Using scraps of thread?
 

I'm very keen on discarding as little as possible when I'm quilting - fabric and batting scraps are all saved for other projects. I'm also beginning to explore other creative textile work as well as quilting. One thing that goes in the bin and always seems a waste is all the ends of thread that are cut off as I go along. Yesterday I was taking basting stitches out of a quilt, so there were some quite long pieces of thread. Has anyone found a use for them in quilts or other crafts?

hi Anne, yes you can use them, in several ways. Look into liberally covering iron-on interfacing with threads, wools, fine strips or diced fabric - [we here call this confetti ] ribbons, laces etc. Also some use them on solvy or other water soluble, place another sheet on top, and stitch well over the lot free-hand with pretty machine embroidery threads. After that, wash out the solvy, and you will end up with something like a scarf, or if you do enough and thick enough, you can make your own fabric. If you check out machine embroidery stores, you should find the wash-away 'fabrics' and threads. They should be able to help you out with advice as well.

But be careful, or like me, you could end up with a shed full of bags and boxes of odds and ends that hardly ever get used. lol

Cheers

That is exactly what I want to do but not sure how. Gay explained it well. Thank You. I look down at my thread bowl and I see a beach but have to get it from my mind to the machine.

I save all of my little pieces of thread in a container next to my sewing machine. I cut the thread pieces into about 1/2 inch pieces by placing them on my cutting mat and run them over with my rotary cutter. In the spring, when the birds are starting to make their nests, I scatter the thread pieces around the yard. The birds use them to make their nests. It is fun later to see my thread pieces in a bird nest that may have blown down out of the tree.

I used to do that too for the birds nests until several yrs ago someone gave some good reasons not to....can't remember the reasons now, but they seemed valid so I have discontinued......forgot about making confetti.....another " collection" has begun!

I have also seen folks fill clear glass Christmas ornaments with colorful left over embroidery threads.
If you do put thread out for the birds, follow Central Ohio Quilter's instructions to snip them into very small segments first. If left too long, they can get wrapped around tiny legs and trap them.

I save all my little fabric scraps as well as all the little thread pieces and when I get a bag full I take them to our local quilt shop and they are used to make pet beds. I feel better doing this than just throwing them away like I used to do.

Sorry, I save EVERYTHING to be recycled from my quilting except for threads. I do use enders for when I start and stop with my piecing. Those eventually end up into charity dogs & cats beds for the local shelter along with any of my unusable scraps. I just goodbye to the thread and put it in the trash. :(

Google Thread Trash in Art Quilts and you'll get lots of info and ideas. Here's a sample from Quilting Arts.
http://www.quiltingdaily.com/blogs/q...ce-design.aspx

I use the threads clipped off between washing and drying fabrics. They're stored in empty peanut butter jars by color.

The bits of fabric and thread hold moisture and not good for birds nest at all. Many think they are helping but actually not helping by recycling in the wrong way. I'm not a big saver or recycler of leftover stuff and have never kept leftover thread so I have no suggestions about that. I did make thread fabric as described above but I cut thread from spools. It was fun.