I do not precut my scraps into squares, etc. I do keep the narrow trimmings 1" to 2" for string quilting separate from larger pieces. I also keep bigger than strings but smaller than a fat quarter separate in plastic shoe boxes by color. That's where I go for super scrappy scraps. My FQs are in holders and larger but less than a yard are kept in with my regular stash sorted by color. I use those larger pieces for controlled scrappy, borders, sashings, etc.
I also leave everything as big as possible until I need it.

I am currently working on a project using my small scraps but I'll need a larger piece for sashing and border. It's called Rainy Night Windows. I am having so much fun with it!!

I love working with my scraps. So far I've made a twin size of 2 1/2" squares and I'm saving up 1 1/2" squares for a postage stamp quilt. I also like to make collage type blocks where I start with a center square and just keep adding to it in rounds until I think it's big enough. I hope to combine them all into a quilt someday!

I've swapped to build up my 1 1/2" squares and I'm always looking for another swap so I can start putting that together. I need about 10,000 squares to make a queen sized quilt. AccuQuilt just came out with a die for that size, so I'll be cutting up more squares just as soon as it gets here, hopefully this weekend.

I tend to get into different modes with quilting - I'll work on civil war quilts for a while, batiks for a while, etc. I try to use a variety of scraps from the leftovers, but sometimes it just doesn't feel like it's working mixing them together. I keep trying to improve on my randomness and someday I'll get there.

Here's my 2 1/2" squares top. Enjoy!

Oh wow, you are the queen of scrappy quilts!! Wonderful! So many little squares! So colorful! So beautiful! It would take me 100++ years to do one like yours and it would never come out so beautiful! Wow!

Love your quilt, LyndaOH! I think the colors fell beautifully! Well done.

Exactly, wildyard! Lynda your quilt has a lot of balanced color...no heavy dark spots or light airy ones either. I like how you stuck those 4P's in, too. I like to do that as well...it adds interest!

Welcome to all the UFO and fabric moratorium members. My scraps are sorted, and nothing larger than a fat eighth is included. One bin is layer cake size squares, another 2 1/2 strips, 3 1/2 strips, you get the idea. There are nine of them. It took a week. I felt very self righteous immediately thereafter. Do I use them? Well, yes, but not exclusively. Some migrate to the back or binding on a quilt. Some fill out other uses. To make myself use them, i have started buying short and going at least controlled scrappy. The fabrics most often bought now are neutrals—of all kinds, using a rather broad definition. So—Boxes of Strings, anyone?

I love scrappy quilts and the ones ya’ll have posted here are fantastic!



Someone asked about boxes of strings- I have boxes of strings- I make string quilts if they’re wide enough, if not I use the really skinny ones to make clothesline trivets and bowls. Any strings too skinny for those activities and other fbric scraps too small for sewing get turned into string scarves. Editted to add: Oh, I misread that, I see there’s a Box Of Strings thread here. I haven’t tried that pattern yet, though I’m now watching that thread to see all the beautiful quilts folks are making using that pattern. :o

I also save larger scraps by size. Any scrap that’s bigger than 10” in any direction does not get cut. Everything else gets cut into largest size I can get out of it and put in my “precuts”stash. Most of my precuts are: 10” strips of various widths; 5” squares”; 3 and 1/2” squares; and 2” squares since these are sizes I use frequently.

anything smaller than 2” gets put in my crumb box and those get used to make crumb squares or they get used in collage quilts.

Rob

I have been lurking here for the past week or so. I hope to get to my bin of scraps,later today or Sunday afternoon after church and into the evening. Saturday is my guild work day and I will be layering a couple of tops. Two are scrappy but not from my infamous "ULTIMATE BIN OF SCRAPS". :o

mslbd, Probably just another repetitive motion injury. Can be so frustrating. I am limited too in how long I can do any one thing. I love to get into a "zone" and just sew and sew or cut and cut. But I have to respect my age (70) and be happy I am still around to enjoy the fabric.

Wow Macybaby, your quilts are incredible. I thought I loved the one with the black background best, then I saw the last one with all the samples. I generally do not enjoy sample quilts, I find them busy, but yours has changed my mind. Having the centre on point really makes it work.

I do not have grandchildren yet and neither of my grandmothers were quilters when I was growing up, but Granny sewed and I would be kept occupied for hours sorting her buttons. Mar-mar was a spinner and weaver and she would set me to sorting yarn, taught me to spin etc. If either of them had had fabric scraps, I would have been in my glory sorting the colours for her.

Not cutting, but give me a bin to sort and I find it almost meditative. Perhaps one of you have grandchildren nearby who could help sort the colours?

Of course, have not done this with my own scraps yet. I made ds a red, white and black quilt and if a left over piece was large enough to fold, it went back into the project bin.

Thanks all! It did not take me that long to make that quilt. I made two patches, then fours, then eights, and then sewed them together. I did always do darks to lights, so that's what I'm planning to do with my 1 1/2" version.

You all have inspired me to sort my scraps this weekend. If I'm not out by Tuesday, please come and find me in the pile!

Just dropping in to shout encouragement. I've processed a number of scrap boxes donated by friends here. My reason is my eye problem, it won't be long untiil I can no longer cut with accuracy.
So I've worked at cutting donated scraps down to be ready for the eventually that is surely coming.

My method is
scraps hand size or smaller first
then by color.

press and cut the little ones first, it gives a nice sense of sanctimony :) 1.5", 2", 2.5". That is as big as I cut, I never use blocks bigger than that.
press the first color pile. cut into 1.5", 2", 2.5" strips. put into 3 zip locks
second color pile, ditto.

I love my ABC stash (already been cut)

I've been working away on my fun art quilt project, Rainy Night Windows. All the blocks are finished now, when I get home from Ohio, I'll start the sashing!
The blocks finish at 5" and my inspiration is a photograph of apartment windows on a rainy night.
This used up some scraps. LOL[ATTACH=CONFIG]594901[/ATTACH]

That is very creative and clever, Linda.

I don’t know. I tried that but still couldn’t stay my hand from buying new!!!

I love the scrappies I have made and am currently working on a couple others.... but that said, I don't indiscriminately cut to "popular" sizes anymore.... "because" I am also a lover of appliqué and can find a use for many weird and wonderful shapes, whether for hand or fusible appliqué. These days I usually only purchase fabrics or patterns while we are on vacation as my "souvenir" I may have to "collect" a few more Row by Row patterns this year as the Musical theme interests me. If I go into a shop to collect their "free" pattern (I don't usually love the fabrics in their kits) then I always buy at least a FQ... but I don't love FQ size... so usually a ½ metre or more. ) Yikes.... more fabric to add to the collection! :D

This looks like a good place for me. I love the scrappy quilts you all have posted here. I cut my scrap fabric (anything 10"and smaller) into squares 10", 5" 2.5" and 1.5". I am in a group that we swap 2.5" squares and make projects together with them so those are my most used sizes.

Recognize a few of the ladies here....:thumbup:sewbizgirl and WMUTeach:thumbup:

Barb

someone told me a long time ago don't organize them just sew something with them spend time on making something

[ATTACH=CONFIG]594953[/ATTACH]Newbee3: I think I should use that advice because I do spend lots of time organizing/sorting. :)

However, I do need to get this container emptied because I have no clue what’s in it for projects or scraps. I just found an old leather purse that I was planning to fix a lining in that box. Lol!

So I will dedicate this box as my ‘scrap mound’ project for the summer. Only a few more subbing jobs next week and then I will have a lot more free time.

18 gallon tote

I have business and family commitments until the middle of July...so anxious to get digging in my mound of scraps. I declared 2018 the year of the triangle and have a mission to do something with all those spare HST's that have accumulated!

Hey, there Barbara. I saw your name along with sewbizgirl and smiled. Well here we are still trying to turn more scraps into more quilts. Meet you on our swap thread in a few minutes.

Wow, is all I can say! Those are beautiful!

Looks just like my scrap bin! (only less of it)

I have cut a few into standard sizes. But then I'm always afraid I'll need that fabric in a different size! Besides, it goes against my disorganized nature!!

That is so cool! Wish I were that creative.

I'm trying! Did 9 square in a square blocks to day, working on a lap quilt. But then I get discouraged at how slow the going is and decide to make half the blocks snow ball blocks....without so many little pieces! I have found that paper piecing works great for me in using up little bits of fabric. I don't cut them exactly to size, just "kind of the right size", before sewing them onto the paper. Makes for an ugly back, but then it's going to be inside the quilt!


Well, trying to attach a photo, but it won't work. Maybe next time. Anyway, paper piecing works for m!

After my Window project, I decided to work on my collection of rose fabrics, many of which are FQ and smaller. I did have to pull from my stash for yardage for the sashings and binding. Here are the blocks I have so far. The center square is 8" finished and the blocks are 16" finished. I only had 6 large prints so I am doing 2 of each.
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What a delightful set of blocks, Linda!

I just quilted a square in a square quilt and am on to finishing the binding. It was all batik scraps from a friend. Remember how folks love to give us there scraps. Well I just finished two quilts from her scraps the other is waiting to be layered. Will try to post photo of both soon.

Hang in there Lydia, I made 100 of those square in a square blocks you can do it too. Start small and keep at it. Poof you are half done then 80% and then "Well I might as well finish it" stage. You will get there. I would consider another in a blink may be out of some of those wild scraps in my bin. :D

I felt the same way.....Did Macybaby ever share the pattern name of that quilt with the center on point?

Ditto - - - I thought the very same thing.

Wildyard: Beautiful!

Wildyard, your squares are wonderful!! What a great result from scraps!

So far this year I have made 3 scrap quilts and the pile just grows. Yesterday got a friend started on a scrap quilt with my scraps. When will it end???

My problem is I have too many projects going to get to my scraps to do anything. Every time I think I am going to be able to work with them someone is either getting married or having a baby. Eventually ...(I hope).

About cutting the scraps into useful sizes. if all I can get out of it is a 5" square or smaller, it is a scrap. If it's bigger than that I leave it alone unless I need it for my current or next project. My stash is mostly FQ's and half yards, so my idea of a scrap is pretty small. I guess most of my quilts are controlled scrappy (1 or 2 colors + neutral) and I like 50+ fabrics minimum in a quilt which is why I don't tend to buy yardage.
Here is a current project...a faux scrappy Hunter's Star made with blue, green, brown and neutral scraps. I wasn't going to work on this quite yet, but picked up some vintage fabric scraps off the free table at a guild meeting one night and had to try them out...
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Scraps are a quilter's treasure! Here is the string quilt I made from a bag of scraps that was given to me:

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This used about half the strings in the bag... and I gave the rest to another quilter who likes to play with them. I still have plenty from my own scraps!

Hi BarbK and WMUTeach! :wave:

I just found this quilt on Pinterest and I love it. I think this is going to be my next free time project! I have tons of plaid pieces from making a quilt for my grandson. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/859835753831737787/

I like the white and black narrow borders throughout with the larger one around the center:thumbup: