How do you organize your fabric scraps?
 

Recently I checked a book out from the library written by Joan Ford titled, Cut the Scraps! She suggests cutting scraps into 2", 3.5" & 5" squares. For those of you that quilt much more than I do, do you think these are very useful sizes? What are the most popular sizes used in quilts? If there is one.

I am trying to put some order to my scrap bin. Right now all the scraps are stuffed (and I do mean stuffed) into a plastic file folder bin. They are a wrinkled mess and need to sorted by color. These scraps are all less than fat quarter size and maybe most are smaller than an eighth. Those pieces larger than this are kept in bins with yardage sorted by color.

Suggestions appreciated. Throwing them out is not an option! LOL

Karen

Mine are stuffed in several boxes. I don't have time to organize all those scraps. A couple years ago I pulled a bunch and made 1 1/2" strips and made about 200 log cabin blocks, that still have not been made into a top, let alone a quilt. I do pull from my scrap piles (yes piles, several of them) for various projects here and there

There are many people with (organization) programs out there, the best thing is to think about what size pieces YOU tend to use most often. If you are often turning to charm square style quilts then 5" squares are good to cut, along with 3" squares ( which will make 5" (4-patches) ... If you are *drawn to* postage stamp quilts, or ones that use 2 1/2" squares then cut your scraps into those sizes. If you lean toward log cabin quilts, string quilts, strip style quilts then save those strips in lengths. In other words, customize your scrap organization to fit you. I keep small plastic totes with lids to neatly stack my cut/organized sizes. Then I have a separate tote I toss the odd ball pieces in, I can dig through it when I need an applique piece or once in a while some new project catches my eye that doesn't fall into my normal cut sizes. When that tote becomes (overflowing) or I haven't used anything from it in 6 months I generally stuff a large ziploc or medium flat rate postal box & offer them to someone who will put them to use.

ckcowl has it just right.

In the interest of decluttering and while recovering/rehabbing I went through my scraps. The smallest went to pet beds for the humane society. Those big enough were used for yo-yo's as I could do them wherever I was, no matter how I felt. The rest I shared with quilting friends or donated.

Yes, I might start again someday, but for now the decluttering worked. And, stash building will happen again. After all, I am a quilter.

There is always Bonnie Hunter's Scrap Users System:
http://quiltville.com/scrapusersystem.shtml
She has lots of patterns on her site that use the sizes she suggests.

I cut mine into 3.5 and 5 inch squares and 2.5 inch and 1.5 inch strips after I finish each project, I used to cut into 2.5 square but I got lazy and leave them in strips if I need squares its easy enough to trim up.

Anything less than 2 1/2 inches I just give away because I know that I will never get around to using them. The larger pieces I just keep with its same color.

I sort by color theme , fall , spring etc. Metallics have their own pile. I never cut till I choose my pattern. I once cut a bunch of scraps hoping to tidy up the mounting pile... I regretted doing that .. it was very limiting on what patterns I was going to use.

No I do not necessarily find those sizes helpful.

I organize scraps by color and type. So Kids fabrics, Hawaiian, 1930s, Oriental, Batik and Civil War have their own stash. The rest is organized by color. I am thinking of selecting out 2 1/2 inch strips WOW irregardless of color. I like to use those as binding on scrap quilts.

I do not cut scraps up until I need them. this way I avoid a lot of unnecessary cutting and ironing.

I also use scraps for paper piecing and applique and it would not help me to precut scraps.