The Spring Clean Your Studio Blog Hop, hosted by Cheryl Sleboda of muppin.com, seems to get bigger and better every year. Last year for the occasion, my studio underwent a major reorganization which I’m thrilled to report has been overwhelmingly successful. Of course, the clutter ebbs and flows with the season, but for the most part the organizational systems remain firmly in place.
If you’re new to the blog, welcome! I hope you’ll continue to follow along.
I’m relatively new to the quilt pattern designer scene, but I’ve been active in a number of blog hops and quilt-alongs and do have several patterns available in my online shop. I’m one of the Partners in Design, and if you’re not a member of the Facebook group, you should definitely join, because our next quilt-along starts this summer. I’m a brand ambassador for Odif this year, and have an assortment of projects in the works to show you how to use some of their innovative and versatile products. Coming up soon, my Sticky Candy quilt is supposed to be featured as part of the Just Wanna Quilt Inventory Project.
As for my personal life, I live in the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey on a cranberry farm. I was a helicopter crew chief in the Army, then got married and settled down on the farm with my husband, two kids (now teenagers), and a big old black Labrador retriever named Cash. I’ve been known to run marathons, grow asparagus, and obsessively watch hummingbirds. Generally, I don’t care for “reality” TV, but I do like watching The Masked Singer and Nailed It, so don’t go thinking I’m a snob. (But I might be. You’ll just have to decide for yourself, won’t you?)
Spring Cleaning
So, I didn’t realize it until I sat down to write this year’s post, but I signed off on my 2019 post with this:
“Drink and Help Becca Organize Her Scrap Bins” Day should be on EVERYBODY’S calendar, ’cause it’s going to be EPIC.
https://sugarsandquilts.com/spring-clean-your-studio-2019/
I could cry, because if I’d remembered that and scheduled it a few months ago, this would have gone SO much faster.
Because without even remembering that I’d written that, that is EXACTLY what I decided to do this year.
Those bins were a health hazard. Or a fire hazard. Definitely an avalanche hazard. I just kept cramming anything smaller than a yard into them, making it impossible to take them down without dropping most of the fabric on the floor, let alone to see at a glance what was in there.
Every bin, although I did keep the colors sorted, contained a wide variety of small scraps, fat quarters, and half yard cuts, in addition to other random sizes ranging up to a yard and random shapes that resulted from piecing backing and making bags and who knows what else.
To spring clean, I decided that the bins will only hold fat quarters and half yard cuts. Smaller pieces will be cut into 2½” squares–anything too small for that just gets tossed. I know many quilters are cringing at that, but I seldom use them and won’t be seeing any quilters who might want them for possibly months. So they’re gone.
Some of these smaller bits are destined for use in my Sticky Candy Inventory Quilt–luckily, I have an AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter that’s ideal for cutting up scraps like this.
Other sizes will be cut into an assortment of standard shapes and sizes that I haven’t finalized yet. 5″ and 10″ squares, of course. Maybe some 2½” strips. I have quite a few dies for my AccuQuilt Studio Fabric Cutter (I lucked out and ended up with two die cutters, and I use them both), so I’ll decide what quilts I want to make next and decide based on that.
I refolded all of the fat quarters and half-yard cuts to fit side by side in each of the fabric bins. And now just look at how easy it will be to find just what I’m looking for!
I always feel so much better when I’ve cleaned and organized my space; then I promptly make it messy again. Ha! Your space is looking great, Becca!
It doesn’t take long, does it? 😀 But having a system in place helps. Now I won’t just cram any old fabric into the bins.
It does look so nice and definitely makes it easier to find the right piece of fabric. I’ve cutting scraps and, with gritted teeth. throwing smaller pieces in the garbage because. as you say, they just won’t get used! Thanks for the support!
Think of it as LIBERATION!
It looks great! You did a great job and having a plan to keep it going – priceless.
Looks great! I love my accuquilt for cutting scraps!!!! That’s actually why I bought mine. And I agree, pick a minimum size you are willing to use and get rid of anything smaller.
Even falling down your space looked beautiful because the fabric was sorted by color! But oh I can only imagine taking one of those overflowing bins down! I have things like that in my space too. What a great idea to cut up your scraps and sell off others. Love your space. Next time get a bottle of wine and invite me over to clean.