Taming Your Scraps with AccuQuilt!

Do you have scraps?

Silly question, right? If you make quilts, you definitely have scraps!  

It’s Katy here from KatyQuilts to show you how to whip those scraps into something you can - and will - use!

AccuQuilt GO! to the Scrap Rescue

Scrappy quilts are my favorite! The more scraps, the better. However, the thought of going through a gazillion fabrics and cutting them into pieces I will use is daunting - at best.

Enter, my AccuQuilt GO!

Now, I can turn something like this:

Into something like this:

Into something like this!

Grab your scrap bucket, and I’ll show you how! 

Choosing the Right AccuQuilt Dies for Scrap Busting

First of all, think about the sizes and shapes of pieces that you most commonly use and choose your dies accordingly.

These are some of my favorite dies for scrap wrangling:

• Shape 2 from the 8" Qube (2 1/2" squares)
• Shape 5 from the 8" Qube (2 1/2" half square triangles)
• Shape 8 from the 8" Qube (2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles)
• Shape 2 from the 6" Qube (2" squares)
• Shape 5 from the 6" Qube ( 2" half square triangles) 
• Shape 8 from the 6" Qube (2" x 3 1/2" rectangles)

• GO! Tumbler-4 1/2" (4" Finished) Die

I almost always cut some of these while processing my scraps. I have labeled bins for each size/shape, and I add to them each time I process my scraps.

Again, think about the sizes and shapes that you frequently use. Do you often use charm squares? Use Shape 1 from the 9” Qube and cut some!  

Pro Tip: If you use dies from a single Qube, your pieces will all fit together one way or another! I recommend the 6" Qube or the 8" Qube.

Preparing and Organizing Scraps With Your GO! Cutter

Once you’ve decided which dies you want to focus on, it’s time to press and layer your scraps. Start with the biggest pieces in your scrap bins.

Where possible, press and layer pieces of similar size and shape.

Make piles that are six layers deep.

Place them on your chosen die and run them through your cutter!

Ta daaaa!

Always start with your biggest die. Cut as many pieces as you can. Now move to the next smallest die and do the same. Continue on until your scraps are too small to cut anything you will use.

Easy peasy!

I recently chopped up all my patriotic scraps. Look at these piles of possibilities!

AccuQuilt Turns Scraps Into Quilts

Need some more inspiration? Here are several scrap quilts I made from my bins!

This quilt as well as the one shown above are both made from 2" x 3 1/2" rectangles (Shape 8 from the 6” Qube).

For this one, I used 1 1/2" and 2 1/2” squares.

I used the 4” tumbler die for this one.

I recently took part in a quilt along and all the pieces I needed came from my bins of pre-cut scraps. Boy, that sure saved a lot of time!

AccuQuilt's GO! System: From Scrap Piles to Inspiration

I used to let my scraps accumulate until I was so overwhelmed that I threw them away.

Horror of horrors! I paid for that fabric!

Now, when I see my bins of perfectly cut pieces I’m inspired instead of overwhelmed. Now, I can’t wait to start sewing! 

Share your favorite scrap tips in the comment section!