Originally Posted by Aurora
I cannot imagine wanting to buy a 2.5" strip. A 1/4 yd is the frequently the limit of the smallest piece cut. A couple of shops around here have a 1/2 yard limit.
Not to take the thread OT but:
Years (and years) ago I was making this quilt. And I was thrilled to find a shop that cut fabrics as small as 3" of a yard . I didn't need a lot of each, but I need a variety of fabrics. So for the cost of 1.25 yards, I got 16 different fabrics, instead of having to buy 16 FQ's of fabric that I really didn't need.
And, mind you, I have a huge stash, but didn't have enough of these colors in the values I wanted. Even today, buying Jelly Rolls isn't quite my thing as I much prefer to choose my own fabrics.
In this case, grain was not a big deal.
Back on-topic:
Keep in mind, though, that if grain is important for the project, you can lose a lot of a small strip getting it straight.