I try to cut the biggest square I can out of the scrappy material and then work on down in size, 6 1/2, 6, 5 1/2, 5, etc down to 1 1/2 which is the smallest I will go. I have plastic shoe boxes to store the cut pieces by size in. Needless to say I need to get busy have three large tote bins full to cut. I also cut strips 1 1/2 and up to 3 1/2 wide any length I can get out of the material, storing the strips by size also in plastic boxes. I think whatever works for the individual is the say to go, some like one thing others another, so whatever works for you. I find it nice to go to a box of cut scraps the size I need and see what I can find.