Mini and micro leftover fabric trash - what are you doing with them?
 

Hello all!
2 weeks ago i was sorting my stash. Still it is not perfect. Still my sewing room is not perfect :)

But i added a box, where I will start to collect all little fabric leftover I produce. You know, this little pieces that are too small to make something with them. They will be good enough to fill a rag doll that I make every now and then. Or pin cushions ... stuff like this.

Please don't call me stingy. But many things in life cost so much money. And sometimes little things can save a penny. This is my devise, haha :)

Please, what YOU do with your leftover fabric trash? Maybe one day I realise that i made enough dolls and cushions. I am open for more ideas, because I already see that I maybe need to hurry up, so this trash box will not be overloaded ... like my sewingroom ... haha :)

I keep an old pillow case by my machine and put the trimmings in that. When it get about half full I add it to my dogs bed

There's a cute footstool called a Morracan Pouf. There's a free pattern online. You could use those scraps to fill it. I've just started collecting the trash. I keep every thing that can be cut and now I'm saving all those little scraps I cut off when trimming. I agree, fabric is so expensive so I try to use every little bit. I have enough good scrap to make dozens of quilts. Some day I will!

I have friends that give me theirs too! I stuff dog beds for a local dog rescue. They give out a bed when they adopt out a dog to a new home. One more stop on the way to the dump! I am like you..I PAID for those scraps! I am SUCH a dog person-makes me happy to know that a doggie has a nice soft bed in a new home.

My mother was a knitter. She used to take bits of yarn and hang them on the pine trees for the birds to use in their nests. I'm not sure how you would "offer" fabric to them though.

I keep them in a small trash can and when that is full I stuff it in a thrift store pillowcase sew the end up and give to the animal shelter.

That are great idea, making something good for dogs. Also this birdy help is great. I like that!
Thanks :)

I know of these as snippets quilts, but I see when I tried to find a link that that word is now used for fusible applique quilting.
Oh well.

The quilts I know of are made from little pockets, maybe 4 x 4 " or 6 x 3", and they're stuffed with the threads and snipped off bits of fabric that collect when we sew. The little pockets are simply half filled and the ends tucked in and stitched down. When you have a couple of dozen or so, stitch them togther. Makes a neat tidy quilt using stuff that would otherwise go to the bin.
You can also make them by folding over a length of fabric and stitching lines down it to create a row of pockets. Once filled the whole row is sealed at together. it's a quick way if you have loads of snippets to use up.

Since the snippets are basically scrap quilts the pockets can be made from anything, from old teatowels to polycotton pillowcases and sheeting that's still sound.....like the sides of fitted sheets. I make them using up the offcuts from dressmaking.

They make comfortable play mats for children, good pads for garden furniture, great for cats and dogs to curl up on too.

I sew a bundle of the little pockets and keep a couple beside my sewing machine. When I cut threads they end up in a wooden bowl that I keep beside me on the table. When it gets full-ish, I stuff the snippets and stitch them closed. It's surprising how quickly you can make a bag load of the little pillows, especially if you knit too and end up with wool ends to mix in with the sewing snippets too.

My last one keeps a basketmaking friend warm :D

M

I stuff all my "micro" scraps and small batting scraps into a bin, when the bin gets full I sew up a bag and stuff it and give it to my animals as a bed. We have 3 dogs and 2 cats and they love those stuffy bags. Last one I did had a cat laying on it before I even stitched it shut, LOL.

So far I've filled 2 and am probably just about ready to do a 3rd. They're a real pain to wash though, they take FOREVER to dry. I think I'm going to have to start doing outer covers.

Use as fill for confetti embroidery blocks and cover with tulle for a neat embroidery block.

I have been saving all those snipbits, but haven't decided what to do with them. I've read where many dog shelters stop accepting them due to the length of time it takes to dry them. As far as birds using strings, I've heard that was not good either cause their little feet can get caught entangled with them. So until I find a useful use, I'll keep baging them.

I have a large (1 !/2 ft tall) glass bottle I got at a yard sale. I throw in all the little bits and pieces, and as they
settle they form colorful layers, sort of like the layers of colored sand that kids used to put in bottles. Haven't
reached the top yet, but will probably throw the "fabric" out and start again. I also have heard that it takes too
long for the dog beds to dry.

I donate mine to the a quilters group that uses them in pet beds. It makes the bed s real washable.

If it takes too long for the pet bed to dry with just fabric scraps, would it work to add about the same amount of poly stuffing and mix it really well? I haven't done this, but I was thinking it might help keep the fabric sort of separated and dry faster.

I used to make the dog beds too, but since my dog rescue is not close by, I ended up with a bunch of undonated dog beds. So now the scraps go straight into the trash. I have too many usable size pieces already, don't need to collect more. There is only so much space for scraps.

I collect scraps from my quilters group as well as my own to make and stuff pet beds and charity quilts. It is amazing what some other quilters will throw away -- extra blocks, fabric scraps as well as trimmings!

Re: drying scraps and bits stuffed dog beds. They need to be dried in a dryer with dryer balls or a tennis show (clean) to break up the lumps. If line dried they need to be shook really well several times.

I just started quilting so I don't have any little pieces yet, but I crochet and I take one of those wire basket suet cake holders for birds and fill it with snips of yarn and hang it in a tree, the birds love it for building nests. So maybe you could do the same with the threads and fabric snips? I know the birds would love the threads to line their nests. :-) It would be like they are "quilting" their nest. :-)

The first thing to do is to sew them all together and "create" fabric. I have seen some beautiful stuff on this board. Anything more than 1/2 inch wide gets 1/8 inch seams. Make a whole quilt top with that stuff and you'd be surprised how nice it looks.
After that, what's left can go into pet beds or floor mats. I especially like the pockets idea. Not too many in a pocket though, so that it will dry faster. Make pocketed mats for animals, babies, picnics, cars, you name it. If you don't like the washing thing, make a removable cover. Sometimes you can get scrap/ripped-out zippers for such things for little or nothing.

And don't put too many scraps out for the birds. Vets say that could give the baby birds pneumonia because the scraps don't dry as fast as natural material.
Have fun using up your scraps.

I have 14 grandchildren & they LOVE to get in my scrappy scraps. I give then paper, scissors, glue stick & they create some great art! Maybe a daycare near you would be interested.

I am getting into amigurumi and it seems that maybe they would be good for stuffing for these projects. Amigurumi are crocheted animals dolls toys for children. That seems the best idea I can come up with, other than throwing them out!

Better do it soon or that number will grow to dozen's and dozen's of quilts. ; )

Me too, also save all thread trimmings, throw them in also.

I take my tiny scraps to my Quilt Guild meeting. They go the the local mission, who bales them (and worn out used clothing, too worn to sell in their thrift store) to sell for recycling. They actually get quite a bit every month. People bring a lot of their larger scraps for the free table (which is usually about 4 folding tables lined up end to end) and anything not taken after morning and evening meetings gets added to the bale for the mission too. Usually a couple of large garbage bags.

http://www.michelemademe.com/2011/09...ough-pouf.html
Wasn't sure what a Moroccan puff was - Goggled it an found this free pattern - great for using up denim and scraps. Right now I just throw stuff too little to reuse away - guess I should make one these with my leftovers.

After using them as enders, they go into the bag meant to stuff future doggie beds.

I have to go through the 5 tubs I have filled with scraps soon.

I plan on stuffing a couple of nice size dog pillows with the stuff. Our girl's are getting along in age and when we put them in the garage when it is to cold to be outside. They will have something cozy to lounge on.

I made a rag rug by wrapping cotton clothesline with the strips (not any bigger than an inch wide). I got the idea here on the board several years ago. Here's the post http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...ug-t10783.html
My friends are so impressed by it that they won't walk on it, they walk around. I wish I could take a picture for you but its not nearby right now. I used two skeins of clothesline.

Colleen

I give them to a friend and she and her dad make dog pillows for the dog pound.

I donate small fabric pieces and strips to a school and they use them for the grade school children in art classes. They use everything I donate.

I was thinking of doing dog or cat beds with my scraps and decided that is really not where my interests are. I found a lady close by that likes taking everyone's scraps and making animal beds, children's chairs, stuffed animals, etc. She is happy with all the scraps and I am happy I don't have to throw them out or figure out what to do with them.

I save & use mine too for my own dog beds, I have 4 dogs and the youngest likes to tear stuffing out of anything so I'm always prepared to either re stuff or make a new one.

Thats a great idea!! Instead of using my fabric to make my dogs beds I'll start looking for & using used pillow cases. Thanks so much for the idea!

Thank you all for the good ideas. I've been throwing them away. Now I will save for pincushions>. I just finished making six for the bazaar our club is having next week.

Fabric is $10-12 a yard so wanting to use it all is smart. I save every sliver of fabric and thread and donate it to a lady in our guild who makes dog beds for the humane society.

Thanks so much for your ideas! I really like mug rug thing. It looks so great! Also the morrocan pouf is great idea.
About the dog bed, also great, but how to dry them after washing without a dryer? Maybe washing and dry them only in hot summer days? :) An idea is to make a inlet for the scraps, like putting them into a net. This could be washing seperate to the pillowcase and the scraps are able to dry better.

Throw them out. Not interested in making animal beds, know no one who does. Local shelter uninterested. They prefer to run thrift stores. Dislike scrappy quilts and would never make one. Also don't want to make pincushions or other items. No interest. If I wouldn't buy it or use it, I won't make it. Guilds mostly want new stuff or yardage, not scraps. My indoor cats sleep on the bed on whatever quilt I've made and the ferrets would tear anything apart. (They got pieces of fleece big enough to burrow in.)