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Originally Posted by justflyingin
(Post 6486462)
Give away a box or two of them. It'll help whittle them down fast.
Personally, I use them up. In 2012 and 2013 I finished up several using 1.5" strips that looked like this: [ATTACH=CONFIG]454266[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]454267[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]454271[/ATTACH] and this one in 2013: [ATTACH=CONFIG]454272[/ATTACH] They are donation quilts. |
I saw an exhibit of antique quilt tools, templates, etc. One item was an old-fashioned round hat box with a label that said, "pieces too small to save." Yes, it was full of little pieces! Made me limit my saved scraps to 2.5" strips or 2.5" squares. I know where the trash can is.
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I have been cutting up my scraps into strips and squares, and frankly I look at some and think "you are just too small to fool with". Into the trash bin they go! I refuse to put time into seaming and pressing anything that is not much bigger than its seams.
I hereby give you permission to get rid of your "tinies"... without guilt! |
I love your quilts. The colors are so awesome. I know they are loved by those that receive them.
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My smallest scraps are 1 1/2'' anything smaller and out it goes.
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I keep anything over 1 1/2" sq. I use them in paper piecing and small baby quilts or where I need only a few small pieces .
with the price of fabric and the poor quality out there now you cannot afford to lose what you have |
anything smaller than 2.5" I put into a special trash can and when full I sew them into a pillowcase and make a dog bed for the shelter.
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About 3 or 4 years ago, I had 6 large packing boxes full of scraps. I spent about 2 weeks trimming them into useful sizes and shapes, precutting for specific projects and generally reducing the total to 2 boxes. I was surprised to find that the majority of pieces was not suitable even for my applique projects. Over the next few months, I made about 10 scrap quilts. I am now much more careful about what I save. Of course, my stash hasn't really gotten any smaller, merely more organized with more "good" fabric. One thing I decided to do was to cut 2.5" squares. When I want to sew but don't feel up to anything challenging, I make 4 patches, which tend to be "filler" bits because they are already made. One advantage is that a gallon baggy of 2.5" scraps takes much less space than the scraps from which I cut them. My other categories were 5", 5.5" 6" squares. 2.5 x 5.5 (with the 2.5 and 5.5, this makes my fav scrap quilt, Vestibule, or Star in the Corner.) My last category is "long, skinny", a category of even widths, rather like jelly rolls. These must be at least 1.5" wide. I roll these individually and baggy them too.
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I keep far too much. I have been cutting all my little pieces into 1.5 inch squares and tacking them to papers and separating into lights and darks for a proposed hand pieced postage stamp quilt. I bought a stack of adding machine tape on super special and have been stitching on random bits for a scrappy/strippy.....as for anything smaller....I was considering saving them for one of those confetti quilts (Noriko Endo creates beauties).
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2 Attachment(s)
this is the quilt i made with some of my scraps. i posted it a long time ago. none of my scraps go to waste. whatever is too small, goes to a lady who makes dog beds for the Humane Society. I have a bag taped to my cutting table and when I square the edges, each sliver goes into the bag. when it is full, I tie it up, throw it in the corner and take it to the next months meeting. I am amazed how fast the bags fill. At $11-12 a yard, I don't feel I can just throw them in the landfill when there is a use for them. I love scrappy quilts. i have started a miniature quilt using one inch wide strips for 4 patches. i also have been saving strips of all sizes for a strippy quilt. i wish i understood why i love scraps so mucm. Some of the blocks below looked like vomit by themselves...but sewed together, i love them.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]454931[/ATTACH] |
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