Scrap Happy

August 2015
Sheree McKee
sewfabsew.blogspot.com

Scrap Happy!  

I treasure my leftover scraps from making fiber postcards.  I save them in three ways: Fabric with Fusible, Fabric attached to Stabilizer, Scrap-ola

A.  Fabrics with Fusible

Fabrics with fusible already bonded to their reverse side, are ready-to-go.  They can speed up your next project because it's as simple as cutting a shape and fusing it within your postcard design.

After each postcard project, I carefully inspect my leftover pieces by looking for the shiney fusible layer, and I keep the pieces with paper backing on their reverse side.  

These can be small or large scraps, but I save the best of them.  I like to store them in a  gallon size zip-lock bag for easy viewing, shaking, and sorting.  

With fusible attached, these are perfect for fussy-cutting

B.  Fabrics attached to Stabilizer

There was a time when I used to toss away the leftover fabrics attached to stiffeners.  I never imagined I could use these thick scraps for anything worthwhile.  Most of them tended to be narrow, stiff sliver shapes.  But I was wrong!  

Fabrics attached to stabilizers, can add a dimensional layer to your postcard projects.  Imagine layering them as a post on a birdhouse design, a branch on a tree, or cutting out modern geometric shapes.  The ideas are endless!

You can fuse them down, or use your favorite decorative stitches to attach each piece. 

I have even bridge-stitched them together using decorative machine stitches to adjoin the pieces side-by-side.  This makes a whole new patchwork postcard, ready for attaching additional embellishments!

 

Thin slivers can be adjoined to make enough for a whole postcard

C.  Scrap-ola

That's what I call my scraps.  I think we all save our fabric fragments.  But what size is a true scrap?  Of course, that's a personal decision! 

If my leftover fabric piece is larger than 10"x10" I fold it back into the main yardage and store it away with my fabric collection.  

But if it falls into my definition of SCRAP-OLA (under 10"x10") I like to tuck them into color-coordinated, recycled tissue boxes.

It sure makes great sense, to recycle and repurpose both the pretty tissue boxes and the fabric scrap-ola!

I match my scraps to the color of the box!

This crate holds two layers of stacked scrap-ola boxes

Scrap-ola on its journey to a new postcard!

My final postcard made from recycled Scrap-ola