I use scraps to do free form quilting (meaning without a pattern). Ladies in my sew group give me anything they don't want from selvages to strips less than an inch in size on up. I also save everything I have left over even pieces of threads I pick off my table or floor after I sew. Yes I use the thread in fabric art and yes I use pieces that are as little as a quarter inch on up. I am a mixed media fabric user.
I guess I'm not doing to bad with my free form quilt pieces since I get alot of Ohhh, awesss, and I never could do that, or I never would have the patience for that from folks around here.
Ever done a postage stamp quilt. That is 1 inch square pieces sewed together. Now that will teach you patience is nothing else but a shorter method is to cut 1 inch strips and sew them together and cut it to size to have 1 inch squares in a block.