Scrap Happy in June

On the 15th of every month Kate and Gun host a blog hop for those trying to use up their scrap fabric (or yarn or other crafting supplies). Anything from pin cushions to quilts are eligible as long as scraps have been used in the making. I appreciate the mini deadline forcing me to think about how to use more of my scraps - especially since I've temporarily dropped out of the weekly Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

I routinely use scrap patches to build 6" Shoo-fly or Hole in the Barn Door blocks. I cut the pieces ahead of time and then sew them together between the seams of other projects (i.e. leaders and enders). I make the occasional postage stamp star too. But for Scrap Happy Day this month I returned to my 15" Truly Scrappy Scrappy Trip blocks.

An interesting thing happened on the way to this Scrap Happy Day. I didn't have the variety of prints I wanted for my blocks so I went through several piles of scraps to see what qualified. It was a bit disconcerting to discover how many places scraps have ended up in. When I finished cutting the 3" x 19" strips I needed for these Scrappy Trip blocks the cutting mojo was still strong. I'd also had an idea for using my narrowest scrap strips (1.5").  With that idea in mind I started trimming my narrow strips to specific lengths, something I've avoided doing in the past. I emptied the box they were stored in and went on to another box of larger scraps. I all but emptied that one too! There were more squares and triangles than strips from that second box.

During this cutting marathon I remembered a plastic storage unit I'd bought online a few months ago. It didn't turn out to be useful for the purpose I'd intended. But look how well it corrals my 1.5" strips!

I have 2.5" lengths and 3.5," and 4.5." At the bottom of the picture are 6.5" strips. These three trays stack and clip together. That will make it easy to move them to and from the sewing machine for mindless sewing. The box the strips were originally stored in has been repurposed  for the 6.5" strips. I've been able to fit in a few 2.5" wide strips as well.

There were more 1.5" squares created while all this was going on. They've now outgrown the little gift box I'd been storing them in. Apparently it's time to make more postage stamp stars!

To see more scrappy goodness you can visit the bloggers listed below. They may not participate every month but you won't be sorry you stopped by. 😊

Kate, Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Nanette, Lynn,  Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Debbierose, Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan, Karen,
Moira, Sandra, Linda, Chris, Nancy, Alys, Kerry, Claire, Jean, Jon
and Hayley.