I liked both aspects of this book - a method of organising small pieces of quilting fabrics, and a series of 'recipes' to assemble them into patterns and then into final quilts. I actually think I'll use the methods for table runners and placemats before I attempt a full quilt - I need to get a bit more experience combining colours in a way that aren't overwhelming in a large quilt.

A nice short reference book, with good instructions and illustration.

Quilter's Scrap Pantry by SusanClaire Mayfield is an interesting twist on how to organize your scraps. Quilters whether beginners or not will always have scraps. What you do with those scraps is always a challenge.
I would say that this is a book for those who are fairly new to quilting. The book offers a variety of ideas how to organize and use leftover fabric, even small scraps. SusanClaire Mayfield advises setting up a 'leftover pantry' for scraps and provides direction on how to organize your 'leftovers'.

Additionally, she provides patterns for scrappy quilt blocks you can make once your material is organized. The book also offers links to YouTube videos, tips for thrifty quilting, and organizational stickers.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my. You have as many scraps as I do, after a few years of sewing? Do you have a hard time tossing a perfectly good strip or squares? What to do?

Mayfield comes to the rescue, demonstrating how to organize and use those offcuts. There are block patterns, quilt layouts, measurements, and more. You even get templates to label your scrap drawers or boxes.

It's short. It's concise and practical. I liked it. And I'll use it. I'm looking forward to making some exciting quilts with my memory fabrics.

As all quilters I have a lot of scraps from previous quilts or sewing items I have made. Fabric is very expensive and at times the scraps are large remnants in funny shapes.
So, not only has this book got some fabulous patterns to use the fabric on, but it also has a recipe on how to both organize and cut your scrapes into color and shapes.. The scrapes are cut into into most useful shapes, and can be can be stored for later used in projects. This takes little room and saves hours of sorting and cutting when a quick quilt is required, and with the money saved, one can buy more fabric.. . Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DR

Quilter's Scrap Pantry is a well written and non-judgemental tutorial guide for getting control of (and using) the stash that every crafter has, written and curated by Susan-Claire Mayfield. Released 19th March 2024 by Fox Chapel on their Landauer imprint, it's 68 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

Most quilters are, by nature, frugal and hate to throw away even the smallest scraps from earlier projects. This quickly leads to a massive (often disorganized) stash of bits and bobs, scraps, and pieces, which we stuff into closets and drawers and bemoan occasionally. Refreshingly, the author here encourages us to drag it all out into the light, separate it into light medium and dark piles, and organize it into usable *sized* pieces and shapes most often used in quilts, -and- store it in see-through containers (plastic boxes, etc).

If we see the items we have, we'll use them instead of rapidly losing courage and being daunted by the idea of digging through a house worth of hidden smaller stashes.

MANY of the general ideas and concepts here will be very useful for multi-crafters, including yarn, thread, embroidery, weaving, quilting, metalworking, jewelry-making, beading, and more.

Four stars. It's a very short, but info-packed booklet. It would be a good choice for public library acquisition, home use, gifting, studio groups, maker's groups, guilds and similar.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I enjoyed reading Quilter's Scrap Pantry by SusanClaire Mayfield. You will be inspired! Happy Quilting! I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest and personal review.

This has to be close to one of the most perfect quilting books I have seen. I know I will use the information in it, and I know it will be a way to use all the material in my stash and have shapes on hand for use. I liken the ideas in this book to organising the fridge or pantry, except it is happening with fabric.

The measurements are well set out, and the descriptions make following the instructions easy. The label printouts at the back of the book are really handy and are a labeller's dream.

What I love most, though, is the 'recipes' for using the units made from scraps. The creator has not only given us the 'tools' but a way to use them. Without the 'recipes' I don't think the book content would be as valuable and is an essential part.

I highly recommend this book for quilters|patchworkers, especially novices like me.

Nonfiction | Adult
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If you are like me, a winter quilter, you are packing up the quilting supplies for the summer, and feeling just a bit overwhelmed by how much is in the scrap box. Or boxes. New Zealand quilter Mayfield offers some helpful guidance to organizing your leftover fabric so you can easily find colours, quickly put together a pretty scrap quilt, and gradually reduce the pile so it’s not so overwhelming. This is not a big book – it’s under 70 pages, but priced under $15 Canadian so it’s a thoughtful little gift for a quilter and a super resource to buy for your own use if you are overloaded by your scraps. Mayfield begins with a straightforward discussion on tools, equipment, and techniques for new quilters, then gets into the good stuff – organizing. She suggests some kind of drawer system – ideally see-through – so you can organize your scraps by size (1.5″ strips, 2.5″ squares, etc). Jars and clear bags also work nicely – whatever you can make work in your space. She explains how to “fill” your pantry, by cutting awkward leftovers into strips, squares, rectangles and triangles. These pieces can then be used to make units, which can be combined into various blocks. Along the way, Mayfield provides helpful tips, guidance in choosing a colour palette (it’s an American edition so it’s “color” in the book), and encouragement for those new to scrap work. The six units she lists are basic: a four-patch, a nine-patch, rectangles, the half-square triangle, flying geese, and a snowball. She then provides some lovely inspiration by showing how to combine units into various blocks, mixing up colours to tame them or turn up the scrappiness, turning blocks to change the pattern, and offering illustrations of finished quilt designs that will have you racing back to the sewing machine. I would have liked to see photos of actual quilts, but the illustrations are good inspiration nonetheless. Oh, and there’s a final section on how to bind the quilt, though she skipped completely over batting, backing, and quilting, which will be confusing to a brand-new quilter. While there is nothing particularly new in what you’ll find here, all in all, Mayfield has created a resource that puts it all together in one book – cutting your scraps, sewing units, making blocks and creating a quilt top. Despite its small size, there is a LOT here to look at, with plenty of illustrations and short text blocks encouraging you to dip in and out of the pages. My thanks to Fox Chapel Publishing for the digital reading copy in full colour, in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/184874536

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you are a quilter with a big unsorted bag of scrap fabric, or if you are a collector of small bits of fabric from the discount bin of your favourite fabric store, you will find this book inspirational. It has tips for the shapes and sizes that you should cut from your scraps so that they are ready to use when you are in the mood. It has instructions for several simple projects that you can make with the scraps that you save. The quilt instructions are concise, enough to communicate the steps to an intermediate quilter, but lacking the details and cautions that would be needed by a beginner. But, if you are confident and not a perfectionist, this book is still useful for beginners.

SusanClaire Mayfield offers simple suggestions for using fabric scraps to make classic blocks that can be arranged in multiple colorful quilts. Like other "scrap block" books, the directions for storing scraps and directions for putting them into blocks are helpful. But the suggested completed quilts certainly require more than just a few scrap strips or squares to accomplish, and those pictured quilts do not include any yardage totals or even the number of blocks needed. For some quilters that will be a problem; for others, the quilts are just the needed amounted of creative spark to inspire their own creations. For me, the most useful page of the book, and reason enough to buy the book, is the measurement chart for creating half-triangle blocks from squares. lt tells what size to trim a block to, and then the size of the finished block.

I enjoyed how the idea of a scrap "pantry" carried throughout the book with "recipes" for various quilt designs. Besides lots of ideas for sorting and storing scraps, very good instructions are given for the basics with detailed coloured diagrams. How to make the basic units such as 4 or 9 patch, flying geese, rectangles, snowball, triangles, is followed with several examples of quilt designs using each of the basic units, and includes finishing with making and attaching bindings. The coloured photos are inspiring and made me want to get to my sewing room! Thank you to Landauer Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I don't know how much Bernina is paying this publisher to shill for them, but it immediately dilutes their credibility. Sorry not sorry, quilters don't need a $14k computer that's full of corrosion and cheap plastic. Why would anyone need a machine like that for the likes of stitching scraps together?

The patterns are just the same old thing repackaged in a sloppy manner that does little to invite anyone to purchase this book. There are hundreds (thousands) of books out there that show what's in Quilter's Scrap Pantry only they do it much better.

This instruction book is a good starting point for quilt scrap containment and use for beginners. The diagrams were simple and straight forward, and the instructions were easy to understand.

As an avid quilter with a perpetual stash of fabric scraps, I'm always on the lookout for inventive ways to turn my remnants into stunning creations. Susan Clair Mayfield, known as the Gourmet Quilter on YouTube, has again proven to be a guiding light with her exceptional reference book, "Quilter's Scrap Pantry."

Overflowing with specific and practical ideas, this book is a must-have for any fabric addict seeking innovative ways to organize and utilize their scrap collection. Mayfield advocates for the use of see-through containers, such as drawers, boxes, jars, and even bags clipped onto hangers, emphasizing the importance of labelling for efficient storage.
The Gourmet Quilter encourages readers to transform their scraps by cutting them into manageable, commonly used sizes like 2", 2.5", 3", and 3.5".

From there, she skillfully demonstrates how to turn these scraps into simple yet beautiful quilts. The book is a treasure trove of tips and tricks, catering to quilters ranging from beginners to advanced enthusiasts.
Covering essential topics like storage solutions, necessary tools, and supplies, "Quilter's Scrap Pantry" provides a comprehensive guide to making the most of your fabric scraps. With over 12 quilt patterns utilizing simple block units, such as 4-patches, flying geese, and post rail, Mayfield ensures that no scrap goes to waste.

The well-organized layout of the book makes it easy to navigate through various patterns and techniques, transforming "Quilter's Scrap Pantry" into more than just a book—it's a journey into the realm of creative quilting. Whether you're a seasoned quilter or just beginning your quilting adventures, this book offers a wealth of information and inspiration.

In conclusion, "Quilter's Scrap Pantry" is an indispensable resource for anyone seeking to breathe new life into their fabric scraps and delve into the world of imaginative quilting.

My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, Fox Chapel Publishing, and Landauer Publishing for providing a digital copy of "Quilter's Scrap Pantry." In exchange, I present this honest review, recognizing Mayfield's invaluable contribution to the quilting community.

The concept was great, and I really enjoyed the patterns in the book. The book starts with a discussion about organizing your scraps, then provides details on several blocks you can make with your scrap system. At the end are the full quilt patterns. It was a bit frustrating, on a e-reader, because you have to flip back and forth to figure out what "unit A" is, for example, when you decide which quilt pattern you want to make.

There were many formatting issues, but this could just be because it's an early release - pictures were upside down, captions split across pages, some pictures did not display.

This guide for those fairly new to quilting offers a variety of ideas to organize and use leftover fabric, even small scraps. Susan Claire Mayfield advises setting up a 'leftover pantry' for scraps and provides direction on how to organize your 'leftovers'.

Additionally, she provides patterns for scrappy quilt blocks you can make once your material is organized. The book also offers links to YouTube videos, tips for thrifty quilting, and organizational stickers.

This is a good addition to a beginning quilter's library.

The Quilter's Scrap Pantry is an excellent reference book for making the smaller units or building blocks that can make up a whole host of different quilts. It starts with an introduction of tools and equipment and sewing techniques and even has QR codes to help you access videos that can assist with some skills. It covers the basics of applique too. My favourite part of the introduction is the 'Setting up the pantry' part. It appeals to my inner organisational nerd! The author has even supplied some stickers in the back of the book to act as labels for your own pantry.
The majority of the book focuses on how to make some basic quilt units and then different ways in which they can go together. This is a fantastic resource and it is good for beginners and experienced quilters alike.
All in all, this is a great book to have on hand in your library to use as a reference or for inspiration.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked that this book didn’t just concentrate on squares and strips. There are ideas for triangles and rectangles as well. I did want a little more in the “pantry” area of the book. Wanted more about organizing in different ways, storage, cutting and prepping. There were many great pattern options. Not exactly my style but great for scrappy quilts.

Well done instructions and excellent pictures. The author explained the techniques in a way that made working with scraps less intimidating. This book would be a great asset for any quilter.

The book is divided into the following sections:
1. Introduction
2. Tools and Equipment - Typical tools that most quilter’s already have in their sewing room.
3. Sewing Techniques - Includes a QR code for a video demonstrating a scant 1/4” seam allowance.
4. Setting up the Pantry - Ways to store and organize your pantry.
5. Filling the Pantry - Color
6. Making the Units - 4 patch, 9 patch, Rectangle, half square t triangle, flying geese, snowball.
7. Using the units - Individual and combining the units.
8. Making a Medallion Quilt
9. Binding
10. More Uses for Scraps

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

2+ quilted stars, not rounded up

Mayfield suggests separating leftover fabric into “three main color groups: lights, mediums, darks.” (Reviewer note: These are not color groups, they are color values!)

I have read quilting books and think that Quilter’s Scrap Pantry would be difficult for beginners to follow. My ARC did not have pictures of the “Recipes,” (as Mayfield labels them) so those basics did not make any sense. Basically, the author advocates cutting scraps into common sizes of squares or strips before using them. Been there, already done that.

“Once you have made the units you can use them in a variety of designs for all kinds of quilted projects. All you need to do is select them from your Pantry.” I like the idea of a pantry, “full of delicious goodies,” but I don’t see random bits working together unless they are totally scrap quilts or they have some unified colors and styles. (For example, 1930’s tiny, flowered prints would not work well with bold batiks.) Mayfield suggests playing with the sewn together units until you find the color palette you prefer. It is time-consuming and fabric consuming to sew things together without having a plan. As a quilter who’s learned from my color mistakes, other scrap quilting books would be more practical.

The pictures in Quilter’s Scrap Pantry are computer generated flat images of quilts. I greatly prefer photos of quilts using real fabric to visualize initial projects, before tweaking patterns and colors to create my version. (In my experience, most quilting books do this.)

Her computer-generated quilts have lots of little pieces, especially triangles, so they would be time consuming. Other books have techniques about how to ‘group blocks/ rows’ to make sewing faster. I have made several quilts, read many quilting books (history and techniques), and learned from videos and classes, and think that there are better books available for beginners to intermediate quilters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.