charlotte37830

I leave my as they are and sort them into conatiners by color. As soon as I cut them a certain way, I would need them some other way.

wildyard

I sort mine by color but don't cut them until I am ready to use them in a scrappy quilt.
For me a scrap is anything smaller than a FQ.

Earleen

I spent Sunday cutting into 2 1/2in. strips and 2 1/2 in. squares and using the strips to make quilt as you go place mats,fast and easy. Then I have binding hand work for T.V. at night. Sure cleaned out my scraps and put them to good use. The placemats go to the guild as they donate for Meals on Wheels for Christmas.

quilting grammy

i throw my tiny,tiny scraps into a bag to stuff beds for our cat and dog. those that are a little bigger i throw into another bag. they can be used for many things. leaves or flowers or sunbonet shoes , strips, squares......many things. i save every thing.

Rose Bagwell

I cut mine into strips. others I cut into squares. I start with the biggest possible block I can cut. then put them in large clear plastic bags and label as to size. My largest block is 8 inches and the smallest is 1 1/2 . I then use then for scrappy quilts. You can always sub-cut the larger blocks into smaller blocks if needed. I had 3 totes full of scraps last spring and now I barely have a small basket, but I do have 8 quilts that I made from my scraps.

Jingle

I make lots of quilts and some scraps I don't want to use, I take to Goodwill. I have so much fabrics that I don't want to take time using all my scraps. I figure someone that can't afford fabric will be able to use them.

SherryW

I throw them into a tote. When it gets full, I cut them up into different size squares and will eventually use them for scrap quilts. By the way, I have a plastic grocery bag with very small scraps/slivers, etc. if anybody wants them. I think they are only good for stuffing, but I've seen on this board where some of you use really small bits of fabric. Pm me if you want them.

quilted dakota

i cut some into strips, some into circles(for yoyos) anything else i keep to use for stuffing

Wunder-Mar

This is probably way more information than anyone needs, but maybe if you see where someone else is going, you can decide where you want to go (and how to get there) more easily.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH THOSE WEIRD & SMALL SCRAPS? There are so many patterns for scrappy quilts, and several members have posted them already. One very recent one is BOTTLED RAINBOWS: http://www.stitchedincolor.com/2011/...-to-make.html. Here's another weblink to a photo of someone else's design for this quilt block technique: http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-141917-1.htm.

WHAT WE'RE DOING IN MY GUILD: We had the first meeting to organize the newly formed SCRAP BEE yesterday afternoon.
- We all decided that we all needed to start cutting the scraps into usable sizes and shapes (squares and rectangles for "the usual," and hexagons, tumblers and equilateral triangles for those who want to do hand sewing).
- We all decided that once we start cutting, we can start sewing the component units for a quilt, whether for our own quilts or someone else's. We also decided to use our cut stash pieces and components for swapping or barter with each other. We're VERY generous, so no problems are anticipated - generosity is infectious!
- !!!!! We decided that all those pieces that usually end up on the floor (or should end up in the wastebasket) will be saved and given to both our community service bee to use as stuffing for the fleece bears they make for community outreach and to our local chapter of the American Sewing Guild to use as stuffing for Anti-Ouch pouches (pouches made for breast surgery recovery, which fit between the arm and the side of the chest to prevent friction during the healing process - since it's 100% cotton, there'll be minimal heat retention since cotton breathes). If either activity reports an overabundance of stuffing scraps, we'll still save them for stuffing pillows and such for our bee members.
- We also decided that once we start cutting, we can THEN start sorting into "general pile" and specialty shoeboxes (batiks, 1930's fabrics, Civil War fabrics, novelty/animal, Christmas/Halloween fabrics, etc.)
- We decided to start stash-busting by bringing to next month's meeting 25 Half square triangle blocks that finish at 5" square. We will swap at that time or give away what we're sick of looking at.
- We passed around a chart of columns labeled with colors and a separate page listing fabric TYPES (batik, 1930's, Halloween, etc etc etc) and colors. People at the meeting put their names in the blank column on the left and checked off which types of specialty or theme fabrics they liked or had a lot of. Now we have a list of who wants/likes what so swapping stuff between meetings is a lot easier. Someone who has a lot of yellow can find someone who needs or wants more yellow. The bee coordinator is now typing up this master list and will email it to everyone in the group for reference; new members will be added to the master lists and the updated versions will be sent out.

WHAT I AM DOING NOW: I am cutting and sorting into the following:
-SQUARES (UNfinished): 2.5”, 3.5”, 5”, 6.5”
-STRIPS (UNfinished): 1.5” x WOF, 2.0” x WOF, 2.5” x WOF, 3.0” x WOF
-RECTANGLES (UNfinished): 2” x 3.5”, 2.5” x 4.5”, 3.5” x 6.5”
-THEMES: 1930's, ANIMALS, BACKGROUND, BABY, BATIK, CIVIL WAR, FLANNELS, HALLOWEEN, JUVENILE, PATRIOTIC, SOLIDS, XMAS
-BLOCKS (finished): 4-Patch 3.0”, 4-Patch 4.0”, 9-Patch 4.5” WHITE, 9-Patch 4.5" BLACK, HST 4.0”, HST 5.0"
-SHAPES: Hearts (various sizes), Hexagons 1.5" side, Triangles 3" base (finished), Tumblers 3" base (finished), Yo-Yo circles 5" (2.25" finished)

Some members of our scrap bee like hand piecing and applique, so we're all cutting those shapes to swap or give away to those who are interested to help build their components.

Floralfab

I cut my scraps into 2.5" 3" 3.5" and 4". I make a lot of 9 patch blocks with them and use these cut squares for leaders and enders when working on a project so I'm actually building my 9 patch stash when working on a current project. I use these completed 9 patches in charity quilts.