ASG Houston 2025 Scrap Challenge

The Challenge

At the annual meeting in December Cheryl Johnson, inspired by Inside the Loop NG discussion, presented a challenge for 2025 to BUST OUR SCRAP STASH! The ASG Houston 2025 Scrap Challenge involves creating apparel, crafts or quilts throughout the year using only the scraps in your stash.

Guidelines

Rules for participation were outlined in the Spring Newsletter. Bring your creation, or photos of your creation, along with a tally of the number of scraps used for each creation to the annual meeting in December. We will vote on the Best In Show for the most creative, completed project and the Best In Show for a vintage project. To be considered for Best in Show you must bring the finished project to the annual meeting.  

The rules for the ASG Houston 2025 Scrap Challenge are as follows:

• Use scraps from your current stash to create apparel, crafts or quilts.
• Use vintage scraps or vintage fabric incorporated into clothing, crafts or quilts.
• Create as many final projects as you wish.
• Scraps as stuffing will not be counted toward the highest number of scraps (e.g. dog beds)
• Your submissions must be final, finished projects.
• The scrap only counts once per project. For example, if you use five of the same scrap in the same project, that scrap counts only one time.

There’s Magic in The Scrap Fabric Bin

In 2024 I began to save my scraps and intended to donate them rather than toss them in the landfill. It is surprising how often I dig through the scrap box and find something to use as a binding, bag or pocket lining or facing piece. I made a promise to myself that I would find more opportunities to use my scraps.

The ASG Houston Scrap Challenge intrigues me. Now the box that takes up space outside my sewing room has a purpose. Up until now, I believed the only scrap fabrics with value were quilting cottons. I guess when I think of using scraps I think about making quilts. I’ll have to work on being more creative with my scrap use.

In reviewing the newsletter about the scrap challenge last weekend I decide to make something. I remembered my favorite, sewing You Tuber is doing a series on using scrap fabrics. Here is the video I used to get inspired for my project.

https://youtu.be/YDeJ6in9hk0?si=BVyqDgdi7nB_lWED

Inspiration

Thuy Crafts and Thuy Sewing are two great You Tube resources I often turn to. I love her video style. She doesn’t talk over her video and her instructions are usually just measurements in text format, dubbed over with music. I had a lot of fun whipping up this project over the weekend.

The finished bag! I should probably top stitch the inside binding edge down to prevent the circle edge from rolling.

While watching videos on You Tube I fell down a scrap fabric rabbit hole and I found this incredible gem! I love the idea of combining an embroidery sampler, bag making and scrap challenge all in one go! I love the format of this video. She doesn’t talk over the video; using the sounds of scissors scissoring, needles needling, thread threading and machines sewing. It’s a style of video called ASMR and for some viewers it’s very satisfying.