Leaders and Enders

I first learned about Leaders and Enders here, on Lori's blog.

If you're interested, read the whole post and click her link as well.

She has lots of info....

Here is my leader, the block before the tulip block, under the presser foot.

I organized most of my scraps like Lori suggested, into strips and squares.

You can see my fabric bins here.

This is the little container I found in my office that I can use for the l l/2" scraps for some courthouse steps blocks.

The center square is 2 l/2", surrounded by 6 - 1 l/2" strips in varying lengths.

After I sewed part of the tulip block I would have cut the thread and pressed the block. 

Instead of cutting the thread, I sewed another strip to the courthouse block which will be the ender.  

Then I was able to cut the tulip block off of the chain and take it to the ironing board. 

Jodi from Pleasant Home also posted about how she has organized her scraps like Lori and is also sewing leaders and enders.

This method of sewing saves so much thread, I hope you try it :)

I still have more scraps to organize, I'll get it done eventually!

My Fabric Scraps

My scraps have been growing and growing and growing!

I had a large box for large scraps and a large box for small scraps.

Now the scraps are overflowing and this photo is only a sampling of what has been accumulating.

I was reading Lori Holt's blog and she has a great and efficient way of storing her scraps, you can read about it here.

I decided to organize my scraps Lori's way and went to quite a few stores to find the perfect storage container!

After going to about five stores, I finally found some at Target for approximately $2.79.

I took them home and pulled out my cute Martha Steward chalk labels that I had bought a few months ago at Staples.

I cut my fabric into 3 l/2", 2 l/2" and l l/2" strips and squares.

It took a few days to cut all those strips, sore shoulders from bending over while cutting, but now I've got all the scraps cut and organized, excluding the ones in the two large boxes.  

This photo shows the three boxes and a top view of how organized all the fabric is! 

I have since cut more scraps and the baskets are a little fuller.

I made my "apples" blocks after I did this organizing and it was just so easy to choose some fabrics from the little piles in their containers.
The containers have lids so that I can stack them. 
That will be really helpful since I've run out of shelving! LOL
My fabric stash is expanding :)

The amount of scraps I had after cutting the strips was astounding!

The great thing about all of these scraps, is that I get to throw them away!!!  Yeah! 
 They are all less than l l/2" wide.  

If your scraps are overtaking your sewing area, I encourage you to look into this method of organizing.

Happy Sewing!