Fabric Scraps Obsession, My Minimalism Journey, Thrift Shop Adventures

A “Humane” Way to Eliminate Fabric Scraps (re-post)

tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Every so often I like to re-post something from the tierneycreates archives. Here is a post from October 2015. As an update to this post – it appears the fabrics scraps I bagged up for donation sold immediately at the Humane Society thrift shop. It seems my part of the country is infested with fabric scrap obsessed crafters!

If you have followed my blog for awhile, then you know about my addiction to fabric scraps. This addiction seems to be incompatible with my desire to downsize and minimize my possessions.

The fabric scrap addiction began innocently enough – friends would give me their fabric scraps at quilting retreats. I would go for a “sew day” at a fellow quilter’s house and leave with some of her fabric scraps. As if that was not enough, I began to actually BUY scraps.

Yes, BUY FABRIC SCRAPS, you read correctly. There is a wonderful quilt shop in Central Oregon called The Stitchin’ Post and occasionally they would sell scraps bags of their beautiful high-end quilting fabrics.  I bought numerous bags from them.

Beautiful scraps or not, still I was buying fabric scraps.

In my post “Creative Inspiration: Organization???” I shared my new organization of my favorite fabric scraps by color. Although I had organized scraps by color I still had a GIANT box of remaining fabric scraps.

I knew I had to do something. I needed to let go of the fabric scraps I did not completely and absolutely love. However, I did not want to throw them away or try to convince another quilter to adopt them.

So I packaged them up into 30 bags and organized them into two baskets and DONATED them to our local Humane Society Thrift Store to sell! (How do I know that the Humane Society Thrift Store sells fabric scraps? Do you want to take a guess? Yes, because I have bought fabric scraps also from several thrift stores include the Humane Society Thrift Store in the past).

The Humane Society Thrift Store Volunteer accepting my donation seemed pleased that I had packaged them up for sale. I like to imagine if they sell each bag for a couple dollars or more each that could be over $90 – $150+ profit for a wonderful local animal shelter! Some of the bags are packaged by color and some are random – so many options for the Humane Society Thrift Shops’ customers!

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A “Humane” way to let go of excess fabric scraps!

When I buy fabric from quilt shops in the future, it will be actual whole fabric (fat quarters or yardage). I still have plenty of fabric scraps and my fabric scrap collection contains only scraps I truly love and plan to use…eventually.

POSTSCRIPT

I am still working through the lessons from the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo that I discussed in the post “The Space in Which We Live“. 

Published by tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Quilter, crafter, obsessive tea drinker and lover of all furry creatures (especially dogs and cats) - join me on my tierneycreates blog as I share stories from "A Crafter's Life".

11 thoughts on “A “Humane” Way to Eliminate Fabric Scraps (re-post)”

  1. I’ve also been reading Kondo’s book. I stepped up to my closet, then shrank back in fear :). Her criterion of ‘joy’ is a very good one, tho. Kudos for turning the fabric into cash for a good cause! I’m sure they will find a good home.

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  2. I’m glad that works for you. Here we have Goodwill and Salvation Army, of course. Also there is the Mennonite store, to which we donate a lot, including fabric. But there are not other thrift stores to support other causes. I was surprised when we walked around Edinburgh and Ft William that there were so many shops for charitable sales. We just don’t do that here.

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  3. You are so right, packaging scraps like this is a great way to donate to a good cause AND share your bounty with others! I packaged some of my scraps and gave them to mom for her church rummage sale. These little packages brought so much joy to others for just a dollar or two. I need to do this again–sharing is a good thing!

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  4. Way to go for helping raise funds for the animal shelter! Who wouldn’t buy scraps? I’ve bought them online. There’s something about the mystery of what’s in the bag that makes it so fun. That and then there’s the anticipation of incorporating them into the “fold.” Kudos!

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  5. Once upon a time I also bought scraps–in my early days of quilting when I didn’t have enough variety to make a scrap quilt. I now generate plenty of my own. LOL. Have yet to come to giving or selling them…maybe that is the next stage of quilting life.

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