Scrapalicious

According to reliable reports, scraps are overthrowing sewing rooms everywhere ;).  Baskets are filled to the brim, scrap management systems are slipping into anarchy and some have confessed, "I just don't know how I should sort them and what pieces are actually useful, and for what."

Don't despair!  I totally understand that "slipping" feeling.  It puts me on edge.  I guess I decided to give my scraps the royal treatment as a way of reminding myself how useful they are and how much I want to be using them!  I kind of think that scraps are just about as useful as yardage.  It's all in your frame of mind.  You can piece them together (try to avoid getting blue in the face) to make fabric that can be used for blank, blank and blank.  So, given that, I save even the tiny pieces (down to about 2" square).  Those little itty bitty things are best for applique, where you don't loose fabric to seam allowances. But, I only save it if I like it.  I have my throwing-out moods as well, especially with small neutral scraps or very multi-colored ones.  The more colors, the harder it will be for me to find the scrap a real home in some random, already-planned project.

But, moving on to today's finishes!  After sorting those scraps, I was inspired to help them evolve into some wild, come-what-may improv patchwork.  So I set about thinking...  No, not a quilt.  Something smaller, something a little more useful?  Hey, maybe something to give!

Enter $3 graph-paper composition books and Jennifer Paganelli's covered journal tutorial. 



Each book cover is such a small project, which allows me to play around with random piecing styles and color schemes. And, quite a lot of fabric goes into the front/back inside flaps, so the entire work doesn't have to be stunningly fabulous.







I'll be making 10 in all. And I'm trying my best to make them suited to the very special individuals I have in mind. Problem is, I'm already starting to think I should have ordered more than 10 composition books. Not only could I double my list of gift-recipients, I'm having a ball making them!



I'm really happy with how they fit the books too. Thanks, Jennifer, for an easy, well-designed tutorial! My only change was shrinking the 2" seam allowance to 1" in order to save fabric. Yep, still can't bare to waste scraps...