I have a hard time throwing things away, and I don't just mean in my sewing room. But the stuff from my sewing room does find a home. I know people that weave rag rugs and crochet doilies out of those strips too small to measure, and that do fabric mosaics with the 1 X 1's, etc. My kids laugh at me because I throw the crumbs on the floor as I'm working, then sweep and sort it all out, and end up throwing very little of it away :)

I used to throw a lot away but with the price of fabric, I'm keeping larger pieces and strips for scrappy quilts. I figure when I get all my kitted up fabric made up into quilts, I'll need more and I just don't know if I'll be able to afford it!

A couple weeks ago I started appliqueing, Those small pieces are now valued. I'm so in trouble. Ha, Ha

I keep my leftovers organized by size: 2 1/2 inch strips or 3 1/2 strips. The smaller, but not tiny, bits I keep in small bins by small, medium, large. In the last month I have made five comfort quilts from leftovers. All I needed was sashing pieces and borders. I want to contribute as many comfort quilts as I can to the oncology unit, but the cost of fabric is so high that this year I have made a multitude of "leftover quilts" that are beautiful. Those pieces that I really won't use again I pass on to another member of our guild, who makes even more comfort quilts from them. It's my goal to continue searching through my stash of leftovers to make at least six more soon.

I have boxes that I dont know what is evenin them. I could just give them away as is BUT I can't. I MUST LEARN. --j

I give away to Goodwill my scraps and blocks not wanted any more. There are people that will buy these and make their own quilts, crafts and etc.
IdahoSandy

We do not even throw away our scraps when we trim up our piecing. That goes to the people that make cuddle pillows for the pound. Whatever else that cannot be used for piecing, applique, etc, also also goes for this use. We use left overs for comfort quilts. There is a difference between not keeping and throwing out.
Remember our actions leave a footprint.

There are some wonderful ideas for using up fabric scraps here. I'm just plain tired of playing with the scraps and not using up my beautiful yardage. It is time for me to put the scraps away.
With that in mind I started cleaning up the sewing room this week. Things need to be put in their own space. I found I had two shelves filled with batting scraps. You know, the pieces that you trim off of the quilt before putting on the binding - 10 inches by however long the quilt was. I was saving them for my mini projects. Well, there are only so many minis to be made and I needed the shelves. One large garbage bag filled with batting scraps. I still have a stack of larger batting that I am saving for wall quilts but the sewing room is looking a whole lot better now.
Sometimes you just gotta to do what you've gotta do to save your sanity!

I have to admit that when it comes to scraps I just cannot seem to make myself throw them away. I make scrap quilts, a lot of applique quilts and now into small art quilts and mug rugs. You can utilize very small scrap for some of these projects. I think as long as I can keep them contained in one closet and somewhat organized I will continue keeping them.

Once I started PPing, I find I can't toss any size scrap away. It is piling up though so I will eventually offer it out free to somebody. Just cannot put much in the wastebasket. I'm also now putting larger pcs. that I know I won't use into the mix.