What do you do with your scraps when ...
#21
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 4,299
I cut mine. I cut as many 6.5 inch squares as I can, then 4.5 inch. Then I do strips 6.5 inches long by whatever width I can get between 1-3 inches. If anything is left of any size after that, I do 2.5 inch squares.
Anything left after all of that is still kept...I will randomly sew together little scraps to make little stuffed balls or "mice" for my cats to play with; I just overlap the fabric and zigzag each seam and then more random zigzagging to catch everything, no hidden seams, no pre-defined shape really, and the smallest scraps are used to stuff them. The cats don't care - I store the completed toys in a big jar half-full of catnip and the cats go bonkers for them no matter how ugly they are.
I mostly only toss out very thin strings that have a lot of frayed & stringy fabric hanging off. Or if my scrap bin is gone crazy or if a fabric is just not making me happy I will toss slightly larger pieces, but usually nothing wider than an inch is ever tossed. It just feels wrong to throw any of it away but I can only indulge my inner hoarder so far!
Anything left after all of that is still kept...I will randomly sew together little scraps to make little stuffed balls or "mice" for my cats to play with; I just overlap the fabric and zigzag each seam and then more random zigzagging to catch everything, no hidden seams, no pre-defined shape really, and the smallest scraps are used to stuff them. The cats don't care - I store the completed toys in a big jar half-full of catnip and the cats go bonkers for them no matter how ugly they are.
I mostly only toss out very thin strings that have a lot of frayed & stringy fabric hanging off. Or if my scrap bin is gone crazy or if a fabric is just not making me happy I will toss slightly larger pieces, but usually nothing wider than an inch is ever tossed. It just feels wrong to throw any of it away but I can only indulge my inner hoarder so far!
#22
I crumple them up and stuff them into my (overflowing) scrap bin. I guess that's not exactly what you are looking for
I won't cut them, because I always figure I'll cut exactly the size I don't need. I don't like to let my fabric design my quilts for me (ie, pick a pattern that fits the strip sizes I have). So I leave them as is, and sort them into colour groups occasionally.
I won't cut them, because I always figure I'll cut exactly the size I don't need. I don't like to let my fabric design my quilts for me (ie, pick a pattern that fits the strip sizes I have). So I leave them as is, and sort them into colour groups occasionally.
#24
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: West Texas
Posts: 2,073
I do a lot of charity quilting using 6" squares. I use that size, because it is to easy to cut them quickly with the 6" x 24" ruler. Sometimes I use them in D9P, other times just in 4 patch blocks. I always have some to work with when needed.
Smaller pieces are kept by color in string bags. Long pieces trimmed from the edges of quilts are saved for possible use as binding if wide enough.
I do a lot of scrappy quilts, but if the color or pattern aren't what I want, I pass them along to someone else.
Smaller pieces are kept by color in string bags. Long pieces trimmed from the edges of quilts are saved for possible use as binding if wide enough.
I do a lot of scrappy quilts, but if the color or pattern aren't what I want, I pass them along to someone else.
#25
Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Greenwood IN
Posts: 6
I keep the small pieces in a plastic bag and hunt through them for a certain color when I am making a scrap quilt. I save extra cut pieces in bags with all the extra from that quilt. Then I keep my eye out for a new pattern that would fit those pieces. Flying geese looks like it would fit one of my stashes. I am not a very fast quilter so I don't have a lot of "leftovers". The larger pieces I leave as is and fold them up on a shelf. Whenever I need a certain color it is usually there. Really helpful in scrap quilts. I am making a "flip-flop quilt for my sister's guest house near the pool. I had enough brightly colored material to cut out 30 pairs of flip flops. It is so pretty and colorful.
#26
I have four drawers/bins. One is for small scraps (less then a 4" square), large scraps (less then a fat quarter), square drawer for charm pack and leftover squares all sizes in stacks, strip drawer....any size left from bindings, borders and piecing. Depending on the scrap project I know what bin to start with and I'm not limited to precuts.
#28
I finally realized that I would never use my scraps (which included scraps given to me by my Mum and by two friends who didn't want their scraps) if I didn't just pick a pattern and mindlessly make millions of blocks. I have been making them into 4.5" sashed squares (a square inside a frame of a different colored fabric). Any leftover bits I am using to make 4.5" string squares. For the moment I am putting the finished blocks aside until I have the desire to make a quilt from them, but already I have enough to make several queen sized quilts. And I no longer feel guilty about the mountain of scraps that I wasn't using, but couldn't throw away! When I start my next regular quilt project I think I will feel relieved to have a system in place for the scraps...
Alison
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