Scrap Support: Knowing (and Working) With What You Have
Quilt backs are the perfect chance to use your fabric collection and play with color. This stack of scraps (with its future quilt top) was such a joy to work with. I’ve shared more tips for making scrappy backs here if you’re looking for inspiration!
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been getting to know our fabric collections more intentionally — all the scraps, leftover trimmings, larger cuts, plus the odds-and-ends pieces we’ve picked up along the way. We’ve:
Sorted by color to see what’s really there
Built palettes from chaos to experiment with relationships
Used neutrals to balance, shift, or add some surprise to a pull
But sometimes, even after all that sorting and pulling, your fabric collection still doesn’t feel inspiring for your next quilt.
That’s usually not because you don’t have enough fabric, it’s because there’s a gap is hiding in your collection.
This week’s post will help you:
Spot the four most common types of fabric gaps (and why they stall palettes)
Run a gentle self-audit of your own fabrics
Try quick exercises to reveal what’s missing, and decide whether to embrace or fill that gap
And if you want a simple tool to see it all at a glance, grab the free Fabric Color Inventory checklist below: it’s a one-page matrix you can fill in to visualize where your collection is abundant and where it’s sparse.
What Do Gaps Look Like?
This was me: lots of greens and blues and yellows, and very little else. Sometimes the gap shows up in what you have too much of.
Most gaps fall into a few repeatable patterns:
Value Gaps: Your fabrics all hover in the middle. The result? Flat quilts without sparkle or grounding. Example: a pile of pinks and greens that all read midtone will feel muddy until you add either a pale blush to sparkle or a forest green to anchor.
Color Family Gaps: Maybe you have endless teals and blues but no warm counterparts. That’s why every pull leans cool. A single mustard, rust, or coral could be the pop that balances the whole.
Texture & Scale Gaps: Do you only buy solids? Or only loud prints? Without contrast in scale and texture, a palette can feel monotonous. That’s why one small-scale stripe or tonal can suddenly give a busy pull breathing room.
Connector Gaps: You’ve got saturated brights and high-contrast neutrals, but nothing muted in between. Midtones and desaturated “bridge” fabrics are often what make a palette feel cohesive instead of chaotic.
Spotting these categories in your own stash makes it easier to see why something feels missing, and gives you language for what would bring the palette to life.
A Gentle Fabric Audit
Here’s a simple way to work through your stash without falling into the trap of “I need every color.” Use these prompts as a self-audit:
1. What’s in Abundance?
I have plenty of ______ colors.
Most of my fabrics fall into ______ values (light, medium, dark).
My stash leans heavily toward ______ (solids, small prints, large florals, neutrals, etc.).
2. What Can I Make Right Now?
I can pull a ______ palette (e.g. cool blues, warm sunset tones, low-volume neutrals).
I can build ______ color relationships (analogous, complementary, triadic).
3. What Can I Almost Make?
I nearly have a ______ palette, but I’m missing ______.
I’d love to try ______, but I don’t have enough ______.
4. What Actually Excites Me?
Colors I’m drawn to most right now: ______.
Do I actually have them? Yes / No.
If not, what small addition would unlock that excitement? ______.
The key is curiosity. This isn’t about checking off boxes, it’s about naming what you see and noticing what sparks.
If you’d rather see it at a glance, grab the free Fabric Color Inventory checklist below. It’s a one-page matrix you can fill in so you can literally spot clusters and gaps in seconds across color and value.
Exercises to Reveal the Gaps
Always take the opportunity to check on the values of your fabrics by taking a quick snapshot and switching the filter to greyscale: Value can make or break a palette!
If you’re not sure what’s missing, try one of these:
Greyscale Test: Take a photo of your fabrics and switch it to black-and-white. Do they all blur into the same mid-grey? That’s a value gap.
One-Color Challenge: Pick a single favorite color family from your collection — say, blues — and try building a palette using only those fabrics. Do you have enough light/dark contrast, texture, or connectors to keep it interesting, or do you quickly hit a wall? Either way, you’ll spot what’s missing and discover new ways to combine what you already have for your next quilt.
Opposites Game: List your favorite colors. Then jot down their opposites, in hue, in value, or in saturation. Which opposites are completely missing from your stash? Sometimes the missing piece is exactly what would make your palette sing.
The point here isn’t to “fix” your stash overnight or to run out and buy everything that’s missing. It’s simply to notice and take stock.
Sometimes the gap becomes your next creative challenge: What happens if I make a quilt entirely from midtones? Other times, it’s a note to your future self: Next time I shop, I’ll look for quieter connectors.
Either way, awareness gives you confidence. No more vague “I don’t have enough” feeling. Instead, you’ll know what’s missing and you’ll get to choose whether to embrace it or fill it.
When You’re Just Not Excited
Odds and ends you don’t use don’t have to gather dust. Pass them on, re-sell them, or donate them for a second life.
Sometimes the “gap” isn’t what’s missing, it’s what you have too much of and don’t love anymore. Maybe you bought a bundle years ago that isn’t “you” now. Maybe you’ve got stacks of colors you never reach for, no matter how many palettes you audition.
Here’s what to do:
Bundle them up. Move those fabrics onto a different shelf, into a separate bin, or tie them up with ribbon. Out of sight, out of mind.
Set a time frame. Six months, a year, whatever matches your cadence of making. If you haven’t reached for them in that time, trust they’re not for you right now.
Release them with purpose. Marketplaces like FeelGood Fibers are a great option for reselling fabric. Or donate to a local arts organization, school program, or quilting guild.
It’s not wasteful to acknowledge that you’re not going to use what you have and finding them a new home. It’s giving those fabrics a second life in someone else’s hands, while making space in your own stash for the colors and textures that genuinely excite you.
Looking Ahead
Next week, we’ll shift from noticing to acting: how to shop wisely to fill gaps with purpose, not impulse. Because once you know what excites you, what you almost have, and what you’re ready to release, shopping becomes about support, not overwhelm.
For now, walk through the audit, pull a few test palettes, and ask yourself:
What excites me right now?
What palettes can I almost make?
What would make them sing?
That clarity is the foundation of quilts that feel intentional, joyful, and fully yours.
What to Do With Odds & Ends
The Sonnets quilt pattern is a fantastic way to make a dent in your scraps. Each improv block is framed with a wide border, so you can treat every block like a tiny color palette study — mixing what you have in new ways and seeing how different combinations play out across the quilt.
With its mix of small cuts, you can cut all your pieces from individual scraps if you’d like. Sonnets gives you just enough structure to guide the process, while leaving plenty of room for experimentation, making it a perfect project if you’re looking to celebrate what’s already in your fabric collection and spark fresh ideas.
Check it out here.
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