Oh Aggi, I would love to see your crumb quilt! I have a bunch of crumbs too, but don't know what to do with them.

I have been pondering organizing my closet and organizing my fabrics again. Right now, it is a mess.

I have an old canvas bag I recycled to hold all my scraps. :) I have a sweater hanging rack I use to hold fabric (but I bought it new just for that).

Once I bought premade binding and it came on a special cut cardboard so now I use old cereal boxes cut to that shape to wrap the bindings I've made till I use them.

I save the postal envelopes that are flat- to cut templates from. I save the inside cardboard from the Joann's fat quarters for the same thing. I save squishy packaging to reuse. I save the boxes from my Ebay frenzy for building my stash and send out boxes of "stuff" to friends so they can build a stash too.

I brought home the desk calendars from last year that didn't get used. Turned over, they are blank, I can't throw away big sheets of paper. When I get over my fear, I will learn paper piecing and use these papers.

Probably more, but this is all I can think of right now.

I use Whitman Sampler Christmas tins to store stuff. One each for threads, embellishments, scissors, pins and needles, marking pencils, etc. Emptying out the original contents is half the fun! :wink:

You've got the greatest idea of all -- LOL

I'm going to start a crazy quilt using neckties I have been collecting. I have save some old silk blouse to use in it too.

Homemade pin box ---or --- portable sewing kit


recycle empty Altoids or Velamints metal tin/ cut down magnetic fridge calendar from 2008 to fit bottom of empty tin

use a metal bobbin for thread source--- I only use metal bobbins as portable "spools" as my sewing machine requires plastic bobbins


pins/ needles/ metal bobbins/ small seam ripper fit neatly inside without falling out if the opened box is tipped upside down

Piecefully yours,
Kay Susan

I cut up all the old jeans and denim skirts for a pending "blue jean and flannel" beach quilt.

I cut up old clothes for either fabric for quilts or fabrics for the crazy quilt I'm going to make someday. (I've probably saved enough for about 10 of them by now, but I just can't seem to throw anything away.) I save the buttons from them too.

I save all the Altoid containers for pins and clips and heaven knows what. I like the idea of the Whitman's Samplers better though!! Yum, better contents and they retain some of that chocolate fragrance.

I save all the Joann's fat-quarter cardboards for making templates.

I've recycled two shoe organizers into storage - an open ended one for all the "rolled" stuff like stablizers and for cans of spray starch, and a closed end one for fabric stashes of small pieces.

I recycle TP and paper-towel rollers to hold cut binding, or to roll extra 'strips' to keep them organized by color, as well as for holding lace.

I recycled three old spice racks and jars from estate sales to hold beads and sequins, and bath salt jars for larger stashes of them. This will seem really neurotic - but most of the beads and sequins came from clothing picked up at thrift stores - and removed by me. Yep, I'm nutso, but it was actually fun to watch TV and "pick beads" as my DH called it. And, man-o-man are they cheaper to acquire that way. Naturally I cut up the rest of the outfit for crazy quilt fabric.

I guess I basically save and re-use everything I can! :) When I was growing up my Granny continually said "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" and I still hear her voice today.

I cut my selvages off at about 1/2 inch and give them to an older lady that crochets small rugs. Her little rugs can be used on a table top or on a chair. And they wash beautifullly.

All of your ideas are great! Since I made a scrap rug that used small strips and scraps of fabric, I save all those for future rugs. Including selvage edges.