Thursday, September 22, 2011

Favorite Things Friday - Scraps

Scraps, wonderful scraps!  It's my Favourite Thing this week, and pretty much any other week of the year too.

(Caution:  Potentially disturbing images of disorganization follow.  Viewer discretion advised.  Sensitive persons may wish to pop a Xanax or pour a glass of wine.)

Under this pile is a vintage sewing table...somewhere.
New fabric is great, but I have a confession to make.  I look forward to the end of any project made with new fabric yardage just so I can have fun with the scraps.  You too?
So colorful and interesting!
There is a sort of liberation with scraps.  You have to use your noggin a bit to make it work.  You don't have to do matchy-matchy, unless you want to.  Not that there's anything wrong with coordination, but personally, I've grown comfortable with a certain degree of uncoordination.
A small pile to the left of my cutting mat.
Scraps offer so many possibilities.  Using the bits and bobs you have on hand can net you something very unique and interesting (and fugly happens too, let's be honest). 
To the right of the cutting mat, and keeping the Juki from getting lonesome.
I think the appeal of scraps plays right into my appreciation for people who make something from nothing.  Recycle, upcycle, turn trash to treasure, whatever you want to call it.  We throw so much away that still has value to someone somewhere.
To the right of the Singer, more black and white scraps.
But I'm not denying the urge to purge.  We all go through cycles of accumulating and getting rid of things.  Circle of life and commerce and all that.
Currently hogging space on my ironing board.
An attempt to organize by color on the floor (FAIL).
What's cool is when you share your scraps with willing quilty friends, like Jenny did when she packed (and I mean PACKED) a Priority Mail box and sent it my way.
This is after at least half of the scraps had been removed.  Still packed!
Scraps on top of scrap drawers (which are full of more scraps).
It was like scoring the jumbo pack of Crayolas with the built-in sharpener!  So many colors!  Patterns!  Potential!
A peek at one of the things I made from scraps this week.
And another peek at something else.
In fact, I'm reminded of my childhood love of coloring with crayons, because that's exactly what it's felt like to play with these.  Time disappears.  I'm in my happy place.  Likely to forget appointments, meals, and basic hygiene. 

To be sure, playtime with scraps will come to an end all too soon.  Work will get busier.  I'll feel the effects of neglect in other areas of life.  The phase of the moon will change and I'll get a wild hair to clean up all the clutter.  Or I may even decide to quilt a flimsy or two (gasp!).

Still, there's no doubt about it.  Scraps kick ass.

18 comments:

Michelle Ridgway said...

I agree wholeheartedly P. I do love scraps and my scrappy quilts are more often than not my favourites. I love the challenge of using my scrap box and not going to the shop (doesn't always keep from the shop though)

Baa-Me Kniits said...

Great FTF....Love some of those scraps. It all looks like such fun! :-)

BendingPins.com said...

Holy Hannah P., you've got a lot of scraps! Can't wait to see your secret projects, I especially like the Buddha fabric.

Jenny said...

gah! P! i nearly lost it when i saw that top yellow fabric...i L*O*V*E that fabric and can't beleive i sent you a scrap of it! im insane about that one! mind you, i have about 3 yards left!!! ha ha ha, but it's seriously a favorite of mine. so good to see you DO something with these scraps!

Sara said...

Scrappy goodness Paulette! Love those scraps to pieces...he,he :)

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

Me too - I really enjoy making scrap quilts. It is so freeing. Normal quilting rules don't apply because it is just scrap!

Petra said...

Great faves! Happy weekend. Can't wait to see these scraps as a finished quilt.

Shay said...

I wasn't at all disturbed by all those pictures of your scrappy goodness.

There is nothing like delving into a scrap stash even if I could only do that with yours virtually (and visually!)

I love the ability to take a random bunch of scraps and make them into something pretty. The re-use and recycle ethos is very appealing to me.

And yes ...Scraps DO kick arse.

Marg said...

Nothing disturbing about those photos. My sewing area looks pretty much like that all the time.
I love scraps but I do have a lot of trouble being very scrappy when it comes to making scrappy goodness, lol. I'm possibly slightly OCD with scraps, I need controlled scrappiness.

Larri said...

It's like the crayola factory exploded in your sewing room, P. ☺ Love your scraps, and quite agree with you...they are fabulous. Happy FTF! ☺

Unknown said...

I love looking at scraps, it says I've been doing something. However, I don't keep anything smaller than 2 1/2" too much for my brain to compress.

Kate said...

Love your colorful scraps, you have some fun ones! I've been trying to tame mine too, but it's not working.

greelyrita said...

What fun!! I'm enjoying it vicariously!! Back to my work...

Anonymous said...

I didn't see disorganization - I immediately started looking for familiar fabrics, and I found several! That yellow print on the top of the stack in your first photo is going into my sampler quilt, in fact.

Nicky said...

I love scraps too and feel less and less inclined to throw any away as I'm using small bits up in applique!

Enjoy!

Michelle said...

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE scraps! Just so much fun potential in those little bits. :-)

Canadian Abroad said...

Brilliantly well written FTF post. Loved it and love scraps.

Elizabeth said...

I love play time! And my working space is a mess too. Love all the great eye candy in this post and I love the combinations you come up with.

xo -E