donac

I am trying to organize my fabrics. I have lots of small pieces and I am tired of all the the mess I have. I have them in many bins. Some according to colors and some according to patterns.

A couple of weeks ago I started to cut the smaller pieces into strips. I am cutting them into 6 1/2, 5 1/2, 4 1/2 and 2 1/2. ANything super long I am folding and putting into a box.

The fabric that I have cut has been sitting around for a while so I am hoping that since it is cut I will use it for some quilts to use up the fabric.

I love scrappy quilts and hope to make some lap quilts for my nieces and nephews for Christmas when I am off this summer.

wolph33

they will be easy to grab and start a scrappy top after you have the strips cut.

Briarberry

I like this idea and need to do it! Thanks for sharing.

elizajo

When I was thinking about setting up a scrap saver's system like Bonnie Hunter describes in her books and her quiltville.com, I looked at the patterns I liked the best. Turns out most of the ones I like the have 1.5", 2", and some 3.5 inch strips. So I would recommend doing a survey of your favorite patterns and making a little chart of what you need. I think she also recommends sorting each size into lights and darks.

I don't stash alot of fabric without a quilt in mind, so I tend to cut my fabric as it comes in by project. I only have a small supply of left-over strips. But I do want to get to the point that I have drawers of pre-cut strips ready for scrappy quilts.

sherryl57

try one of Bonnie Hunter books.She is a whiz at organizing scraps and then cranking out beautiful quilts.

MaryAnnMc

I decided to save my scraps a la Bonnie Hunter, and realized it was a mistake. Instead of cutting all those small pieces, I should have left it all as strips. I can always cut smaller from a strip. From now on, strips it is. I think the sizes you chose are perfect. a 5.5" strip can be recut to 2 and 2.5" if necessary.

jeaninmaine

I like the idea of just doing the strips when you can.

wraez

Organizing fabric scraps is an ongoing challenge for me. I have those large see thru plastic zip bags that mattress pads / comforters etc come in and try to put long strips in one, larger pieces for nickels etc in another, smaller crumbs in another, on and on. But they still get mixed up.

Latrinka

I usually cut mine into 2 and 1/2 inch strips.

Country1

Great job. I started a while back trying to do that, then something happened and that was that.