I did the same thing as Lori S
When I first got my GO!, I cut a LOT of fabric into 2.5" squares...and even after making two LARGE quilts, haven't made a dent in them....and now I am needing 2" squares for three quilts I want to start! I'm leaving my scraps as is until I decide on a specific pattern.

I think you have a good plan and good attitude. I am a 5 yrs breast cancer free.

I leave my strips in strips instead of squares- i can always cut the strips into squares. They are not organized by color because that would mean too many containers with no place to put them. I kind of put like colors together in each drawer- which lasts until I paw through them to find something. LOL i love scrap quilts and have enough to make a lot of them with my stash.

I had a lot of 1-1/2" Strips. I had to cut more strips to go with them. I am now making a Log Cabin. When I finish this I am going to make another and just use the leftovers from this one. I wanted to use the same off white strips but, ended up using three different off whites.
I should not mess with the scrappy quilts as I have many, many large yardage pieces. I have put a dent in the scraps but, I have made many scrappy quilts. Some of the large yardage pieces I don't like anymore go to backings. I always end up liking the finished quilts and they are still warm.

I find that if I have scraps already cut into certain sizes, I'm more likely to dive right into sewing a scrap quilt. I cut my scraps in 2 1/2 sqs., 2 1/2" strips, and 5" sqs. The scraps from cutting these sizes, are saved for a string quilt.

How often do you find yourself wanting something other then how you cut them? In that case I'd just go buy fabric the size I needed. If you aren't using your scraps or giving them away then they are for mental comfort which in turn makes you feel like you should use them. Aggggh, do something with them!

Thank you all for all the terrific suggestions for cutting scraps. I too have very limited space for storing my quilting fabrics and I have gotten some inspiration on how to cut and store them.

I use several methods; Bonnie Hunter, Joan Ford (Scrap Therapy) and Ann Wiens (The Thrifty Quilter).

Yardage: anything a yard and over is now being ruler folded to fit shelving.
Everything else is cut to size and stored in either drawers or sterilite containers. These are the sizes that work for me:

1/2 yards plus but not a yard, 1/4 yards, fat quarters.
Strips: 3 1/2, 2 1/2, 1 1/2.
Squares: 10", 6 1/2", 5", 4 1/2" 3 1/2" 2 1/2", 2", 1 1/2".
Bricks or rectangles: 2 1/2 x 4 1/2, 2 1/2 x 3 1/2, 3 1/2 x 6 1/2.
Strings: all odd sizes under 2 1/2".

I find if I cut with a purpose it helps. If I'm low on a size I use often I cut more of that size. If I have a quilt pattern in mind I go to my precuts first and pull what I need. If I need more than what I have previously cut, then I cut more.

In reading this thread I liked the idea of cutting in strips only, then cut the squares needed from that particular size strip. Gives my brain something more to think about, I might try that for a bit and see if it works.

Good luck everyone, this can be a daunting task, but once you find what works for you and you stick with it, you really can have piece of mind and not have that niggling voice telling you to do something with that mound of stash. I find that it is an 'ongoing work in progress' for me and I am so happy and grateful for it. It's a good feeling to be the master of your stash instead of it mastering you.

Have to laugh on this thread--once I did try to cut scraps into squares, etc--spent 2 whole days and hardly made a dent! Then I worried about what if they aren't the right size--so now I sort by color family into plastic drawers and pull out stuff when I need it. Small stuff--like the cut of triangles form HST or blocks of 2" or less or weird shapes get tossed into a bag by the sewing machine and I always think that someday I'll actually use them for something--haven't yet!

check this out: http://country-threads-chicken-scrat...l-of-snippets/