how small a piece of fabric do you keep? do you keep the little triangles that you cut off? do you keep little pieces for possible applique? or do you throw this stuff away? JoAnn

Yep! I keep everything! The little pieces come in handy for applique.

Sometimes I keep the scraps for stuffing a pillow.

Me keep everything {to much}. I have ever many a quilt that I call "Sewing roon floor". I have pieces as small as 1 1/2 x3/4 for paper pieceing Need to let some thing go. O NO O NO

I am not a scrap quilter, so I don't keep anything smaller than a half yard (and probably shouldn't keep those). I tend to buy a minimum of three yards of anything, and if I like the fabric a lot, I'll buy the whole bolt.

Anything smaller than an 1/2 yard goes into a big tub of scraps that I seldom look at.

I also have a lot of FQ's, but I've stopped buying them because I don't think I've ever used any. (And please, no pm's asking to me to sell/donate etc)

My rationale now is that they are BAIT!! A certain friend of mine here on the board, loves scrappy quilts. When she was here recently, I let her go through and take what she wanted. We shipped a 23 lb. box home to her. So the rest are BAIT to entice her to come back and play! LOL

I've taken the very small pieces and the 1/8 - 1/4" spagetti strips and put them in a box. I took my extra heavy duty chenille scissors and snipped them up even smaller (while watching tv). Just stuck the scissors in the box & snipped. I took the confetti & used it as mulch around my perennials. 100% cotton is biodegradeable. I know that the colors will fade in the sun, but it looks like it's doing a good job as mulch and looks so pretty.

There are a lot of answers to this question. It depends on the individual.
I like to keep pieces 2" square and 2.5" square to make miniature quilts and table toppers.

I never thought of the pillow idea- thanks!

I am not a scrap keeper and keep nothing smaller than a 5 inch charm. I keep nothing smaller than a 2 1/2 inch strip to use for scrappy binding.


However, I keep a plastic container (like those you get pretzels or
those orange yucky snack things) and toss in anything smaller. When it is full, it goes to my guild to be auctioned off. I am prolific and can full several a year. I toss in the ends I cut off binding after pressing them flat again.


I have a huge stash so must use that and not worry about crumbs.

I think it is an individual decision. What ever size your willing to work on is the right size to save and throw out the rest.I just started to save my triangles to make hst blocks. Just remember that the small pieces come in handy when you need just a small piece and you don't want to cut into the big piece of fabric.

When cutting off the triangles on blocks, I sew them together and save for a different project. If its usable in some way for me - I'll save it. I'm currently saving hst's and cutting down to 1.5" for a quilt, 1.5" squares and anything that could be used in applique.

I save everything. I haven't used it yet but I will. It comes in handy when you just need a small piece to finish an applique.
Sue

HEHEHEHEHEHE And I will come back at my very earliest conveinance (not in the summer).

I keep anything over 2" for scrappy things. I've found that anything smaller, I can't find a project for.

Heck, even I don't want to be here in the summer! Well, to be honest, I don't want to be here any time, but as you know I'm stuck. Kinda like Purgatory.

I keep anything I think is big enough to use in a crumb block and I throw everything else away with great glee! I don't have much of a stash and I like my quilts to have patterns. But crumb blocks, because they are made with 'garbage' (in my own mind) are completely freeing. I hate to have too much stuff that I can't use. Jane

Scrap is still usable in some way, trash is too little to use, a thread possibly. :) I donate "trash" to a community center for kids to use for making art out of it somehow. I have totes full so scraps waiting for their perfect use in a project.

Cathy S/Willowwind

Come up to PA. Bring Mom. i bet we can get her in love with the north east. No GIANT bugs.

But to keep with the subject of the thread. i keep everything too. I just have a conundrum right now on how to store my fabrics of all sizes. I outgrew my shelves and have tubs. I really want it all in one location. I have my sewing room torn apart. I am slowly putting it back together but have no soultion as of yet for the fabrics. Hohummm

Nah, Mom would rather have giant bugs than cold weather. And I can help rearrange your sewing room. I'll just store all your large yardage for you.

:mrgreen:

I love saving my scraps. All of them. Sometimes I share with others.

I save everything larger than a 1" square. I have always done this, even before I took up quilting. I guess I knew where my true destiny was. :D I have a 3-tier system of organization: scraps, which is anything larger than an index card; strips, anything longer than it is wide and at least 1" wide; and crumbs, which is everything else.

I also save most batting scraps larger than an index card.

My whole stash would be junk to some of you! I mostly only buy FQs and I keep three different bags of leftovers, the smallest of which might be 1 inch by half an inch. I use them for making things for our dolls house. The dolls have some really great scappies- 50% of the weight in them would be thread!

i keep everything but the pieces too narrow to put the needle through. one never knows when one needs just that perfect color.

I keep even the tiniest scraps, even pieces of thread for thread bowls. I think it's a personal preference.

The Mid Valley Quilt Guild has a table people can bring their "leftovers" to donate for charity quilts. Also smaller scraps are saved to be recycled into new fabric (or paper?. I think it's a great idea!

I do make scrap quilts, so I save all small pieces. The really small ones are great for string quilts-which I love. When the blocks are finished and have been trimmed up, I save the tiny pieces in a bucket on my sewing table. I use these to make toys for my dogs. Use an old sock or knee high, stuff scraps into it to your desired size, tie a knot and you have a toy for the dog(s). I make them of varied sizes and stuffieness and my dogs love them.

what an idea, I love it

I keep only 2 inch squares or larger or strips wider than 1 1/2 inches. Anything odd shaped ,scrap batting or thread gets collected by our guild to make dog beds for the humane society.

I save everything. Right now I have 2 large Rubbermaid totes of unsorted scraps. When I get around to sorting I will decide what to keep. But I won't throw anything away. There is always someone who wants crumbs, even selvages, so I will give them away. If I can't find anyone who wants them, they will go in the compost bin.

Yeap my too. I have a very large tote I just throw all the scraps in and they come in very handy down the road. :thumbup:

Have you tried "bottom line" thread? It is really thin like silk. It would be awsome for these small quilts.

This is too funny.

I just spent a few days cutting scraps into 2 1/2" and 3" squares and strips. I started with a few large grocery bags. I now have 2 full ziplock bags with the squares and a few grocery bags full of the too small pieces. I have sorted but not cut the strips yet as I was doing this at someone else's home.

All the scraps go to our local Humane Society for pet bedding.

However, after doing all this and hardly making a dent in the fabric, or so it seems. My new pledge is noting less that 3" ... and bigger is preferred.

I'll donate the rest of the sizable pieces to one of my quilting groups for others to use.

I, hopefully, will be making the squares and strips as I go from now on. Notice I said 'hopefully.'

ali

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Just don't even think of disposing of any thing in MY sewing junk..sorry, sewing stuff.

I wanna come over and play!!! Lol




Well back on subject- everyon is different in what they want or can use. I'm a scrappy quilter and I love crumb quilts. So anything smaller than 1inch half sq is trash ( or stuffing).... And selvages I do not keep either...

I keep and use everything that is 1.5" square and larger. I do not however keep selvages. I have to draw the line somewhere, LOL!

I keep everything. If it is not big enough for applique or another project I stuff a pillow with it.

Me too, I make fur baby's beds, even put the thread pieces in :shock:

What a clever idea!! I just might try it.

anything i can cut a 1 1/2 inch block out of is scrap under that is trash and any triangle that can be sewn together to make a 1 1/2 inch block is a keeper

I keep it all.