I just started cutting fabric squares for a rag quilt, and found in a box some smaller pieces of batting left over from several quilts. I don't know why I saved these odd-shaped pieces of batting, but must have thought I would find a use for them someday. I was able to cut the 90 squares of batting that I needed for this quilt from basically leftover batting! Thought I would pass on the idea to my fellow quilters.

Woo Hoo! That is a wonderful idea :D:D:D

:thumbup:

Awesome!! :D

Good job! I sew them together for baby quilts or pot holders..whatever! i am proud of you!

TY for the idea...now I won't have to feel so bad about hoarding all my scraps!!!

I do the same thing. I save my batting leftovers especially for rag quilts.

Good idea!!

I have never heard of that before, so what do you do after you cut them. Do you sew them together or what?
Thanks,

I keep my larger scraps of batting, because I machine baste them together to use in miniatures, wall hangings and table runners. I use the smaller scraps in potholders, pincushions, etc.

I hate to throw away odd pieces of batting. With all the projects we quilters come up with, there is always the need for smaller pieces of batting....bags, runners, pot holders, pincushions, etc. I have one drawer where all the small pieces go, and a large bag where all the bigger pieces go. It has saved me from cutting up large pieces.

I always save everything! I usually find an eventual use for everything.

I used to use batting scraps for rag quilts, too! It's so nice to have a pile ready to go and not have to spend time cutting when the creative urge is burning brightly:-)

Now, I zigzag the medium size pieces together when I have finished trimming a project.

You are "resourceful" and that's a great feeling!!!!

Thanks, I LOVE good money saving ideas!

i just trim them to be straight edged. then when i need a small batting piece, like for a baby quilt or whatever, i sew them together.
i use a SITD (stitch in the ditch,has the bar in the middle) foot, and use a zig zag stitch. i only do this with warm and natural batting. i do not overlap them. just butt them up against each other..works for me.

What a great idea! Gold star for the day!!!

Great use of scrap batting!

Ditto on that too!! I've done it for years!

The planet thanks you! Always good to save your bits and pieces...surprising what you can do with them.

That's more than thrifty...that's frugal and smart!!

ditto, a great way to use scraps, I am such a miser I don't throw anything away over a couple of inches

Great job using scraps. I save all mine too. Now I have and idea of how to use it.

Doesn't that make you feel good? I save mine too! :lol:

I'm sure you can find directions for a rag quilt online. You basically cut squares for the top - mine are 7" and flannel, then cut batting or another piece of flannel (light if your top colors are dark, dark if your top colors are light) one inch smaller (6" in my case) and then cut 7" squares for the back. Sandwich the pieces and sew an "X" through each piece. This is your "quilting." Then sew your little sandwich squares together with a 1/2" seam with the seams showing on the top. You clip the seams (I use special scissors for this) and then when done, wash and dry your quilt to make those exposed seams "raggy." You could probably find more information on rag quilts by searching on this website. They are fun to make. The ones I am making are Christmas presents for grandchildren.

making a rag quilt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-LQfYXrG_Q

http://www.lovetosew.com/ragquilt.htm


it was my first quilt i ever made! i think i made about 15 of them before i moved onto a pieced quilt! lol

my batting pieces go around my swiffer duster. works great and saves on buying the refills

I wad up the really small pieces and use them to pick up thread and lint from the floor after I have been quilting.

Pardon my ignorance but all the rag quilts I've made didn't need batting. When you do use batting, is it cut the same size of your squares? What weight batting is it you use. What type of fabrics do you use if you batt them?

I do this too. I have a lady friend who does machine quilting and she gives me a big bag of batting scraps. IN fact I just used some of them yesterday to fill a new pet pillow.

i use Warm and natural.. i cut it 2 inches small than the front and back square. i use cotton or flannel squares. i sew an X through all 3 pieces, prior to sewing the rows.

i did post a link to a utube tutorial above...but not sure if she used batting. i have also used a flannel or cotton piece in the center,in place of batting. sewers choice!

I keep the left overs for this all the time

Ditto here...I do the exact same thing!
Blessings,
MaryAnna

yup that is a great idea. I save my smaller pieces of batting to stitch together to make larger, even just to use for table runners or place mats.

I hate throwing anything away.

warm quilt hugs, sue in CA

yes this is a good idea i started a scrap quilt and am using my scrap material , ribbons, and batting to make it grandma always told me waste not always make sure you use everything

Hey recycle, reclamation and using scraps to make masterpieces... it is all good!

I save it for table runners, and toppers, or pot holders or trivets, or whatever needs the smaller pieces. It works, and I always feel so thrifty

Another thing that I do, to the amusement of others, is that I use a faggoting stitch on my machine to butt the bits together. I have often enough for another full quilt. Friends are even giving me their scraps to add to my pile - which makes it very thrifty for me.

I save even the narrow strips and use them inside tote bag straps and such. The nearest fabric store is rather far away so I save EVERYTHING over an inch! I want to try quilt-as-you-go log cabins as soon as I find the instructions, I know I have it Somewhere - the place I seem to keep most of my stuff in. Have a nice day!

Great idea! I save everything... now I have an additional purpose for my box of left over batting... Thanks!!!!!

Fantastic! I keep leftover pieces also. They come in handy