Leftover batting
 

I'm trying to clean up my quilting boxes and thin out some things I will probably never use (like the hundreds of little scraps of cloth that are too tiny to do anything with). I have a lot of leftover batting in odd sizes (long and thin) left over after cutting out what I needed for a quilt, most of it too small for anything unless I want to piece it all together or make potholders (neither of which I will probably ever do ;)). What do you do with your leftovers? Is it worth saving or should I toss?

If your batting is all the same type like Warm and Natural, you cant cut the edges straight and butt them together. I use a 3 step zig zag stitch on my machine to sew them together and use them like any other batting. I piece the fabric, why not piece the batting too. Batting is expensive. You can also use it for smaller projects like a rag quilt.

I had a ton of batting pieces that I gave to Goodwill. I'll bet there are quilters who make those jelly roll rugs or dog beds that would love to have a bag of batting scraps. I knew I would never use them, and having them laying around just made me feel guilty, like I should be using them. I marked the bag "quilt batting" so that the workers knew what it was and that it had value. I look at it like I look at clothing that I no longer wear. It's just being wasted laying around the house, and somebody out there needs this.

I truly only save my batiks and then I cut them at 2 1/2, 2, and 1 1/2 squares for scrappy projects. Weird triangles I toss. I don't keep leftover batting smaller than about 7 1/2 inches. The batting, I use in quilt as you go, Fun & Done patterns. One of the greatest gifts I gave myself over the years is if I purchase a kit or collection and make what I want to make, I put the rest on the free table at Guild. Someone almost always takes it and makes baby blankets, placemats or whatnots.

I use them in my swiffer for dusting. they're great for picking up cat hair and stray threads, and just general dust.

Same (after learning about it here on QB)!

I use all my left over batting in projects. I use the poly bat to stuff toys or pillows. The W&N I piece it back together. and use it in a quilt if the pieces are larger. Other wise I will stitch them back together and use it in smaller projects like I am right now. No waste with bat it is worth the effort to recycle.

Use to restuff dog toys

Here's a video link just for you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8HibPi65XQ

All about how to arrange your batting scraps.

Watch her other videos while you're there. She's great.

Watson

I just stuff a pillow with my smaller pieces. I have pieced larger pieces for lap or twin size quilts. I mainly use polyester batting and sew it with a large stitch in an X.

The guild I belong to uses small batting pieces to stuff dog beds donated to the local shelter.

I'm saving mine to make a jelly roll rug.

I look for and buy batting scraps at quilters yard sales and with longarmers to use for the jelly roll rugs. I have been making and selling jelly roll rugs and jelly roll table runners, so scraps go a long way when they are 2.5 inches wide. I also read on here about using scraps in my swiffer and do that now too.

Thanks, Watson, for posting the link. I had not seen this particular video. Very useful info.

I’ve been giving my smaller scraps of batting to a sewing acquaintance. Her sister uses them to make dog beds for a local rescue group.

I put a small piece next to my machine to catch little pieces of thread, sew larger pieces together for small projects and make small pieces with fabric on front and back for practicing FMQ.

My pantry has a nook for a broom closet and I put a rod hanger in it. I buy a roll of cheap poly batting crib size and put it on the rod. I hung a pair of scissors on the rod too. I cut a piece I need for my dusting and Swiffer, etc. I use to have a bag of batting scraps to use but the bag was getting to be messy especially when digging in it for a size I needed. One crib size lasts for months.

I am with juliasb on this one. It is always worthwhile to recycle. I just stuffed a cute little dog using up the smallest of my poly scraps. I use the cotton batting to quilt orphan blocks that I use like mug rugs.

I make dog beds for shelters. You can use a fat quarter or any size, pets come in all sizes. I used my ugly fabric and stuff them with cut up scraps of fabric and batting. Dog shelters request that you cut up the fabric into 2" pieces so they won't ball up in the washing machine. I find it very fulfilling to do something good with my trash.

I save my batting pieces that are about 6" square and I make coasters and other small projects and donate to a local church that has a big Boutique in November. All the other pieces I donated to a thrift store and know that someone may need just a few bits of batting

I use mine for mini quilts, pot holders, swifter, etc, etc. used some the other day to pack a gift for mailing. It got to its destination in 1 piece!��

Our state historical society has a large collection of antique clothing. They asked me to bring my scrap batting in as cushioning on hangers. A volunteer winds and sews the scraps on, then tops them off with muslin. You might check with your local historical society if you have one.

Thanks, Watson! I do watch her videos but hadn't caught this one. Brilliant ideas!

Thanks..My afternoon plans changed and I'm going to veg a little at the computer!

I still wonder about dogs eating their bedding. some eat anything!

Make dog/cat beds to give to rescue for animals. Make a pillow case stuff those pieces in it and sew it to gather.

I like to use my smaller pieces of batting for dusting. Works great and you can just toss it when it gets too dirty.

Donate the batting scraps to a charity quilting group. They sew them together to make a piece of batting large enough for a quilt (usually lap or kid sized). Other than that, I give mine to a lady that makes dog beds.

Great video link Watson! Thank you!

I was saving mine so I could make dog beds for the shelters and then realized I would never do this. So I asked around and found a lady that would use them. Ask at a quilt shop or your long arm quilter if they know anyone that collects scraps for dog beds. There must be someone nearby that would take these off your hands.

I've been cutting small batting scraps into 2.5 inch strips for jelly roll rugs or into squares to use inside rag quilt blocks.

I piece scraps of batting and then cut into squares for QAYG string blocks using up some of my mountain of scraps. Join with 1" (unfinished) sashing and you have instant charity quilt tops. If you make a couple of these blocks every time you sit down to sew you'll have a 'free' quilt in no time.

The scrappiness can be tamed by using a constant colour on the diagonal (makes a lattice when blocks are joined) or the same colour across two opposite corners (makes diamonds when joined).

If this is not your 'thing', find a group who might like to take this on. Great for a youth group to start sewing.

Thats what I do with mine too.

I haven't seen this suggestion yet. My sister makes "indoor snowballs" out of leftover batting. She saves those long strips you have left after quilting the top and cuts them into strips and rolls them into balls like string. I am not sure how wide she cuts them, something like an inch or inch and a half.

An indoor snowball fight is lots of fun, the more people the merrier. She had guild members bring her their leftover batting and she made three large tubs of snowballs. We have used those for three or four snow ball fights at the end of our December guild meeting and her square dance club enjoys them at their parties also. They are also fun at family gatherings, but I enjoy them most when about 60 quilters are throwing them at each other at the end of the December meeting. :) . They weigh nothing, don't hurt, and have never even knocked over plastic cups that are sitting on the tables during meetings. They last forever...I think she made them four years ago and we just take the tubs to the December meetings. We all look forward to the snowball fight...

I don't have a picture to share, but they are easy to make. Just for fun, make a few and see what you think. The strips stick to each other, but if one starts unraveling, my sister just calls it a melting snowball and rolls it back on.

My cat has one he enjoys too.

Dina

I took a look at the video and I have to say after watching that it looks much easier than I thought so I'll give that a try. I so much don't like wasting anything. And using them for dusting is a great idea. Batting is always a little "sticky" so I can see why these are good for that. I'll put one in my car as the dash is always very dusty.

Love the snowball fight idea and I know lots of kids who would get a great kick out of that.

I piece batting w/zigzag stitch a it's expensive to buy. for those little bits and pieces - I use them for stuffing neck & Back rest pillows. Also have 2 friends to make dog beds for shelters. So I line my sewing trash cans with upholstery fabric made into pillowcase type tubes and give it to them. But sometimes, there are just "those pieces".. that end up in a landfill somewhere.

Since I am part of a nonprofit that makes and gives away quilts, there are a lot of batting scraps. We use W&N Soft & Brite. Most of the quilts tat we consider "twin" are between 70" - 82" long. If there is a strip of 8" left after quilting, I keep that and use it in crib quilts. I don't sew it together, just layer it next to each other. The quilts I am quilting are flannel and the batting stays in place. The off cuts on the side are recycled. The Goodwill will take fiber, old clothing, offcuts of batting, even a vellux blanket that my dog shredded one afternoon, and fiber is ground up and used for insulation. We were using it to stuff dog beds but the shelter no longer wants dog beds. They are using a hammock bed instead.

I have to be careful with batting (not leaving it around) My cat Mookie likes to chew on it!! He's my first cat to do this.

I'm in the process of cleaning/reorganzing my sewing room, the batting scraps that are big enough to use, I measured and tied a piece of ribbon to keep it together, along with the size of the piece. There are plenty of pieces that I can use for place mats, table runners, coasters, mug rugs. Anything not big enough for the above, I put in a large bag, and will make pet beds out of them, for our local Humane Society.

I use the smaller pieces to wipe out the lint filter in the dryer (the lint sticks to it), cut 4" squares for DH to cushion the straps of his CPAP mask, and use slightly bigger ones under 4-patches and HSTs to cushion them and level the seam intersections out when trimming to size (so the ruler doesn't rock or wiggle.)

hugs,
charlotte