Scraps?
 

I've recently acquired a lot of scraps of various sizes and will be getting a few more (I kind of went overboard on Ebay), and I was wondering what you do with your scraps? I wanted these because I am working on my grandmother's flower garden quilt and I didn't want to have to cut fabric from big pieces of fabric, but some of the scraps I have could potentially make a small project. I'm wondering what you do with your scraps? What kinds of things do you make? Do you use any to make gifts? I was thinking of making some wallets because there's enough for some. I'm just curious what you do with yours?

I love string quilts in scraps.

I mostly work in a scrappy style with the design concept of color or value -- so instead of 1 blue, I'll use 6 or 60... What I've found over the years though is I don't like dealing with little bits of fabric and that if I cut all my little bits into little squares, I would never ever be able to finish up my little bits to make quilts I wanted to make. Some people, on the other hand, love the idea of having tons of available 2.5" strips and squares or whatever size they determine. So often what we make is determined by what sort of scraps do we have. I've ended up that I don't keep anything smaller than a 6.5" x larger than a square because "I can always cut down but I can't cut up". I have a box at my cutting table and a lovely crumb quilter from the board takes my boxes of weird stuff as I fill them up :)

Bonnie Hunter is considered a queen of scrap quilting. You might browse/spend hours at her site!
https://quiltville.blogspot.com/

A lot of what I do is really more about collections of fabric that have some sort of theme or reason why they are a collection, than really about scraps. Both of these quilts came largely from the same box of various sized pre-cut squares I was given but I did add some fabrics. First, I took out all the squares that had metallic embellishments and made "scrap metal" by cutting the squares into consistent sized triangles and sewing them back together with a sashing fabric out of stash. In the other, I took out all the large bright novelty prints and cut them into a consistent size. I framed them with a consistent confetti fabric, and then I took the remaining bright squares into rectangles for the sashing.

I think all quilt patterns will look great in scraps. I have a scrappy Double Wedding Ring in my project pile, as well as a scrappy Log Cabin. I love scrap quilts, in all shapes and sizes. Like Iceblossom said, Bonnie Hunter has many scrap quilt patterns. Quilted Twins does too. https://www.quiltedtwins.com/free-patterns.htm . Pinterest is bursting with inspiration.

I have been making a Tiny House Quilt with my scraps. Jenny Doan of Missouri Star quilts has a YouTube video on how to make them. I have also been making trees to go with the houses. You're lucky to have a quilt buddy to take your scraps. I feel guilty throwing away scraps. I think even if you made half square triangles, it would look great!

I have started sorting my scraps by color and not cutting them into specific sizes of pieces until I have a scrap quilt in mind. I do like making the Bonnie Hunter scrap quilts and find I now think making a quilt out of just 5-6 fabrics is sort of boring! I do try and cut up my scraps of the scraps into certain sizes though if what is left over is too small. So I have clear shoeboxes filled with 2, 2.5, 3.5, and 5 inch squares and some of 1.5, 2, and 2.5 inch strips. Also have a box of selvages and of strings. I will sometimes just make four patches and nine patches out of the scrap squares and stitch them into a little quilt. They are cute as doll or dog quilts. I used to do more raw edge applique wall hangings and would use scraps for those. I have made "I spy" quilts out of scraps. Those are fun to make. Oh, and I do save a box of triangles as if I make string blocks on the diagonal, the triangles come in handy for those last corners.

You don't have to go searching for scrappy quilt ideas. We have a whole scrappy quilt show https://www.quiltingboard.com/vbulle...e-t135936.html

Something else besides scrap quilts: I recently posted that I like to make scrappy bindings. They add interest to some of the quilts I've made.

Scrap quilts, scrappy bindings, wallets/purses, pot holders, placemats, it all depends on how big/how many scraps you have and what you'd like.
For a particular small piece of fabric I really like, I will make a potholder so I can look at it often. If it's a bit larger, then it's a placemat etc....