Wanna See What I've been up to ?

There is so much talk about fabric scraps on the internet. I see it on blogs, in Yahoo groups and even on the Facebook groups. What size should I cut? How small of a piece of fabric should I keep before I just throw it away? Whats the best way to store your scraps? How do you store your scraps? On and on the questions go.

I personally do not throw anything away. I resew the small under 1.5 inches into squares. Anything not usable as a scrap(the trimmings from blocks, cut threads, batting that cant be used for anything.) I stuff in to a bag until I get enough to make a pillow. Here is a bolster that is completely stuffed with the unusable bits.

Here is a few of the blocks I've made using fabric smaller that 1.5 inches. Yes I did throw in a few bigger pieces, but that was only when I didnt have enough to finish the block. These are all 6.5 inches. Most bits used in these are from trimming things down or trimming the end of a yard of fabric, etc.

These are my small bits yet to be sewn into blocks.

There are many, many followers of Bonnie Hunter that are using her Scrap Users System. I am a huge fan of Bonnie and am trying to make my own usable scrap system based on hers. Here is what I have done. I collect used Ice Cream Buckets from Freecycle. I store all my different size squares and tiny scraps in these buckets.

They are easily stacked and stored out of the way in a closet.

I do keep my 1.5 inch squares in a square container purchased at the dollar store. This box is constantly emptying because I participate in many trades to build the variety I have to make my Postage Stamp quilt someday. Still need alot of these.

Here are all the sizes of blocks I have cut so far. I just cut the biggest size I can get from a scrap. Then I keep cutting squares until I cant do anymore out of the scrap.

2 inch

 2.5 inch

3 inch

3.5 inch

4 inch

4.5 inch

5 inch

6.5 inch

These are some of my strings. Still working on organizing them. These are all sizes that would work for string blocks. 

I have all of the 1.5, 2.5, and 4.5 inch strings folded up and put into tissue boxes that I have taken off the top. When they are neatly folded I can fit about 40 in then and be able to see the colors available to me. 

Boring I know but I just had to show. I like to recycle things and I have read other using meat trays and old cookie trays and those plastic containers that special lettuces and fruits come in. Ill show you one way and Im sure others will come up with 100 other ways. That is what makes all of us unique. Sooooo, thanks for visiting my little show of storage...LOL

How do you store your scraps?