saving every scrap

Yesterday I posted about craft stuff I inherited from a very thrifty woman. I never met her but I can imagine her pouring over and sorting her craft supplies. Here is her embroidery floss carefully saved on bits of chipboard from food packaging. With the way things are going I bet we will be saving and reusing every little scrap too.

Comments

[elena]

hi laura,
just wanted to say i am really enjoying all the posts lately. i really love your work and it is a treat to hear about your process and world. hope all is going well with all the adjustments.
elena

[michele gallagher]

absolutely,
back in the 1970s I crafted for a florist shop
Part of it involved cutting felt into all kinds of shapes large to micro tiny. I never threw out any scrap. When I needed just the tiny est bit of color, fake fur or whatever I had my stash
Winding the embroidery thread around the cardboard makes sense
You are so much like Martha Stewart
no wonder she wanted you at her magazine
Good mentors are hard to find
real art appreciators are even harder
I like your blog because you are like a really good art teacher
a real professional :)
thanks for the post

michele :)

[laura r.]

thank you for posting this.
i appreciate folks who save & those who appreciate them.
we can learn so much from hand-workers who lived before us.

[Hello Sandwich]

These are divine!
And I also love your gorgeous framed quilt pieces!
Love,
Hello Sandwich

[Nina - Tabiboo]

I wish I was so organized, but then I guess different times. They do look very inspiring though, I will have to try harder and make less waste.

Love the patchwork paper piece picture from yersterday, again another wonderful idea, sorry about all the gushing!

Have a lovely weekend,

Nina x

[Nancy]

I have been enjoying all your posting lately. I love these saved bits and the quilt pieces from the other post looked amazing framed

[Eve Fox]

Just found your blog through design sponge and am enjoying it so much I'm combing back through your archives to read more.

Those little pieces of carboard with floss wrapped around them remind me soooo much of my grandma Mary who did the exact same thing. She was so thrifty that she saved everything -- twisties, plastic bags, pennies and she cut all her own patterns out of used paper and sewed things like a baby gown made out of an old cloth diaper, etc. The only downside was that thrift also caused her to knit all her wonderful sweaters, hats and slippers out of acrylic (yuck!) But I guess that is what growing up during the Great Depression teaches one -- I think it's a good lesson, we should conserve and reuse more!

I love your style and creativity! Looking forward to reading/seeing more.

[human growth hormone]

You know what to do with scraps, you have a very creative mind.