What do you do with tiny little scraps?
 

Hi everyone,
I usually hang out on the vintage machines page, so please forgive me if this has been asked before.
What do you all usually do with those teeny, tiny little scraps that can't be used in a quilt? I'm thinking of the bits cut off the end of the fabric to establish a straight edge for cutting strips, or the selvedges. In some cases, they're only 1/4" wide. I also keep all the little pieces of thread that I snip off when I haven't used a leader or ender. I hate to just toss all that good cotton -- would the birds use it in nests if I set it outside? Any other suggestions?
Ila in Colorado

I make pet beds out of the scraps that come from me and my sewing group. The vintage machine section is a fun place to hang out. I enjoy seeing the pictures of DSM that are older than I am !!

Same as ManiacQuilter2 stated. Just gather them for pet beds. MSQC had a tutorial for a pillowcase and showed how you just keep the pillowcase nearby and throw the scraps in for the pet beds. I use them for my own doggie beds.

Some people have had great success with putting the little snippits out for birds to make nests with. I have never had any luck with that, they don't seem to like my scraps or maybe it is my mode of offering. I tried putting them in a suet cage and didn't ever see them take a piece. Then I put them in one of those mesh bags like onions come in and hang it out, again it just turned into a disgusting mess when it rained so I tossed it. They would rather pick dog hair and blanket fuzz off the dog blanket hanging on the clothesline!

I suppose you could try your hand at "confetti quilting"

They do make great stuffing. I got over the "I can't bring myself to throw it away". I toss anything smaller than 1" x 1 1/2"

Snippits of fancy threads I have seen people make scarves out of them doing tons of FMQ on water soluble stabilizer with the thread snippits in between. You have to make sure your FMQ is tiny and tight (like pebbling no bigger than 1/4") to ensure you catch the snippit in a stitch. In my mind that is using a whole lot of good thread, time and effort to make something out of trash that sets off any frugality of it. Unless of course you love the scarf and it ends up being drop dead gorgeous.

At some point we have to let go of some of the clutter.

Before I moved I took my little pieces to one of my guilds. They collected it as "bale" and it got repurposed somehow, maybe as dog beds, maybe as paper, but at least it was used somewhere and was out of my sewing room.

I throw them out. sigh.

I do not save the edges cut off to make the fabric straight, nor do I save the selvedges. (I don't cut them off lengthwise anyway. I keep the selvedges on the fabric until I cut my strips, and then I cut the least amount of selvedge off, which is less than 1/3". ) There is too much else to do, sew, and plan for than how to possibly use pieces like this; saving and shipping them to others is not eco-friendly either.

I have a homemade pillowcase attached to the end of my cutting table with big clips. I brush all my scraps in there. When I get enough I make pet beds with them. I give mine to someone I know who runs a cat rescue group. I don't keep tiny pieces but I feel like I'm not throwing these away either. They are still useful for the cats. I used old sheets and the like to make the pet beds. Nothing fancy.

I used to toss them out but now give them to a friend for pet beds.

I throw them away.