I only throw out very very little pieces.

When they get below about 2 inches I consider getting rid of them. The really small pieces I chop and put in a mesh bag for the birds to use in their nests.

beverly

scraps? what are scraps?

I go in spurts with my scraps. I'll go for months, even years saving each little scrap. I'll sort and press and trim and dream.

Then one day I'll go into my stash and get overwhelmed by the volume, overcome with the magnitude of my hording. That's when I'll grab a Hefty bag and start tossing mercilessly.

You know Jennifer, those little strings that come off when you square up blocks.

beverly

uhmm, 'square up'??

Throw out? I'm sorry, I don't understand the question...

Faye

You Ladies make me laugh. I don't keep many scraps - my children swipe them and they end up in the trash. Even 2 in strips don't last long when they are repeatedly tied to anything they fit around and then drug who knows where. (You probly don't want to know I sure don't!)
Georgia

Scraps? Are my leftovers scraps? I thought they were intended to go into miniature quilts - some day.

I throw out "bunny ears". and maybe trimmings an 1" or so but my trimmed strips go on to my ball or if big enough my crate for the strimg quilt I intend to do if I live long enough. I did try and rid myself of some sewing fabric but there is still a tub in the garage that I can't bare to toss. Jayne

If you want to be super organized read Bonnie Hunter's "taming your stash". It is a little too much for me but I have started making 2 1/2 strips.

This is what works for me: I make 2 1/2"strips. I can cut sqs., make 2" HST. While I am working on a project I throw my trimmings in a shopping bag. When the quilt is all said and done then I cut down the strips. I will cut smaller strips too because I like string quilts.
I do like the fact that this material does not go back into my sewing fabric...it is done.
Another thing I now do: when you are squaring up the end of your yardage, I am not so cheap and leave a couple inches to go into the string quilts. I seem to gather up more strips faster with this method. It is a small start!
Jean

Strips are cut to 1.5" to make log cabin blocks from. Scraps that I can get 2" squares out of are tossed in a big tub. Periodically, I cut a slew of them into 2" patches--a good project for those days when I need to get something done, but don't really feel like sewing. I use them as leaders and enders and then sew them into little Nine Patch blocks that will all end up in a really scrappy quilt someday. By doing this, I manage to keep my scrap stash under control pretty well.

Annie

That's my objective -- to keep it under control. I don't want to be wasteful and I don't want every bit of fabric to own me. But cutting strips for log cabins sounds like an excellent idea.

I love how folksy and versatile log cabins are!

Speaking of not being wasteful, when I do toss small bits and trims, I put them in my compost pile. Natural fibers break down well and add "browns".

I toss small scraps of fabric that no longer speak to me. It they are all natural, I set some out for the birds.

I found to my surprise that my scraps-well, leftovers- were often a little short of two yards. Doesn't seem right to call them scraps. These are the ones I used for my return to quilting project--almost all of them come from Eyes of the Desert or Zuni Sunrise, which are all solids.

Fabric of any size that I no longer like, I donate to the church garage sale. Pass it on is better than toss, at least there is less guilt. Carole

It has to be a pretty small piece of fabric for me to even consider it a scrap. If it's larger than a foot square, it doesn't even go in the scrap bins. I know my obsessive traits well enough to realise that a smaller piece shall likely be saved and hoarded. If it's a larger but not particularly well liked piece, it'll be cut into strips about four inches wide. That way it can be used on boarders, cut down to 1.5 inches for log cabin or braid blocks and rolled up for future rug braiding. I have one old basket with nothing but rolls of strips, all segregated and pinned for easy choosing.

I've another bin with small odd shaped scraps and squares. I was discarding anything less than about three inches square until I started a cathedral windows quilt and decided to do the windows as a charm quilt, and that a 2.5 inch square gave me ample material for the insert.

Right now my scrap bins are messier than I've ever had them, but that's because I'm working on two quilt tops and adding to them daily. I'll go through them soon and try to standardise the sizes again and get the strips apart from the squares and odd pieces.

I love scrappy quilts and have found out that some of the ugliest material I had saved, looks fine in a scrappy design and in fact, sometimes really is what was needed to make it pop.

If I accidentally suck it up in the vacuum cleaner, I don't go through the bag to fish it back out.

Too funny!