Quilty-Louise

How small do you keep the scraps when you cut applique
pieces?

I am working on a snowflake applique, and was trying to
eliminate as much scrap with fusible as I could, but it is
hard to get around on some pieces.

ckcowl

have you ever checked out 'Confetti quilting' ? those scraps would be perfect for it- since you use tiny snippets then sew/quilt all over them. but to really answer your question---save them as small as you will use them- if they are smaller than you think you will ever use the put them into a ziplock & when it's full offer it to someone who would love to have them- there are lots of members here that will pay postage for your scraps- locally the school art departments, scouts, 4-H groups, and people who make pet beds for the humane society kennels all very much appreciate your scraps.

Tartan

I used to save appliqué scraps with the fusible on them for greeting cards. I cut shapes and dry ironed them to card stock.

DebraK

thanks for reminding me, Tartan. Sometimes i find baggies of stuff and wonder why I have them ;-)

Rodney

I can't answer how small is keepable. My advice is to do your best to minimize scrap but don't let those concerns compromise your current project. If you end up with more waste than you wanted then that's ok, just be happy with your finished results. That is the bigger priority to me.
Woodturning is one of my hobbies. Often there's more wood chips than there is wood in the finished product when you're done. Fortunately wood does grow on trees and the fabric store will always have more fabric for you.
Rodney
Rodney

IAmCatOwned

I am just getting started on fusible applique. A quilter I knew actually planned a project in advance to use up her accumulated leftovers. Every time she finished a fusible project, she spent an afternoon using the leftovers in her preplanned project and pitched whatever could not be used. As the blocks were finished, she would then sew them down using zig zag stitch. It was a Sunbonnet Sue design similar to that ' a year with sunbonnet sue' book. The whole thing took her maybe four years and was made entirely from leftover fusibles from other projects. Even the backgrounds were leftovers.

DebraK

sounds really cool. I would love to see that quilt.