What little pieces??? LOL

Mine get trashed right away... I don't do scrappy.

Well, I do scrappy, love scrappy and I toss them into a big scrap bag and let them breed. I've done 4 large scrap quilts in the last 2 years and they have turned out to be some of my favorite quilts. The one I'm doing right now isn't a scrap quilt but I've got plenty of nice scraps from it, waiting for another scrappy. I find myself gazing at the scrap quilts on the bed, looking at all the different fabrics, some from way back. Needless to say, I'm a big fan of Bonnie Hunter.

I'm in Rita's camp. If it is smaller than about 2-inches square, I save them. And yes, they do breed in the basket or box. When I have taught scrap classes in the past, I just fill up a big bag and let the class members have at 'em.

Teresa

I store them by color and use them later. Sometimes if I'm using the stich-and-flip method I'll sew a second seam 1/2" away and then I have a finished HST for another project.

I don't throw strips away until they are narrower than 3/4" and some very small square-ish pieces I keep for hand applique.

Donna

I even made a couple of quilts that yielded spares on purpose with just a little extra stitching. The only problem is, starting new seems to get done more often than using old.

My really beautiful collection of completed 1/2 sq. triangles don't look like they'll make it into the border I saved them for, so I need to stick them up on the design wall one day and make a plan.

Other scraps I keep and use for smaller projects, scrap quilts or appliqué.

LindaB/CA

Hmm! Good question.
If the pieces are of a decent size they go back in the big box with their like- coloured cousins.
Then I have a few bags with much smaller pieces and even some completed units. The little quilt made for National Quilt Day came out of those bags, completed four patches and strips.
Also from the bags, earlier this spring, I made a batch of string blocks. Still could do a lot more.
And I have been known to pitch bits and smallish pieces. My sister has a quilting friend who uses every last scrap. So I tell my sister, not to tell Cathy when I do toss.
Having written this last bit, I am now feeling quite guilty for tossing. Anyone out there want my scraps????
Theresa

Since I don't buy fabric unless I have a quilt pattern for it, my "stash" is all scraps. It is all sorted by color. When a scrap is smaller than 1.5"x1.5", it goes into a plastic, zipped bag which I give to my LAQ who brings it to her guild meeting for anyone who wants it. I cut certain scraps into 1.5" squares for a "someday" postage stamp quilt. I have made one child's quilt totally out of scraps, except for the backing. I have plans for several other scrap quilts that should use up some of my larger scraps. And I use some scraps for lotto blocks.

Total chaos for me. Anything small gets tossed into a box and saved... but I don't like scrappy so I have no idea what I'm saving it for. I have this grand plan to bag every scrap and every piece of fabric I don't love and label it "Quality Quilting Scraps" and give it to Goodwill. I know someone will buy it.

I keep a red Smoky the Bear collapsible fire bucket that my son brought home from elementary school to put my scraps in as I am cutting out quilt block pieces. In the past sometimes I have given my fabric scraps to the local library children's activities. Right now though I am saving my scraps and plan to use them in making blocks for a Crazy Quilt which I work on a few times a year - maybe I will finish that quilt by the time my kid goes to college. It's definitely a back burner project. I just store all my scraps in large ziplocks bags when the red collapsible bucket fills up.

Best to you,
Sandra

I save my scraps and use them in quilts. I have made quite a few scrappy quilts and love them. All you people that do not save their scraps should save them for those of us that do use them. Bring them to retreat and we will fight over them! LOL

Jackie

Sounds like "scraps are us".... I toss my scraps into a Hugh basket under the cutting table, and those of a decent size eventually get folded and sorted. I am amazed how often I go into my scraps for a piece of this or that and I'm not a scrappy quilter...yet :-). They are great to use for practice FMQ...
Jackie...good idea for the retreat!
V.

Hmmmm.... maybe I can rent a U-Haul to bring my scraps to the retreat - cheaper than a dump truck, right?

Teresa
(who meant she tosses any scraps smaller than 2-inches)

I sew on both sides of the cutting line for HSTs so they are already squares when I cut them off. But most often I am using both sides for a quilt. I save just about everything left over, if it is too small for use in a quilt, I chop it up for the birds.

beverly

Great idea for Retreat! I'll ship a box to Val's house and we'll bring it down.

No, no, no......don't throw them away!!!!! I've gotten to where I toss anything less than an inch, but am now having second thoughts about even that! My scraps are in better order now since starting Bonnie Hunter's method but it's still an ongoing process.

SharonG/FL-IN

Here is a link that might be useful: Bonnie's Scrap Users System

As I am a scrappy lover I save most of mine. I just finished cutting up a bunch into 1 1/2" to 6" squares which I keep in boxes marked with each size. Anything larger get put back into the color coded boxes....most of the time...lol. I do have a crate with strips which I may use as such someday....depends on if I live long enough...
I have made quilts with the sq. and find them useful along the way.

I purposely do a scrappy every few quilts to use them up. I got serious last winter about throwing really small ones, or too narrow strips. It got ridiculous. They go into a big bag and when I feel like being in the sewing room but not working on a project, lately I've been cutting them into a standard size block to save them. It's how a couple quilts got most of its material. Here is one reason I save them..............several times I have messed up on a block or ran myself short a block or two by miscounting. My scrap bin saved the day, where I'd tucked a few salvageable pieces of that material and I'd find a match.