Me too! I long to be organized but somehow it never happens. It's always on my New Year's resolutions list.

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

Bonnie Hunter uses many thrift store shirts in her quilts. She always says to leave the back section of the shirt whole for big blocks or backing pieces.

I purchased the book scrapetherapy by Joan Ford [Cut The Scraps!] Her method is 2in 3 1/2 and 5in. squares. I really enjoyed the book and looking forward to giving the method a try.

I don't purposely cut scraps into specific sizes until I'm ready to use them.

If they are fairly large I just fold them with the rest of that particular fabric.

If they are 3" or less strips I may put them with other strips of similar width.

The smaller scraps I'm trying to organize into light, medium, dark.
But right now they are still just a pile. Lol!

my method too!

I am going to start cutting mine into 5 inch squares, Hexagons and a few other shapes. Sizes that I commonly used and easy to stack and look nice. I am sure I will still have a ton left. I also will keep the larger pieces, but till cut into square so that I can neatly stack them. Scraps so easliy get out of control. I find that I use them more when cut into shapes.

I am reading this one out of curiosity since I would never get that organized....I have a huge stash and go in and cut what I need when I need it. I give the scraps to the art teacher at the middle school where I teach; she teaches quilting to the 8th graders each year. She has amassed quite a bunch from me and others! To me, 17 x 18 is not a scrap so I'd keep that one to use later....unless I hated the print and if so, I'd send it along to the art teacher.

I don't have the extra time either to be that organized but I agree with earlier posts that I would leave your larger pieces uncut until you need them for a specific project.

I combine Bonnie's and scrap therapy and put them in the scrap therapy boxes. I have 7. The strips I put in pizza boxes and I am running out of space for strips. I have regular sized bag, a paper box, 3 medium plastic boxes and 4 medium to small pile of scraps to cut. Don't know when I will get them as I have so many other things planned.