The way I control my stash is every time I finish a project I don’t let myself start another until I’ve cut my scraps down into 5” & 2 1/2 inch squares, 2 1/2 strips, etc. My husband built me some nice shelves up close to the ceiling and I store my scraps up there in clear plastic bins with labels on the ends. That way I’m ready to make a scrap quilt at any given time. It works for me.

Leftovers in the sewing room are just as good as those in the fridge ))

I cut fabric down to 10, 5 and 2.5 after every project. It really helps keep the clutter down. I now always use any leftover blocks as an "after quilt" for the backing. But even after that...there are always more scraps!! Those go to a lady in my quilt guild who either makes string quilts or uses them for stuffing dog beds for the local shelter.

For the "charm pack" size cuts, for me, having them fit neatly in their storage bags would bring more joy than having them be any particular size of square. So I can imagine using a quart ziploc instead of a gallon size, to help me determine what size I want my charms to be. I'm just so happy seeing how beautifully your "layer cake" squares fit into the gallon size that it makes me want to replicate that snug, professional-looking fit. You're so right that having beautiful scrap organization is very encouraging to invite spontaneous creativity!

If you ever decide you no longer want any of your scrapes or know anyone who want to get rid of their stash I’d gladly take some off their hands. I’m a new quilter starting out trying to learn some projects in quilting. So.. please keep me in mind. I’m disabled, with some health problems but..got me a sewing machine and would love to work on some semi-small quilts to help me to practice more. I love machine sewing in quilts. Thank you.

Scraps that I don’t think I’ll use anymore go into a USPS priority mail envelope and I mail it to Robin at RSIsland Crafts. She’s a widow on a tight budget and has lots of scrappy creativity. I think the Dollar stores should sponsor your videos and as well as her’s😉. Thanks for this very helpful video.

A year ago my scraps were 20 plus years of accumulated pieces but I'd seen several videos on organizing and one really 'stuck' for me: cutting stacks and stacks of 2 1/2" squares to make leader and ender pieces that would turn into simple checkerboard quilts. It helped eliminate many bins of pieces and yielded five quilt tops so far. For fun now, each month I change out the color theme I work on such as February was pinks, reds and whites. This month it is all greens. On pieces where there was more yardage I did as you suggest and made 2 1/2" strips to make my own jelly rolls...it is so nice to be able to take a simple quilt pattern and knock out a quilt top fast. Edit: definitely looking forward to your string video. I have been saving those thinking I'd do one of those diagonal block quilts but didn't far with it and the pile is mounting!

I'm seriously going to try your method. It sure makes sense. It's bad when you don't even know what you have. I think this may save me some money too!

oh my goodness. THANK YOU! I have been trying to figure out how to NEATLY store my scraps! Cut them to a uniform shape.....so simple. So genius!

I’ve adopted the Lori Holt method! Good work, Tracy. You’ve accomplished a lot this past year.

I have always kept my scraps folded and flat in a large plastic bin. Then I donate them. Once to a guild that made quilts for a women’s shelter and once to the Hopi Indian tribe in Arizona. There is always someone who will be happy to use scraps. And that way, I don’t have to deal with them…lol

I was happy to see them with their new home! I’m new to quilting and I don’t have to many pieces left over, however by watching you I see it’s never to soon to organize! Thank you.

I like to make scrappy blocks. My scrap situation: all colors in a plastic tote where I just pull out a scrap and stitch it to another. I actually gave someone a half garbage bag of scraps last week and it didn't make a dent in my stash!

I love scraps - so much hidden potential and possibilities. My favorite part is trimming them down, after giving them a good press. (I'm currently going through my stash and am donating bigger pieces, but not my scraps!)

I've started to work on my scraps, some are very old. Can you say 20 years! I am using a creative grids stripology ruler to cut mine.

After 2 very busy sewing days, I get to watch you work with my heating pad on my shoulders and back. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead. Thank you for your talent, inspiration and posting this video!

Great idea!

I have bags of snibbles ready to go to a good home!

Phewwww....I did it. I chose to do 10 inch, 5.5 inch, and 2.5 inch strips to start. I used a whole weekend to sort and cut my scraps. I did have some small scrap pieces that didn't fit my precut criteria...I just put those in a bag together for super scrappy quilt blocks.

Great video I need to do this or something, I have scraps everywhere. Thanks for sharing

Thanks Tracy. I'm going to try your ideas. The problem before was even when everything was cut into systems, sorting through them later for projects just meant a crumpled mess. The plastic bags looks like a solution to this thanks.

As soon as I cut my fabrics to size, any leftovers get cut to 2" x 3.5" to make a scrappy quilt (shout out to Sew Very Easy) and any odd pieces are kept to make string blocks, both in two separate boxes. I start making gift quilts in the Autumn for Christmas - it's so nice to just grab and sew bits of fabric without having to think.

I usually cut my scraps into 2.5” strips and 2.5”squares. I make squares that can be cut into whatever, and I scrappy, crumb quilt. I just started a string quilt with 1.5” strips. I have bins of ziplocks by color, 1.5” strips, 2” strips, 2.5” strips and 3” strips. I have a huge cookie tin of 2.5” squares zip locked by color. As I cut from my “little bits”, fabric leftovers not quite a quarter yard, I’ve got my rulers and cutter to clean up what’s left. Usually, when I’m done, there’s just bits and threads. I am no way a quilter that can manage making exactly the same square until I get enough for a quilt. Scrappier the better. I also use a lot of black in my quilts. I make colorful explosions of quilts that keep me interested and make me happy. I enjoy your videos, I don’t live near a thrift store but the next time I’m in the big city, I’ll find one.

Tracy, For three years I have been cutting scraps and why-on-earth-did-I-buy that! in just about the way you demoed. As much as I can I am leaving wof in strips, because the first time I wanted to dip into my precuts, I needed a border fabric!! I have a finished string quilt, one finished crumb quilt, and two more in the making. I have made three disappearing block quilts with the 10 inch squares. Precut sizes are really inspiring and best of all they are ready to go whenever I have time for a new project. I think the system works perfectly! Just a hint you may want to take some generic white fabric and cut them into squares so you have a contrast fabric ready to go. Have also taken your advice on the sewing table you bought last fall.

I cut my fat quarters that were stuffed in bins into 10 and 5 in squares and Target has the perfect square bins with lids that fit 10 in squares perfectly and are 4.00 i have over 100 in one of them. They come in 2 depth sizes. Check them out “Room Essentials medium storage bin”

I have a large bag for scraps that don’t have a1/4” seam allowance, save up to make pet beds for local pet shelter. Large scraps I leave as it because I make bags for gifts. Quilting scraps are used both for bags and quilts, I keep those in bins with lids, neatly organized in sizes and colors. I do not cut them to specific sizes for bags or quilting because I don’t know what size fabric I will need for future projects. I don’t buy fabric to make a project, I use what I have. I don’t just quilt, I make bags and clothes and housing goods.

I started doing this a year ago because I was trying to prevent chaos sewing! Yay

I am a scrappy quilter and have a lot of scraps (bins and bins). I've tried sorting by color and/or size, boxes, totes, and baskets, etc. But if its too much to maintain or be able to find anything then that defeats the purpose of keeping the scraps. I like your ideas for sorting and making your own precuts. I can't wait to give this a try! Thank you!

I have a children's toy organizer, currently $50 on Amazon, and I have sorted all my scraps into the bins. Pink/red, greens, beige/brown, whites/black, blue/purple, orange/yellow. But it's a mess. I've cut down fabrics before but they sit in their boxes. I like your method and will definitely try it. I think that 5.5'' is an excellent size since they make a great quilt, especially for novelty fabrics that you need a bigger piece. That and the 2.5'' strips for bindings and 10'' squares. I laughed at ''you better get busy''. I'm trying. Word of the year is ''wrap-it-up.'' BTW, I save all the bits of too-small cut-off fabric and one day they will stuff a pillow.

Also, I’ll only keep the good cotton scraps. I am trying to purge my less expensive material and give it to my sister to make play items for her grandkids. A win win for me. Love your idea.

I started doing this a couple years ago. I love scraps! And I had bags and bins full.... So many I could not manage them. I took about 3wks, and that is all I worked on. Every night after my daughter went to bed, I would sort, press and cut scraps for several hours. Anything under a FQ gets cut up. I do 10", 6.5", 5", & 2.5" squares. 2.5" strips. Strings and crumbs. Anything smaller than 1.25" is trash. I have a separate lidded bin for each size. And my 7yr old and I love to use them often. I am not good at processing scraps after each project, so I have a laundry basket under my cutting table and when it's full, I force myself to spend and evening or two cleaning it out. I actually also do the same with my batting. I buy my batting in bulk on huge rolls, so there is almost always cut off when I quilt my quilt together. But I also make zipper & tote bags, and so I consistently use the use the same size pieces. So when my pile of trim offs from my quilts starts to get high, I cut them up into bag size pieces and then they are ready to go when I need them!! Batting also has its own set of lidded storage bins, so that it stays clean. I find for me, and organized sewing room lets me be more efficient and enjoy my time in there even more. 😊

I started cutting my scraps into 2.5, 5, and 10 squares and 2.5 steps a few months back. Anything smaller (crumbs) I put in zipock bags by project. I plan to make a crumb quilt with all crumbs in each block from a specific project to help me remember what I used them for years later.

I'm finally going to finish off all the 70s and 80s fabric pieces I've been saving for.... what? Who knows? There are so many patterns using charm squares that is what I will cut. The odd bits will go into crumb quilts. Your video is inspiring. Thanks, Tracy.

I'm new to quilting. I don't have a lot of scraps. If I can't get at least a 2.5" hexie, I put it in a bin for filling. Otherwise, I cut 5" to 8" blocks or 2.5" long strips.

I have tried online neighborhood groups where essentially we trade fabrics but I haven't had muuch luck with that sort of involvement so now I just love to bundle them up and donate them...and move along. Makes me happy to never see them again. The fabrics that I absolutely love I will of course keep especially if they are designer fabrics.

Just discovered your channel today and I've been binge watching all day. I have learned so many things before cutting into my fabrics. Teaching myself to quilt. Learning it the right way first. Thanks Tracy

I even use those leftover scraps you threw into the trash can. I use those to make firm neck pillows

I was so happy when a huge box of scraps was given to me! Going thru them now, I am SO OVERWHELMED, stressed. There are way too many colors, sizes, etc. It it was so packed tight. Thank you. Tomorrow I will deal, today i seperated just the strips out.😂

Great idea, I am going to try this

I dedicate one week a month towards my scrap bin. (the fifth week, which comes every other month or so).. I cut/ press and place in trays I made out of foam board. And I can fit three trays into a container with snap tight lid. Just updateing my bin that one week every couple months has worked great. The only drawback to my scrap bin method, is I am not separating them by color. But at the moment I don't have a lot of scraps so it doesn't matter. If I had tons of blue or green ,etc. then I would prob. have a scrap bin (with the three trays in ea. bin) for ea. color. : ) Also... a side note. I dedicate one week (weeks one through four) for different scrap projects. For example. week one is churn dash blocks. I do them as leaders/enders while sewing other projects or some day's just making them when I feel like sewing an don't want to have to get to involved in a detailed quilt project. Second week I have a little fish block Im doing. Third week ea. month I am working on red/wh/blu squares to make a fourth of july quilt. and fourth week, I'm making a scrappy log cabin type block. I also, on the fifth week (when they come up) besides adding to my scrap bin, and pressing, cutting and organizing, I sometimes will have extra day's in that week, to take receipt papers and sew down strips for scrappy borders. I have enough browns done to prob. make a queen size border right now... and am working on pinks, blues and greens little by little. So that is five projects going all the time, but you dont feel like it's five projects. I love scraps. : )

Thank you for your ideas… scraps are overwhelming…

I think this is a great idea. Precuts are actually a lot more expensive then yardage but there are so many patterns for precut.

Hi Tracy, my scrap situation? It's a scraptastrophy. Boxes and bags "everywhere". And even when you showed what you tossed I thought "This could still be used!" ☺️ Currently my stash vs. sewing time ratio is Out of Control as we are modernizing a house. But there will be a time - sometime - when I'll turn these scraps into something beautiful 😉 Regards from Germany Stephanie

My auntie gave me a huge garbage bag of scraps. Luckily with my OCD I sat & sorted by colors. I then noticed some were HST or strips that matched. I managed to make 3 small quilts from that bag. Smaller pieces? I gave a special box I keep for the granddaughters who love cutting. It helps with hand dexterity

I was drooling over the box of blues you showed.

I do my scraps into 2.5” strips, squares and 5” squares, by color. I keep my scrappies in bins light and dark for crumb.

Thank you, Tracey! Love you and all your tips and projects ♥

This is the BEST scrap organizing advice ever! TYSM!!

The tailor's word for the leftover fabric scraps is "cabbage" .. but "carnage" works. It works better. Those bitsy scraps can be used to stuff ornaments, bustle pads, or other things.

What a great idea! I can’t wait to see SEVERAL of your tutorials on using up some of these scraps. ❤️❤️❤️

I’m overwhelmed with scraps Tracy.. 😳😬 I actually cut up a bunch of them today! Funny you came out with this video as we were both thinking the same thing. 😂🤣😂 I’m making a scrappy quilt and doing the prep work for it. Good luck working on the scraps this weekend. 🥰 Chris

I WISH I had that few scraps. I collected scraps from my sewing friends to make dog beds and quilts for shelter dogs and cats. I couldn't keep up. I roll small scraps like a tootsie roll and with the strips I sew them end to end and it ends up in a roll. I then make scrap quilts for the shelters. All the scraps that are to small end up in the dog/cat beds.

This is great! I not only found a way to manage my scripts but also learned new terms and tips. thanks!

You are singing my song, girl.....I am overwhelmed and need to do something...I like this idea....thanks

Brilliant!

I take my scraps after each project and if I can cut it into a 10 inch square then I do that or a 5 inch or 2 1/2 inch strips because they can be cut into squares or left as strips

I have recently done what you have done , I was feeling all proud of myself until I found another bin , so I'm back to cutting again lol , however I have already made one project from my scraps so I'm very happy .

I live Full Time in a RV. I have very limited space available. Right now my scraps are mixed in a fabric bin in a closet. I like your ideas very much and will try to cut my scraps into the suggested sizes. Putting them in the baggies is an excellent idea.

Thank you! Thanks you! Thank you! One of the best videos I’ve seen on scrap management! I continue to learn so much from you!

Thank you for this video. It was what I needed as I felt overwhelmed and not knowing what to do with all this fabric. I attacked it after watching this video and consolidated so much fabric that I now have empty buckets! Yay!

This method is genius! Thanks! Now I'm off to organize my scraps!

I love this idea for scraps! Thank you!

The efficiency of this method is a joy to behold!

My scrap situation is pathetic! I will shortly be hunting all of them down and going through the stash. My grandson has agreed to help which will make the process easier. Thanks for the tips. This makes the process doable!

Brilliantly inspiring video Tracy. Thank you!

As space is at a premium in the bedroom, I cut scraps into 2 inch to 5.5 inch squares. I recycled small cardboard boxes per size of scrap to make holders for these. A clear plastic food container holds 6 inch square scraps. I use Command hooks to hang a shower shelf holder on the outside of a pantry style cupboard. I will be changing that as soon as I make space inside the cupboard to hang it inside over the door. My strips less than 1.5 inch/any length are stored in a plastic organizer, 2+ inch strips are in a small bin and some odd shapes are in another small bin beside my sewing table. I have a microwave stand with hutch and glass doors in the living room that houses my larger scraps neatly folded in older small CD holders at the ready for cutting. Comic boards keep larger pieces of fabric organized. Thanks for such a great video.

What a great idea, love it.

I use freezer One Zip bags, 1:1/2: gallon for ten inch squares,1 gallon bags for strips and one for strings, and quart bags for five and 2:1/2': squares. You can write on freezer bags, which is handy for putting these bags in totes.

I collect scraps. They make me happy.

I really enjoyed watching this. It helped me figure out how I’m goin got organize my mountainous scrap pile!

Great ideas Tracy! Thanks.

My scraps do not bother me but I want to use them and have never figured out how. I think making pre-cuts is a great idea. AND making them the size you want is even better. Thank you so much!

Exactly what I’m getting ready to do in my sewing room! Just watched Tge sewing room channel and Sherrill made a hanging organizer which would be great for storing some strips, fat quarters or whatever! You gals rock and thank you for sharing all of your wonderful ideas!❤️

String ones great I look out for them

A woman after my own heart. I also keep 2.5 squares. Other than that I am totally with you!

Such a beautiful way to deal with the scraps. When I get my craft room organized that's one of the first things I'm going to do! I have no idea how many scraps I have🤦‍♀️

I have a crazy bin of shapes. Thank you for this video

I am firmly in declutter mode with my fabric stash. I used a rolling bin to very roughly sort by color for other than strips. The strips went into a plastic container, and I spend any spare 20-30 minutes making string blocks 8x8. The goal is to have a bed quilt made entirely of string blocks of my leftovers. The sorted non-strips are used to be the base of quilt tops to donate. It is a freeing experience!

Great idea! Thanks 🙏🏿!

Love the zip lock bag idea to store blicjs! A great idea!! Pat in Colorado

Hi Tracy, just found your channel yesterday, been binge watching, thank you so much for all your tips, hacks, simple instructions for fun useful projects. Love this scrap organization plan Beverly 😊❤️

Great Ideas! I was just looking at all my scraps and thinking I should make blocks to have them ready to go. Thanks for the video

Great video! Can’t wait for the string quilt video!!

I think I want YOUR scraps! Lol

I love this! Thank you so much. We moved and as I'm going through my craft room trying to figure out what's going where I found a lot of scraps I didn't realize I had 😱. I'm definitely going to do this with them! Thank you again!

Nice organizational tips for scraps!!👏

I’m fairly new to quilting so my scrap situation isn’t out of control - yet. I’m hoping to get what I have organized so I will have a handle on it going forward.

I think you're onto something! Great idea. I even have one of those little carts. Thank you for the video 😊👍💕

I spent several hours yesterday going thru all my scrap bins and divided scraps into 1/2 yd plus, 1/4 to 1/2 yr, fat quarters and strips then anything that was smaller into it's own bin but cut down. I even found pieces that were a yard or more and rolled them up on comic book cards and added them to the other rolled pieces. I keep them divided by 1 to 2 yards and then another shelf of over two yards. No way they are getting further divided into colors! Right now it's more useful for me to see what I have in a certain size than what color.

Hi Tracy. I really don't have a lot of scraps right now. I did recently cut up some orphan solid white fabric into 2" strips but I honestly don't have a definitive home for scraps. I'll let you know when I find one. LOL ~~Lynne

I have two sewing rooms, one in Connecticut and one in Texas, time to get organized! Thank you 😊

I start with 10" strips, 5" strips and 2 1/2" strips. That way, I can re-cut the wider strips into smaller pieces as needed.

Great way to attack my scrap basket! Already use the zip loc bags. Thanks for your suggestions.

Accuquilt dies for those scraps make it so easy!!!

I LOVE scrap sewing, especially small crumbs. To pre-cut them had never occurred to me...don't ask me why!?!? Your tips are spectacular. Thank you so much for this. Also, thanks for the tip about the spray starch at Dollar General. I'll be visiting them tomorrow to grab a few cans. Love your videos, Keep 'em coming!

Thank you for the tips!

Can't wait to see the string quilt

I wish I had scraps! I have one small basket of scraps and now I know how to make them usable! Thank you!

New sewer and new subscriber. Love this idea.

Oh my goodness! I know you! When I saw your face on KZfaq, I was so excited. Look at what you are doing!!!!! I don’t quilt right now, but I’ve subscribed. I like to see what’s going on in the quilting world, especially the tricks and hacks. And I love your attitude! God Bless!