A funny thing happened on the way to this post...

 

Good morning!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

A funny thing happened on the way to this post.  I wrote this post last week (as I usually do).   Originally, this post was about how I was using my scraps to make small projects.  And then...

As I wrote in my original post, often when my husband and I are watching tv at night, I search Pinterest for stash/scrap quilt ideas.  I'm often disappointed with what the search nets:

"How to organize your fabric."

"How to fold your fabric."

"Why I got rid of my stash."

And more "How to organize your fabric."

I'm already a gal who likes "a place for everything and everything in it's place."  But here's the thing I didn't take into account:  

I forget.  And maybe you do too.

I reviewed my paper piecing patterns and found a whole stack of patterns already printed on vellum (I love paper piecing on vellum).  Some must have been leftovers from a project that I had completed.  Others I'm not sure why I printed out and some were for quilts that I never got to because of...who knows?  Most were small enough to make placemats or small projects.  So I decided to use them.

It turns out, there was more that I forgot than I thought.  I moved the box that lives atop the pattern books.  Opened the box and found some applique blocks that I thought were unfinished...but I had enough completed to make one or two small wall hangings.  Score!

The list goes on and on.  And as a final suggestion (and note to myself), I decided to iron each and every scrap to assess what I had.  The ironing process plus the paper piecing whittled a 10 inch drawer down to a 5 inch drawer.  Another 5 inch drawer was emptied completely.  

So I started whittling away at these two 5 inch drawers...

And then a funny thing happened yesterday, I needed more scraps and began opening the drawers that holds my scrap fabric:

Except...and I still can't get over this...there weren't any scraps left.  Instead there were 8 drawers of completed blocks.  No, not UFOs or orphan blocks but blocks that I had assembled, measured and counted and nicely arranged in the drawers awaiting their forever project.  

It felt like I was visited by the sewing fairy:

Except I was the fairy!

I was so astonished that I sat myself down just to survey it all.  For the last 18 months or so, I've been using up scraps and finishing UFOs.  My life is so chaotic that I hadn't realized how much I accomplished.  It's an enviable position and one that I wont' likely repeat but for now, I'm grateful! 

So yes, organizing is important but remembering what you have is equally important.  Take stock of what you have because you never know what you might find!

Have a safe and happy day!