QuilterMomOf3

I am a stay-at-home mom of an almost 4-year old boy, almost 3-year old girl, and almost 1-year old girl. So, as you can imagine, just having any sewing time at all is a blessing.

Lately I've been trying to get my housework done in a 1950s way...in that it actually gets done!!


Anyways, with increased chore time, that takes away sewing time, and I was wondering if anyone on this site has any insight they could give me about turning my entire stash into precuts?


Also, I need help figuring out how to choose which fabrics get cut into which size & shape...I know large motifs typically do better in larger shapes...beyond that, I'm lost...


Thanks SO much in advance for your time and knowledge!!

Lee in Richmond

I haven't done anything like that, tho I have bought some pre-cut squares and they are still sitting around unused. I think the answer would lie in what sort of pattern(s) you like to make -- jelly roll quilts are easy and can be striking, six- or nine-patch quilts can be all kinds of things.. I don't know what I might want to do in the future and whether my pre-cuts would be too small, etc. No help I fear.

Gramie bj

I cut my own precuts, but only as I need them for a quilt, you never know when you will need a larger piece of fabric for a border, and with my kind of luck it would be the yardage I just cut in to layer cakes, charms, or jelly rolls.

scrapinmema

I have done this, will pick out the pattern I would be using (usually one that is used for pre-cuts) then pick out the fabric and cut into the what ever is required for the item I'm making, i.e. layer cakes, jelly rolls or what ever. Find that it saves me a lot of time when I do set down to sew as everything is pre-cut to what the pattern calls for. Probably waste fabric but to me it is worth it to set down and be able to use the pattern without thinking about how to cut it. Hope this helps.

katier825

Before you start cutting, you might want to have some patterns in mind and cut accordingly.

I cut a ton of my batiks and also some of my favorite blues/greens/purples into jelly roll strips because I use them most. If I am going to do some D9P's I will cut charm squares in the colors I think I will use. I only cut layer cake squares when I plan to use that size. I do have several projects cut and bagged, ready to grab and sew. Often I get distracted by a new pattern, or new fabric that I just have to use NOW! LOL

As I am cutting other patterns or trimming up the edges after I've quilted something, I try to cut up the leftovers in to whatever usable sizes I can, whether square, rectangle or strips.

ckcowl

i would base those decisions on the type/style quilts you make...do you use alot of fat quarters? or jelly rolls? are charm squares your favorites?
determine what sizes are your- go to if you were to go purchase pre-cuts & work within those sizes. a person who does alot of water-color quilts may cut all their fabrics into 2" squares...someone who loves turning 20's, yellow brick road type quilts may want stacks of fat quarters to grab...only you know what you are most apt to make use of.
remember you may want to save some yardage for border fabrics too.

Candace

Why would you want to do this? Unless you have specific projects in mind? I don't cut anything until I know what I'll need.

auntpiggylpn

I agree with this. I think you will be shooting yourself in the foot if you cut up your stash into pieces unless you use a specific size 99% of the time or don't have a specific pattern in mind. I would hate to cut up my yardage and then decide that I needed larger size pieces for a quilt. JMHO

Jan in VA

In my opinion, please don't do it!

When I began quilting some 30 years I, too, had (only one, granted) a little one at home. But that time does actually go by so quickly, and you will still be using some of that original fabric years later. You will come to the place where your method of quilting will change; you'll go through various phases - applique, or Amish style in solids, or landscapes, or contemporary quilts with lots of 'negative' space, or loving civil war reproductions, etc. You'll begin to design your own quilts; or you'll take classes for a specific project that you want to make in a different color than the shop sample, but where you can use lots of your own stash.

If your collection of fabrics is cut only into certain shapes or sizes - such as everything into fat quarters/fat eighths/squares - you will be limited to what you have on hand when you need to really use something in yardage.

If your stash has many small pieces of fabric, that's a different story and you may find that it *would* help you for the present to just cut it into 2.5" strips, 6" squares, and 3" squares. Lots of patterns can use these sizes, including making half-square triangles.

For example, I've been collecting 2.5" strips in a clear storage box for 30 years and it's my first go-to when I need to pull fabric for log cabins, 4 or 9 patches, string piecing, triple rail blocks, and many others. I get these 2.5" strips from squaring up the end of yardage when I first begin cutting; or when I have a piece leftover from another project; or from leftover binding. I also happen to collect strips from 1", 1.5", 1.75", 2", 3", and 3"+ in boxes on my fabric shelves. But those sizes came as the years went by and I had more and more remnants from projects. I also collect 3" squares, 4" squares, left over half-square triangles, plain triangles, and 4 patches of various sizes. All of these boxes are pulled from for current and future projects.

So, again, if you have 1/2 yard and more of certain fabrics, I urge you to keep them in that yardage and just cut up those that are smaller or are 'mis-shapened' - with chunks cut out of them already.

Bless you with moments to yourself during this time of mommy-dom; they need you so much and the time will pass all too quickly!

Jan in VA

MaryStoaks

I have an old friend who can't cut because of parkinson's disease. I cut his fabric in 5" charms and 5" strips. So many patterns can be made with charms and strips, he also thinks up his own designs using them. I also cut lots of charms ahead for my own use.