Are they scraps? Or multiples of the same fabric? I could see it with scraps with the intention of someday using them. The 3" size would make for good 2 1/2 inch HSTs, so someone may have had a scrappy HST in mind!
But I only cut as I use for a project. Could be the person was expecting to make a lot of the same quilt pattern for multiple people? Or they just liked cutting fabric more than sewing it back together LOL!