The Scraps Are Taking Over

      Does anyone else ever feel like this?  Granted, a large part of this problem stems from the fact that when I first started sewing, I would buy any and all fabric I could get my hands on, which usually took the form of large boxes at random auctions, which would end up being half scraps.  I’ve given away bags on Craigslist, swapped them for things on Craftster, and am always using them for things like facings, but none of this seems to make a dent.  

     Normally, my “collector” (read: hoarder) mentality wouldn’t have a problem with it, but suddenly I do.  I’m in the thick of a very heavy workload for school, and am averaging approximately one sewn seam a day.  I would love to have multiple machines threaded with different colors so that I can sew my one seam on whichever project strikes my fancy that morning.  (Most of my sewing is squeezed in before I leave for school; I’m usually exhausted by the time I get home.)  But the scraps prevent this.  I’m now up to a kitchen trash can plus a large copy paper box that are overflowing, so there’s zero room for the pedals underneath my table. I keep telling myself I need to sew my way out of the mess.  If only I make enough fabric bowls, or patchwork notebook cases, then I can use up all the fabulousness just waiting in there.  The problem is I don’t want to make the crafty things right now; I want to sew garments, and the scraps are in my way.

This is a normal, kitchen sized trash can.  Plus another box this full.

  I could store them all away in our storage unit; but that would just be delaying the problem.  Also, if I can live with them being inaccessible in the storage unit, I can live with them being inaccessible by getting rid of them.  What I really need to do is bag them up and list them on freecycle.  Why is this so difficult?  I do have enough smaller pieces of fabric that if I needed to do a crafty project I could cut into them, and as I said I don’t want to make those right now.  So this is my public pledge.  I will pass on my scraps to someone else.  No saving any of them.  If I want scraps, I’m going to have to make them by cutting out more clothing projects. They have to go NOW.

   As far as actual sewing is concerned, like I said, I'm in the middle of a ton of stuff for work, and lately I've also gotten distracted by other things more than sewing.  I joined a monthly LARP in my area and have spent a lot of time learning about makeup, which is weird.  Mostly because I've never messed with it before, and now I have the enthusiasm of a middle school girl discovering it for the first time, but with an adult budget to buy "the good stuff" right off the bad.  A dangerous combination.  But I do have a Renfrew cut and ready to sew, as well as an upcycling project, so maybe with my cleaner workspace I can get a little more done on those.  Updates soon!