The OHIO Principle

Many, many years ago, while watching a TV news magazine program about organization tips from organizing pros, one of them talked about The OHIO Principal and I've never forgotten it.  It has been very good advice that I've used in every area of my life but never more so as when making scrap quilts.  

What is The OHIO Principle?

It simply means.....Only Handle It Once

It is a way of thinking that makes the best use of your time where applicable.  Here's an example.  You go grocery shopping and buy four boxes of tissue.  We might normally bring them into the house, unpack them from the bag, and set it on the counter.  Then, later we pick them up from the counter and bring them to the linen closet for storage.  The OHIO Principle says to take them from the bag and put them directly in the linen closet.  Not the most astute example, but you get the idea.  

Basically, what it really means is that we waste a lot of time moving things around.   Instead, only handle it once and put it where it belongs right away.  

How does this apply to quilting or making scrap quilts?  Oh....it does in a big way!

We all love scraps quilts and we love using up our scraps.....BUT....scrap quilts are very labor intensive.  Choosing all the different fabrics and cutting from each one for just one quilt is extremely time consuming.  

But.....what if you apply The OHIO Principle and only handle it once??  What happens is nothing short of amazing!

As many of you are about to embark on The Circa 1880 Nine Patch club journey, you will probably be handling a whole lot of new fabric and lots from your stash.  Now is the time to become organized and make the most of handling each piece of your beautiful stash!

From the first cut of my fabrics for The Circa 1880 Nine Patch and every fabric I laid hands on after that, I cut pieces for several scrappy quilt projects.  Each and every time I handled a piece of fabric, I made the cuts necessary for the other quilts.  Hence, I only handled each fabric print once but made the most of it.

I always started with my WOF strip.  

Then I cut the strip in half on the fold.

I then made cuts for seven different scrap quilts.  Before I started cutting anything for the Circa Nine Patch, I made a list of what other quilts I wanted to make and the cuts I needed for them.  I cut squares for Half Square Triangles,  a piece for a Tumbler quilt I'm working on,  a scrap for blocks for a quilt I am hand piecing, two squares for a Four Patch blocks, a strip for Log Cabin blocks, 1.5 and 1 inch squares for Postage Stamp quilts and the strips for the Circa Nine Patch blocks.  

I know many of you have been cutting squares and a variety of different width strips for years before I wrote this post, and I have never done that because I didn't want to spend my time making cuts for quilts I wasn't presently planning to make.  Knowing exactly what quilts I wanted to make made all the difference.  That's just me.  

During the year I worked on the Circa Nine Patch blocks, I made nearly 400 Four Patch blocks sewing them together as leader/enders!  It felt effortless.  I am still making Circa Nine Patch blocks and am using leftover strips as my new leader/enders for a postage stamp quilt I've designed that will be released later this year.  I don't have to cut anything new!  It was all done months ago, and now I just sit and sew!  What a great feeling it is to have all those glorious scraps waiting for me!!  

And while you're at it, it pays to have my 
Fussy Cut Templates handy for the fabrics with great motifs!  

I hope I've given you something to think about as you begin a new year and continue making quilts.  The OHIO Principle has made a huge impact on how productive I am and I'm loving it!!

I invite you to leave a comment about your best tips for making the most of your fabrics for scrap quilts.  I'll chose a few winners who will receive the pattern of their choice!

Very soon, I will begin traveling for lectures and workshops.  

My first visit will be to the North Suburban Quilters Guild in Arlington Heights, IL.  I'll be there February 22nd and 23rd.  You don't have to be a member to attend workshops at the member discounted rate!!  Click here to find all the details of my visit.  I would love to see you there!

Work in Progress

As promised, I wanted to talk about making scrap quilts.  For those of us loving and obsessed with fabric, there's nothing better than making a scrap quilt, or two, or three......  While I love scrap quilts for the variety of fabric, what I don't always like is how labor intensive they can be.  Multi-tasking helps a whole lot!

Presently, I am working on five scrap quilts....some long term, some short term.  Planning ahead means that I can sort thru fabric for all five projects at once.  Here's what I do.....

If I buy new fabric, before I store it, I take a piece from it to cut into small scraps for the five projects I'm working on.  Subsequently, if I'm pulling fabrics for a new scrap project, I'm always thinking about whether those fabrics will work in the five other ongoing scrappy projects, and if yes, then I'm setting aside a piece to cut for them as well. 

I'm working on the basket quilt from Blackbird Designs' When the Cold Winds Blow book.  This is my very first attempt (emphasis on attempt!) at needle-turn applique.  Hopefully, by the time I make all 297 basket blocks (I've made 76 to date), I'll know what I'm doing.  This is definitely a long-term project.  I have no idea when I will complete it, but I do work on it a little each month and am thoroughly enjoying the journey!

Oh how I love little blocks, and I've always loved the Thimble quilt.  When my friend, Tara Lynn Darr's (Sew Unique Creations) new book came out, Simply Charming, I knew I had to make her little Thimble quilt.  I've been cutting thimbles for awhile now.  I haven't progressed any further sewing them together, but I do have a very healthy stack of them ready to go when I have time to sew.

I've been making Yo-yos for awhile now and can't seem to stop.  I've used my stash of Yo-yos in several Prairie Women's Sewing Circle projects and have worked to re-build my supply....never tiring of them.  They're easy, mindless sewing that are fun to take-along.  I also love how different the fabric can look once they're made into cute little Yo-yos.

Another long term project is paper piecing 4 inch Courthouse Steps blocks.  I have 2 major projects that will use these blocks and they require tons of assorted 1 1/4 inch strips.  Cleaning and organizing the 'ol scrap bins gave a huge boost to my tiny strip needs. 

Lastly, my newest obsession is English Paper Piecing hexagons.  This is my short-term project.  Once I've made all of the Hex's I need for my project, I have a feeling that, like the Yo-yos, I'll probably never stop making them.  They are quite addicting and English Paper Piecing is enjoying a huge surge is popularity of late.

Although all of these projects are -works in progress- there are already countless hours of work in these scraps.  They are just too cute to hide in a bin, so I display and enjoy them while I keep working.

I think the hexagons and the Yo-yos look great in bowls.  Great eye-candy!

I have a second small design wall behind the door of my sewing room.  There, along the edge from the top to the floor, I have pinned all of my basket blocks according to color.  Everyday I can enjoy them.  I don't have to wait to enjoy them until the quilt is finished...whatever year that may be! 





To answer my own question.....what is the smallest size scrap worth saving?  Normally, I save anything 2 inches and larger, but because of the Courthouse Steps blocks, I'm now saving smaller pieces.  I'd love for you to comment and share your tips about organizing your scraps and how you prepare to make those lovely, labor intensive scrap quilts! 

Thanks for visiting with me today!  Feed your soul with the stitches you sew!

Pam