Hi Reader,

Do you get notifications from your photo app of things that happened years ago?

All the pictures I take with my iPhone are set to backup to Google Photos.

Every day I'll get a notification from them to check out some past photos.

Recently, some images popped up related to some of the first sewing project tutorials I did for The Ruffled Purse.

Not only was this a fun memory, but these two projects are great for beginners and for scraps.

• ​Making Bean Bags​
• ​Making a Tic-Tac-Toe Board​

If quilting is something you've been wanting to try, make sure to check out the tic-tac-toe board. In this project, I show you how to do many basic quilting and piecing techniques.

An organizing mistake

Have you ever gotten pretty boxes, beautiful bins, or fancy furniture to organize your sewing space only to discover these promising items didn't offer the solution you were hoping for?

You're not alone.

Whether new or used, I've acquired many items that didn't result in the organization I wanted.

It doesn't matter if you pay full price for these items or get them for free, if they don't support the way you like to move and work in your space, it will always feel as if these things aren't quite right.

Items don't solve organizational problems.

✨ Knowing how you like to work, move, and create in your space BEFORE finding final solutions to organize and store your sewing tools, fabric, and supplies is the key. ✨

This was one of the epiphanies I had a few years ago when I created a space where I love to sew after lots of trial and error.

Since then, my sewing interests have expanded and I've been in the process of moving my sewing space from one spare bedroom to another.

It's been a lot of work with slow and steady progress, but I've had a lot of fun and the end result is in sight.

It's all because I'm using the same process that brought me success the first time.

My proven process consists of 8 different steps (called plays) and is what I teach in Sewing Space Playbook, my online course that has helped, not just me, but many quilters and sewers set up a space where they love to sew.

Are you curious about the 8 plays in Sewing Space Playbook? You can click HERE to see what they are and how they work together.

I'm making a few updates to this life-changing course and hope to have it ready for enrollment by mid-April.

If you're interested in participating in the next class of Sewing Space Playbook, make sure to get on the waitlist so you are notified when it's ready.

Managing scraps

Several weeks ago as I walked out of the kitchen, my husband said, "Wait. You've got something on the back of your pants."

He then showed me this small green triangle and asked, "Do you want to save this scrap?"

We looked at each other and burst out laughing. I love scraps but he knew this one was too small for me to save.

When you're concerned about wasting fabric, it's hard to throw away even the smallest fabric scraps.

You may have even wondered what is the smallest size scrap worth keeping.

I wish I could give you an answer, but I can't.

This is something you need to answer for yourself, and you can use these three questions to help:

1. What do you want to make with your scraps?
2. For scraps that are too small for the projects you want to do, is it easier for you to (A.) keep them and pass them on to someone who will use them or (B.) just throw them away?
3. How much mental energy are you spending thinking about your answer to #2?

If you spend any amount of time thinking about the logistics (where, who, and how) of saving small scraps you'll never use, I'm giving you permission to throw them away.

More than likely, the amount of scraps that end up in the landfill from your sewing room trash, is significantly smaller than the amount of scraps you're using. You ARE making a difference when using scraps of any size.

Instead of thinking about how to store scraps too small for your projects and finding someone to give them to, I encourage you to save your brain space for making and creating.

More than likely, size isn't your only challenge when it comes to scraps.

Organization and how to manage all those fabric pieces are other common struggles.

I believe a scrap management system needs to be developed by the person who will use it.

This is what I taught in my Life of a Scrap Case Study class in the 2023 Conquer Your Fabric Scraps Summit.

For a limited time, this one summit class is available for just $9.​

In this 20-minute presentation, I encourage you to discover an organizational system that works for you while showing you my system, how it has evolved, the process I used to create it, and why it works for me.

Also included in this $9 class are

• printable and digital note-taking sheets
• 60+ ideas for using scraps
• planning considerations to think about when planning your scrap system

If you've been wanting to kickstart your scrap organization, this class will help you do it.

That's all for now. Until next time...

➡ Are you new to the Snappy Scissors newsletter? You can check out past editions HERE.

➡ The next Conquer Your Fabric Scraps Summit will be in August 2024. Get on the waitlist to be notified when registration opens.