A peek into what I have been up to this week! I have been thinking about cutting my fabric scraps into regular - and useful - size pieces for some time, and this week I have finally made a start. I also have a project in mind!
I have two large scrap bins and both are overflowing with scraps of fabric in all shapes and sizes. I keep even the smallest scraps of fabric plus anything that doesn't neatly fold back into my fabric stash is also added to my scrap bins. I dig though these bins often and most of my quilts include fabrics that have been reclaimed from my scrap bins.
The regular digging through and turning over of these scraps has meant that many of the scraps were starting to look tatty, with tangled pieces of fabric and fraying edges. Not so pretty. It was definitely time for some organised scrap management. I therefore decided to cut my fabric scraps into 2 inch squares. Over a period of 3 days I methodically worked my way through the many pieces of fabric, cutting almost 2000 squares! Yikes, that's a lot of cutting.
I did have some help cutting the scraps. I have used a fabric cutter (Sizzix Big Shot) and a 2" die to cut the scraps. This was a huge time saver and at the same time ensures accuracy. Mind you any fabric square that looks like it has been fussy cut to feature a design has been cut with rotary cutter and ruler, and there are many of those! Of course I did not set out for this quilt to feature so many fussy cut fabrics but it was against my nature to cut those cute fabrics without thought to the design.
I did have some help cutting the scraps. I have used a fabric cutter (Sizzix Big Shot) and a 2" die to cut the scraps. This was a huge time saver and at the same time ensures accuracy. Mind you any fabric square that looks like it has been fussy cut to feature a design has been cut with rotary cutter and ruler, and there are many of those! Of course I did not set out for this quilt to feature so many fussy cut fabrics but it was against my nature to cut those cute fabrics without thought to the design.
I am making good progress with my quilt! The design is a Scrappy Irish Chain Quilt not unlike my Irish Chain Scrap Buster Quilt made in 2015, although for this quilt I have up-sized the blocks (9 rows of 9 squares). This quilt was inspired by a vintage quilt.
I was adamant that I would cut as many fabric squares as was needed for this project without having to go back and cut more. I am busy chain piecing the many units together and I am pleased to say that there will be squares left over! These will no doubt be put to good use - and will not be tipped back into my scrap bins!
This has already been such a satisfying project!
More soon,
Rita
RELEVANT LINKS:
Scrap Buster Irish Chain Quilt - Work in Progress - Part 2
Scrap Buster Irish Chain Quilt - The Finished Quilt - Part 3
Irish Chain Scrap Buster Quilt and Tutorial (July 2015)
Memoire A Paris Irish Chain Quilt (June 2016)
Red and White Irish Chain Quilt (January 2017)
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