I started trying to get control of the explosion of scraps as a first step to getting my 10x10 sewing room ready to add a computer (I've got two SMs set up, plus the felter and three Sms on the ground for use as backups and then there's the fabric and stuff for painting, etc ..... and the ironing board. It's a mess. But the biggest mess is the mounds of scraps that I make when I'm working on a piece. Typically I collect each project's scraps into a nice little container and put it on the floor, next to the others. Then from time to time I toss stuff into them and then, whoosh, there's a mountain on the ground supported by two or three shoe boxes.
I wanted to cut them into little useful squares. Um, didn't get far. Just too fiddly and I'm not good with that. Plus, most of my quilts don't really use little useful squares (despite this I've bought some gorgeous batches of little squares at garage sales and then added them to one of the floor mounds). So I started googling stash busters and the like and found Mile-a-Minute quilts. I love it and can do it. Here is a good explanation:
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Most of my life I've chosen to think of myself as a free spirit. But actually I'm very obsessive and as much as I love scrap quilts, I can't for the life of me not look at what I'm putting down next. So I made a deal with myself. I'm being completely random, except for the fourth piece. I cut a wonderful piece of green leafy fabric into strips of varying widths. That's the fourth strip in each block. I think it will tie them together. I've got a very good start on 30 blocks in the past two hours. Wheeeeeeeee. I really have hopes this will work. It's not producing any extra scraps and I'm using stuff that's "just too good to throw away" even though it's small, weird, ugly..... you get it. I'll keep you posted on my progress. But I think this is really going to work for me. Fast, no planning, no fussy cutting, lots of instant gratification. I really am a total child. But somebody will get a nice handmade quilt out of it. Last batch of kiddy quilts went to Women's Resource Center -- they help homeless women and women escaping domestic violence situations. Most of them have children and they obviously need warm things. Anyway, next batch goes to Red Cross for burnout victims. So I'll make this adult size and tie it most likely.
Back to the strips and lumps, Sunny