I have a large amount of scraps in cardboard boxes and one big old trunk filled with them. Most of them are older 50s and 60s pieces. I decided that I needed to organize them. Started yesterday and emptied a box on the bed. OMG! It was overwhelming, so many types and colors, so I just cleaned off the bed and put them in a tote. Any suggestions? I would like to clean and press them, sort them, etc.

I just did this last week. I sorted colors then put them in zipper bags. Then put them in a tote.
BTW, I think I have some of the same fabric....LOL...

Lots of help/suggestions here -and your helpers look so ready to get started!
http://www.quiltville.com/

Oh no, you have tooo much help LOL, i would begin by fabric type, then by size, put the bigger pieces seperately by colors,then i would cut the scraps into squares and strips.
Love your avatar, he looks just like My cat MUggy.

Catagorize into crumbs, strips, blocks and larger. Have a box or bag ready for each catagory and go for it! Have fun!

The puppies were just trying to help you! They were testing if that fabric was comfy or not.

good luck with that

Maybe your helpers want their own scrappy quilts and want to pick their scraps?

lol - I spent the whole day Saturday doing that! Finished 2 drawers and one box! Still have boxes to do [groan].

I do have the address for an American servicewoman in Afghanistan that has a quilting group going at a local orphanage -- she does take donations!

I love the reason why you gave up!

I have two of those reasons too. They are more fun than sorting.

Don't sort, put them in a bag and start making a crumb quilt out of it. Before you know, all of it is gone and another wonderful project has been made. :-P

Your dogs are adorable!!!! We got a pair of labs, sisters from the same litter almost 13 years ago. Anna was very very white and Nali is a beautiful black. They were always together, getting into all kinds of mischief. Anna had 3 litters and we kept Kea. She is smaller than average but is white also. We lost Anna in September, Nali grieved her for a couple weeks. It probably won't be long until we lose Nali. Your picture just brought back so many memories of the 2 girls when they were younger!!!

My boy's are also brother from the same litter. Lonesome is the black one and Leroy is the blond one. Like all blonds Leroy is getting a little more yellow each year. I caught them on the bed all snuggled down in my scrap pile and got the picture as they were jumping off the bed. They knew they were in trouble.

Crumb quilt it is. Thanks for the ideas. Now I don't have to fret over being organized. Searched the board for Crumb Quilt found lots of inspiration. Thanks everyone.

your fur babbies will help you sort them

What Katrine said....I recently did this....took some time but worth it

Well guess what I found? I found two rolls of wool batting that came from my Aunt Peggy, now deceased. The receipt was in the bag with the batting, dated July 16, 1988. The total for the batting was $90.30. A lot of the scraps in my stash came from Aunt Peggy. So I will use the batting for the crumb quilt (quilts?) I plan to make.

I sort mine by color first, then by theme, such as pinks or blues for baby quilts. I also like storage boxes you can see through so that you know what you have and don't have to empty a whole tote looking for something you think is in there. I also found some really pretty decorative boxes (sort of like old-fashioned hat boxes) that I store specific stashes in. I have several hat boxes that contain Asian themed fabrics.

I bought clear plastic shoe containers and keep my scraps sorted by color. I have to be able to see them or I forget I have them!

...not to overwhelming if you do a little at a time!

Set aside a little time each day if you can - and start ironing (which I find relaxing!).

I've got plastic containers - see through - and have cut up smaller pieces of fabric into 4 inch squares, 5 inch squares and 6 inch squares (depending on size of the fabric) .... nice to have them separated by size. The larger pieces of fabric - I've folded and wrapped around foam core board - like mini bolts and store them in a storage cabinet (book case would work too).

There are probably a thousand different ways to store fabric...mind works great for me - hope you find something that resonates with you and go for it!

I sorted my scraps into lights, mediums, and darks. Then I started a telephone book quilt..Guess what, I could have saved the time and effort. Those blocks use everything and there was no need to sort. I had a lot of strips that a friend gave me so this project goes pretty fast and the overall effect is very pretty. The only rule is that you don't sew two pieces alike next to each other. I save the little cut off trangles and "smidgens" of fabric for a garbage can project. Nothing gets wasted.

Love those great helpers!

Never heard of this one. Have you got a picture?
Thanks
Pippa

Google phone book quilt blocks and you will find what you need.
You just take an old phone book and cut the size block you want to make. Then you take strips beginning with diagonal corners and keep adding them on both sides of the center strip. Uses both longer and shorter strips and odd corners as you go. They are kind of like crumb quilt blocks but mine are about 8 and a half inches square. They can be sewn together in several different configurations. Don't tear the paper off until they are all sewn together. Then spray paper side with water and give a minute and then the paper just comes right off.

I'd start with color intensity - light, medium, dark. Most scrappy patterns break down the directions that way.

Thanks. Clear now. Just have to steal an old phone book from the office. LOL. Over the weekend looking for something else we came across a box containing scraps put away from my dressmaking days and need a project to use them.
Pippa

Your helpers (?) make me miss my two. They were sisters born a litter apart, one black and one yellow. I lost both of them about 12 years ago and still miss them.

I just reorganized my sewing room and went through my scrap baskets yesterday. I was so overwhelmed, that I finally threw most of them in the trash after deciding I would never make all the quilts that I had planned. I had given away much of it before and thought about it again, but postage has become too prohibitive .

Yes, the smaller pieces of fabric are the hardest to keep organized. My piles seem to be always leaning one way or the other. I try and keep them in color piles. And as you can see, if I leave the door to the cabinet open by mistake...My helper arrives!!

i went and got a shoe organizer and started to cut strips in inch and half to four and half and put them in the shoe organizer then when i need a two inch strip or a three inch strip its there

I am chair of the guild's community quilt project. When I got all the fabrics I started sorting on the living room floor and furniture. (I don't have any pets - travel to much). Larger pieces were sorted by color. Smaller pieces also by color in zip bags but in a separate container for scrap quilts. I have them in clear totes (not to big they get to heavy) to be able to see what is in them.
This makes it easier for me to put kits together for the ladies to take home.

I take a few at a time, cut into squares or strips. that way i dont get too overwhelmed. work for me. in the summer i take them out to the picnic table. this way i can enjoy the lake too

Thanks for all the posts, I have the same organizing issue. What is a crumb quilt? Maybe I'll get motivated to do what I should have done a long time ago.

LOL Look Mom I found one! Here's another. No, I like this one best.

Close your eyes, grab a strip. Those furkids are asking for a blanket!!

I would iron everything first and make into fat quarters or less. There are many people who use scraps for charity quilts if you like to share

I've spent the last 4 days going thru my scraps and cutting them into blocks for scrappy quilts. Now when I"m ready, I and can start sewing.

I have recently discovered 2 1/2 gallon Ziploc bags. They are great for storing fabric, quilt blocks, notions, etc. Another idea is to spend some time cutting your scraps into more usable items such as strips (2 inch or 2.5 are good sizes to use) or squares of sizes that you can later use. I have created containers for strips of various sizes and squares of like sizes. Someday I will have enough collected to do a quilt. I can also look in the container when I need a strip or square of a certain size. When I am cutting for a quilt, I try to cut my scraps into these sizes that can later be used.

oh my.. that second picture is so funny :D

I have the same problem with Kitties.

definetly go to quiltville.com.... Bonnie is wonderful with scraps, how to sort them & lots of patterns.. she is a wonderful teacher if your guild ever gets her to teach a class.....

I store scraps I cut into the biggest sizes in my "lumberyard" drawers. 2x2, 4 x 4,1 x 4, 4 x 8,12 x 12 etc. Those wonderful stacking drawers you can buy at Big lots. When the drawers get full, I put them in a baggie and offer them on here to those who need them. And then the selvedges, smaller pieces and odd shapes go into baggies to give away on here too. Where there's a will, there's a quilter's way. :)