Hello, I'm a dressmaker too and, while I wouldn't put synthetics or blends into the recycling I'm wondering if I should throw the cotton scraps into recycling.? Just wondering what you all do with scraps which you're throwing out.

I just read a post that someone cuts them teeny tiny and uses the cotton snippits as mulch... Pretty neat idea

That was me. I looked at several sites that gave instructions for composting. They all said only use 100% cotton fabric. I would check with your recycling company. Most have a list of acceptable items.

I put them in my compost bin. Some people put them out for the birds to use in their nests. Some use them for pillow stuffing.

ETA: Our recycler would not take them. They do not know that they are all cotton.

Offer them here in the Classifieds or the Free Offers section. They would be greatly appreciated by someone!

The majority of us do not throw any away, we use them or pass them on.

I found a big bag of scraps one spring day and thought how it would be nice for the birds. I placed all of them out and later saw it being carried away by squirrels and birds as fast as they could go. The next day I saw colorful nest in all the trees. A few nights later we had a awful wind storm and when I looked out the next morning my scraps were hanging from all the trees and shrubs in the neighborhood. They were even floating in my neighbors pool.
I never did that again.

I have two containers on my cutting table; one if for really small threads of materials the other is for larger scraps that aren't large enough to cut into squares. I take the small stuff and dump it into a bag and then if I want to stuff a toy or something I can use it. I use the larger stuff for applique; you'd be surprised how small a scrap can be and still be good for applique. For the small stuff;it doesn't matter what type of material it is.

I use anything 1" and larger. :)

You had great intentions but too funny tho thinking of all the scraps hanging from trees, etc. LOL!