Left over fabric gets cut into squares, rectangles and strips. If its full across the fabric I first cut 1 1/2" strips, 2 1/2" strips, if its odd shape, will cut squares and rectangles, starting with about a 5" square and work down until I use almost all the fabric, these are in shoe boxes, then toss the remainder into a baggie by color.
I do confetti quilts occasionally, I open a baggie and run the rotary cutter over it all until its cut into tiny pieces, then spread this over a background (example would be greens for a tree) put net over it all and quilt the areas in place, then quilt over the "tree" or whatever with quilting to hold the snips in place.

Hmmm - I would be interested in learning more about this technique -
Marysewfun :D

I make squares as large as the scrap is. Some are 12" and some 2", then later on you can alwaya cut the bigger sq. into smaller ones.

I used to save everything, but it got ridiculous. Now i only save larger than about 2 inchers. I save thread clippings for the birds.

I have an old tall laundry hamper (an old plastic one w/ air holes) that all my scraps go into -- anything smaller than a charm square. Before that I used an open wicker basket, but this takes up less floor space. It's a good idea to enclose some scrap pieces behind the quilt label, in case a repair is ever needed. Sometimes I sort small triangles/ pcs from a particular project into a baggy, but since I sew a lot (garments & home dec) everything goes in. Now that it's getting full, I need to have my crafty friends look thru it & perhaps sort by fiber content. :roll: Hmmm - sounds like another project! Whew! Too many scraps & not enough time! :lol:

I'd heard that, too. Thanks for reminding us! Since I brush them everyday, I put my cats' fur out in my flower bed or stick it on the trees & bushes for the birds. I will start including the hair from my brush, too. Last year I was saving it for the "hair booms" to help clean up oil spills, but they're no longer collecting it, so I'll go back to putting it out for the birds.

Scraps to me wass anything that is oddly shaped that cannot be cut into at least a 2" square or a 1 1/2" strip. All smaller leftover pieces from finished quilts are re-sized into squares & strips and put in boxes marked as such. I have boxes that contain squares from 2" to 6 1/2" and strips are 1 1/2" & 2". Anything smaller than 2" was originally going into a 'get rid of' bag to pass on to a paper piecer. However, I am now doing the block of the month for my guild and have decided on houses. So now I find myself reaching into that bag. What is scraps? It's all relative.

I save everything!!! scrap is a scrap. even the little tiny ones I have in a box to make mini qult squares.
LOL!! guess you'd call be a fabric piggie
Debbie :mrgreen:

I cut my scraps into squares and strips of different sizes and store them in empty pizza boxes and label each one. One box for 1 1/2" squares, another for 2" squares, etc. Then I use them for scrap quilts. They're already cut and ready to sew.

Kanakama, I love your avatar! Can you post a larger picture so I can see how beautiful it is? Is it a pattern or did you design it yourself?

I'm not real good at this, but I'm trying to send an attachment of the avatar. This quilt was a block of the month from an online site. It was tough but well worth the effort.

Anything I cut off is a scrap.

I loved it when it was just a little picture but now I love it even more. Can you remeber the site and how long ago it was? Do you think the pattern is still available? Now I'm on a quest.

I don't remember the site (it was a few years ago), but the pattern came from a place called Country Creations with an address of: Box 2142 Strathmore, AB, Canada. The name of the quilt is "All Roads Lead to the Sea".

Thanks. I will try looking for it. It's just so beautiful.

Thank you. Good luck.

Have a look at Susan Carlson's work and you would never throw anything out. It's all useable.

Amen !! you have no idea when you start quilting how fast those scraps take over. I did not sort or cut scraps for a few years-----what a project to do it now. but my scraps now are all cut to sizes, strips, etc. Finish a project--finish the scraps !

When I have fabric left over from a profect. I cut it into strips or squares. When I get a lot of them I sell them on ebay and will sell them on my web site when I get it up and running, hopefully by Feb. 1.

So I just went to that site and ordered the pattern. Easy.
Thanks so much!

Go on line to quiltville.com and check out Bonnie K Hunter she saves everything. The smallest pieces being about an inch strips and squares. She has a system of organizing her stash that is terrific. I took one of her classes in Sept or Oct (can't remember) and have been sloly reorganizing. She also has a lot of free patterns and mystery quilts on her site. (I'm not a family member or anything just a great fan)

I save all. I use all. The frienship quilt I have been cutting pc's for has 1.5 in sqs, and I have been for sometime collecting for that and would lke as many diff fab's as I can get... I have close to 900 cut.. the other size in the quilt is 1.2 x 2.5and 4 in sq's. So please you who are tossing my sq's please send... Smile
ConnieF And I 'd like to add thanks to those who have sent... I was working on 1.5 in half sq triangles last night.... Love the small stuff

I didn't use to save the bits and pieces. Since I've been seeing what others make with the little things I keep it all. Some very beautiful scrap quilts out there.

Great! Let me know how it turns out.

I loveeeeeee my scraps!! To me scraps are odd shaped and smaller than a fat quarter. Mine are sorted by color into plastic shoe boxes. Fat quarter sized pieces are kept together and larger than that goes into my stash cabinet.

I keep it all....so if any of you want to toss out your scraps, send them my way...I foundation piece them to muslin for charity quilt for my local childrens hospice!

I am beginning to cut all scraps into 3" wide strips. I am going to make scrap coin quilts with them. Anything I have left when I am done, I will post here as a freebie. I will label it as such when I post it, in case some of you want them. Keep watching for a post that says 'freebie scraps'.

Wow the girls in my quilt group laugh at me I dont usually buy bigger than a fat quarter. If I can get a one half in square out of it it probably goes in the next miniature I do.

That's what I do also. I try to cut squares or strips right away once the project is finished, to stay up on the scraps. I still have a large bin full of uncut scraps, but they're handy in my room so I grab out of it too when doing a scrap project. Then if I don't use all of that scrap, I cut it then and add to the individual scrap bins. I have 1 1/2 strips, and squares & strips in 2" all the way to 6 1/2". Will post a pic of how mine are stored once cut. It's so much fun to play with scraps! The bins on the shelf above counter and a second one, not shown, are all cut up...they are totally full! The bin, next to the table, that is open with the plastic bags are the uncut scraps. Very accessable, not much hunting. I've tried to organize them into catagories, ie: sports, baby, cats/dogs, etc. Hopefully, someday that bin will be empty and all cut too.

I find once I cut them into strips or squares etc. I am more reluctant to use them. LOL... I don't know why that is. But the untrimmed scraps I never hesitate to grab and use in a project. Maybe it's just because they look so nice all stacked in their piles of strips, squares and triangles.

I save any piece 1" wide by 1.5" or longer. I store them in a plastic tub and in my "spare" time I am making a court house step quilt using these pieces.

I don't save anything under an inch or two in combined length and width.

If I can "see" the piece it's a scrap. I will keep itty bitty pieces at least for a while. I see how other people have "made" fabric from tiny bits of cloth and wash away facing and gobs of thread, sewing all over the piece. I haven't tried it yet but want to.

Has to be at least two inches long. :D

Anything 2" or more can be used in scrap quilts. If not by you, put it aside and you won't have trouble finding someone else who loves scrapy quilting to take it. Especiallly with hearing about prices going up on fabric. :)

Good Idea! Thanks.

As I do alot of applique, I never toss any scrap-unless it is just a sliver from straightening a block, or evening up yardage to make my first rotary cut. I even started saving selveges in s separate box just "in case". I have anything smaller than about 1/2 a FQ sorted by color in clear stacking bins under my sewing table, and 1/2 FQ's up to a yard folded in hanging shoe closet organizers (by color), then over 1 yard pieces folded in hanging sweater closet organizers (by color). Bolts are just stacked on a shelf. When I am working on a project, any cut-off (scraps) I want to keep, I toss into a clear plastic 2-gal jar until I get around to sorting them into their proper stacking boxes. In the meantime, all the mixed colors look pretty in that jar until I empty it!! I am a real scrap-a-holic so anyone looking for a home for their tiny scraps, I'll gladly adopt them!

Scraps to me are like leftover triangles or squares and small pieces accumulated from cutting. Nothing smaller than 1 1/1 inches though.

If it's too small to sew a 1/4" seam allowance on all sides it's gone. ANything bigger can always go to a crazy quilt design or applique.

I love scraps, I look on Craigslist all the time. I have run out of scraps for a project I am making. So I have to make another quilt so I can get more scraps.