I save everything except for crumbs - defined as less than 1"x1"! I have reupholstered my daughter's dining room chairs with selvedges and they are sooooo cool! I have only been quilting for 4.5 years and I have been saving my strings and selvedges since the beginning. I love making my own fabric by sewing my strings together as leaders/enders. If a strip is less than 5" long I will cut it into the largest square possible, down to 1" sq. I honestly don't need to buy any fabric for the rest of my life, but it does give me pleasure to find great deals on fabric. Most of my stash is in tubs now since I took most of it to Florida for my 10 month stay there and then brought it home again. I am lucky to have a daughter who is getting into quilting, so she will get my stash of material, thread, embroidery machine, sewing machines and longarm.
But I have had even quilters be surprised at the size of my stash!!! What can you do when a store is going out of business and the material is $2.67 a yard??? Even if it is "ugly", I can cut it small or use it in a backing!!!
Now I need to get my behind back up to my loft and quilt!!!