Lately, in a post in another group (Pat Sloan's) I mentioned something about Urban Development being nr. 41 in my series. Pat made the comment that "That's quite the series you've got going on there."

It is. It started because I had 2 big trash bags of 2" strips....AND I had bags and boxes and boxes of scraps that needed to be trimmed down.

Well, in 2015 (this is review for most of you)...I decided to "deal with it" and start using up those strips. So, I started with a simple light/dark/light dark quilt...that was nr 1 and the beginning of this fun and crazy ride of coming up with ideas to use up MY strips using what I had on hand--without going to buy more to add to my scraps to make a certain colorway, for example.

This is why I've ended up mostly working on my own designs. I look at what I've got on hand and work with that. Of course, some of these scrappy quilts aren't all scrappy--in fact, most of them have a generous supply of a constant-white/black, or blue, for example, to help make order out of the chaos of so many colors and designs of the fabrics.

You may ask, "Why did you have so many scraps?" Well, part of it was, I was up to taking people's scraps--so I had a lady here give me some--plus I finished quite a few charity quilts in 2013 (100+) for example, and that left me with bags of cut offs from the backings and batting (when I trimmed before binding, for example)--which I just bagged up and put in the basement.

So, in 2015, I made quilt tops nr. 1-21. My last of that first group was Flat- Top Scrappy Pyramids. (For pictures of these, check the album of 2" strips quilts).

So, this year, 2016, I made a goal to cut scraps for 15-30 min. a day. I was very good until May...at which time I promptly came to a stop. But in those few months, I managed to cut up 18 lbs. of 1 1/2" strips, 64 lbs. of 2" strips and 85 lbs. of 2 1/2" strips. So once again, I was supplied. In the meantime, I was working on more tops, beginning with nr. 22 (Four pane Windows). I have finished 41 to date with Urban Development being nr. 41. For the sake of balance, I'm trying to finish up nr. 42 in the next few days so that I also will have finished 21 this year.

But," you say, "Aren't you about caught up?" Well, I was down to only 2 boxes of scraps to trim down when my sister left in July. However, due to all the quilts I made this fall, this is what I'm back up to.. So, in one sense, yes, I'm more caught up than I was a year ago, but not "caught up"...not at all. However, my goal is to tackle these once again and try to get this pile eliminated. Completely. I know that some of you say to cut as you go...but when I'm on a roll, I want to be producing and not trimming. It's just how I am. I don't know if I can change. I guess we'll see.

So...maybe I'll come up with another 21 more designs in 2017, if the Lord allows it.

The last picture is my whites. I have worked those down somewhat. I'm trying to get them down to two shelves. If you see a few on the left--not with the whites--they are actually thicker fabrics and need to go with embroidery backings.

Onward...