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!
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 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!!
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!
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!
