I too would leave the larger piece intact. If it was oddly shaped, say for instance like a huge square, with a smaller square attached, I would cut the smaller square off (perhaps... depends on my mood that day, and if I am cutting with a particular project in mind... for instance, last summer, I cut a HUGE bag of scraps into usable pieces, with a Jacob's ladder quilt in mind...) You sort of have to know what kind a quilter you *are* or think you will *be* lol