Before throwing away your unwanted or smaller scraps consider using an old pillowcase and throw them in there. When it gets full enough, you can sew the end closed and donate them to your favorite animal shelter. They make great beds for cats and dogs, bunnies, whatever!
This week while washing fabric that had been labeled with post its, the color must have transferred from the post it to the fabric. I had blue stains on 3 pieces of fabric that I could not get out despite many efforts. Have you ever had this happen?
The shelters in my area no longer accept things stuffed with fabric scraps. They claim the loose fabric inside twists together into hard knots and balls inside the items when they are washed.
Most places don’t take them. I would donate to thrift store or a place that makes quilts to donate. A friend saves all tiny piece and snips and puts them in her compost. Only cotton
One of my granddaughters wants to “earn” some spending money so I suggested she could help me sort my fabric scraps. This will be a worthwhile project for us both to work on and not be overwhelming. Thank you for this video!
I’ve been saving/cutting my scraps for about 20years. I have 7 of those 3 drawer stacks on wheels and shoe bins (26) for 2” up to 5” squares. Right now I’m sewing a baby quilt out of 4” squares with 2” square folded over corners (snowball). This used up 144 4” squares and 288 2” squares out of my bins. Yay!!!!❤ Not to mention a little bit of fabric for borders, binding and backing for some little tike to enjoy. Makes my heart sing❤
You are VERY creative! Isn't it wonderful to be able to use those beautiful fabrics for another purpose! BRAVO!!! Thank you for sharing and for watching!
I saved my smallest scrap pieces in bags. When I had enough, I made a meditation pillow and filled it up with the scraps. The fabric works really well it helps the pillow hold up when you use it to sit on. Very comfortable and practical way to use scraps. So, I also love the idea for animal shelters using them for pet beds. Another practical and kind way to use up your scraps.
I started my scrap busting last week using your PDF. I have always kept my colors in separate bins so I pulled the blue one out. I’m still working on it…about an hour a day. Didn’t realize I had so much blue…not one of my favorite colors to use. Thanks for the PDF…it has made it easier.
I recently set up my strips in a very similar way and love how organized it feels. I look forward to organizing my larger pieces using the chart as a guide. I have so much fabric that has been donated, gifted and given to me … so many different sizes and cuts (with very few actually measured); this feels like I can get a handle on it and will actually be able to “use it” instead of constantly digging through piles to find something to use (which usually ends up with wasted time and some frustration). Thank you Mary!!
Thanks for the list. I usually cut my scraps every 4 months. I started putting them together in a scrappy quilt top to use as backs on some of my UFO's.
If they're no good for any of these, collect them in a separate bin. When the bin is full, make a large pillow & use these scraps for stuffing then donate the pillow to your local animal shelter as cat & dog beds.
As long as it’s 100% cotton I use the teeny tiny useless bits to light my open fire, along with the fluff from my tumble dryer. I haven’t needed firefighters in years. I try to scrap bust every project or two, as co ordinating fabrics are together. I’m currently making a tiny house quilt (Missouri star) with my scraps. I’m also in contact with a local midwife and make tiny coverlets (top and snuggly backing, no batting as they are so small they don’t drape nicely) for babies that don’t survive birth. If you ask your local hospital they will give you an idea on the sizes they require.
Watched this and started today with bringing some scraps with me for an overnight stay in a hotel. Instead of just watching TV in the evening;, I am ironing scraps while I watch TV. Thank uou.
It helps me to remember that I have already used the fabric for its intended project, so the leftover scraps are not precious. They are opportunities to try something new. Cut them ups and experiment. They have value, just not sitting in a bin gathering dust. I want to use them, so I find a few scrap projects I want to try, start cutting leftover fabric into those sizes, and start stitching. Popular scrap sizes are the ones already precut (2.5 strips, 5&10” squares,…). I love them.
Not sure if you watched my "Embracing our Scraps" Video - it's the second part to this video along with a challeng and I used all of those scraps (most of them) that I cut up in this video. They're not in a bin gathering dust - they're all carefully sewn into a beautiful quilt. Thanks for watching!
@@joyfulandmerryquilting I enjoy your videos and love that you use your scraps. :) I don’t want my scraps gathering dust so I cut them into sizes I use. I love trying new things and enjoy the freedom leftover fabric affords me. Cheers.
Keeping a small scrap bin is so true, I used to use a linen hamper for scraps. Never got to the bottom of it when processing into usable sizes,changed to a smaller 10 lt bin and nowmy scrap processing and usage is controllable.
I know - it grows and grows - and it's amazing how much you can stuff in a small bin. My large bin was totally out of control. Thanks for watching, Beth!
I can't even tell you how much I love keeping my scraps organized! I do less of the cutting work out front, but for me just having them sorted allows me to keep using up scraps as fast as I can create them. I have two sets of bins: one set for smaller scraps and one for larger scraps. Each set has 12 colour categories (primary/secondary/tertiary) plus warm neutrals and cool neutrals (anything fairly desaturated). My two size categories are: 2.5x2.5" up to a fat 1/8th, and fat 1/8th to under 1/2 yd. Half yard pieces and above are stored with yardage. For me, sorting by colour is most efficient as I always know what colour(s) I need before I know what size or shapes I will need. Having the two size categories mostly helps the small scraps not get lost among the bigger scraps. I used to keep much smaller crumbs but having worked with them quite a bit I have found my tolerance for the really small scraps is lower than it used to be! With anything under 2.5x2.5" I find the ratio of seam allowance to finished size of scrap is too lumpy and bulky to enjoy working with. That, of course, is just my limit. Everyone is different. I love to use 30-50 different fabrics in controlled-scrappy quilts and I find that as long as my scraps are organized in this way I consistently use them. I find odd shaped scraps are great for English paper piecing so I keep my weird shapes whole for that purpose. Same with the Swiss cheese scraps that I create when fussy cutting for EPP. Love sorting scraps!!
Sounds like you have a GREAT system! Thanks so much for sharing - I can see how it can make you much more eager to use your scraps with an organized system.
Very happy your vid came up in my feed. Love your ideas. The simplicity is doable. It’s embarrassing to admit that my scraps would fill up a truck bed! It can be done an arm full at a time, right?! I’ll buy appropriate bins AFTER some sorting/cutting is done. Chaos cannot be organized but your system can. I’ve printed your pdf. Thanks sew much. New subbie ❤
Thank you so much for your kind words - and for watching! Believe me - my scraps were SO OUT OF CONTROL!!! Something HAD to be done - and I really have found this method to get me organized so that they can be USED and not just "stored". Thanks again!
I worked on cutting my scraps left over from a quilt I was making in a medium basket that already had 6 dividers. So I labeled them and when I finished cutting the pieces I needed for my quilt I took the time to cut the scraps into some sizes I use. My usual method was to put them in a medium box and deal with it after. But after doesn’t usually work for me. So I’m going to use your method to deal with the box and get that under control. I already have baskets of sorted sizes in a shoe holder shelf I use for them. Great tips on cut the sizes you use. I already had printed your pdf so thank you. I’m sure so many of use just need to see you do this to inspire us to get it done ✅
I spent two days and evenings cutting strips from a tote! Great advice!! I was ironing the fabrics before cutting the strips!! Thank you for the tutorial!
I know some people cut an entire drawer of 2.5 “ squares, but I would probably keep as many scraps in strips so when it is possible, strip piecing can be done instead of everything being the small squares only. Perhaps that makes me lazy, but hopefully it is just time saving! Enjoyed your video.
I agree. I do have a scrappy project that has intrigued me - and it uses 2.5" squares, but for the most part I think, for me, the strips are much more useful and I can always cut them into squares if need be. I don't think it makes us lazy...just resourseful! :-) Thanks for watching!
I just finished the blocks for a quilt using strips that are less than 1.5" but at least 1.8" As I had been saving my crumbs I was able to "mine" enough to make the blocks. I made the blocks using the Creative Grid Mini log cabin ruler. The results are wonderful!
It’s nice to know, it’s okay to do one small bin at a time, instead of attempting a whole bunch more, this way I can feel productive and yet not overwhelmed. I like the idea of labels/clips, to help know what’s in the bin. Thanks for sharing your charts/sizes to cut scraps into, I’m thinking whole inch/half inch increments is a good idea, sometimes I have lets say a 3 3/8 inch square, do I leave it, and trim when I use it, or trim it down right away to 3 1/4” or 3”, haven’t quite decided if the “odd” sizes should be left as is or not Thanks for sharing this lovely video
Actually I just leave it...and put it in the stack with the next size smaller measurement. So if it's a 1 3/4" piece, I put it with the 1 1/2" pieces. Thanks so much for watching and thank you for your kind words!
Thanks for sharing this information. I will try this as I continue my quilting journey. I have separated holiday fabrics from colors. Now to handle completed project bins clean up to scrap organization bins. I used 2.5 inch squares as leader/enders for bonus 🎉 16 pieced block. Thanks again.
Thank you for your video. I have all my scraps organized by color in large canvas cube totes (24 of them) that fit into shelving units. That keeps them tidy looking from the outside, but still very daunting when I pull a color and rummage through the jumbled mess. Perhaps your cutting method will help me get better control of each color. It's my goal to use up a lot of these fabrics this year and cutting them into groups will help me see what I have to work with find the right projects for those fabrics. Thank you.
I absolutely love this way of sorting and cutting down fabrics to use in future quilt blocks! Very efficient method and thank you very much for the free handout!🎉❤🎉
I just found your channel and subscribed. I love your explanation of how to scrap bust. I have a "huge" bin full of scraps and it overwhelms me. I think I can work on it now after viewing this video. Thank you
Have you been listening to my thoughts???😂 Just 2 days ago I set out to make a list of all the precut sizes to start taming my scraps. The pdf you so generously provided will be a big help! Thank you so much!
You are so welcome!!! Good luck and let me know how it goes! It's a big job, but so satisfying when it's done. So glad I could be a part of your success! Thanks for watching!
I cut mine down starting with a 2” up to a 6.5”. I keep a running tally of the number of pieces as well. Ive just started cutting strips with left over fabrics!
Thank you so much for the handout. I’m using it for my stash! The only thing I forgot to do was separate in color first. I just started in cutting and separate. As I review your video, I see I need to do an extra step and separate by color! Oh well, learn and hopefully remember something new every day. Thank you once again ! Only thing is I seldom have anything by width of fabric to make a 1/2 yard. So I separate as I can.
Question: At 6:26 your charts show fat quarters and eighths at 20". However, your labels on the fabrics and you tell us that they're 22". Which one is correct?
They are both correct. Fat quarters measurements are approximate depending on the width of the fabric (WOF) selvage to selvage, on the bolt from the manufacturer. The Width of Fabric (WOF) can range from 40-44 inches of usable fabric depending on the width of the useable fabric on the bolt. So, once the selvage is removed, a fat quarter can measure anywhere between 18" x 20" to 18" x 22". The pdf that is available for download at www.joyfulandmerryquilting.com/scraps gives the fat quarter measurement as 18" x 20"-22". Hope that helps.
Start small - find a small bin or box and put a few handfuls of scraps in it. Then, work on that bin a few minutes (10 minutes? a day) whenever you are nearby, and eventually it will be all sorted. Then, put another few handfuls in and repeat! Before you know it, the scraps will be organized! Thanks for watching and good luck!
Excellent video! Thank youMary B. The only thing I do differently is I do cut a 4” strip too. Because I am addicted to making the “Crumb Cake” quilt from my strips - (Fabric Patch) you can search UA-cam or buy their pattern. I ended up doing both because I had so many strips and instead of cutting up fat quarters I can use my strips.
Hi Mary, just found your channel and loved your video. Do you ever keep fabric lines together? I am such a matchy matchy person it's ridiculous. But...I have to get my scraps under control. Thanks for the handout. Happy Quilting. ❤❤❤
Hi Kathy - so glad you found me! Yes I absolutely do keep fabric lines together - in fact, if you watch my most recent "LIVE", I am using my bin full of Lori Holt/Riley Blake scraps for our "Embracing the Scraps" pattern. I scrap-busted those fabrics, and now I'm putting them into a bonus quilt! You can get the free download at www.joyfulandmerryquilting.com/owl. Enjoy! Here's the link to the LIVE video with the pattern: ua-cam.com/video/im5lUvx0IMY/v-deo.html
You have truly inspired me to continue to stash bust!!! I have 2 containers full of left over fabric. So this week, I'm gonna work on this. I'm collecting 2 1/2" squares because I plan on making a cathedral window quilt. But cutting bigger pieces is wonderful. I didn't think I would use 3" or 4". Should I stick with 10, 5 1/2, 2 1/2, and crumb? I would love your input. Thanks again!!!
Yes - I think that's a great plan. It's really all about what you will use and it sounds like you've got a pretty good idea what will work for you. I find that I personally use the pre-cut size mostly with a few other sizes that work for me, plus 2.5" strips). I'm experimenting with the crumbs - and hope to do a video about that soon.
I cut them down into a few sizes and donate a lot to the guild …they a a group that makes quilts out them for our charity program. Thus keeping my small small area under control.
Thank you! I'm going to try this out. I have 3 bins of leftovers and I have 1 large bin of fleece leftovers, which I'll save and possibly use for projects or ??? But my quilters cottons are destined to be organized!!! If you ever sew with fleece, I'd love to find an organizing method for them. I made and will make a bunch of pieced fleece blankets, but what to do with all the leftovers will be wonderful and will put them to good use. ❤
I don't use a lot of fleece, but I do know people who do. They braid the selvages and tie knots in the ends and give them to the dog shelters for dog toys. They also make no-sew fleece blankets where you cut out the corners (4 or 6 inches) and they save those corners to be pieced together for backing. Also, some have used the cut out corner for "Hugs" blankets where, when a parent/soldier is being deployed the soldier takes the corner with him/her and the child has the blanket so they're both connected while the parent is gone. Hopefully those help a bit.
@@joyfulandmerryquilting Thank you! Totally great ideas! BTW, I love your recommendation to lay organized pieces flat as well. It totally makes sense and leaves them ready for selection and use.
Quick update: I tried your method and I was amazed at how nicely the cut pieces fit in the bin after stacking them. I rewatched the video, found one point I didn't do ( sort by color) and found out my cutting station needs to be more ergonomic. It's too low for standing and too high for standing. Yes, I overdid the cutting part, so time at that station resulted in a sore back, but I'll recover tomorrow and I will absolutely change that station asap! Thanks a ton, as I love this method! I even showed my hubby, who was amazed as well! Once I get my two other bins cut, I'll sort them abd store them in their bin. Color me ready to make my first scrapbusting project. Sorry, I thought this would be quick, but I wanted to share the terrific result! Much appreciated abd I'm going to do this after each quilt or project instead of filling a bin. My old boss has a "touch it once practice, do I'm adopting that in my master scrap busting organization. ❤😂🎉
I have been quilting for 24 years. I don't PreCut my Scraps or yardage. Yardage goes on cardboard bolts (free from quilt shops)...then I have a bookcase wall full of clear see through bins from Walmart.... Each bin is curated into Lines of fabric that go' together, novelty, Christmas, Batiks, KT fabrics, Wovens, animal, low volume, precuts....then everything else into bins for colors: blue, red, green, pink, brown/fall, black, white, etc..... I do this because I don't know what my next project/pattern will be and if everything is precut, it may be unusable in my next project. Any rescued non quilt shop quality fabrics, go into a rolling carts with drawers according to what looks good together,...and that i use for charity quilts.
Very useful and helpful, thank-you. However, I don't throw any of the leftovers away. I use the tiny pieces to stuff toys and cushions. The less that goes into landfill the better.
Thanks for this video. Very helpful!! I already sort into color specific shoebox bins anything smaller than a fat quarter, but so like the idea of cutting larger scraps into useful shapes. Question: do you store the cuts together by shape then or by color? I know either will work, I’m wondering which would be more useful for utilizing scraps
It depends on how much I have. I store all the precut sizes in their own bins (10", 5", 2.5"). If I have a lot of a particular shape, I'll sort them by color as well. I have another bin for "strips" - see video - and those are clipped together by size and stored in bins by color. Crumbs are not sorted - they just lay flat. Thanks for watching.
I printed out the hand out and was surprised that you do not have anything on the .pdf that shows where this came from (UA-cam channel or your name). It will be a great help to me, but I thought you should have your name on there for credit where credit is due.
I have mine nicely sorted similar to yours only I don't know what to do with them. Scrappy quilts tend to look like the "dog's breakfast" when colors are not in the same hue.
I find that when I use some yardage with the scraps, it helps to keep the scrappy fabrics from taking over and creating chaos. In the Embrace Our Scraps pattern I think the sashings, cornerstones, borders and occasional white strips help to keep the scraps under control! Thanks for watching! ua-cam.com/video/s3kkKdhmMfQ/v-deo.html
I sew my scraps together in no order in twos then fours then eights etc after eights I cut a straight edge and trim seams then join these together, last time I did this I made a piece of fabric 24 inches wide by 4 yards, I use to make bags pet quilts etc.looks fine and it’s what I call mindless mindful sewing ‘cos you don’t have to think about it, just sew.
Love mindless sewing. A fabric puzzle is what I call it. Just dump in a basket and pull. Sew then trim. More time sewing less cutting. Then when those two colours are used add to another basket. No repeats
I am relatively new to quilting and don’t yet have a ton of scraps, which seems to be the right time to organize those scraps. My problem is that I don’t know how to tell if I am cutting the fabric in the right direction. How can I tell straight of grain if there is no selvedge and just a random piece of fabric?
The grain that is parallel to the selvage has the least stretch - so if there is no selvage, just give the fabric a tug, the grain that has the LEAST amount of stretch is the lengthwise grain and would be running in the same direction (or parallel) to the selvage edge. The cross-wise grain (perpendicular to the selvage) has a little more stretch than the lengthwise grain, and of course the bias (diagonal stretch) has the most stretch. Hope that helps.
That is the most efficient way - and I do mention that in the video. Unfortunately, sometimes we get so excited to move on to the next project, the scraps don't get the attention they need when they need it. Thanks for watching!
I do a lot of appliqué, much quite tiny, so a scrap needs to be less than an inch square (1/2”?) before I’ll throw it away. You never know, it may be just what I need for the centre of a flower, or a leaf or ……..
I only save usable strips and squares. The scrapbusting list I use is my personal preferences when it comes to what I cut and save. I would put the triangles into "crumbs" if I saved them...but I usually don't have leftover triangles that are usable. Totally up to you.
I don't precut anything. I just cram color into its own labeled bin. Can't know what piece could be just right if not cut. There is enough cloth per color to make "one color" quilts with lots of variety. Precuts growl at me for making them wait and not using them in the very next quilt which is undecided. Big pieces confetti choices ))))
I just spent the day sewing my crumbs into blocks. The blocks are varying sizes and I have no idea what I will do with them, but it was so much fun. I used to throw the crumbs away, but decided to save a few after seeing the fun things people are making with them. I really enjoyed the mindless, stress free sewing. Thank you for sharing how you store your scrap fabric.
It is fun, isn't it! Thanks so much for sharing. I haven't made anything from crumbs yet, but hope to give it a try on our NIght Owl Quilting LIVE (2nd and 4th Mondays at 10pmCT on our UA-cam LIVE Channel if you're interested.)
I sorted my scraps by color, then by size - yardage (1/2 or more) then just 8" or wider which I just folded into a stack, then cuttable, less than 8", then strings, less than 2 1/2" but wider than 1". then I cut down the cuttables to 5", 3 1/2" and 2 1/2". I just keep these as strips until I see what I need instead of cutting down into squares. I use the strings to sew onto background paper and make into 8" squares or 2 1/2" strips.
WOF = Width of fabric. It is the measurement of the fabric from selvage edge (manufactured bound edge) to selvage edge and usually measures about 42" - 44".
I throw nothing away. I'm working on a crumb quilt using even odd shades. Anything too small for that I use to stuff pillows for animals. Nothing goes to waste
Not for everyone - you can always donate them to a charity (Project Linus chapters LOVE scraps). That way they're still be used and you have a clean scrap bin! Thanks for watching!
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www.joyfulandmerryquilting.com/scraps
Great resource I need
Yes please.
Before throwing away your unwanted or smaller scraps consider using an old pillowcase and throw them in there. When it gets full enough, you can sew the end closed and donate them to your favorite animal shelter. They make great beds for cats and dogs, bunnies, whatever!
Thanks for the tip! And thanks for watching!
This week while washing fabric that had been labeled with post its, the color must have transferred from the post it to the fabric. I had blue stains on 3 pieces of fabric that I could not get out despite many efforts. Have you ever had this happen?
The shelters in my area no longer accept things stuffed with fabric scraps. They claim the loose fabric inside twists together into hard knots and balls inside the items when they are washed.
Most places don’t take them. I would donate to thrift store or a place that makes quilts to donate. A friend saves all tiny piece and snips and puts them in her compost. Only cotton
That's what I do.
One of my granddaughters wants to “earn” some spending money so I suggested she could help me sort my fabric scraps. This will be a worthwhile project for us both to work on and not be overwhelming. Thank you for this video!
And a nice way to spend time with your granddaughter. Fond memories in the making.
Yes! That's a GREAT idea! Thanks so much for sharing and thanks for watching!
I’ve been saving/cutting my scraps for about 20years. I have 7 of those 3 drawer stacks on wheels and shoe bins (26) for 2” up to 5” squares. Right now I’m sewing a baby quilt out of 4” squares with 2” square folded over corners (snowball). This used up 144 4” squares and 288 2” squares out of my bins. Yay!!!!❤ Not to mention a little bit of fabric for borders, binding and backing for some little tike to enjoy. Makes my heart sing❤
You are VERY creative! Isn't it wonderful to be able to use those beautiful fabrics for another purpose! BRAVO!!! Thank you for sharing and for watching!
I saved my smallest scrap pieces in bags. When I had enough, I made a meditation pillow and filled it up with the scraps. The fabric works really well it helps the pillow hold up when you use it to sit on. Very comfortable and practical way to use scraps. So, I also love the idea for animal shelters using them for pet beds. Another practical and kind way to use up your scraps.
How wonderful. Thanks for your input and thanks for watching!
I started my scrap busting last week using your PDF. I have always kept my colors in separate bins so I pulled the blue one out. I’m still working on it…about an hour a day. Didn’t realize I had so much blue…not one of my favorite colors to use. Thanks for the PDF…it has made it easier.
You're so welcome! I absolutely agree...those scraps REALLY do multiply once they're put in a bin! Thanks for watching!
I recently set up my strips in a very similar way and love how organized it feels. I look forward to organizing my larger pieces using the chart as a guide. I have so much fabric that has been donated, gifted and given to me … so many different sizes and cuts (with very few actually measured); this feels like I can get a handle on it and will actually be able to “use it” instead of constantly digging through piles to find something to use (which usually ends up with wasted time and some frustration). Thank you Mary!!
I agree on all counts! You're so welcome and thank YOU for watching, Kay!
Thanks for the list. I usually cut my scraps every 4 months. I started putting them together in a scrappy quilt top to use as backs on some of my UFO's.
I would LOVE to see it! I'm sure it's going to be beautiful!
I sew my tiny scraps on adding machine tape in color families so I have more tape going at a time. Thanks for sharing this, very nicely done
Thank you for watching and thank you for the tip!
I love using clear storage bins for my sewing fabric!!
Yes - it makes it so much easier to see what's inside and keep track of it! Thanks for watching and for commenting!
If they're no good for any of these, collect them in a separate bin. When the bin is full, make a large pillow & use these scraps for stuffing then donate the pillow to your local animal shelter as cat & dog beds.
Thanks for sharing! Great idea!
As long as it’s 100% cotton I use the teeny tiny useless bits to light my open fire, along with the fluff from my tumble dryer. I haven’t needed firefighters in years. I try to scrap bust every project or two, as co ordinating fabrics are together. I’m currently making a tiny house quilt (Missouri star) with my scraps. I’m also in contact with a local midwife and make tiny coverlets (top and snuggly backing, no batting as they are so small they don’t drape nicely) for babies that don’t survive birth. If you ask your local hospital they will give you an idea on the sizes they require.
Thanks for your comment!
Watched this and started today with bringing some scraps with me for an overnight stay in a hotel. Instead of just watching TV in the evening;, I am ironing scraps while I watch TV. Thank uou.
AAHHH!!! Great way to spend an evening! Thanks for sharing!
It helps me to remember that I have already used the fabric for its intended project, so the leftover scraps are not precious. They are opportunities to try something new. Cut them ups and experiment. They have value, just not sitting in a bin gathering dust. I want to use them, so I find a few scrap projects I want to try, start cutting leftover fabric into those sizes, and start stitching. Popular scrap sizes are the ones already precut (2.5 strips, 5&10” squares,…). I love them.
Not sure if you watched my "Embracing our Scraps" Video - it's the second part to this video along with a challeng and I used all of those scraps (most of them) that I cut up in this video. They're not in a bin gathering dust - they're all carefully sewn into a beautiful quilt. Thanks for watching!
@@joyfulandmerryquilting I enjoy your videos and love that you use your scraps. :) I don’t want my scraps gathering dust so I cut them into sizes I use. I love trying new things and enjoy the freedom leftover fabric affords me. Cheers.
Ty Mary for the pdf and for sharing way to help with organizing my scraps
You are so welcome! Hope it helps! I kow it's working for me!
Great organization tips, Mary.
Thank you so much! Thanks for watching!
Keeping a small scrap bin is so true, I used to use a linen hamper for scraps. Never got to the bottom of it when processing into usable sizes,changed to a smaller 10 lt bin and nowmy scrap processing and usage is controllable.
I know - it grows and grows - and it's amazing how much you can stuff in a small bin. My large bin was totally out of control. Thanks for watching, Beth!
I can't even tell you how much I love keeping my scraps organized! I do less of the cutting work out front, but for me just having them sorted allows me to keep using up scraps as fast as I can create them. I have two sets of bins: one set for smaller scraps and one for larger scraps. Each set has 12 colour categories (primary/secondary/tertiary) plus warm neutrals and cool neutrals (anything fairly desaturated). My two size categories are: 2.5x2.5" up to a fat 1/8th, and fat 1/8th to under 1/2 yd. Half yard pieces and above are stored with yardage. For me, sorting by colour is most efficient as I always know what colour(s) I need before I know what size or shapes I will need. Having the two size categories mostly helps the small scraps not get lost among the bigger scraps. I used to keep much smaller crumbs but having worked with them quite a bit I have found my tolerance for the really small scraps is lower than it used to be! With anything under 2.5x2.5" I find the ratio of seam allowance to finished size of scrap is too lumpy and bulky to enjoy working with. That, of course, is just my limit. Everyone is different. I love to use 30-50 different fabrics in controlled-scrappy quilts and I find that as long as my scraps are organized in this way I consistently use them. I find odd shaped scraps are great for English paper piecing so I keep my weird shapes whole for that purpose. Same with the Swiss cheese scraps that I create when fussy cutting for EPP. Love sorting scraps!!
Sounds like you have a GREAT system! Thanks so much for sharing - I can see how it can make you much more eager to use your scraps with an organized system.
Best fabric, organizing ever, love it❤❤❤❤
I'm so glad! I'm excited to start using the strips I've cut! It's so much easier when I'm organized. Thanks for watching!
A system that makes sense and is doable! I have an elephant of scraps, but I'm going to do this one bite (color) at a time. There may be hope!
There absolutely is!!! Thanks for giving it a try and thanks for watching!
Very happy your vid came up in my feed. Love your ideas. The simplicity is doable. It’s embarrassing to admit that my scraps would fill up a truck bed! It can be done an arm full at a time, right?! I’ll buy appropriate bins AFTER some sorting/cutting is done. Chaos cannot be organized but your system can. I’ve printed your pdf. Thanks sew much. New subbie ❤
Thank you so much for your kind words - and for watching! Believe me - my scraps were SO OUT OF CONTROL!!! Something HAD to be done - and I really have found this method to get me organized so that they can be USED and not just "stored". Thanks again!
Thank you so much for the tips. Started using your method yesterday and I think it’s going to help quite a bit.
YAY!!! So happy to help! Thanks for watching and for sharing!
Great guidelines for scraps. This will help me have a plan with the overwhelming amount of scraps I have. Thank you!
You're so welcome! Thanks for watching!
Crumbs are great to have handy for headers/leader's
That's absolutely true! Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching!
I worked on cutting my scraps left over from a quilt I was making in a medium basket that already had 6 dividers. So I labeled them and when I finished cutting the pieces I needed for my quilt I took the time to cut the scraps into some sizes I use. My usual method was to put them in a medium box and deal with it after. But after doesn’t usually work for me. So I’m going to use your method to deal with the box and get that under control. I already have baskets of sorted sizes in a shoe holder shelf I use for them. Great tips on cut the sizes you use. I already had printed your pdf so thank you. I’m sure so many of use just need to see you do this to inspire us to get it done ✅
You're so very welcome!!! Thanks for watching!
I spent two days and evenings cutting strips from a tote! Great advice!! I was ironing the fabrics before cutting the strips!! Thank you for the tutorial!
BRAVO!!! Thanks for sharing and for watching!
I know some people cut an entire drawer of 2.5 “ squares, but I would probably keep as many scraps in strips so when it is possible, strip piecing can be done instead of everything being the small squares only. Perhaps that makes me lazy, but hopefully it is just time saving! Enjoyed your video.
I agree. I do have a scrappy project that has intrigued me - and it uses 2.5" squares, but for the most part I think, for me, the strips are much more useful and I can always cut them into squares if need be. I don't think it makes us lazy...just resourseful! :-) Thanks for watching!
I just finished the blocks for a quilt using strips that are less than 1.5" but at least 1.8" As I had been saving my crumbs I was able to "mine" enough to make the blocks. I made the blocks using the Creative Grid Mini log cabin ruler. The results are wonderful!
Wonderful! Congratulations - I'm so glad it all went well!
It’s nice to know, it’s okay to do one small bin at a time, instead of attempting a whole bunch more, this way I can feel productive and yet not overwhelmed. I like the idea of labels/clips, to help know what’s in the bin. Thanks for sharing your charts/sizes to cut scraps into, I’m thinking whole inch/half inch increments is a good idea, sometimes I have lets say a 3 3/8 inch square, do I leave it, and trim when I use it, or trim it down right away to 3 1/4” or 3”, haven’t quite decided if the “odd” sizes should be left as is or not
Thanks for sharing this lovely video
Actually I just leave it...and put it in the stack with the next size smaller measurement. So if it's a 1 3/4" piece, I put it with the 1 1/2" pieces. Thanks so much for watching and thank you for your kind words!
Thanks for sharing this information. I will try this as I continue my quilting journey. I have separated holiday fabrics from colors. Now to handle completed project bins clean up to scrap organization bins. I used 2.5 inch squares as leader/enders for bonus 🎉 16 pieced block. Thanks again.
You're so welcome and thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your video. I have all my scraps organized by color in large canvas cube totes (24 of them) that fit into shelving units. That keeps them tidy looking from the outside, but still very daunting when I pull a color and rummage through the jumbled mess. Perhaps your cutting method will help me get better control of each color. It's my goal to use up a lot of these fabrics this year and cutting them into groups will help me see what I have to work with find the right projects for those fabrics. Thank you.
Sounds like a great plan! Good luck!
Thanks for this video! I did sorting by color months ago. Now to consider subcutting into useful pieces.
You're so welcome! It really helps me to actually make use of my scraps when I have them already cut into strips. Thanks for watching!
This is a great idea! I live in a studio apartment. Not a lot of room in here.
Good Luck! Thanks for watching!
Thanks Mary, I keep saying I am going to get started on this , maybe with this chart I will get on the road to organized scraps.
Take is slow - 10 minutes a day or whatever works for you. You'll be so happy when you're done! Thanks for watching Brenda!
I use the crumbs for crazy quilting! Thank you for the great organization advice!
Great idea! Thanks so much for watching and for commenting!
I absolutely love this way of sorting and cutting down fabrics to use in future quilt blocks! Very efficient method and thank you very much for the free handout!🎉❤🎉
You're so welcome! Enjoy and thank you for watching!
I just found your channel and subscribed. I love your explanation of how to scrap bust. I have a "huge" bin full of scraps and it overwhelms me. I think I can work on it now after viewing this video. Thank you
You're so welcome!!! Good luck!!!
Have you been listening to my thoughts???😂 Just 2 days ago I set out to make a list of all the precut sizes to start taming my scraps. The pdf you so generously provided will be a big help! Thank you so much!
You are so welcome!!! Good luck and let me know how it goes! It's a big job, but so satisfying when it's done. So glad I could be a part of your success! Thanks for watching!
Gracias hermosa por compartir, te mando un fuerte abrazo y besos
¡Me alegra que te haya gustado el video! Gracias por verlo y ¡feliz quilting!
Hi Alison it's so lovely to see you I have missed your videos. Love the zig zag wool and all your projects xx
Thanks for watching!...Mary
I cut mine down starting with a 2” up to a 6.5”. I keep a running tally of the number of pieces as well. Ive just started cutting strips with left over fabrics!
Sounds like you have your scraps under control! BRAVO!!! Thanks so much for watching!
Thank you so much for the handout. I’m using it for my stash! The only thing I forgot to do was separate in color first. I just started in cutting and separate. As I review your video, I see I need to do an extra step and separate by color! Oh well, learn and hopefully remember something new every day. Thank you once again ! Only thing is I seldom have anything by width of fabric to make a 1/2 yard. So I separate as I can.
You're very welcome! Enjoy the process and thanks for watching and commenting!
Question: At 6:26 your charts show fat quarters and eighths at 20". However, your labels on the fabrics and you tell us that they're 22". Which one is correct?
They are both correct. Fat quarters measurements are approximate depending on the width of the fabric (WOF) selvage to selvage, on the bolt from the manufacturer. The Width of Fabric (WOF) can range from 40-44 inches of usable fabric depending on the width of the useable fabric on the bolt. So, once the selvage is removed, a fat quarter can measure anywhere between 18" x 20" to 18" x 22". The pdf that is available for download at www.joyfulandmerryquilting.com/scraps gives the fat quarter measurement as 18" x 20"-22". Hope that helps.
I have SO many scraps its overwhelming. I'm going to get started sorting, cutting, and organizing it. Maybe now they can find a home in quilts.
Start small - find a small bin or box and put a few handfuls of scraps in it. Then, work on that bin a few minutes (10 minutes? a day) whenever you are nearby, and eventually it will be all sorted. Then, put another few handfuls in and repeat! Before you know it, the scraps will be organized! Thanks for watching and good luck!
Thank you for good ideas, very useful for me
You are welcome 😊
Awesome tips! Thank you!
You're so welcome! Thanks for watching!
Excellent video! Thank youMary B. The only thing I do differently is I do cut a 4” strip too. Because I am addicted to making the “Crumb Cake” quilt from my strips - (Fabric Patch) you can search UA-cam or buy their pattern. I ended up doing both because I had so many strips and instead of cutting up fat quarters I can use my strips.
Great idea! Thank you for sharing and thank you for your kind words!
Thank you!
You're welcome, Cindy!
Hi Mary, just found your channel and loved your video. Do you ever keep fabric lines together? I am such a matchy matchy person it's ridiculous. But...I have to get my scraps under control. Thanks for the handout. Happy Quilting. ❤❤❤
Hi Kathy - so glad you found me! Yes I absolutely do keep fabric lines together - in fact, if you watch my most recent "LIVE", I am using my bin full of Lori Holt/Riley Blake scraps for our "Embracing the Scraps" pattern. I scrap-busted those fabrics, and now I'm putting them into a bonus quilt!
You can get the free download at www.joyfulandmerryquilting.com/owl. Enjoy! Here's the link to the LIVE video with the pattern: ua-cam.com/video/im5lUvx0IMY/v-deo.html
I have made a chart and this keeps me focused on what i really need to keep
It's always wonderful to have a system. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you.
You're so welcome! Thanks for watching!
First time here loved the video and I subscribed looking forward to learning from you
Thank you so much for your kind words! Thanks for watching and for subscribing!!!
You have truly inspired me to continue to stash bust!!! I have 2 containers full of left over fabric. So this week, I'm gonna work on this. I'm collecting 2 1/2" squares because I plan on making a cathedral window quilt. But cutting bigger pieces is wonderful. I didn't think I would use 3" or 4". Should I stick with 10, 5 1/2, 2 1/2, and crumb? I would love your input.
Thanks again!!!
I also try to keep 10" squares because my husband makes my labels from them. So I do have a huge collection of 10" squares
Yes - I think that's a great plan. It's really all about what you will use and it sounds like you've got a pretty good idea what will work for you. I find that I personally use the pre-cut size mostly with a few other sizes that work for me, plus 2.5" strips). I'm experimenting with the crumbs - and hope to do a video about that soon.
I use those often as well.
I cut them down into a few sizes and donate a lot to the guild …they a a group that makes quilts out them for our charity program. Thus keeping my small small area under control.
That is a perfect way to make sure they are used - and used for a good cause! Thanks for watching and for commenting!
Thank you! I'm going to try this out. I have 3 bins of leftovers and I have 1 large bin of fleece leftovers, which I'll save and possibly use for projects or ??? But my quilters cottons are destined to be organized!!! If you ever sew with fleece, I'd love to find an organizing method for them. I made and will make a bunch of pieced fleece blankets, but what to do with all the leftovers will be wonderful and will put them to good use. ❤
I don't use a lot of fleece, but I do know people who do. They braid the selvages and tie knots in the ends and give them to the dog shelters for dog toys. They also make no-sew fleece blankets where you cut out the corners (4 or 6 inches) and they save those corners to be pieced together for backing. Also, some have used the cut out corner for "Hugs" blankets where, when a parent/soldier is being deployed the soldier takes the corner with him/her and the child has the blanket so they're both connected while the parent is gone. Hopefully those help a bit.
@@joyfulandmerryquilting Thank you! Totally great ideas! BTW, I love your recommendation to lay organized pieces flat as well. It totally makes sense and leaves them ready for selection and use.
Quick update: I tried your method and I was amazed at how nicely the cut pieces fit in the bin after stacking them. I rewatched the video, found one point I didn't do ( sort by color) and found out my cutting station needs to be more ergonomic. It's too low for standing and too high for standing. Yes, I overdid the cutting part, so time at that station resulted in a sore back, but I'll recover tomorrow and I will absolutely change that station asap! Thanks a ton, as I love this method! I even showed my hubby, who was amazed as well! Once I get my two other bins cut, I'll sort them abd store them in their bin. Color me ready to make my first scrapbusting project. Sorry, I thought this would be quick, but I wanted to share the terrific result! Much appreciated abd I'm going to do this after each quilt or project instead of filling a bin. My old boss has a "touch it once practice, do I'm adopting that in my master scrap busting organization. ❤😂🎉
I have been quilting for 24 years. I don't PreCut my Scraps or yardage. Yardage goes on cardboard bolts (free from quilt shops)...then I have a bookcase wall full of clear see through bins from Walmart.... Each bin is curated into Lines of fabric that go' together, novelty, Christmas, Batiks, KT fabrics, Wovens, animal, low volume, precuts....then everything else into bins for colors: blue, red, green, pink, brown/fall, black, white, etc.....
I do this because I don't know what my next project/pattern will be and if everything is precut, it may be unusable in my next project. Any rescued non quilt shop quality fabrics, go into a rolling carts with drawers according to what looks good together,...and that i use for charity quilts.
As long as you have a system that works for you - it's a good one. Thanks for sharing!
I just found your Chanel😀great video, I’m all about scraps, thank you for all your content I’m a subscriber now🥰
Welcome Julie!!! So happy to have you join our Joyful and Merry Quilting Community! Thanks for watching!
Very helpful!
Thank you!!!
Very useful and helpful, thank-you. However, I don't throw any of the leftovers away. I use the tiny pieces to stuff toys and cushions. The less that goes into landfill the better.
Thanks for sharing!
I have been wrapping my piles with painter tape and writing size on tape with marker that way I do not have my clips all used up.
Thanks for watching!
Love this!
Thank you! And thanks for watching! Good Luck!
Thanks for this video. Very helpful!! I already sort into color specific shoebox bins anything smaller than a fat quarter, but so like the idea of cutting larger scraps into useful shapes. Question: do you store the cuts together by shape then or by color? I know either will work, I’m wondering which would be more useful for utilizing scraps
It depends on how much I have. I store all the precut sizes in their own bins (10", 5", 2.5"). If I have a lot of a particular shape, I'll sort them by color as well. I have another bin for "strips" - see video - and those are clipped together by size and stored in bins by color. Crumbs are not sorted - they just lay flat. Thanks for watching.
I printed out the hand out and was surprised that you do not have anything on the .pdf that shows where this came from (UA-cam channel or your name). It will be a great help to me, but I thought you should have your name on there for credit where credit is due.
Thanks for the tip! I'll do that!
great video and ideas
Thank you and thank you so much for watching!
I have mine nicely sorted similar to yours only I don't know what to do with them. Scrappy quilts tend to look like the "dog's breakfast" when colors are not in the same hue.
I find that when I use some yardage with the scraps, it helps to keep the scrappy fabrics from taking over and creating chaos. In the Embrace Our Scraps pattern I think the sashings, cornerstones, borders and occasional white strips help to keep the scraps under control! Thanks for watching! ua-cam.com/video/s3kkKdhmMfQ/v-deo.html
I sew my scraps together in no order in twos then fours then eights etc after eights I cut a straight edge and trim seams then join these together, last time I did this I made a piece of fabric 24 inches wide by 4 yards, I use to make bags pet quilts etc.looks fine and it’s what I call mindless mindful sewing ‘cos you don’t have to think about it, just sew.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Love mindless sewing. A fabric puzzle is what I call it.
Just dump in a basket and pull. Sew then trim. More time sewing less cutting.
Then when those two colours are used add to another basket. No repeats
I am relatively new to quilting and don’t yet have a ton of scraps, which seems to be the right time to organize those scraps. My problem is that I don’t know how to tell if I am cutting the fabric in the right direction. How can I tell straight of grain if there is no selvedge and just a random piece of fabric?
The grain that is parallel to the selvage has the least stretch - so if there is no selvage, just give the fabric a tug, the grain that has the LEAST amount of stretch is the lengthwise grain and would be running in the same direction (or parallel) to the selvage edge. The cross-wise grain (perpendicular to the selvage) has a little more stretch than the lengthwise grain, and of course the bias (diagonal stretch) has the most stretch. Hope that helps.
Laying them flat also means no pressing before using them.
Absolutely! You know you're going to have to press them eventually - I like getting it out of the way before I cut the pieces.
I deal to my scraps after every project - way more efficient
That is the most efficient way - and I do mention that in the video. Unfortunately, sometimes we get so excited to move on to the next project, the scraps don't get the attention they need when they need it. Thanks for watching!
I do a lot of appliqué, much quite tiny, so a scrap needs to be less than an inch square (1/2”?) before I’ll throw it away. You never know, it may be just what I need for the centre of a flower, or a leaf or ……..
Wow! I'm sure your work is beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
What about triangle shaped scraps?
I only save usable strips and squares. The scrapbusting list I use is my personal preferences when it comes to what I cut and save. I would put the triangles into "crumbs" if I saved them...but I usually don't have leftover triangles that are usable. Totally up to you.
How do you deal with multi-colored pieces and novelty prints?
I have a lot of novelty prints and they are separated by color as well. Those that are just multi-colored have their own bin.
I don't precut anything. I just cram color into its own labeled bin. Can't know what piece could be just right if not cut. There is enough cloth per color to make "one color" quilts with lots of variety. Precuts growl at me for making them wait and not using them in the very next quilt which is undecided. Big pieces confetti choices ))))
Sounds like it works for you and that’s all that matters. Thanks for watching!
Спасибо за способ организации скрапа, жаль нет возможности скачать файл.
Вы можете скачать PDF-файл по адресу www.joyfulandmerryquilting.com/scraps.
@@joyfulandmerryquilting сайт для российских лоскутниц заблокирован, увы....
I just spent the day sewing my crumbs into blocks. The blocks are varying sizes and I have no idea what I will do with them, but it was so much fun. I used to throw the crumbs away, but decided to save a few after seeing the fun things people are making with them. I really enjoyed the mindless, stress free sewing. Thank you for sharing how you store your scrap fabric.
It is fun, isn't it! Thanks so much for sharing. I haven't made anything from crumbs yet, but hope to give it a try on our NIght Owl Quilting LIVE (2nd and 4th Mondays at 10pmCT on our UA-cam LIVE Channel if you're interested.)
Is this pdf still available. Ive tried to download & nothing happened.
Yes - I just checked the link and it works: www.joyfulandmerryquilting.com/scraps
I sorted my scraps by color, then by size - yardage (1/2 or more) then just 8" or wider which I just folded into a stack, then cuttable, less than 8", then strings, less than 2 1/2" but wider than 1". then I cut down the cuttables to 5", 3 1/2" and 2 1/2". I just keep these as strips until I see what I need instead of cutting down into squares. I use the strings to sew onto background paper and make into 8" squares or 2 1/2" strips.
Sounds like you have a great system! Thanks for sharing!
What are poufs?
Not sure what you're referring to - can you elaborate?
@@joyfulandmerryquilting see the reply from pattiadams3968
♥️♥️♥️
Thanks for watching!
❤
Thanks so much for watching!
What does WOF mean?
WOF = Width of fabric. It is the measurement of the fabric from selvage edge (manufactured bound edge) to selvage edge and usually measures about 42" - 44".
I throw nothing away. I'm working on a crumb quilt using even odd shades. Anything too small for that I use to stuff pillows for animals. Nothing goes to waste
Thank you so much for sharing!
I see alot of log cabins
My absolute FAVORITE block!!! :-) Thanks for watching!
❤️👍👍👍❤️👋👋👋❤️
Thanks so much and thanks for watching!
I dont cut anything before I am ready to use it. Then if you needed 1/2 more and you already cut it, 🙄 darn AGAIN 🤦
Whatever works for you is absolutely fine. Thanks for watching!
I don't have time to even make the quilts I have lined up now. Do you really think I have time to organize scraps like this? LOLOL
Not for everyone - you can always donate them to a charity (Project Linus chapters LOVE scraps). That way they're still be used and you have a clean scrap bin! Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for watching~