Hi Reader,

For the past month or so, I've been doing a deep dive into fabric scraps - discovering ideas for managing, organizing, and using them so they don't take over my sewing space.

As part of my research, I asked in the past couple of newsletters for your thoughts on scraps and have received so many replies.

First, if you sent me questions, scrap projects, or any other comments related to scraps, thank you! I've read every single email and have thoroughly enjoyed reading what you had to say.

Second, it is my intention to share with you all the scrap project ideas that have been sent in, but I haven't gotten them all compiled yet. My goal is to have that list to you by the mid-September newsletter.

Third, it's not too late to share your thoughts about fabric scraps with me. Things like:

• what you do with scraps
• struggles you have with them
• questions you have related to scraps
• what scrap solutions work well for you

Just reply to this email to share your scrap experiences with me.

Pumpkins

My mom's quilting brain is always spinning. She is constantly thinking about the quilts she is currently working on as well as the quilts she wants to start on next.

Every once in a while, she will get an idea that she can't let go of and all of her current and future projects take a back seat.

Have you ever been so inspired to do a sewing project that you dropped everything else you were working on to begin it?

That's what happened with the pumpkins.

I'm not sure what triggered the idea of a Halloween quilt, but Mom decided she wanted to make one this year.

With her decision, I got a super helpful lesson on how my mother does her online research.

• She hopped on Pinterest and did a search for string-pieced quilt pumpkins.
• When she found a design she liked, she looked to see if there were any comments on the pin.
• Then she clicked through to the post where she read the comments there too. One of the things she looks for in the comments is where she may be able to get the pattern.
• She then heads over to Google and does a similar search.

Mom found a string-pieced pumpkin quilt design that she really liked.

Through the comments, she discovered it had been published in a book along with other string-pieced designs.

But the pumpkin quilt had originally been published in a 2017 Quiltmaker magazine. So she went on a search for both sources.

She loves string-piecing so she was interested in the book. She searched for the book on thriftbooks.com before finding it on Amazon.

Then to find the magazine, she went to Ebay. She told me Ebay is her go-to source for old quilting magazines.

What was interesting was that while the book and magazine directions were almost identical, the magazine had additional step-by-step photos that Mom found really helpful with the construction of the stems in each block.

Is your online research process similar to my Mom's?

Reading comments for sources and finding magazines on Ebay weren't part of my research routine, but they are now!

Do you want to learn more about string-piecing? Check out my post A Beginner's Guide to String Piecing. (You'll also get to see several of my mom's string-pieced quilts.)

A Sewing Book

Do you have systems in place to keep your sewing space organized?

One of the strategies I use is to get rid of items before adding anything else to an already full storage area.

This practice helps me maintain organization and control the amount of stuff that I bring into my space.

Recently, I discovered I had more books than would fit onto the shelves for my sewing library.

Some books had to go before I could add the new books, so I started sorting through them to see what I no longer wanted.

In my sorting, I rediscovered a book that you may find extremely helpful especially if you are new to sewing.

The Sewing Book (New Edition is 2018) has two main sections (tools and techniques) with 15 subsections such as:

• Darts, tucks, pleats, and gathers
• Facings and necklines
• Sleeves and sleeve finishes
• Hems and edges
• Linings and interfacings

There are also 10 home decor and garment projects sprinkled throughout the 400-page book.

This book was designed for the visual learner. It is full of clearly labeled photos and diagrams that walk you step-by-step through a technique or project.

Even if you've been sewing for a while, I highly recommend this book especially if you like print resources. It is available on Amazon.

(This book is staying in my library!)

Fabric Tape

Have you ever discovered a project that when you saw it you couldn't wait to share it with someone?

That's how I felt during my scrap research when I came across a tutorial on how to make fabric tape. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to share it with you.

Eliane from Patchwork and Poodles has an excellent tutorial on how to make this tape out of fabric scraps.

No sewing is required but you do need 2-sided carpet tape. I haven't had a chance to make any yet but want to give it a try.

Eliane has a lot of fun stuff on her site. If you look around long enough, you may find her Quilt Coat Course and be as intrigued by it as I am.

On the course page, she explains that the Quilt Coat Course is for:

Note: I am not an affiliate nor have I purchased this course (yet). However, I just thought it was a super fun project and wanted to share it with you too. 😊

Don't forget, if you have something to share with me about fabric scraps or anything else, hit REPLY to tell me your thoughts. I really enjoy hearing what you have to say.

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

​P.S. Are you new to the Snappy Scissors newsletter and want more sewing inspiration and education? You can see some past issues of Snappy Scissors HERE.