  12. I love following along with your blog. I have had the spider web quilt on my list of new projects for two years and now that I see you working on yours, I must start soon. Just need to finish the fish pond quilt. Then here you are moving fabric around, so that is what I did today. Partly to see what fabric I wanted to use for the spider web quilt. I might use pink hand dyed for the star after seeing yours. I plan to use some batiks in the strip sets.

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  13. I'd say you have the right amount of organization. You can go too far either way!
    Nancy

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  14. http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2011/02/tool-time-tuesdayfrench-drain.html
    This woman amazes me with the ideas that she comes up with for storage and stuff.
    Just thought I would give you more ideas!!!

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  15. Anonymous10:39 PM

    totally OT, but I came across this this evening and immediately thought you should see it (and perhaps make one for Chumley?)

    http://cityrag.com/2011/02/16-animals-in-tiny-hats/animals-tiny-hats-15/

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  16. Anonymous1:48 AM

    Les jeux de machines a sous en ligne sont les jeux de casino les addition populaires dans un casino en ligne spout plusieurs raisons. Une des principales raisons est qu'il y a une grande variete de machines a sous.

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