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.

I hadn't thought of pet beds! I have three cats who like to take over the dog's bed, so maybe I can gradually save up enough scraps to make a bed for one of the cats. I like the idea of keeping a pillowcase handy, because maybe when it's full, I can sew up the end to make the pet bed.
Thanks for all the suggestions!
Ila

Ha! If you sew as much as me, you'll fill a pillowcase in no time. And I don't sew that much, maybe an hour a day.....

I gave my last pet beds on Jun 24 and I have enough for 2 more already. Those scraps and thread bits really add up!

It's probably just as well. I have on occasion seen remarks online from ornithologists who beg people not to put fabric scraps outside for the birds. They say the fabric holds on to moisture from rain too long, which in turn causes the young birds in the nest to catch pneumonia (or whatever it is that birds catch). Natural weeds, grasses, and twigs in contrast shed rain water rapidly and allow the nest to dry out fast. I'm thinking that chemicals in unwashed fabric are also likely to be bad for birds. Anyway, just in general, it's probably not a good idea to offer fabric scraps to birds.

Fabric for birds is a no no. I make throw away pet beds for the shelter.

Good to know, I have a pretty large batch of those type of scraps right now that I'm wondering what to do with. I'm now thinking about using some old fabric that I don't really care for and making a pet bed. My friend is trying to catch some stray kittens that have started coming around her yard. This would be perfect for her. Thanks!!!

I put all of my smaller scraps in my "crumbs" bucket and then use these to make crumb blocks.

Please don't put threads out where birds can get tangled in them. They get around their legs and can eventually cut their legs off!!

Art teachers like them for collage work.

Some ladies in my guild use them to stuff pin cushions, small homemade dolls or animal beds as already mentioned. I'm sure every quilter has this delima.

Ditto on NOT giving fabric scraps to birds. They pick at the fabric while they're building their nests, causing it to fray, and the loose threads can easily get tangled around the birds' legs. This cuts off the circulation, and the leg will eventually die and fall off. I have seen this happen firsthand, with some nesting material I bought specifically for birds. I didn't realize it, but it had a few strands of thread-like material mixed in with the twigs and other nest-building materials. The thread got wrapped around one of my baby finch's legs, and it went unnoticed until it was too late to save its leg. I felt horrible, and I'm still upset with the supplier who sold me the nesting material. :(

Edit: Small birds, such as finches, have legs that are no bigger than toothpicks, so cutting the fabric into small pieces doesn't really help. A thread as short as 3/4" - 1" could get tangled around their legs.

A few years ago, I checked with Salvation Army and Goodwill. They both said they accept scraps for recycling.

I never thought of making a pet bed, do they wash well when finished ?

A person in my Guild buys pillowcases at yard sales and puts all her scraps in a pillowcase that hangs off her sewing table. When it is full, she simply sews the end shut and donates the "bed" to the animal shelter.

I tried making a dog bed from mine, but the dogs rejected it, so I just throw them away.

I make beds for my pets too. I have 3 dogs and 2 cats so lots of furry bodies needing cushy places to rest! They usually survive about two washings before they start to get really clumpy and awful and THEN I toss them. I've thought about layering little bits between fabric and sort of quilting them down into a mat, and making a stack of these mats for a pet bed; that might survive longer. I might try that with the next "load".

I've heard it's not good to put out fabric for birds, as it retains moisture and can cause mold in the nest. One of my dogs is a lab/husky mix, and the amount of fur she produces is amazing - I brush her outside and the birds LOVE to come take the fuzz afterwards! I love watching them come "harvest" the back yard. :)

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
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Yep. And that's exactly what happens when they're in the nest, too! Do NOT give them to the birds. It makes a soggy mess in their nest.

A few years ago, I checked with Salvation Army and Goodwill. They both said they accept scraps for recycling.
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Good idea! I'm going to check into that!

Right now I stitch all the little scraps together randomly, into roughly 5" squares. Then I use my Fiskars fuse and an Accuquilt Go die to cut that chunk into a 5" square. The squares I'm saving up to make into a modified crumb quilt at some later date (after I retire).

Sewing the scraps together is a nice mindless thing to do on a day when I'm too tired to think, and too tired to work on a "good" quilt. :-)

Even the tiniest of pieces can be used in applique

I usually just toss them, but there are some good ideas here for other things.

Since I give mine to animal shelters, I've always assumed that when they get grungy, they are thrown away.

I'm sure the Quilt Police will be all over me for this, but I usually toss the scraps.

I did once use them as fill for a small stuffed bear rattle for my nephew (in my avatar pic). I didn't have enough at the time to fill the whole thing, so I supplemented with fiber fill, but it was a great re-purpose for the scraps & my nephew loved it.

I also use them for pet beds~~

So do I. One cannot keep EVERYTHING. That way lies madness.....and hoarding.

I throw them away, but one of the girls showed a quilt she made from them. It was called "crumb quilt." Sorry, don't have the patience for that!! Mariah

I have often put out tiny strips of fabric as well as thread in the spring and the birds seem to enjoy taking them for building their nests. I too have lots of tiny scraps of fabric and small strips of left over fabric that seem to be multiplying when I'm not looking. I read once where someone put all those small scraps and strips and made beds for the local animal shelter. I am going to check with my daughter's friend who is a Veterinarian to see if this is something they can use in her practice though; as well as the local animal shelters.

I have a plastic bag full of small pieces just waiting to be made into a pet bed.

Pet Beds! I even have a sweet lady from my guild bringing name her scraps.

I keep the tiny scraps in a plastic bag and put it into a USAgain bin. They repurpose them in our area for dog bed scraps, etc.

Connie

I thought I would save them and make pet beds out of them, but when I really thought about it, I wasn't really interested in doing it. I would rather be creating another quilt. I found a lady who collects all those little snippets and anything thing else you want to give her so you can make the pet beds. We are both happy.

I do save my selvages when I cut them off. I tie up Christmas/birthday gifts instead of using the store-bought bows that simply get squished every year. I hope that my grandkids notice it when they find the selvage from one of their receiving blankets tied around a gift.
My DH steals the selvages and uses them to tie up the sleeping bags that we have or tie blankets into bedrolls to keep them contained. We tie up the foam pads on top of mattresses when the kids bring them home from college...instead of having them all over the house...At least they remain in a roll.

[QUOTE=feline fanatic;7256664]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.[QUOTE]

Please do no leave cotton out for birds. unlike the sticks they build their nests out of, cotton absorbs water and can kill baby birds because they can't stay warm in a wet nest. (Thank you to the member who educated me about this.)