joe'smom

So I finished going through my scraps, inspired by this thread to stop putting it off! I pulled enough to fill two 5-drawer units, which take up the only space there is for scrap organizing in our small home. My friend is coming this afternoon to pick up 30 or so plastic grocery bags full of scraps -- yippee!

quiltsfor

It was amazing the feeling of clearing out mine as well. I've decided that I'm going to toss as I go, while making quilts. No more small scraps. The only remainders I'll be keeping will be: a 1/2 of a jelly roll strip or longer, pieces cut into a 5" charm, a 10" layer cake, a fat quarter or larger piece, and yardage.

joe'smom

The key to finally getting at this, for me, was deciding what made sense for me to keep. Once I did that, going through the bags was quick and easy. Going forward, rather than tossing every scrap into my open drawer (which I then stuffed into the plastic grocery bags), I think I will try, as I'm working, to put aside the small amount I aim to keep, and then I will not have to go through bags as a separate task, but simply pass them on.

newbee3

I do not feel guilty I know if I keep them they will not get used if I pass them on maybe they will get used.

KalamaQuilts

you don't allow PM's so will put this here, I'm working on a selvage project, if your selvages have at least 1/2" of color on them I'd be over the moon to pay postage.
I've gone as far as I can go with what I have...
the PO has free boxes, the large ones are 23.00 to mail, so happy to pay this

joe'smom

Those look fabulous, KalamaQ!

Selvages are something I have not consistently saved. (Seeing your blocks makes me wish I had.)

KalamaQuilts

I didn't either, but I've very elsdom bought yardage, so not to easy to get usable selvages for me anyway. When I was actively buying fabric 1/3rd yard is my choice. Always been a scrappy quilter.

Mkotch

I tried to send you a message, Kalama, but was unable to. Please send me your address and I'll be happy to mail you box of selvages. I always cut mine 1.5", so color is showing. mkotch731(at)gmail.com. So glad to get rid of them!
Marianne

KalamaQuilts

will do! Excited! In fact wiggling like a new puppy

Iceblossom

For years I was consumed with using/saving every bit of scrap and not only using them but finding the perfect use for them. I tried many different approaches for saving or using the scraps. Cutting them neatly into standard sized strips worked pretty well, much better than dumping everything small into a hamper. But it always seemed that when I needed (for example) 2.5" strips I had plenty of 2" strips or 4" strips but not the size I wanted. When I realized that I could spend the rest of my quilting life using nothing but 2.5" strips (and some people like this idea!), I decided that scared me and I wasn't willing to do that anymore.

I decided that I would only save 6.5" strips because I could always cut down, but I couldn't cut up and it is a very handy/usable size. Above 6.5" I considered yardage. I would keep a priority postage box in my cutting area and fill it up with the smaller pieces left from my projects. LOL, some people from this thread and other people from the boards know how much fabric I can stuff into one of those boxes. Depending on how much sewing I was doing or what I was using up, I might only fill one box a year or maybe multiple boxes. I felt better about paying for the postage than throwing the fabric away.

The regulars on the Fabric Moratorium thread often have some wonderful ideas on what to do when someone hands you a bag of fabric...
Fabric Moratorium 2023

And the yearly Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt (starts Friday after Thanksgiving which is not so convenient time of year for many people) is a great way to use up little strips. As one of my quilting group would tell me -- but you don't like projects with thousands of tiny bits, I would tell her back -- true,but I like using them up!

Edit: My 6.5"strips must be larger than a 6.5" square...below that and in they go into the small bits to give away.