So at the start of November I took everything out of my sewing room and dumped it on the loft floor. I have been sorting through everything and putting it all back in a neat and tidy fashion. This whole exercise has revealed to me several things. I have alot of fabric and I need to shop my stash more than I do. I love panels. I have so many of them. I need to use some of them up. Lastly I need to do something about my scraps as they are out of control. I bought that fabric I don't want to throw it away unless it is too small to use. And this is why I have three laundry baskets full of scraps.
The one skill I wish I had was to be able to improvisationally piece with these scraps. I just can't do it. I have tried to improv piece, and it leads me to be totally neurotic. I hate wonky angles and i over think the whole issue. Then I end up with pieces that are 1/2 in wide and there are so many seams you need a hammer to beat it into submission. I have taken classes on improvisational piecing, and it doesn't help. I have two finished quilts that have improvisational piecing, Platysomus made me neurotic the whole time.
Xiphactinus, I used two friends as random number generators to give me the number of slices I could make to piece in my strips. It was far more successful.
I love the look of crazy quilts, that is just not my style. I can't do it. So I cut up my scraps to do things lie Bonnie Hunter Mysteries and scrappy Irish chains. Today I got out the hunter star die for the accuquilt and I have started a scrappy hunter star among the other shapes I was cutting.
I agree. I love Bonnie Hunters Scrap Saver System. I have done the whole take the scraps to school and let my daughters class use them for art projects. Scraps are like tribbles though I swear they breed in the wood work.
Not all people like scrap quilts. I almost never keep a strip that is less than 1 inch, unless it is a tapered piece. But if you never use or enjoy using this sort of piece, get rid of it. I hate to through fabric away,so I have pieces smaller than Bonnie Hunter saves. Adapt her Scrap Saver system to what you think you will use. Throw or give away any other scraps; schools can sometimes use scrap for art projects. I know someone that keeps but doesn't use the scraps; she has given me some of them; she knows not to give too many at a time, though.