A Real Cut-up

While I was in my studio working on a vintage quilt and organizing some fabric and supplies, my husband came down and chuckled.  He reminded me about something my father-in-law used to say to me.  He would watch me work and tell me I was "a real cut-up".  He noted that the work I did consisted of cutting things into little pieces and then putting them together to form something big again!!!

If I think about it, he had a point.  I cut  big pieces (yards) of fabric up into little pieces, then sew them back together and make big, beautiful quilt tops.  I use some of the scraps from quilting, old clothes and mill ends to weave rugs on my weaving loom after cutting them into strips first.  I even  cut up bark from trees, willow and reed into pieces and then weave the pieces into baskets.

I am a very frugal person and I have a system to organize pieces that works well for me.  I have plastic shoe boxes with lids and I cut pieces from left over fabrics for scrap quilts and store them in the boxes according to size and shape.  When the box is full or if I am in the mood to make a scrap quilt.....the pieces are already cut and ready to sew.  The results are great because the fabrics are all different.  If I have multiples I label the box for blocks like four patches or nine patches and only have to cut the coordinating or contrasting pieces.

Once you start cutting, the boxes fill up fast.  You'll have another new quilt in no time!!!

Happy Quilting,
Laurel