tuckyquilter

I'm a scrap quilter and Bonnie Hunter is a good one to follow. If you are on Facebook there is one group called Scrap Quilt Enthusiasts, which has some great looking quilts in the photo's.

Darcyshannon

I don’t have one way of dealing with scraps. I tend to use a lot of different fabrics in my quilts. I am planning on starting a string quilt with scraps and maybe some other scrappy quilts and start cutting through yardage.

I came here for inspiration. I have a lot of batiks and like to add them to scrappy quilts.

Unsewing

I was awash in quilting fabric scraps until I read Joan Ford's book "Cut the Scraps". One weekend while watching TV I started in pressing them all and cutting them into Joan's prescribed squares: 2", 3.5" and 5". (If I have cement length scraps I keep them on a pants hanger and use them for preemie pad borders.) My pile of scraps dwindled rapidly and I now have three clear plastic shoe boxes I can dip into. The beauty of these specific sizes is this: They all go together making 4.5" blocks. Try it in your head or on paper... nine 2" squares make a 5" block. A 3.5" plus five 2" squares make another. These fit perfectly next to a 5" square.

I've made entire quilts from these squares. It's fun to start with a kiddie panel then select colors from the panel to make a pieced border. I can add squares with little faces and animals so it becomes something of an I-spy border. If you can develop the discipline to cut your scraps at the end of each project there will be no more bags and boxes of scraps. And no more scrap guilt!

QuiltnNan

Unsewing, sounds like a great plan

cherylmae

I bought two of the heavy duty plastic dressers from Walmart, and went thru my scraps. I ironed big scraps and put them in drawers by color. Now to do something with them, that is the challenge/

alikigirl

Thanks for mentioning this book. I have it, and will pull it out and set it next to my TV chair to read tonight. Can you show us some quilts you have made using these sizes?

AngeliaNR

I did one with 2.5", 3.5", 6.5" sizes. I made 9-patches of 2.5" and 4-patches with 3.5" to match up with the 6.5" squares. You could also do 16-patches with the 2" or 36-patches of 1.5" to equal the size.

Kelsie

Unsewing & AngeliaNR: I also would like to see pictures. I am wondering if they end up looking something like a disappearing 9 patch? If no pictures tell us did you do random colours or controlled?

What are cement length scraps?

AngeliaNR

The last ones I did were random flannel scraps--here are some of them:

https://www.quiltingboard.com/blogs/...ts-b13607.html
https://www.quiltingboard.com/blogs/...ts-b13606.html
https://www.quiltingboard.com/blogs/...on-b13541.html
https://www.quiltingboard.com/blogs/...ts-b13520.html

juliasb

first of all welcome back! I am not the neatest with my scraps though I use tons of scrap for scrappy quilts. I have no clue how I have come to have so many.
larger pieces I do my best to fold. Smaller pieces get put as is into my scrap bins. When one gets full I start another. When I am ready to start a scrappy project I dig in and pull pieces randomly so I have a completely scrappy look. For smaller pieces it does require that I do some pressing before I can cut into them but I am able to maintain the scrappy look I want in the project.
As others have mentioned there are many ways to sort or store your scraps so dig in and have some fun.
I even go through and cut square or strips to find them with ease for other projects. I also save anything larger the 1-1/2". You Just never never know.