How small is a scrap?

 Like a true squirrel, I'm reluctant to throw anything out, especially if it is the last little bit of a favourite material. Some of my scraps are less than an inch square, and they are all lovingly popped into whatever container is nearest and sorted through every so often for later use. They are useful for trying out new techniques, which, of course, creates a new, worked-on scrap, which goes back in the basket in a never-ending circle of reuse.

Every so often, I sew some of the experiments into pots, which have the advantage of being useful

These two are 'tatty pots', just hand sewing bits onto a cross-shaped base fabric to make a lidless cube, and then stitching up the sides.  I keep cards and dice from some of my games in these, as they are practically impossible to knock over. You'll notice the little owl material turns up a lot!

The pencil pot on the left was made of scraps where I'd practised machine applique. I quilted it very solidly onto a backing fabric, then sewed it into a cylinder. The house pot was made from two bits of applique, with a whole selection of try-out stitches which don't bear close examination! The hardest parts of making these pots is getting the bottom to stay on. A large amount of fabric glue was used up, and the end result is as hard as nails! 

Boots the Cat lives on the shelf with the pencil pots.

A lucky find at the bottom of the scrap box means that the squirrel on the woodland quilt finally has a tail; I think it was a bit of an old chenille scarf. Two frogs on that quilt are still waiting for their eyeballs - a dig in the sequin box should hopefully sort that out... eventually.

I also like using tiny scraps in collage. This little fabric doodle is a work in progress. combining Inktense pencils, fabric scraps and stitches onto calico. The triangular trees are about 1cm tall and the flowers about half that. I've stuck them down with glue, because the edges of such tiny pieces are too fragile to take much sewing. Tweezers and a cocktail stick are my favourite tools for fiddling about with these. 

So to answer the question, the smallest scrap can be the size of a thumbnail and can (just about) still be useful!