I was so leery about cutting my scraps, I almost made myself sick. Now isn't that silly. I saw this quilt pattern that used darks and whites, no bright or medium colors.( A lot of these scraps are from when I made my girls dresses when they were little.)So I bit the bullet and started cutting. Now I thought I DON'T DO SCRAPPY. Let me tell you that is the prettiest quilt, my girls have set and found fabric from dresses when they were little and loved this quilt. So now I have another scrappy cut and ready to sew. This time it is all bright scraps and I even broke down and cut the last scrap from a dress my youngest was in love with. So now I will have a memory quilt for both my girls .So, maybe it will be easier on you if you first have a quilt in mind when you want to do your random cutting, but that would not be random cutting then would it. Sorry I'm not much help.

I cut scraps either 3" to 7 - 1/2" If I don't have much of it. Same for strips. I use leftover binding for 2-1/2" strips, which they are. I have tons of yardage fabrics that I plan on making quilts from. The scraps will wait for a while or I will give them to my Daughter to use in her scrappy quilts. She doesn't buy much yardage pieces until she needs them. We both donate most of our quilts.

For a while I used to sit on the living room floor and cut up scraps into squares. Have pretty much given up on it as I really didn't do much with them. I have been using old small telephone books as backing to sew strips on instead, seems easier then cutting them up.

that's so nice of you! makes me want to find a beginner and do that too! win for everyone!

If they're too big to cut up into usable pieces, I don't call them "scraps"! Look through your stash for a few pieces that you Don't "really like" and play with your new cutter on them first.

When I first got my Accuquilt I had fun cutting out shapes but I'm pretty much over the initial thrill of it. :)

I used to be worried about cutting pieces (say 10" square or even bigger) into something smaller. But now I look at it in a two-phase process.

I get to organize, and Heaven forbid I end up cutting something, it just "forces" me to go shopping. Trust me. You will find ways to use those cut pieces.

And if nothing else, women in guilds are more than willing to use them for you! :D

I fill a fabric grocery bag (the kind with the flat bottom). When full, I bring to my guild for the ladies who participate in the "scrap quilt bee". But *sigh* there are some fabrics I can't seem to part with. Yes, we've all been there! lol