Ok, so I’ve been making better friends with my sewing machine and really enjoying it. 6 shirts, 1 vest, pillowcases, pouches, some mending over this summer. But here’s my question: what do you do with the scraps? I have these beautiful bits and pieces. Seems like such a waste to throw them away, but neither do I really need another hoarding hobby (I already have an out of control yarn stash). Is this why people start quilting? Mostly I see recommendations for a million pouches, or other small things I doubt I’d ever use.
So what’s the truth? Am I just supposed to learn to throw the extra away? Or what else do I do with it?
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AIMR
(Linda -2026 time to regroup and renew :us:)
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I made notecards and bookmarks. I also use some for embroidery and making fabric beads. If you really aren’t going to use them, I suggest selling or donating the scraps. I recently got rid of a few bags by putting them on our BuyNothing Group on FB. A lot of people wanted them.
The smallest of the small scraps can be used as stuffing. I go through periods where it all gets thrown away and where it all gets saved for stuffing. But that’s the stuff you couldn’t even make a 2" square from. But yeah, the scraps become their own thing.
Search “scrappy” on here for dozens of posts, here’s just 1 of mine, bunting.
Clearly I save every little bit.
Here’s my fave scrappy stitcher on Yootoob
I alternate saving, and tossing really small scraps. I used to save small scraps from the shows I designed (usually the swatch cards for each character), and hoped to make a Victorian style crazy quilt, with a block from each show. I carried around that laundry bag of scraps for so many years, but it was never going to happen. I don’t like actually like hand stitching details, and the fabrics were all so varied, that I was never going to get them to play nicely together, and even if I did, I’d never be able to clean the quilt if needed. So I donated them to a creative re-use store in Nashville.
Since I’m mostly a quilter now (occasional Halloween costumes aside), I tend to end up with all quilting cotton scraps, which will work more nicely together. So I organize by color. Larger pieces that could be folded up and used in a project the size of a good-sized zip pouch/medium pillow (or bigger) get stored in paper crafting bins. I have a set that fits on my shelf. If they start getting full, I make something to use stuff up, or donate pieces that don’t speak to me anymore.
The smaller pieces I slice and dice into the sizes I’m most likely to use, right after I finish a project. I cut things down into 5" strips, 5" squares, 2.5" strips, and 2.5" squares. I have 5 smaller bins for these, and again, that’s the limit. If they get full, I make something. Or I put together kits to make things at classes I teach, and sometimes include the ugly scraps to make small “quilt sandwiches” for students to practice stitching on. (Also a good way to use up scraps of quilt batting.)
If I don’t love a fabric, I toss the tinier than 2.5" bits. If I really love it, I add it to a single small bin I refer to as “Scrippy-Scraps”. They get turned into crumb-piecing blocks. Sometimes I like crumb piecing, sometimes I hate it. Right now I’m trying to do some by color, to help empty the Scrippy Scrap bin. I have a few larger chunks in pink and yellow pieced to turn into tote bags soon. In the past I’ve used chunks of crumb piecing on things like my Scrappy Paper Pieced Rainbow Star Quilted Basket
I have made crazy-quilt type projects from garment fabric scraps and what helps is garment fabrics are usually pre-washed. So as long as you wash the quilt in the manner suitable for the most fragile fabric in the quilt, it will usually be fine. I also don’t really use super fragile fabrics for my garment sewing, I imagine in costumes people might use more special fabrics.
Of course, not enjoying that kind of quilting is a good reason not to do it. But it can work, depending on the fabric and style of the quilt.
The opening of a creative reuse shop near me helped me with some scraps. It also helps with selling zippers at a low price for making pouches - but like you, I don’t have need for a lot of pouches! I do make them for gifts sometimes if I have just the right fabric and someone on my list who I think would like and use a(nother) pouch.
I’ve also made bookmarks that I donate to Little Free Libraries, sachets, gift tags (attached to paper), decoupaged onto wood (such as nutcracker blanks), lots of reusable gift bags, throw pillow covers, scrappy placemats, mix n match napkin sets, coasters, trim out a handtowel.
The clothing fabrics I was working with were silks, velvets, chiffons, etc. Things that are not often used in garment sewing now, and all of which have vastly different drapes.
If re-using the scraps aren’t in your future, I’d second donating them. I always check crafting things at thrift stores and really appreciate the goodies I’ve found there. Plus, I learned something new in this thread - cutting the scraps down to standard sizes to help with storage. I’ve got to give that a try.
I do love those 19th century velvet crazy quilts! But they also look like a lot of work.
So far, I’ve used corduroy, linen, fleece, wool and flannep, I think, so, very different than silk or chiffon. Those can work as long as you keep in mind they’re going to look more Little House on the Prairie than show quilt.
@Shadowseann if you are interested in quilting, I recommend the Judy Gauthier Scrap Lovers books - she uses scraps in standard sizes for her patterns.