Onebyone

Yesterday while cutting fabric pieces my grand was with me. I asked him to bring my scrap bin over to the table so I could put more in it. He said are you going to use all this ? i said yes it's good fabric. He looked over at my shelves of folded fabric and said isn't that good fabric? I got to thinking. I have more fabric then I will sew in the years left to me, not counting the pre cuts and quilt kits I have so why am I saving scrap pieces of fabric? I'll take what I have to guild for the free table for the last time. I'm not saving anymore scraps and not having them make me feel like I need to use them or save them for good use. I am designating my stacks of charm squares and jelly rolls as my scrap fabric and will use those.

Iceblossom

I tried all sorts of different ways to store and use my scraps and it turned out I didn't really enjoy any of them. I did not have the wise eyes of a child to help me but decided I simply just wasn't going to do it any more -- lol well sort of. I no longer keep pieces smaller than a 6.5" square on the theory that I can cut down but I can't cut up. I have one tote for those 6.5 strips. Every now and then I'll color sort them, but I haven't found a really great system because sometimes I want a particular theme (geometric, floral, civil war, on and on).

You have a guild with a free table, I found a quilter here on the boards who was playing with crumb quilts and I'd send her a box of little pieces once/twice a year. I just kept the box at my cutting station.

A lot of people use 2.5" strips, it rather scared me when I realized that like you, I could spend the rest of my life doing nothing but sewing quilts made up of that jellyroll size. Some people like that idea, it rather scared me... and zoom! out went all the smaller strips. Freed me up to do the projects I wanted to do, even if I have to cut a bunch of 2.5" strips,

The other thing about scraps is do you like working with scrappy projects?? I was helping one of my dear friends do some organizing before I left the Seattle area. She had boxes and boxes and boxes of tiny little scraps but never made projects that way. It was much more fun for her to choose a few pieces of yardage from her large stash instead. I never did convince her to lighten the load of the fabric she really wasn't going to use anyway but I planted a seed and we did organize a lot of the bigger pieces and put together themes like various holidays and neutrals and 30s (both real and reproductions) etc.

In addition to the storage issues I also had the idea that I had to use them in the best possible way... I have determined that the best use is any. When I come across a scrap left from a special project (and yeah, I do remember a lot of them) I'd hold it and remember my god-child in a dress 30 some years ago and say it was time for this scrap to find it's own way.

Macybaby

I love making scrappy quilts, so I'll probably keep saving them even though I also have more fabric in my stash than I'll use up in my lifetime. It seems I use up my scraps every year or two. I made several scrappy quilts this summer and got most of my scrap bins emptied (they are filling already though). Then I started on my jelly rolls - it never seems like it's all that much, but I had about 20 of them and only used up about 6 making 4 quilts.

One thing I've decided to start doing is using regular yardage for backings on smaller quilts (less than 80"). It will mean using two different fabrics on the back, but will get some of my less liked stuff used up. Especially some of the prints with really large designs. I won't use what I have a lot of, as I'm saving them for the times I'm making a quilt with a lot of background fabric.

SallyS

The best thing I have done with my scraps was to give them to a dear friend who was learning to sew and who makes small projects. I had kept each color in a different plastic box, so now I have all that shelf space to use for something I will enjoy. It was freeing for me and a joy for her.

Onebyone

You have a guild with a free table

The free table has fabric scraps in bags every meeting. After a few months even the new members are scrapped to the gills.

Iceblossom

Do you have an active Craig's List or Next Door or something like that? I've connected many people to fabric that way, either by watching for Wanted ads or by offering them as Free. Before we moved there was a request for free quilting scraps. The person turned out to be a textile student in the age group where there were lots of friends having babies.... she happily took all my flannels, boxes of scraps, and some larger things like batting, basically filled up the hubby's small pick up truck!

When I first started purging my sewing room I decided I wasn't keeping any non-quilting fabrics and a different textile student took all my non-quilting off my hands and out of my space.

Onebyone

Being free of scraps to me means not saving or keeping them to find a home. I'd still be keeping them wouldn't I?

sewingpup

when I used to have garage sales, I would put out bags of scraps at a good price. I think 1-2 dollars a bag. Yep, I always got rid of them. Lot of times it was a teacher looking for scraps for art projects....then I didn't even charge the 1-2 dollars. Some places have youth sewing classes that always can use fabric. They usually start with small projects.

QuiltMom2

I do a lot of scrap quilts and I like the idea "the best way to use them is any!"

b.zang

Thank you for putting words to the emotions associated with keeping scraps. I don't have large totes of scraps but they are instead squirreled away into small bins hidden behind or under other things. Even when I am making scrappy quilts, my tendency is to go to smaller cuts of fabric rather than into those scraps. This thread is making me feel lighter just thinking about the possible homes for those scraps other than mine.