Are You Scrappy?
 

The first quilt I made was a "controlled" scrappy (13 different fabrics). I like putting a lots of different fabrics together in a quilt.

I cut novelty fabrics and many other prints and read-solids into various sizes - from 2" to 6" squares, various sizes of rectangles and triangles
From them I make a variety of quilt patterns - D9P, rail fence, Chinese coins, Ocean Waves etc
2 different plaid quilts that have no names - both a 16" square blocks.

Quiltville has alot of scrap patterns
And, there is a site on this Board of only Scrap Quilts

I am not particuarly scrappy, more of a colour co-ordinated controlled scrappy, but it is a great way of using up bits and pieces that otherwise would go to waste.
There are some great ideas here
http://quiltville.blogspot.com.au/p/free-patterns.html I am doing one called pinapple blossom at the moment.

I only make scrappy quilts but with that being said I use solid white in every quilt I make so that adds the cohesive look. I never make the same pattern twice. Too many quilts, too little time. I have been quilting since April and have made 12 quilts. I don't use borders on my quilts either so I don't ever need yardage. Plus I only make twin size or smaller because that's the size I like. I don't prep my scraps until I decide what I'm making. I just pick a pattern - found online or in a magazine - and then paw through my scraps/stash until I get enough fabrics to make it work. I also do scrap swaps in order to get more variety.

I am new to scrappiness - I hoarded my scraps for years with no particular plan. I have recently started using a "system" in which I cut the bigger bits into 2.5" squares, and sets of rectangles 1.5" wide by 2.5" long and 4.5" long (two of each length). Then you border a square with a contrasting set of rectangles, and set aside in a pile. When you have enough square-in-a-squares you make something out of it. I can't do it totally randomly, just not my nature, so I recently made sets of placemats, with each mat showing a color gradient (eg the purple set had squares that went from dark purple borders to white borders, with the inner square being some other color). They ended up looking quite striking. I made six sets, and sold three right away at a craft fair! I still have tons of square-in-a-squares left (did I mention I have been hoarding scraps?), and feel confident that I will be able to use this basic shape to make many interesting things. The original idea for the square-in-a-square came from the book Loose Change.

Whatever bits are leftover from that process get made into string blocks, which I also color coordinate.

I am enjoying having a plan for my scraps, so that I prep as I go along and it doesn't become a horrendously overwhelming task.

Alison

I love scrap quilts. Mostly I do paper piecing but have done rail fence just using 5 strips 2.5 wide by 10.5 length. My favorite was paper pieced hearts done with bright pastels. I have done rocking sailboat baby quilts. I am mostly self taught and these were easy for me. Looking forward to be able to take some classes to learn the "correct" techniques. 101 Log Cabin Blocks by House of White birches has some very good patterns to copy and good color direction in the pictures.

I love scrappy quilts and I've made 4 of them. I like them and others do also as they usually fit in any bedroom. Most of mine are planned but now I have so many fabrics I'm using up fabric that I have.

I like string quilts made from strips. I also have made spiderweb quilts with my scrappy strips. I am now taking my little scraps and cutting them into 2 inch squares for a future quilt.

Bonnie Hunter's site Quiltville has already been mentioned. She has lots of scrappy patterns and an organizing system:
http://quiltville.com/scrapusersystem.shtml
I also like the Mary's quilt site Lots of patterns:
http://www.maryquilts.com/

I like my scrappy quilts to be somewhat controlled by using a single fabric sashing or patch element thru the whole quilt. I think it unifies the look.