my newest "project"

My fabric stash has exploded. And I mean that in all definitions. Thanks to a quilt bee, several completed projects, and a scrap bag or two, I have more fabrics on hand than ever before. But, they are also all over the place. Sorta looks like a bomb went off.

When I got my first TwitterB block fabric, I actually was looking for scraps in three different places in my house. Not good. Great big (like 20-gallon big) containers of batting, scraps, kits, books, you name it. Then another pile downstairs and still more in small containers. At least the small containers were partially organized.

To say the least, it was a bit frustrating.  Especially given that I kept finding things I had forgotten that I had purchased - like five additional table runner kits from Fat Quarter Shop.  *sigh*

A little after discovering admitting to this problem, I found this fabric folding tutorial over at Cut to Pieces.  - - - "Liiiiiightbulb."

(We are huge Despicable Me fans, btw.)

I've posted on my sewing  space before, and I know this isn't the best picture - still terrible light down there - but check out the background.  See those "cuts" in the wall?  Perfect stash shelves.  :)

So, last Thursday on a return trip from Charlotte, I stopped by the local comic book store and picked up a pack of 100 backer-boards.  When I got home that night, I started gathering my stash pockets bit by bit and after a little time, I had this....

It's going to look so good on my wall!!  Oh, I can't wait.

The horizontal fabrics are about 1/2 yard or larger (but I don't really measure - just eyeball) and the vertical ones are 1/4 yards to 1/2 yards.  I cut the boards in half for them.  I haven't worked on any of my fat quarters yet, so I'm not sure how they will work.

I'm about a third of the way done, and I can't wait to see how they turn out!   It's also been fun to discover what I have in my stash as I've come across several that I just don't remember buying... a print from the Pure line, one from Modern Meadow, several from All Star, etc.  Maybe I'll find my brain while digging out the rest of my fabrics, LOL!

scrap bags

Have you ever purchased a scrap bag? You know...the "blind luck" collections where the store or designer picks what you get? Basically it is a pile of leftovers that they can't sell, usually because it is smaller than a quarter-yard.  Remnants, if you will. 

I've seen many scrap bags before, but never quite got up the nerve to buy one.  I mean, what if I hate the fabrics??  Then I'm stuck with ugly stuff that I will never use.  Wasted money, right?  Well...maybe not.
 

A while back, Melanie from Above All Fabric posted that she had some new scrap bags up.  I've ordered from Melanie many times and been very pleased.  I'm not sure I've ever seen an ugly fabric on her site...ever.  So, I jumped.  She had two to chose from:  a bag with various sizes and a bag with sizes guaranteed to be over 5 inches.  I chose the latter and it was at my door in just a couple of days.  Wanna see what I got?

All of this for $9.00 - and I personally think I hit the jackpot.  There are 17 fabrics in the bag and as you can see the colors, prints, and sizes are quite varied. By weight, they add up to two yards of fabric.  That's $4.50 a yard.  Not bad given that most Moda yardage I see is twice that price.

I see many uses for these, and I'm so glad I bought them.  In fact, I ended up using five of them in my TwitterB block, which I just happened to be working on the night I received these...and I still have leftovers!  So once again, I find myself stretching outside my comfort zone.  And I like it.  :)

I highly recommend scrap bags now and will be buying more.  They are a great way to build my stash and a great way to try fabrics that I probably wouldn't have otherwise purchased.  Because I tend to think in  terms of projects, I tend to lose sight of the fact that there are some great stand-alone fabrics out there.   I also recommend purchasing scrap bags from stores that you normally shop at anyway, especially the smaller ones.  That way you know what fabric they carry and whether or not there is a good chance that you'll like most of it.  If you purchase a scrap bag from a store with five-bazillion fabric lines, you'll be more likely to get something you don't like, in my opinion. 

So what about you?  Have you purchased scrap bags?  What did you think?  Like it or hate it?  Would you do it again?  I'd love to know your opinion.  :)