MadQuilter

There is a great exercise you can try:

Sort your scraps by color and put each color in its own brown paper sack. Then the only decision you need to make is which color you want to pull next. Grab a piece form that color bag (no peeking!!!) AND YOU MUST USE IT. There is no exchanging pieces unless you pull the same one twice in a row.

Or sort your scraps into a dark and light pile. Then pull pieces alternating from each value.

You will be surprised at how well everything goes together. BTW, I have trouble with the totally "unordered" scrappyness too, so I know where you are coming from.

GailG

Thanks, I've seen this done on Simply Quilts. I just haven't been able to make myself do it. I like the idea of the brown paper sack. So do you cut all of your pieces the same size? and sort by size too? SEE WHAT I MEAN?? It's so bad, that I think I'd need to go to a "meeting" or something to get the cure. :oops:

Honestly and seriously, when things settle down over here (if they ever do) I'm going to try the paper sack method. I've got LOTS of small scraps. Thanks!

dizzy

i don't know were you live but i'm a hoot owl in my house it's1:16am here but i'm fixing to get off of here so good night an have fun i've learned a lot looking all around internet to night.

k3n

I'd agree with the scraps in a bag idea - I spent a morning a while back organising my scraps because I was feeling EXACTLY as you desribe. I cut a lot into 1 and 1/2" strips then I made a string quilt for my son. I just sorted into light medium and dark colours then let him pick the strips - only specifying light, medium or dark! It went together so quick! I got the technique off quiltville.com and it was so liberating because i normally agonise for hours over eveything matching!

K x

Nita

Usually when I feel that way it is because I'm working on something that I'm not that crazy about. Sometimes I just need to put the "So So"project aside (if there are no deadlines on getting it done) and work on something else to get my creative juices flowing again.

Mousie

Quote:

Originally Posted by GailG

This is true confession time :: when you great people say scrappy quilts, it scares the heck out of me. I get so befuddled when it comes to using all those different pieces. I can't decide which one to put next to which one. I can't even get all of my scraps together in a semblence of an order -- even a scrappy order. I keep putting all my scraps and little pieces aside in containers. Pretty soon one container is full, so I go to another container. Etc, etc. It's making me soooo nervous. And I'm NOT an organized person. You should see my house right now. With a quilt going, turoring going, baby quilt waiting to happen, another wedding cake coming up, etc. The faster I go, the behinder I get. Sick grandchild coming tomorrow so Mommy can go to work. AND THEN I READ -- JUST MAKE A SCRAPPY QUILT. ????? I'm going bananas! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Gail, first thing - breathe. Your suffering from one of my ailments called, "The I Have To's"...I have to do this, I should be doing that, I have so much fabric...but I have to get that kitchen cleaned....
This is a suggestion, not something else to make you feel, "I have to live up to that", if it's not good for you, toss it :D ...that is rule #1. Don't try to live up to what we make ourselves believe are other ppl's expectations. They are not even paying attention to what we are doing unless we get in their stuff. (Yes, we do big time numbers on OURSELVES).
Now, you decide, what are my priorities. Friday - babysitting is front and center...this is a list to guide you, not a whip to make you mush. (like a sled dog, lol! :cry: :D )
Write with a marker in big print. If you come to one that just won't work right now...make sure it won't work, not that you are ignoring, and open the fridge, (sometimes my fridge calls to me like my kitty),
if you can get it done later that day, just skip to next one. Cross one off, each time you finish. Visuals like this are great. Teachers ??? use them all the time....oh yeah, lol.
Somewhere on this list, you are going to write in, one, 1, - ONE -
30 MINUTE sewing session...that's it.
I have the same problem as you about how to put color together in a pleasing way. Some ppl seem to have a natural gift for it.
Two things are big helps. A color wheel.
I have a book called, "Color Magic for Quilters", by Ann Seely and Joyce Stewart. I am not saying you have to buy a book. I'm saying, this book taught me how to take one color and decide which color way, I want to go with, eye pleasing combinations...well, I haven't memorized them...I have to go look in the book, but I'm saying there are ways,...tools...to help us figure these things out.
I saw a beautiful little quilt in a fabric store, that I am going to make for a friend. It's a small wall hanging, with a scrappy border, and an appliqued center. I know her preferences, and I'll use the book to guide me.
Second big help...imitation is the sincerest form of flattery....print out a picture of a scrappy that you like and copy the order of the color combo with your sraps...HANG IT UP, SO YOU DON'T LOSE IT.
you'll make this yours, with the other things you do to center and borders or binding. 30 minutes...ding, ding, ding...get up, go do anything else you want. Stop saying I have to. When you have several 30 minute exercises under your belt, and that, 'have to' feeling becomes, "I don't have to, but I want to, then when it goes off, reset it. At any time, get up, don't stand over yourself like it's piano lessons. I have embraced the fact that there will be fabric left in my sewing room when I die. I might be buying some, when it happens, who knows? but I've already done a ton of stuff, (sewing projects), in my life already, and I plan on doing more, me and my timer...it's my bestest (inanimate object), friend.
Long, but that's cause I try to be very helpful :wink:

Mousie

GEESH! so you think you are the only one that is not motivated, only one not doing anything, and only one that gets mixed up????
I came back expecting to find one of my replies, right?
Think as I was going down emails, I got on another post and wrote stuff, that was meant for here...now how's that for being 'on target', lol???
WE ALL MESS UP!!! :D :D :D

Mousie

I USED TO BE LIKE EVERYBODY ON THIS POST, THAT JUST COULDN'T GET GOING. I AM NOT COMPLETELY CURED....it's just that I learned my biggest hindrance: I CANNOT WORK WITH CLUTTER UP TO MY EARS, ALL AROUND ME.
Now, when you see my pictures, my room is packed, but it IS organized. Not vacuumed this week, but nothing on the floor, except garbage cans and bins. Tables have some stuff that is cut out, so I am working on other table. I will not cut out one more project, until this one is done, simply bc, IT IS IN THE WAY of anything new.
I do have a block that I will do, but that's small.
Then I will get back to the toddler quilt, hanging on my design board.
I only kept the stuff, I know I am really going to use, and gave away or trashed, (oh, did I mention I was a famous box, bin, bag, ice cream bucket collector????) WAS.
When I cleaned and organized, one space at a time, and kept cleaning and organizing, till it was all done the way I want it, THEN, I felt freer to be creative.
It's not the way you are born, and it's not a gift. I have to push myself to stay neat...each and every day, but it is the most freeing thing I have done for myself. I am an addict, I am compulsive, and i can be a procrastinator. I will always wrestle with these issues, but now I know I can do something about it. And some days, I just don't go in there, so the urge will come back big time...and I set the timer. Absence does not make the heart grow fonder, it makes me lazy. One day of vacation, unless I am sick or not home. Gonna quit yacking about this now. These are the things that work for ME. Keep doing what you been doing and the same things will keep happening...I have to remind myself of that.
I hope each and every person finds their "groove". I have a motton on a bulletin board, "SOMETIMES THE ONLY REASON AN IDEA DOES NOT WORK, IS BC I - DON'T DO IT!!!" ...sometimes, (you'll understand if you just read previous comment), is bc I GET MIXED UP,...doing too many things, too close together, LOL!!! ...oh happy day....la la la...going back to my room at the 'farm' now....now laugh, straighten things up and set that timer, and sew...one seam, even! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

k3n

Déjà vue!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

K x

Mousie

LOL...hee hee, left a little somethin for ya, on other post :wink: