My quilting instructor was making a wall hanging and ran out of fabric. She got in her garbage can and dug out all the trimmings that she'd had to do (some of them almost 1"but sewn to another fabric and cut at an angle) and incorporated them into the border---a few sewn together at a time---in a random fashion, they weren't in the same place on any side. The result was STUNNING!!! It looks very unique, extreme difficult and totally original. Me? I throw out anything less that 1" square. I don't do snippets, I don't do art quilts, I don't do the artsy fiber stuff and I've got so much fabric that I just don't want all that laying around. I have been keeping a stash of selveges though, I'd like to make a string quilt with them.

Mini braided rugs can be a coaster for your coffee cup or, if big enough, a trivet for hot containers on your table.

I would say if you are going to use the fabric for quilting or piecing projects, 1 inch would be easiest to handle. It will yield a 1/2 inch pieced piece. I am currently using 1/2 inch pieces in a quilt as you go project, but I am not piecing those, I am tacking them down with decorative stitches. If you can find alternative ways to use the scraps (as many have mentioned), then you can really save anything. But for piecing, 1 inch is probably good.

Cheers!
Rachel

Thank you,
I'm loath to admit how much this new craft is taking over. If i'm organised enough to start with, it may not take over so much - I think I know where I can store these for 'later'
Oh boy this is going to take over...It must be the scot ancestry in me that hates to waste any of this fabric...

Take anything you don't wan to keep in your stash and put in pillowcases. When about 2/3 full, sew the case closed and you have a doggie bed.

Just remember you paid the same price for the snippets that you paid for the yardage. I have used some pretty small pieces for table runners, pot holders, crumb blocks, bookmarks, postcards, belts, trivets, coasters, etc, etc. Sometimes small pieces can be just right for applique and you generally have a big variety after a while.

Two inches is my smallest. I know I won't use anything smaller.

I have a tub that gets anything smaller than a 2 in pc. These sm pieces sometimes really come in handy for applique also. Or stuffing for toys or whatever.

At $9 a yard an inch of fabric is worth a 25 cents. I save scraps to make mini's.

I am saving everything. The pieces 3/4" and larger can be used in little quilts. I have done doll house quilts with very tiny seams so even 1/2" pieces can be used for that. Selveges are being saved to do a tote bag, will be fusing them down and anchoring them with decorative stitches. Strips are sewn together and blocks cut out of them. Dog ears and snippets are placed under tulle with bits of thread and stitches done over it to hold them. I am a horrible pack rat and save everything. I use decorative canning jars to hold the little bits so when they are on the shelf they still look pretty. Good luck. I'd be happy to take any selveges or little pieces off folks' hands and pay the postage to get it to me if you have problems throwing them away and wasting them. Just send me a PM & I'll give you my address.
Wendy B