Originally Posted by Scissor Queen
The "cut away the excess" method wastes a whole lot of fabric. I make square in a square blocks that start with a 5 inch center square and I cut two 4 inch squares on the diagonal for the corners. I'd try it with the 5.5 and two 4.5 inch squares and see if it comes out the size you want. I crease the center square in the center and the corners in the center and match the creases.
You will think I am crazy, but I immediately sew that cut away fabric on the diagonal line that was cut, and throw them in a bucket. I have tons of them. Some day I will press them open and square them up and make a doll quilt.....someday being the key word there! I have already used some of them to make tiny pinwheels for a jacket trim. Very small projects are a good thing, they are tough to work with!
I don't have much in the way of scraps because it all gets used. One friend loves to take my salvedges, another treasure hunts for her applique, my strips all get cut into 1.5 inches and are saved for a scrappy log cabin, small squares are kept for button covers, and what is too skiny to use is put in a basket , along with loose threads, and put out each spring for the birds to use for making their nests.
BTW, I just realized that I won't be wasting any fabric if I use Anita's method. The unused center square of the triangle corner fabric is the same as I will be using for my cornerstones in the sashing, which is 2.5" unfinished, so no waste there at all!
Diane