The main goal of scrap fabric organization is simple: Access. It's not first and foremost about aesthetics; rather it is about usability. A well-organized scrap collection will get used. And, isn't that what you'd most like to see?

Step 1: Get them all out!

To do a thorough job of organizing, start by making a mess. Get out your baskets, your bins, your ziplock baggies - whatever you've been using to tuck away those scraps. Find them all and bring them together in one work space.

Step 2: Weed + Trim

Sometimes we keep things routinely. Evaluate your scraps while you organize. Only keep what you like! Make a pile to donate or simply throw away.

Weed out scraps that aren't that usable. If you won't be patchworking with non-quilting cottons, set aside other substrates (voile, flannel, etc). If you have a lot of other substrates, consider storing them separately for an all-voile scrap quilt, for example.

When scraps have weird curves and angles, they tend to befuddle our quilty brains. Trim scraps into somewhat desirable shapes so that they'll invite use at the earliest opportunity. For example, you might trim a diamond or triangle scrap into a rectangle. Don't be shy about dicing and slicing until your scraps feel entirely presentable and easy to categorize. With experience you'll get better at judging what to keep, what to throw out and when to trim before storing.

Step 3: Sort by Color

Now that you've located your scraps and thrown away or trimmed the chaff, you're ready to make smart decisions about how to sort these little treasures.

If you have a small scrap collection, separate fabrics by warm vs. cool colors. Warm colors: red, orange, yellow, pink, brown, white. Cool colors: blue, green, teal, purple, gray, black. This can be as simple as two stacks of fabric, side by side.

If you have a large scrap collection, separate fabrics into individual colors. The number of colors depends upon the size and make up of your collection. Possible categories: Red, Pink, Orange/Peach, Yellow, Green, Blue, Aqua/Teal, Black/White/Gray, Brown, Purple. If you have proportionally less of one color, combine it with a neighbor. Example: I combine black/white/gray with brown, thus treating all of my neutrals as one scarp color category.

Sort fabrics by deciding upon each one's "main" color. Do this quickly and instinctively. Whatever color feels strongest or stands out most is the correct choice. As you do this some fabrics will absolutely refuse to claim a main color. Those are your “multi-color” scraps.

Multi-colored fabrics can be considered their very own color! They are a great starting place for a wild, colorful scrap quilt.

Sort by Type

What are Scrap Types?

When I think scraps, I don't picture a bin full of every random fabric castoff. In my world scraps are more intentional than that. There is an art to saving, sorting and eventually using fabric scraps. And it all starts with getting to know their types.

Chunks

Chunks are substantial pieces. They range in size from about an 8" square up to a fat eighth. When you've used more than half of a fat quarter, you have yourself a chunk of a scrap.

Squares

This category actually includes both squares and rectangles. Lots of patchwork recipes begin with 3" to 6" squares. These can be cut from scraps of this type.

Crumbs

Small but fun! Crumbs range in size from 1" to 2.5" along the smallest side. For me, selvedge doesn’t count.

Strings

Chunks, squares and crumbs comprise three size categories for fabrics that are generally square or rectangle. String scraps are such long, thin rectangles that they deserve their own category. They range from 1" wide to about 4" wide, with a long, stripey look.

How to Use Scrap Types

If you have a large scrap collection, first sort by color, then sort also by type. Thus, for your red fabrics you will have: chunks, squares, crumbs and strings. This makes finding the scraps that you need for a project so much more efficient! I keep my scraps organized in handy drawers.

If you have a small scrap collection, first sort by color. You can stack your chunks and squares together in one pile. Keep your string scraps apart, because they are too messy to store with the others. Same for crumbs, which will get lost with the rest.

my Crumb baskets: red/pink, yellow/orange, blue/green, neutral/purple

Whenever necessary, combine neighbor colors of the same type, to fill your baskets or bins reasonably. For example, you could keep all of your warm crumbs in one basket and all of your cool crumbs in another. Your scrap organization system will evolve as your collection grows, with colors separating and/or combining as needed.

Keep-it-simple Scrap saving

Too many considerations, too little time? Here's a simple recipe for scrappy success:

Only keep quilting cotton scraps in squares, rectangles or strips with no side smaller than 2".
Always throw out other substrates, selvedges and crumbs.
Always trim circles, triangles, diamonds or any other shape to simple squares or rectangles.
Sort by color. When you have enough, also sort by type.