I used to save everything even made several crumb quilts but found that I didn't like making them and that they also used tons of thread. Now I save anything 2" and larger for string blocks and other scrappy quilts. May in Jersey

I only keep usable bits...that said, I have always been fascinated by Noriko Endo's confetti landscapes...you need heaps of small bits for one of those...Anyone tried it?

I save squares as small as 1x1 inch, but nothing smaller. Someday when I have enough of them I plan on doing a carousel quilt with them. I love scraps and my friends are wonderful enough to give me theirs, which is like Christmas all during the year!

Tiffany - What is a carousel quilt?

I save just about all of my scraps and even the strings from squaring up and edges of battings and throw them into a spare popcorn tin, like the ones you get at Christmas. I use this for stuffing boxes that I am shipping to kids and gr. kids. The gr. kids love all the colorful snips and scraps that spill out of their packages. Daughters, not so much,,,haha. I have even grabbed long strings and used them to tie up gifts , instead of ribbon. Everyone knows that if they get a package from me , there will be some sort of scraps or strings falling out of it, and that's my MO.

Now that sounds like a good idea and a bit of fun.

good idea about the dog pillows. I might do that.

i save everything to i make soomething out of them being i have an embroidery machine i use them for applique i also take my thread and put it in an onion bag and hang it out and the birds use it to make in their nest lil bitty fabric they can pull and can go to

Oh! What a fabulous idea!!!! Now I'm bummed. I just donated several boxes of small, long, thin strips of fabric to a couple of friends of mine who do art quilts. I don't think they'd be willing to give them back to me so I could use them as packing peanuts. :lol:


I do the same thing with my threads and the birds love them! It also makes it much easier to spot nests with. I wonder what my neighbors must think to see such colorful nests. :lol:

I use everything I use sliver of fab.... get the book fabric leftovers by D'Arcy - Jean Milne Simple, adaptable ways to use up scraps. It is an awsome book. It is a C&T Publishing book.
Put in a baggie and send my way before you toos them. I also have an embroidery machine and I have a jar by my machine all snippits of threads goes into.... sometimes when I am just watching TV I sort into color's in baggies.... They are wonderfull to embelish with... Sometimes I take the color I want of fab and cut it into confetti and use it in scarfs or on bags.... So many fun things to do with scraps.

I went to you etsy site and it locked my computer up. ????

That is a great thing to do....

I got an idea from a board member here about a year ago. She saved all her small snippets and put them in large glass jars and when they are full sets them on a shelf for a colorful decoration. I use any strips and all the edges for rag rugs. They get tossed into a basket and when it's full I make a rug.

Yes the birds love the threads and mini snippits of fabs.... and so do the squarils....
I had forgotten I do set some out for the birds

If I can sound like a grumpy person for a minute.

Scraps of fabric are fine but threads left out for the birds are extremely dangerous.

I am a bird breeder and wildlife license holder and fine threads can twine around bird legs and cause amputation or tangle them into the nest and cause them to starve.

Thicker threads like unravelled hessian bags etc. are fine.

That's a great idea. And I love your doggie!

Usually anything bigger than a 4 x 4 square.

Mostly depends on you, I save some and I mean some 1 1/2" sqs. this come in handy for Minature Quilts. Generally I will start with the 8 1/2" square and then work myself down from there, til I can save no more, on strips, I usually do 2 1/2" width. Some I don't cut at all because I like to use those for my crazy quilting.

What is a crumb quilt?

You can find an example of a crumb quilt here, quiltville.com

Thank you very much!