I have three groups: yardage, approximate fat quarter, and little bits--each is sorted by color. I like using those bins with plastic drawers. I have different sizes for each group. I use the little bits for paper piecing, and I can just pull out the whole drawer. It keeps all those little bits corraled in one spot, and when I'm finished, I can just pick up the whole pile and put them back in the bin. I usually clean up my sewing room when I finish each day so that it doesn't get out-of-control messy. I do the sorting while I'm cleaning up so that sorting doesn't become a chore in itself.

whenever i ask for anything on craigslist i get offers from so far away that it isn't worth the gas for the small amount being offered. with the price of gas, i can buy scraps at the next yard sale. and even if you ask for cotton only, you never know what you'll get.

which brings up another point: what do most of you consider 'small'. i think small is less than a 2.5 strip or a 2.5 square, because by the time you delete the seams, i don't want to be bothered. but i know that some of you use i".

Right now i have mine sorted by color, but was very excited toread some of the other ways you all deal with scraps. i'm interested in the chop, charm,etc. that was mentioned.

When I finish a project, I take all the leftover scraps and cut them into the largest square I can. I keep a plastic case (school supplies size bought at WalMart*) for each size (great for making scrappy quilts!). Pieces just under a fat quarter are kept in a zip lock by color in a drawer. All other is stored by color.

I sort mine by color. I made a scrap quilt using blues and somehow ended up with more blue scraps than when I started. LOL.

I have a plan for this year to make many scrap quilts to use up the scraps and fabric I have had for awhile. I get to buy background material if I "need" it.

I am working on one now, my next project will be a crazy quilt.

Can't wait.

mine are in a big box.

i keep two small boxes/baskets beside my machine. As I get a scrap, I decide if it is useless or not. The ones too tiny to use go in one basket, the bigger ones in the next one. If they are big enough for another use (1 1/2 or 2" or larger, second basket. The useless ones will go into pillows for animals or if they are real skinny lengths, lay them out for the birds in the spring. They love them for their nests. Bright colors attract them.

I have spent the last week and a half cutting the "scraps" into what I hope will be usable sizes and found another box last night. Right now I just want to finish cutting and put them away.

Organizing really makes a mess.

Sharon

Has anyone gone on www.quiltville.com and seen Bonnies sorting methods? I think she is brilliant and she has changed my life. I really do not want to do a 2, 3 or 4 fabric quilt, I love scrappy. so I have the large containers and had my husband put dividers in each one. I have a 1 1/2" strip, 2" strip & 2 1/2" strip container, divided into light, med, darks. So, if I know I need 2" strips to make a bunch of green 4 patches, I go to my 2" bin, which has actually been expanded to include another bin of batiks on one side and neutrals in the other. Pull out my greens & neutrals and off I go. I made one of Bonnies patterns the other day Chunky Churndash ( I am the unwashed hostess of Bonnies swap group called Quiltville swap, we are swapping that block). It was a snap to get started on that block because everything was there for me to grab. I didn't cut a thing for that block. My squares & half squares are in another rolling cart, easy to access. For my larger pieces I have some unique pieces of furniture that I use that are perfect for the job at hand. If anyone is interested I will dl some pictures. A piece of fabric does not walk into my house without getting a 1 1/2", 2", & 2 1/2" strip cut from it - I buy fabric with that in mind and sometimes that's all the fabric I buy. When I tell you I like scrappy - I mean it - the more fabric the more I like it.
Judi in Ohio

you mentioned Cathedral Window quilts i have been looking for a pattern for it do you have one?

thanks
memathomas

Anything the size of a fat quarter or larger gets folded and put in a bin sorted by color. Anything long enough to cut a strip 1 1/2 or 2" gets cut and put in boxes by width and lights and darks. Left over pieces are cut in what ever size squares I can cut. I use mostly 4 1/2. 4, 3 1/2 and 3 inches so that is what I cut the most of. I keep them in boxes sorted by size.I have a ton of color wash 2" and 11/4 inch squares from when I did a lot of colorwash quilts but I do not cut them that size anymore.
I use my scraps and they are much easier to use when they are all cut instead of having to go through the mess and press and cut what I wanted. I usually lost interest before I got started.

What a beautiful quilt!

mrspete, what a beautiful quilt! I love it.

So far we have completed 21 tops. I thought while it was still manageable I should start doing something with all the scraps and leftovers.

It seemed like we had a lot, but when I started digging into them last weekend, there really wasn't that much. I sorted ours by size. FQ and above went into one bin. Big chunks went into another bin. The small pieces that only my grandmother would use (she was very thrifty) are in another bin. I hope someday we can just do a crazy-string-strip quilt like Sara's.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-24032-1.htm

Darren

mine are in a trash bag waiting to be cut into 2 1/2 inch strips

What are piano keys?

What fun to read this thread. All of you inspired me to go get cutting! I love scrappy quilts.
Mrspete--what a wonderful quilt and story--thanks for sharing the picture.
Judy in Ohio, yes! I would be very interested in seeing pictures of your organization of strips, squares, etc. and your scrappy quilts!
You quilters are the best!

Hey MrsPete, I love your scrap quilt that you made with the elderly lady. It's exactly what old-fashioned scrap quilts should look like. Simple, bright and cheerful. Good job!! 8-)

Most of my quilting friends seem to always give me their scraps, I fooled them I bought an Accuquilt and I cut them all into squares and strips, when we go to retreat I will be sewing these scraps together. I give these quilts to the fire department for fire victims.

How kind you are, thanks for the nice comments. Blessings, Ruth

Scrap quilts are the best! Most of mine are sorted by color, but they still end up randomly in tubs and boxes.

The guild does a lot of square exchanges. Many times we make the same square each month, but in different colors. I always have plenty to pick from.

I even make the backgrounds scrappy in my quilts.

I used to save all the smallest crumbs that were really too small to sew, but now they all go into muslin "sacks" I make. I also add in my batting scraps. When they get full, I stitch them closed, make a removable (so it's washable) fleece cover and they go to the kids' dogs for a new bed pillow.

Sometimes, after a top is finished, I make an extra block to match the front for a label. Lately, I piece together the rest of the scraps, whatever size they are, like a puzzle, and use them for part (or all!) of the backing. Often I can pull other fat quarters or pieces of the right color from my stash to make the backing big enough. Using up the stash (never!) and don't have to buy more fabric for a back.

I, too, was overwhelmed with scraps. I cut strips and pieces in several sizes-depending on whatever length and width they were-tedious, but helpful to create borders,etc. Unfortunately-they multiply on their own so there seems to be no end to them. ;-)

Oh I'm one of those crazies!! Friend in my quilt guild told me I needed therapy :lol: . I save as small as 3/4 and 7/8". We had a charity quilt workshop with our guild a couple weeks ago and the gals unanimously decided I get the scraps. I think they are waiting to see what I will come up with.:wink: Am working on some 3 inch shoofly blocks that are just adorable--will post when done. And also took some HST's and made a doll quilt, which I plan to give to one of the lucky workshop workers.

BTW, I sort by size. Those little pieces fit into Nestle Quik containers just beautifully and with 4 grands up the road, we go through lots of Quik in the winter time!
Larger sorted widths go into $ store dishpans-helpful to label the container with the widths, too.

Mrs. Pete, just love your quilt! That is the main idea of scrappy-just put it together. Love it.

Don't forget you can cut old garments apart. there is a fat quarter in in the back of a man's shirt.

Right now, mine are not sorted. I had them all straightened out a while back, but you know how that goes............

I sort by color too, but i have some strips that I put all colors in the pile, bc there aren't that many. Would be easy to grab the right one if it would work.
I'm just not into all that cutting squares etc. into charms and stuff...
I might want to use it for applique, so no need to go to all that bother.
Glad you saved yourself from the scrap sanitorium ;)

Bea -

Piano key is just alternating strips of fabric, usually all the same width arranged light-dark-light-dark, that are cut crosswise into a consistent size. When you look at it, it resembles piano keys.

Darren

Thanks, Darren. I didn't know what they were talking about.

This is how I organize my scraps. I have several drawer units that each drawer is for a different size. I have all backgrounds sorted into 1, 2, 2 1/2 and 3 1/2" strips Squares are sorted the same and in their own drawers. Colors are the done the same. As I finish a quilt, I cut the leftover fabric into strips and feed the scrap drawers :)

I would love to see a picture of your quilt from sctaps.

Some great ideas here! I have limited space at the moment so I'm not as 'sorted' as I'd like to be. We're in the process of converting the attic so in a few weeks I'll have a new sewing room then I can really get organised! At the moment, I have FQs and bigger sorted by colour or print style (eg fabrics with metallics in them) or project intention, eg all fabrics for OBWs together, all batiks together etc. Then smaller than an FQ but still a large scrap in a plastic box, another box of 1 1/2" wide strips which I like to work with and small scraps - ie anything which will give a seam allowance and leave a bit showing, is sorted into 3 boxes of light, medium and dark. I have another box for charm square size and a box of offcuts of bindings and skinny borders. :-D

I just took a class on using scraps and the first thing I did was sort by color. Then we cut the scrap into 2 in, 3½ in. and 5 in. Stack them together by size and by color if you want too, in a clear plastic containers, so you can see what is in that box. I'm still working on mine. I also have cut some 1 in. and some 1½in. I will keep them in a separate container. This was a called scrap therapy cutting class. You had to take this before you could become a member of Scrap Therapy, which they meet like once a month or so and make things with there scrap, they also have patterns and some other things that are just for scrap therapy members.

skowjudy

I was at Joannes after Christmas and got some clear containers for storing your christmas bulbs in for 1/2 price. I wish I would have bought more than I did. they snap together and have a handleon the top for easy traveling to classes and retreats,

Mine are only sorted by lights, mediums, and darks... seems I have some work to do when I don't have a project idea. Hey--wait! That's the problem! I always have a project going! :roll:

I'm not sure, what is a crum quilt?

Sharon

A charm quilt is one that is made from a package of 5 inch squares they call a charm pack. YOu cna make your own 5 inch square if you wish to , but the charm packages are all from a line of fabric

"Crumbs" are the smallest of small of your scraps. Some people save all of them and put them together in a quilt. Personally I've never been able to get myself to do that, so I give all my "crumbs" to a quilter in my guild who uses them.

Thank you for info on a crum quilt. Sounds like what my girlfriend did. Took her I believe 3 yrs or more to complete! Said she estimated she had a million plus little pieces in it. It was neat but don't think I would have the patience to do it!!

Thanks again .

I know it must take much more patience and fortitude than I have. Plus a longer life span than I have at this point in my life.