i leave my scraps the way they are you never know what size you need.

i even save the tiny crumbs because they are good for applique of small sections.

If scrappy quilts appeal pick 2 or 3 patterns you want to make and start cutting.

It depends on what kind of patterns you tend to make if you should cut them or not - if you make lots of patterns using squares, cut them into squares etc. I never know what I'm going to use mine for so they're sorted into tubs by colour - pink thru red, cream thru brown, black, grey and purple, green, blue - 5 tubs in all. A 'scrap' to me is anything smaller than FQ and I keep everything down to around a half inch as I might want to do mosaic or confetti one day. My DH says I'm so anal I even have a tub labelled 'Scraps Too Small to be Useful' - this is NOT true!!! :mrgreen: :lol: :D

Check out Rhonda's cutdown method on this board. Perfect for scraps!

What a pretty little house! I love the walkway!

In stitches,
Roberta
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http://quiltingandotherramblings.blogspot.com/

I keep them in baggies and plan to do a crumb quilt--one of these days :)

Very good idea! ! !

good choice,,
yesterday, I put scrappy log cabin in the search engine, and came up with a very easy one to do. Found it of a blog of Flutter-Kat.

Also there was a pix of a quilt on here the last week or so, looked like one I might want to try, I have searched the board, and can't find it, it had a picture of a pattern with the quilt, and it was Calico Printworks pattern. Been to the site,haven't found it yet.

At my local Bernina shop they have a monthly class called scrap therapy. All of your scraps are cut into 5'square, 3.5"squares, 2" squares and 2.5" strips. You place them in different boxes for each size. I start with the largest 5" squares from my scraps first or the 2.5" strips, then work down til theres nothing left. The patterns use some or all of the sizes in full size or cut down. The are all beautiful. If I knew how to attach pic for you I would send you one! The beauty of it is you get into a habit of cutting your scraps as you complete a project, your sewing room stays organized and you don't feel like your throwing anything away! I have to admit if I'm in love with a fabric I do keep it the way it is so I might be able to use it in applique. Good Luck!

I have some neatly cut, some in boxes in their natural state and some by the machine for trial and error for stitches and tensions. In other words, they're all over the place. I do use them but they are growing.

There are actually quilts made from selvages. They are really nice. Just google them.

I leave mine as is just in case an applique pattern comes along that I simply cannot ignore. If applique is not for you than you can always cut to a size you know you will use or find a pattern for scraps or crumbs and get busy on another quilt while you finish one. So many possibilities when you have scraps. The main thing is to do something and not become buried in scraps when so many more fabrics need to be bought and used.

A sidebar. My GD just moved in with me. She brought her very special friend. Tridon looks just like your avatar. Let's see..... that makes three dogs and four cats. They make good foot warmers.

I leave the scraps the odd size until I get ready to use them, this way they are more versitile than trimming and cutting into specific sizes. I separate my scraps into adult fabrics and childrens fabrics, when I get enough scraps I make scrap quilts.
Just about any quilt pattern can be made into a scrap quilt.

I save all my decent size pieces and organize them by color. Extra binding goes into another container for strip quilts or bindings for small projects. Other odds and ends go into a bag that I give to the Elementary School Art Teacher for her projects. The loose threads and super skinny strips are out out in the yard for birds to use for building their nests. This winter's project is to make a scrap quilt from all my pieces.

Use them in Crazy Quilts, especially if its a fabric I really love.

I am saving them for a scrap quilt. Also use for small applique projects (wall-hangings and cards!) :lol: :wink: :lol:

Since I do not like working with very small pieces, I keep a basket by my machine and every time I trim a seam I toss the trims into the basket. It is amazing how quickly the basket fills up. Recently I used several bags of those "trims" to make a bed for our dog!

I do this same thing. I am afraid to cut them until I know what they will be used for.

I save every little scrap, even the snips of thread. LOL Check out the Chaos quilts and maybe even the confetti quilts. Other than that, the scraps can go into stuffing for the animal shelters. My snips of thread are going to go in some thread bowls, when I get around to doing them.

I am packing up and amazed at how much fabric I have accumulated over the years. Even though I have donated bags of scraps to quilting groups I find I have more. So, I have been going through the bins and getting rid of scraps...my DF just learned how to quilt and I am passing them on to her. Once I get settled I dream of cutting and organizing each scrap as posted. All great ideas :-)

I leave them as is. You never know when you need that piece for an applique.

Same here!

I never cut them until I decide what I want to do with them.

Oh, thanks for the quiltville scrappy site - great!

sew them together and make on old fashion crazy quilt. that is what I do.

Scrap Users System by Bonnie Hunter; her website quiltville.com and Scraptherapy, Cut the Scraps (book) by Joan Ford have been my scrap salvation. I have combined their valuable methods and my "scrap world" has been tamed and is now user friendly. They both advised to "Do Something with Your Scraps so You will Use them." Otherwise scraps will just multiply and take up room for someday. I promise you once you delve into scraps and CUT them for future use you will use them. There are still scraps from the cutting that I use for scrap blocks, my term for just sewing random pieces together and cutting to whatever size block or pattern I want to use. Salvages and pieces smaller than 1/2 inch are used for stuffing.

I cut them into strips and squares and sort them

I trim them to the largest strip or square that I can. I don't applique (never say never :) ) so don't keep the oddly shaped pieces in odd shapes. The smallest I cut is to 1" . I have the stackable plastic drawers that I keep them sorted in, and the smaller ones in plastic pencil boxes. That works so far, but I don't have a monstrous collection - yet... :)

I like your idea of sewing onto the muslin, and I think that all kinds of shapes and colors make a beautiful scrappy quilt.

LOL I send them off to my grands so they have some scraps to sew with to make many different things.

I stuff them into a baggie and pray that some day in the near future, I am experienced and knowledgeable enough to know what to do with them!

LOL I send them off to my grands so they have some scraps to sew with to make many different things. If they have too many I sew them together till I have an idea ..

One more thing I would like to add, when I need a piece of fabric to applique or for whatever reason, I simply look for the size I need. I have blocks cut from 1 1/2 inches all the way to 10 inch blocks. Bricks and strips are also used as needed. It is very user friendly.

may I ask what is a crumb block? I am still pretty new to the quilting society and I need scraps so lately I have been going garage sale hunting primarely for fabric scraps some good luck some bad luck, some, no luck at all ha ha ha

DITTO!

I tend to do the same type of patterns, I like d9p so I make the largest square I can get out the fabric, then I'll cut into strips what's left. Anything less then about 1/8 yard. I don't go less then about 1" strips and won't do 1" squares. Less then that goes into a bag for a lady who makes pet beds for the local humane society.

I did make a lot of crumb blocks over the years but honestly even though they are fun to make it doesn't seem to use up the scraps as quickly as I want to. Because when I trim up the crumb blocks the trimmings are the beginning of the next crumbs.

I don't cut them until I am ready to use them because some pieces can be used for paper piecing and maybe you need a small square for a quilt block etc....

anlmlover-crumbs are small pieces of fabrics, that you sew together, sort of like a crazy quilt, but much smaller pieces, until you get to the size of block you want, then you square it up and do it all over again. Try the search button on board with crumb quilts and you'll see all kinds of beautiful inspirations.

My take on crumb blocks are small pieces of fabric sewn together to form enough material that can be cut to the size block you want.

Try Fabric.com and search for remnant. They sell remnants by the pound that are between 1/8 and a yard. The price is about $20 for about 9 yards of good quality fabric. If you order at leat $35 shipping is free. use code CLEAR1026 and receive another 30 off. I've ordered several times and love their fabric.