Thursday, January 21, 2010

Scraps.. where do you draw the line?

I hate to admit, but when I first started sewing I didn't save my scraps. I know.. I know.. we would cringe today if we saw some of the scraps I threw away.

But even though I save scraps now.. I know that what is considered a scrap worth saving to one person.. isn't necessarily worth saving to the other. Some people save every little string and strip.. YOU know who you are!

As I was working on my siggy blocks - I decided to save the lil tiny triangles that I was cutting off. Now let me say - that normally I consider this size scrap as "not worth saving". I'm not quite sure what motivated me to save them. But I did and this is what I made.


These blocks are both 8 1/2 inches square and I may turn them into potholders for the other swap or for me to keep. Because of the small size of the scraps.. they were hard to match up. I did my best.
So what is too small for you to save? Are you a salvage saver? What are some creative things you have done with scraps?

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15 comments:

Needled Mom said...

Very nice. I always do a second line of stitching when sewing the squares for the siggies and then when I cut them off my little hst is all done. I love what you have done with yours.

Nichole said...

I recently started a project to use up my little scraps so I have started saving more than I used to. I typically look keep ones that are about an inch or wider. To me, an inch is about the smallest width that is worth sewing. Prior to this I would have definitely pitched those ones.

Shelley said...

I just used some little scraps this week to make a miniature quilt.Your minis are sweet!I,to save the little triangle cut offs for little quilts but I sew a second seam before I cut them off, then they are already sewn and just need pressed open.You can see my mini on my blog--www.redquilts.blogspot.com

bettyp said...

Now don't you feel so good about using those scraps!! They look real nice and would be really cute as pot holders. I was looking to buy some the other day at a Dollar Store and they were 4.99 a piece!! So you see what you have just saved yourself!!
I need to make some.......
bp

Kim said...

I recently made " Carolina Christmas"
the mystery by Bonnie K. Hunter using colors I have never mixed before....red ,turquoise, and black.
well I like the colors together so I took the selvedges and added more and made a spider web quilt added a crumb border ( more scraps) and it will be a "QOV" then with the last bit of selvedges left over I made a 9"x12" quilt for Ami's Alzheimer's quilt auction.......
So be warned about how addictive scrap quilting can become :0)
Oh I made the spider web quilt last Friday night with sew in :0)

Pat Deck said...

These are very cute! You've inspired me to try that myself.

If you want to see really really tiny scraps, take a look a George Siciliano's web site. He does foundation piecing, but some of his pieces are only several threads wide. No kidding. www.georgesiciliano.com

Poppyprint said...

Like you, I used to chuck the scraps. Since discovering blogland and seeing more ideas for scrap quilts, I've started saving smaller pieces 2" square is about my smallest. I am cutting off and saving selvages, too, something I didn't do before. Your squares are perfect potholders!! Something else to do with the 'too tiny to save' pieces and scrap batting is fill a pillow form made by sewing two 16" pieces of fabric and batting together, leaving 5" open on one side. turn out. Leave by your sewing machine and fill it with your fabric 'garbage'. Sew up the opening and donate it to a homeless shelter.

Meagan said...

Last night I was in the mood to make progress in the quilting world without working on any of my WIPs (of which there are many). So I decided to go through my scrap bin, and cut the scraps into 1 inch, 1.5 inch, and 2 inch squares. I'm going to try to make a value quilt out of the little squares, since there's not a lot of color cohesion going on.

But I still have tons of strips that are 1/2 inch wide and it seems SO wasteful to throw them away. With Amanda Jean's tickertape quilt, I'm thinking I can "applique" them onto a piece of fabric and have an amazing, different looking quilt. But I did finally toss a bunch of 1/4 inch strips--I told myself the line had to be drawn at some point!

Patty said...

I save scraps,I don't save selvages. I've been using up more and more of the lately. There are some fabrics that I just can't bring myself to throw away.

Val said...

How smart. I have just started saving scraps. These are so pretty.

Carmen said...

I save anything that is at least 1 1/2" x 1"...therefore my scrap bin(s) are almost overflowing...as for what I do with them...I don't know!! Sometimes I'm able to use some of the bigger pieces in some block for swaps...other stuff I need to find something to do with them. I do put keep a couple (or so) 2 1/2" squares for a postage-stamp like" quilt I'm hoping to make! And I agree matching up little things is hard. But your blocks look wonderful!

Sherry said...

I have one bag I use for really small scraps and I will use some of them in my handmade paper and then anything around 2 inches goes in another bag for patchwork projects. I hate throwing out scraps. There are so many little possiblities in those scraps!

Have a great day and I'm enjoying your blog!
Sherry

Michele said...

I don't save selvedges or any scrap smaller than 1/2" x 1/2". But even tiny scraps get saved, if there's enough to "show" after taking away seam allowances. The tiny bits and selvedges I have good intentions of using for stuffing as a dog bed, but usually they get put into a plastic grocery bag that falls on the floor that the bad kitty then pees in/on, so they get thrown away.

Amy Friend said...

I think those are great. I now collect selvedges but need more before I can make anything substantial. For scraps...I used to throw them all out too but now I keep things that are a couple of inches wide and long.

Laura said...

Hi Heidi
I love the idea of this quilt along project.
My name is on the list now, and I am looking forward to starting it.
quilting hugs
Laura