Just thought I would share what my issue was here.
And that is not all of it. That is just the mess, there are more tubs that need gone thru and organized. I do have a strategy set in mind. My daughter, yep the one who got me started on finishing ufos last year, is going to help me sort the fabric scraps. Should I put in my small fqs with the scraps to just get them used up? Not the large yardage, that will go in a cupboard so I know where to pull from when I need a base for scrap quilts. Back to what I was saying there, sort scraps by color ie: red, blue, brown, orange, etc., then sort by light, medium, dark, via each color. How best to store them? I was looking at a 10 drawer storage unit, but not sure if one would be enough becasue there are a lot of scraps. Maybe use the storage unit for the sorted scraps then use the bin for the cut squares when I am done. I want it to where I can just grab that size square and go. Then do I cut them by the 1/2" or what is best? Suggestions? The one photo of the cupboard of fabric is my Buggy Barn and that is at least sorted by the type of fabric it is.

Here is what I found:

This is the page and it is post #191
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...152842-20.html
If you look closely at the pattern, you will see it purely consists of 4 patches made from 2" squares and HST's made from 4" squares, trimmed back to 3.5" after stitching and cutting apart to form two identical HST's. These are laid out in a 9 patch formation with 3 - 4 patches running diagonally through the middle then the HST's with the dark side touching the 4 patches and the two opposite corners with the dark side turned out which form a diamond when four blocks are laid together! No pattern, just play! Here's a picture of someblocks just lay out when I was 'playing' in the beginning!

:-D <FIELDSET class=postcontent><LEGEND>http://www.quiltingboard.com/images/misc/paperclip.png Attached Images</LEGEND><!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: postbit_attachmentimage --></FIELDSET>

rhonda the quilt alongs are in the block of the month catagory not the swap groups.

quiltermomma I would probably cry if had to sort those. give up. donate them all. it would overwhelm me. you are a much better woman to tackle that than I. I heard from someone they cut from biggest to smallest size things from 5" to 1.5" and baggied them by color. then you couldbox the baggies. looking at your supplies your daughters would be cutting for real long time but they could also bag your stuff :) that is a REAL job. and you thought you were working before.. ha! think fabric moritoriam til those are whittled down. I see scrappy in your immediate and far future.

I am so inspired by all this. I want to go home and dive into my scraps!! I had them sorted at one time, but when I need something for a project, I tend to "get messy" and so did my scrap pile. Oh, well.

QMomma- that is certainly a pile of scraps, and then some!

QMomma--So you want to make the Jacob's ladder with all those scraps--well maybe you will get more than one.:D
As you sort pull out the larger pieces you want to go in the cupboard. Take 3 large container to sort your scraps by light and dark; and of course there's the mediums which can go into either pile depending on what they are paired with. Within these containers have a couple of smaller bins to toss in the smaller pieces. While you are sorting the larger of the small cuts fold them a bit--makes for a neater more compact pile.
Once you have all of these sorted you can start cutting your 2" and 4" squares. Begin with the smaller bins; you will get more variety in your quilt then. Using the calculations in the JL thread cut until you have the number squares you require and it never hurts to cut a few more. As you empty those smaller bins they can then be used for your cut squares. I like to keep my squares in groups of ten for easy counting. A group of ten can easily be thrown into a zip lock bag. Then when you get say 5 or 10 bags (your choice) you can regroup into a bag of 50 or 100. Keeps them all together and no more additional counting.

Good luck in your scrappy adventure. Wish I had time to sew right now. Guess I will have to just sit back and observe for a couple of weeks until I get the task at hand done!!!

Quiltermomma, I like oksewglad's suggestions and would add only this.....set out 2 more bins for a total of 5.....adding one for give away and one for throw away. There might not be anything in your stash that is no longer acceptable to you for use in a quilt, but there are probably fabrics you never want to look at again and would be best given to someone else rather than storing any longer.

Quiltermomma............. like everyone else my scraps run-a-muck. I have good intentions sort by color - sort my size and then sort again......I even take a day or so and gather all the scraps from one bin that I think I can get a certain size square cut from and do that....... have bags of 3 1/2" 4" etc squares which does help.......... but I do think those scraps breed at night when we aren't looking....... but then you know a scrap quilter can never have to many scraps.....lol. I know I can't.
Good luck with your organization................

I have been purusing my magazines and finding scrap type patterns and pulled a couple of the books I can find that are scrap quilting books so while I am organizing, I can pick thru and put them in piles with the patterns so i can be ready with a project at the same time. i am going to label every bin as I am sorting so I can put in the right one. This has just got to work, I have been dreaming and praying hard on how to do and getting it done. Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Will photo when all done so you can sit in awe. :hunf::p:D